J. Exon

Mr. EXON

Mr. EXON. We agree on this side.

Mr. EXON. We have no objection.

Mr. EXON. I have always enjoyed working very closely with my friend and colleague. We are going to have a very tough day tomorrow. We are going to move things as expeditiously as we can. At the proper time tomorrow, I will take time to publicly thank the excellent staff on this side and also the staff on that side of the aisle for being constructive and helpful all the way through. It has been, once again, a unique experience. I have appreciated the courtesy that is always extended to me by the chairman of the committee.

Mr. EXON. I suggest the absence of a quorum, and I ask unanimous consent that the time be charged equally to both sides.

Mr. EXON. We control only the timekeeper.

Mr. EXON. We would want to review them. But that is an interesting proposal. Could I suggest one other thing that we might consider? We do not have to decide on that tonight. But I would like to suggest since we are going to have, once again, an awful lot of votes, would there be any likelihood that we may cut the votes down to say 7\1/2\ minutes to move things along in a more expeditious fashion, because we I think would agree tonight that we would probably have 1 minute each for explanation of each amendment.

Mr. EXON. My only thought with that is that might be the case. The only trouble with 10 minutes, then it becomes 12 minutes. It is like speeders on the highway. But I am just making a suggestion to try to expedite things for the good of the body as a whole. We can discuss that later. Amendment No. 4026 (Purpose: To express the sense of the Senate that the Economic Development Administration should place high priority on maintaining field-based economic development representatives)

Mr. EXON. The 15 minutes will be morning business time?

Mr. EXON. I thank the Chair. I yield the floor. How much time would the Senator from Washington like?

Mr. EXON. I yield 2 minutes to the Senator from Washington. Is this on an amendment or another subject?

Mr. EXON. On an amendment the time would be equally divided. I yield the Senator from Washington 2 minutes.

Mr. EXON

Mr. EXON. I am about ready to yield 15 minutes to the Senator from Massachusetts, half of the time. I will be allotted the half hour remaining on the pending matter. Is that correct?

Mr. EXON. Maybe we could settle something right now. I am not sure that we should be in session during the important matter that is going to be taking place at the Washington Cathedral. I was just wondering if I might have the attention of my colleague. I am wondering if it might be better for us to recess during the time of the memorial service with the time being charged along the lines just outlined by the chairman of the committee. I just say let us take that under advisement for now. With that, if the Senator from Massachusetts could be recognized at this time as previously arranged.

Mr. EXON. Mr. President, I ask for a vote on the Levin amendment that is now the pending amendment.

Mr. EXON. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote by which the amendment was agreed to.

Mr. EXON. It is, and I yield back any time in opposition that we may have on this side.

Mr. EXON. Mr. President, I am back to see if possibly we could at this time clear the two amendments agreed to earlier. Has the amendment by the Senator from North Carolina been offered? I am prepared to yield back time on the Levin amendment, which we will agree to by a voice vote. I likewise assume we will move forward with the amendment of the Senator from North Carolina, which I assume has been cleared on both sides. I yield back the remainder of the time on the Levin amendment.

Mr. EXON. Did we adopt that?

Mr. EXON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendment before the Senate be temporarily set aside so that we can entertain two amendments by previous agreement, the first to be offered by the Senator from Michigan, the second to be offered by the Senator from North Carolina. Both have been cleared, and we can move ahead on them. I would appreciate very much if the Chair would see fit to recognize the Senator from Michigan at this time for his statement and the introduction of the amendment.

Mr. EXON. I thank my good friend and colleague from the State of Michigan, Senator Levin, for the amendment that I had indicated earlier has been cleared on both sides. This is an important sense-of-the- Senate resolution, and I appreciate the cooperation we have had from Senator Levin and his staff on this matter. We are about ready to have proposed in behalf of Senator Helms from North Carolina an amendment that likewise has been cleared on both sides. Then we can move the adoption of those by voice vote. Awaiting the arrival of one Member on the Senate floor, I suggest the absence of a quorum. Mr. LEVIN addressed the Chair.

Mr. EXON. I withhold.

Mr. EXON. I thank the Senator. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

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

Mr. EXON. We will visit about it. I hope the Senator from Massachusetts could be recognized at this time for 15 minutes.