J. Exon

Mr. EXON

Mr. EXON. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. EXON. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 3987

Mr. EXON. I will simply say that I ask for the yeas and nays on my amendment as offered.

Mr. EXON. I move to lay it on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. EXON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to proceed for 2 minutes on the procedures that we are about to begin.

Mr. EXON. Mr. President, we are about to begin a series of what probably will be about 30 or more rollcall votes. These votes will occur in the order of the amendments as they were introduced and debated on the Senate floor. Each offerer of an amendment should be prepared to deliver a 30- second statement in favor of the amendment immediately prior to the vote on the amendment. This will require, if we are going to do it this way, the offerer of these amendments to make sure they are on the floor and prepared to go. Otherwise, the process is going to bog down. Under the unanimous-consent agreement and the Budget Act, the offerer of the amendment will control 30 seconds, and the majority manager, Senator Domenici, will control 30 seconds if he opposes the amendment. Only if the chairman favors the amendment will this Senator control 30 seconds in opposition. I urge Senators to prepare three crisp sentences that they want to say in favor of their amendment. It will be unlikely that Senators will have time to say more than that. I also urge Senators to make every effort, as has been said by the acting majority leader, Senator Lott, to be here on the floor at all times and, certainly as a priority measure, immediately before their amendment is scheduled for 1 minute, equally divided, of debate. Then we will go to a vote. I thank all Senators for their assistance in expediting the process. We have had good cooperation, and I hope that will continue today.

Mr. EXON. Mr. President, point of order.

Mr. EXON. Does the Senator's wife vote in New Mexico?

Mr. EXON. Mr. President, I suggest the Senate is not in order.

Mr. EXON. Mr. President, point of order. Is the Senator from Nebraska correct the amendment that has just been offered is not in order until time has been yielded back on the previous amendment, which I do not think was accomplished?

Mr. EXON. I yield 30 seconds to the Senator from Arkansas.

Mr. EXON. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. EXON. Madam President, I suggest that the amendment of the Senator from Pennsylvania, as I understand it, is not in order.

Mr. EXON. May I inquire of the chairman, it is true now that this will be a 15-minute vote, as is the one to follow? Is that correct?

Mr. EXON. I thank my chairman.

Mr. EXON. Mr. President, I yield 30 seconds of our time to my friend and colleague from Ohio.

Mr. EXON. The Senator from Ohio did.

Mr. EXON. I move to table the amendment and ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. EXON. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. EXON. Reserving the right to object, but I shall not object, I just want to compliment the manager of the bill for the very good suggestion that we keep plowing ahead. I would just like to say at this time I think it would be only fair to Members of the body if we tried to outline the proposition on the things to come. We have made some progress, although I join my leader in the Budget Committee in appealing for faster movement. I simply say that I believe it is obvious, at least it is obvious to this Senator at this time, that with the fact that we have an obligation that has been committed to for this evening, it would seem clear to me that there is no chance we will finish voting on this resolution today. I am just wondering if that is the feeling of the manager of the bill?

Mr. EXON. I am not sure the Senator from Iowa heard. I think the Chair was asking him to proceed. The next amendment up is No. 23 on my list, which is No. 4011 by Senator Harkin. The Senator has 30 seconds.

Mr. EXON. Mr. President, I move to vitiate the yeas and nays on the underlying amendment in view of the success of the tabling motion.

Mr. EXON. To answer the Senator's question, it was turned down by voice vote.

Mr. EXON. Is it possible to do anything on a 1-to-nothing vote?

Mr. EXON. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 4009