Pete Domenici

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Yes, he is. And Senator Hutchison is one of the original cosponsors. She would like some of the time. I yield the Senator 4 minutes.

Mr. DOMENICI. We might.

Mr. DOMENICI. We do have Senator Faircloth en route. If he is not here shortly, then we will be able to do what you suggest. But I am trying to hold a little bit of time for him.

Mr. DOMENICI. How much of that would you like?

Mr. DOMENICI. Sure. How much time do I have left?

Mr. DOMENICI. I reserve the remainder of my time.

Mr. DOMENICI. Of course, for those under the average it would be less. But is it not true that you have heard, as I have, that some people do not get married who are living together saying they are doing better on taxes without being married, and that this is frequently used in conversation if not in reality?

Mr. DOMENICI. I assume it could be $2,000, $3,000, $5,000, $10,000?

Mr. DOMENICI. So it could be a very large amount of money for people above the average?

Mr. DOMENICI. Is this what you mean? If you have two single people earning a combined income, that are single and filing separate returns, and you have a married couple with exactly the same amount of income, the married couple, everything else being equal, will pay $1,380 more in taxes per year?

Mr. DOMENICI. I say to the Senator, I just want to ask a question. You used the figure of $1,380 a year or $1,340?

Mr. DOMENICI. I compliment the Senator on his remarks. They are right on point. As a matter of fact, the resolution as drafted says to the U.S. Congress to begin to cure this marital tax inequity this year. In essence what we are saying is, if we are going to have a tax bill, we have no authority to dictate its content, but we are saying it is the sense of the Senate that we shall start down the road of eliminating that this year. Now, I might add----

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I send to the desk the following amendments: Senator Bond amendment, Senator Abraham, Senator Thurmond, Senator Sessions, Senator Domenici in behalf of Senator Faircloth, Senator Specter, a second amendment in behalf of Senator Specter, and a third amendment in behalf of Senator Specter, Senator Nickles, Senator Frist, Senator McConnell, Senator Sessions, Senators Craig and Domenici, Senators Coverdell and Shelby, Senator Santorum, second Santorum amendment, Senator Kempthorne, Senator Gramm, Senator Coverdell, second Senator Coverdell, a third, fourth, fifth, and Senator Mack.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, pursuant to the unanimous consent request, it is now my privilege to introduce the amendments that we have on this side. Let me start it this way. There is pending at the desk an amendment numbered 2266, Senator Grams numbered 2222, and an amendment numbered 2208 by Senator Hutchison. I would like to call them up and set them aside. I ask unanimous consent to do that.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. I say to the Senator, we will yield you 5 minutes off the bill.

Mr. DOMENICI. I thank the Chair. I say to the Senator, did you want to do something?

Mr. DOMENICI. We are going to be able to arrange that for the Senator. Mr. President, I want to suggest that when we entered into the unanimous consent agreement, the idea was that we would expedite the voting on amendments and minimize the number perhaps that was going to be voted on in the so-called ``votarama'' with 1 minute on a side by amending the statutorily allotted amount of time for amendments and second-degree amendments. And we did so agree. But we were not specific in saying that there shall be no time yielded off the bill to those new time agreements. So I just ask, with the concurrence of my friend from New Jersey, unanimous consent that there be added to the unanimous consent agreement regarding the time allotted on amendments and second- degree amendments, the following language: And that no time, no additional time, shall be allotted from time remaining on the bill by either side.

Mr. DOMENICI. But it is not a proposal?

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. I thank the Senator. Amendment No. 2165

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. How much time remains on the Kyl amendment and the opposition to it?

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. And we might add, they feel badly also.

Mr. DOMENICI. Tomorrow, the Senate will resume consideration of the budget resolution and, as under a previous unanimous consent agreement, at 12 noon the Senate will vote on or in relation to the Kyl amendment. A further vote will occur on or in relation to the Conrad amendment, as previously stated, at 2 p.m. Several additional votes will hopefully be stacked to occur in sequence at 2 p.m. following the Conrad vote. In addition, Members can anticipate rollcall votes on a number of pending amendments to the resolution and other amendments which are expected to be offered. Therefore, Members can anticipate a very busy day on floor action. Also, the Senate may consider any executive or legislative business cleared for Senate action. As a reminder to all Senators, the first vote will occur at 12 noon tomorrow.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today it stand in adjournment until 10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 1, and immediately following the prayer, the routine requests through the morning hour be granted and the Senate resume consideration of Senate Concurrent Resolution 86, the budget resolution.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. I ask unanimous consent that it be in order for the majority leader, after the notification of the Democratic leader, but not before April 20 of 1998, to turn to the conference report to accompany H.R. 1757, the State Department reorganization, and it be considered under the following terms: The conference report be considered as having been read and there be 6 hours for debate to be equally divided in the usual form, and following the conclusion or yielding back of time the Senate proceed to vote on adoption of the conference report without any intervening action or debate.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. I now ask for its second reading and object to my own request.