T. Gorton

Mr. GORTON

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Bruce Evans, Ginny James, Anne McInerney, Hank Kashdan, and Martin Delgado of the committee staff be granted floor privileges for the duration of the debate on the Interior appropriations bill.

Mr. GORTON. I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 122, H.R. 2107, a bill making appropriations for the Department of the Interior and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1998, and for other purposes.

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee amendments be agreed to en bloc, with the following exceptions: page 46, line 15 through page 47, line 25; page 52, line 16 through page 54, line 22; page 55, line 11 through page 56, line 2; page 96, line 12 through page 97, line 8; page 115, lines 1 through 22; page 123, line 9 through page 124, line 20; that the bill, as amended, be considered as original text for the purpose of further amendment, and that no points of order be waived by reason of this agreement.

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk and ask unanimous consent that it be in order to be considered.

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I thank my colleague from North Dakota. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I have a series of clarifications of the committee report that have been agreed to by Senator Byrd. I ask unanimous consent that they be printed in the Record, and I submit them for the Record.

Mr. GORTON. Will the Senator from South Dakota yield?

Mr. GORTON

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote by which the nomination was confirmed.

Mr. GORTON

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent there now be a period for the transaction of morning business with Senators permitted to speak for up to 5 minutes each.

Mr. GORTON

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I now ask unanimous consent the Senate stand in adjournment under the previous order following the remarks of Senator Snowe.

Mr. GORTON

Mr. GORTON. For the information of all Members, the Senate will be in session for the transaction of morning business only tomorrow. No rollcall votes will occur during Friday's session of the Senate. On Monday, the Senate will resume consideration of the Interior appropriations bill. The majority leader intends that the Senate conclude debate on this legislation by Tuesday. Therefore, Members are encouraged to contact the managers of the bill to schedule floor action on any possible amendments. As Members are aware, this is the next to the last appropriations bill remaining for Senate consideration. In other words, the Senate has concluded action on 11 of the 13 appropriations bills. Therefore, Members' cooperation is appreciated in the scheduling of floor action as we attempt to complete action on both the Interior appropriations bill and the District of Columbia appropriations bill next week. The Senate will be in session on Friday for morning business only. There will be no rollcall votes on Friday or Monday. Therefore, the next rollcall vote will be a cloture vote on S. 830, the FDA reform bill, occurring on Tuesday at 10 a.m. Under rule XXII, all first-degree amendments to S. 830 must be filed by 1 p.m. on Monday. I thank my colleagues for their attention.

Mr. GORTON

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Foreign Relations Committee be discharged from further consideration of Senate Concurrent Resolution 50 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, Senator Hutchinson has two amendments at the desk which amend the resolution and the preamble. I ask unanimous consent that the amendment to the resolution be agreed to, the resolution, as amended, be agreed to, the amendment to the preamble be agreed to, and the preamble, as amended, be agreed to. I further ask unanimous consent that the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table and any statements relating to the resolution be printed in the Record.

Mr. GORTON

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand in adjournment until the hour of 10 a.m. on Friday, September 12. I further ask unanimous consent that on Friday the Senate immediately begin a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. I further ask unanimous consent that following morning business, the Senate adjourn over until Monday, September 15, and immediately following the prayer, the routine requests through the morning hour be granted and the Senate immediately resume consideration of H.R. 2107, the Interior appropriations bill.

Mr. GORTON

Mr. GORTON. I ask unanimous consent amendment No. 1122 be placed before the Senate.

Mr. GORTON. Madam President, the majority leader and the minority are working on a unanimous-consent agreement for the order to proceed with several more amendments tonight. Amendment No. 1122, of which I am the primary sponsor, will be the first of those amendments, and I am authorized to ask we call up amendment No. 1122 and begin the debate. It will be interrupted by the majority leader when he is prepared to offer a unanimous-consent agreement. Amendment No. 1122, As Modified

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

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

Mr. GORTON. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. GORTON. Madam President, I am sending a modified amendment to the desk, and I ask unanimous consent it be considered in place of the amendment that is before the Senate now.

Mr. GORTON

Mr. GORTON. If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I now ask that the Senate stand in adjournment under the previous order.

Mr. GORTON

Mr. GORTON. On behalf of Senator Grassley, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that technical errors in S. 1149 which Senator Grassley introduced On September 4, 1997, be corrected, and that the bill be reprinted as corrected. These changes are purely technical in nature. I have attached a copy of S. 1149 with the changes made for the convenience of my colleagues. I ask unanimous consent the corrected bill be reprinted in the Record following these remarks.

Mr. GORTON

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be agreed to, the bill read the third time, and passed, as amended, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements relating to the bill be placed at the appropriate place in the Record.

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 1420, which was received from the House.