Trent Lott

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Again, so that Senators will have this information, the agreement allows for a rollcall vote then on Senator Byrd's amendment at approximately 5:30 on Monday, February 24.

Mr. LOTT

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

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, today the Senate will immediately resume consideration of Senate Joint Resolution 1, the constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget. By unanimous consent, there will be 60 minutes remaining for debate on Senator Wellstone's amendment No. 3. Senators can expect a rollcall vote on or in relation to that Wellstone amendment at approximately 3:15 today, if all debate time is used. Following that vote, it is my hope we will be able to begin consideration of the nomination of Bill Richardson to be the U.N. Ambassador. The Foreign Relations Committee will be reporting out that nomination this afternoon, and we will attempt to reach an agreement limiting debate to approximately 20 minutes equally divided but we will, of course, wait until the committee has officially reported it and then bring it up as shortly thereafter as possible. Following that vote, we will continue debate on the balanced budget amendment, and it is my understanding that Senator Reid will be prepared to offer his amendment relative to Social Security. The amendment will be debated today and tomorrow, and we hope to set a vote on or in relation to the Reid amendment for tomorrow, late in the afternoon, probably around 5:30 or so. But we have to get a final agreement on the exact time. All Senators will be notified as the votes are scheduled. I thank my colleagues for their cooperation as we approach the Presidents Day recess. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, for the information of all Senators, there will be no further votes this evening. It is my understanding that Senator Boxer intends to make a statement relative to the constitutional amendment. Also, the President of the United States will be visiting with congressional leaders tomorrow on the Senate side of the Capitol--in fact, in the President's Room just off the floor of the Senate Chamber. Therefore, it is my hope that when the Senate convenes following the weekly policy party luncheons, there will be a short time agreement for debate prior to a vote on or in relation to the Wellstone amendment regarding underprivileged youth. Members should expect a vote relative to the Wellstone amendment in the 3 o'clock timeframe tomorrow. Also, the Senate could be asked to confirm the nomination of Congressman Richardson to be Ambassador to the United Nations. Therefore, a rollcall vote is expected with respect to that nomination. I thank my colleagues for their cooperation. I yield the floor. Mrs. BOXER addressed the Chair.

Mr. LOTT. Now, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at 2:15 on Tuesday, February 11, there be 60 minutes of debate, equally divided, in the usual form prior to a vote on or in relation to the Wellstone amendment No. 3, and following the expiration or yielding back of the time, the Senate proceed to a vote on or in relation to the Wellstone amendment.

Mr. LOTT. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Unanimous Consent Agreement--Amendment No. 3

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand in adjournment until the hour of 12 noon on Monday, February 10. I further ask that immediately following the prayer, the routine requests through the morning hour be granted.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, for the information of the Senate, the phrase ``the routine requests through the morning hour'' are deemed to include the approval of the Journal to date, the waiving of resolutions coming over under the rule, the waiving of the call of the calendar, and the expiration of the morning hour. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate then proceed to a period of morning business until the hour of 1 p.m., for Senators to speak during the designated times: Senator Daschle or his designee from 12 to 12:30, Senator Thomas or his designee from 12:30 to 1. I further ask unanimous consent that at 1 o'clock the Senate resume consideration of Senate Joint Resolution 1, the constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget, and that Senator Wellstone then be recognized at that time.

Mr. LOTT

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

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Record remain open until 3 p.m. today, for Senators to include statements and to introduce legislation.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. For the information of all Senators, the Senate will continue the debate on the balanced budget amendment on Monday. Under a previous order, the Senate will resume debate on the Durbin amendment at 3:30 with a vote occurring on or in relation to that amendment at approximately 5:30 on Monday. Senators can, therefore, expect the next rollcall vote on Monday, February 10, at 5:30. Prior to that debate, Senator Wellstone will be recognized to offer two amendments. It is my hope we will be able to complete all debate on Senator Wellstone's amendments during Monday's session, however those amendments will be voted on during Tuesday's session. I also remind my colleagues that next week is the final week of business prior to the Presidents' Day recess. I hope we will be able to make continued progress on the balanced budget amendment, and it is possible the Senate will act on a number of nominations that will be available. In fact, we do have pending before us for consideration the nomination of Charlene Barshefsky to be the U.S. Trade Representative, although her nomination will involve probably a vote on a waiver of an existing law, and possibly an amendment to that waiver that may be offered by Senator Hollings or others; so we will have to keep that in mind. And we expect to have the nomination reported out for U.N. Ambassador Richardson. We also may be voting next week on the mandatory provisions included in last year's omnibus appropriations bill involving population planning funding. That will depend on whether the House is able to complete its action early in the week. But we could very well get to a vote on that issue Wednesday or Thursday of next week because we would like to complete it, if we could, before the Presidents' Day recess. We will continue, then, to have debate on amendments, with time agreements wherever possible, on the constitutional amendment for a balanced budget. So I urge my colleagues to be understanding next week. We also will be out a good portion of Thursday morning for Ambassador Harriman's funeral, and therefore we probably won't be able to get started with votes until sometime after noon on Thursday. But we'll have a full day on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday next week before we go out for the Presidents' Day recess.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I now ask the Senate stand in adjournment under the previous order, following the remarks of Senator Dodd.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the recess be delayed in order for Senator Graham of Florida and Senator Sessions of Alabama and Senator Grams of Minnesota to speak, and following their remarks the Senate stand in recess under the previous order.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I amend the request for the Senators that I mentioned, Senators Graham of Florida, Grams of Mininesota, Senator Sessions, and the Senator from West Virginia to be able to speak, and that we stand in recess under the previous order after those speeches.

Mr. LOTT. All right. So if any of those will be cleared, we will try to get those up Thursday.

Mr. LOTT. I will be pleased to yield to the Senator from Kentucky.

Mr. LOTT. For the information of all Senators, the Senator from Illinois [Mr. Durbin] will offer this amendment when the Senate reconvenes after our conference. He will then debate his amendment throughout the remainder of today's session as long as he needs. It is my understanding that Senator Durbin will be willing then to vote in relation to his amendment on Monday, February 10, at 5 p.m. I wish to say that we had been hoping maybe we did not need to have that vote, but in view of the fact that we are not scheduled to be in session next Friday and the funeral services are scheduled for Thursday for Ambassador Harriman, we do need to get as much work done as we can on Monday. So we will look toward having this vote at 5 o'clock on Monday and then votes early Tuesday morning, and continue on through the remainder of the week to accomplish as much as we can in terms of taking up amendments on the constitutional amendment and also confirmations that we hope to be able to move. We think we will have a couple more perhaps that we will be able to vote on in the next week. So with that in mind, I would like to announce there will be no further votes today and the next rollcall vote is expected to occur at approximately 5 p.m. on Monday, February 10.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, the Senate will be in session on Friday of this week for debate on the pending balanced budget constitutional amendment. However, no votes will occur during Friday's session. It is my understanding that Senator Wellstone will be in position on Monday to offer two amendments to the balanced budget issue. It will be my intent to schedule those votes to occur after the weekly luncheons on Tuesday, February 11, somewhere between 2:15 and 3 o'clock. I thank all Senators for their cooperation. I yield the floor, Mr. President.

Mr. LOTT. I further ask unanimous consent that when the Senate reconvenes at 4 p.m. today--and it looks like there may actually, in view of the speeches to be given there, not be much of a recess at all, but at approximately 4 p.m. Senator Durbin will be recognized to offer an amendment to the pending constitutional amendment.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, as we have done on other nominees we have voted on, it would be our intent to do that. We want to get as many of them done as we can next week. We hope that perhaps we will reach a point where we can vote on the U.N. Ambassador's position, and we think there may be another one ready.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, today the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 12 noon. At 12 o'clock, the Senate will resume consideration of Senate Joint Resolution 1, the constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget. I understand an amendment will be offered this morning or in the early afternoon to that amendment, by a Member of the other side of the aisle. I do not have the details of that amendment at this time, but I hope that we may debate it and dispose of it in a reasonable timeframe early this afternoon. Also, as a reminder, a consent agreement was reached today which limits debate to 30 minutes equally divided on the nomination of Rodney Slater to be Secretary of Transportation. It is possible we may proceed to that nomination this afternoon, and all Senators will be notified accordingly if we schedule that vote. We hope that will be done and I intend to do so, but I am still working at getting final clearance. I remind my colleagues the Senate will be in recess today from 3 o'clock to 4 o'clock to accommodate a conference meeting this afternoon. Once again, Senators may expect votes today on an amendment to Senate Joint Resolution 1, the balanced budget amendment resolution, as well as a possible vote on a nomination. I thank my colleagues and yield the floor.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Senate Resolution 48 submitted earlier today by myself and Senator Daschle.

Mr. LOTT. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.