Trent Lott

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, for the information of all Senators with regard to the schedule tonight, I understand the Senate will be voting very shortly now on final passage of the agriculture appropriations bill. The managers have worked out the Dodd amendment, and we will be shortly ready to go to final passage. Following that vote, the Senate would then resume consideration of the HUD-VA appropriations bill. There is an amendment pending to that appropriations bill, which I understand may be withdrawn. But it is my hope and the intent of the managers--I was just talking to Senator Bond and Senator Mikulski--that we would get time agreements on amendments that are pending, and finish all debate on all amendments tonight, and then the votes that would be required would be in the morning at 9:30. We would then go to the legislative appropriations bill during Friday's session. So votes could be expected on Friday's session at 9:30 with one other possible vote. I am hoping maybe that the legislative appropriations bill will not have any complicating issues and that it could be handled by a voice vote, or with only one vote. I would like to finish it all tonight. But the managers have a number of amendments they have to work through. So what we would have, then, as we now see it, is final passage on agriculture, go to HUD-VA, and we have one issue that may be resolved, which would then not require a vote, and then we would go on to the amendments. So it is possible that after this next vote, the next recorded vote will not be until 9:30 in the morning. We will do everything we can to not go late tomorrow and certainly not later than 12 o'clock. But cooperation from Senators on both sides will allow us to actually finish it up by 10 o'clock or 10:30 tomorrow.

Mr. LOTT. I thank the Senator.

Mr. LOTT. I ask unanimous consent, Mr. President, that we have 15 minutes remaining on this issue, equally divided--half and half--and we have the vote on the point of order at 7 o'clock.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, if the Senator will yield.

Mr. LOTT. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle--I am beginning to see the natives circling around here. We hoped we could have finished this bill at 4 o'clock this afternoon. I urge my colleagues, we know the issue. There is going to be a point of order made, and I hope that point of order will proceed. We need to conclude this bill. We have other work.

Mr. LOTT. I am trying to get some idea as to where we are on time so we can notify Members when we can expect a vote. Is the Senator going to need more time?

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, will the Senator yield just for a question?

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I extend my congratulations and appreciation to the managers of this very important agriculture appropriations bill. My colleague from the State of Mississippi, Senator Cochran, always exhibits patience and real leadership on this important legislation. I thank him for what he does. And also to Senator Bumpers, I think it is absolutely appropriate that this National Center on Rice Research be named after Senator Bumpers. He certainly has labored in the vineyards on rice and also on the agriculture appropriations bill. So thank you both for the work that you have done.

Mr. LOTT. We have one other issue we have to get clarified. This could be the last vote, but right now we could have one more right after this one. And we will clarify that in the next few minutes and notify all Senators. Mr. COCHRAN addressed the Chair.

Mr. LOTT. There is no unanimous consent request pending.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that with respect to the HUD-VA appropriations bill, all first-degree amendments must be offered and debated tonight, and if votes are ordered with respect to those amendments, they occur, in a stacked sequence, beginning at 9 o'clock in the morning--I want to emphasize to our colleagues, we are beginning a little earlier than normal; it will be 9 o'clock; and we will go right to the stacked sequence, with 2 minutes of debate prior to each vote for explanation, as has been requested and is the normal practice--and that all succeeding votes be limited to 10 minutes.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Unless the managers have an objection, I amend my unanimous consent request to that extent.

Mr. LOTT. I would like to make one more unanimous consent request. I ask unanimous consent that the vote on the Kerrey amendment--if ordered, and we get the yeas and nays on that--be also limited to 10 minutes.

Mr. LOTT. It is certainly all right, Mr. President.

Mr. LOTT. Freestanding amendment then.

Mr. LOTT. That was my understanding.

Mr. LOTT. So after 4 minutes of debate, equally divided, we could go to a recorded vote on the Torricelli amendment. I ask unanimous consent that that be the order.

Mr. LOTT. I ask unanimous consent that we then go to--

Mr. LOTT. I am glad, of course, to yield to the Senator.

Mr. LOTT. If I can explain what the order will be now. The Chair will put the question on the Roberts amendment to the Dodd amendment. I presume that will be accepted by a voice vote. Then we will go to the Torricelli second-degree amendment, with 2 minutes for him to describe his amendment, 2 minutes for Senator Dodd in opposition, and then a vote on that.

Mr. LOTT. I yield the floor. Mr. DODD addressed the Chair.

Mr. LOTT. It will be controlled by Senator Cochran, the opponent of the amendment, but I am sure he will be very fair in the disposition of that time so that others can speak against that amendment.

Mr. LOTT. Is the Senator suggesting each amendment get the same amount of time? Mr. President, I do want to amend my unanimous consent request to comply with the lineup that Senator Daschle asked for. Will the Senator repeat that? What order?

Mr. LOTT. At 8:45 p.m. tonight. That will give Senators a chance to have a meal that they might have agreed to have and also give the managers time to work through these amendments, but lock in their conclusion, and then that will be it for tonight after that block of votes.

Mr. LOTT. I guess we did say in that order, but that order can be rearranged, unless the manager has a problem.