Robert Dole

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Let me remind my colleagues three times 60 is a long time-- we were about 3 minutes late on that vote--if we start slipping these votes for everybody who wants to step out for 5 minutes. If we just stay in the Chamber, we can do this in 10 minutes. I say to my colleagues, we are going to start ringing the bell here in 10 minutes.

Mr. DOLE. Both.

Mr. DOLE. I can respond. I think that language is ready now. I think we are working on some other language, but that language is ready. That is why we wanted to wait until the morning so we can compare that.

Mr. DOLE. Only in opposition to the long-term care. I think in this matter, a lot of the debate in the last 2 or 3 days has been long-term care--Medicare, Medicaid. We are trying to get the younger people involved in long-term care so that when they arrive at their senior years, they will have long-term care through the private sector. It is something we have worked on in a bipartisan way in the Finance Committee for years. We finally have it in the bill. We believe it is a very good provision. I do not object to the amendment that is pending. I hope they can find another revenue source. I support what Senator Bond and Senator Pryor are trying to do. The self-employed should have the same rights as everyone else, the same deduction. I hope that if we can find another revenue source--because I really believe the long-term care amendment, although this is very important, is just as important, or we will be back here in 10, 15, 20 years, somebody will be back here wondering why we did not do something to get people interested in buying insurance and getting a deduction. I hope we can resolve it before we have the vote.

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, let me indicate that we have addressed this concern, and I think as Senator Chafee pointed out, if we really want to find the best provision, we ought to compare the two. We may not vote on the Pryor amendment tonight. I will decide how many amendments we vote on this evening. So we will have an opportunity to look at the language in both. If you are looking for a political vote, we can have the political vote, but if you are looking for the best provision--it was worked out with Senator Cohen, Senator Snowe, Senator Chafee, and others on this side of the aisle. We think it is a pretty good provision. So I hope if we are interested in getting the best provision in the bill, we will do as Senator Domenici suggested: Wait until morning, have a vote, find out which is the superior provision, and then vote accordingly.

Mr. DOLE. Then tier four and tier five.

Mr. DOLE. Then we go to tier three.

Mr. DOLE. Right. We are going to go down--that is right, yes.

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, as I understand, all the amendments have been offered that will be offered this evening in tier 2. The committee amendment will be offered tomorrow morning. I now ask unanimous consent that the votes scheduled to begin now be limited to 8 minutes after the first rollcall vote, with 1 minute for explanation between each vote to be equally divided in the usual form.

Mr. DOLE. This will be the last vote this evening, and we will start voting tomorrow morning at 9:15. The first vote will be on the amendment by----

Mr. DOLE. Senator Gramm of Texas. The first vote will come on his amendment, and the first vote will be 20 minutes in length. Then we will go back to our 8 minutes after the first vote. We have had 20 votes today. I wish to thank my colleagues.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. They will occur after the Kassebaum amendment or her designee. So it will be Kassebaum or her designee, then Bumpers, then Baucus.

Mr. DOLE. Then second-tier amendments. And then third-tier amendments, which we hope will find a way to the wastebasket.

Mr. DOLE. I so amend my request.

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I just say to my colleagues this would not be a good day to be absent. Neither will tomorrow be a good day to be absent. I assume there will be anywhere from 40 to 60 votes between now and tomorrow afternoon. Mr. BAUCUS addressed the Chair.

Mr. DOLE. I further ask unanimous consent that the next 10 Republican amendments and the next 10 Democratic amendments be limited to 10 minutes equally divided in the usual form, with no amendments in order to any of the next 20 amendments offered.

Mr. DOLE. Let me explain to our colleague where we go after the voting sequence that will occur after 10 minutes of debate by Senator Kassebaum or her designee. Republicans will be entitled to offer the next three amendments in a row as a result of a previous agreement. Then each side will alternate until the remaining amendments, limited to 10 minutes each, have been debated. The Senate will then begin voting on those debated amendments, and then begin voting on all amendments Members are going to offer which would have no debate time. We would just offer it. There will be a little explanation. It will be the majority leader's intention to keep the Senate in until approximately midnight tonight and resume the voting sequence until concluded on Friday. We could vary a little bit either way this evening depending on how much progress we make. And I have discussed this with the Democratic leader. It is our hope that we could finish voting and have final passage by midafternoon tomorrow. That will depend, of course, on whether Members on the other side feel compelled to continue to offer amendment after amendment after amendment when all time has expired. But that will be determined later. And I thank the Democratic leader for his cooperation. I will be happy to yield to the Senator from South Dakota.

Mr. DOLE. One minute equally divided.

Mr. DOLE. Divided very quickly.

Mr. DOLE. This will leave the following issues that need to be disposed of by rollcall votes that have been debated yesterday and up to this point today: The Rockefeller motion concerning Medicare, followed by the Abraham amendment concerning Medicare fraud, and the Bradley motion concerning EITC; the Graham, of Florida, motion concerning Medicaid; Kennedy amendment concerning education; Bumpers motion concerning deficit reduction; Baucus motion concerning rural restoration. Therefore, I ask unanimous consent that all votes in this sequence after the first vote be limited to 10 minutes in length, with 2 minutes for explanation between each vote to be equally divided in the usual form.

Mr. DOLE. I have been informed by Senator Daschle, the Democratic leader, that they will limit their amendments that they will offer after all time has expired, and with that commitment I now ask unanimous consent that all first-degree amendments pending to motions to recommit and all pending second-degree amendments be withdrawn.

Mr. DOLE. I further ask that Senator Kassebaum or her designee now be recognized to offer a first-degree amendment concerning education and the time be limited to 10 minutes equally divided in the usual form, with no amendments in order to the amendment, and the vote occur immediately following the vote on or in relation to the Kennedy amendment in the voting sequence.

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, has leader time been reserved?

Mr. DOLE. I ask unanimous consent that I may use a portion of that leader time without it being charged against either side.