May 24, 1977
Page 16289
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, will the Senator yield 1 minute?
Mr. HUMPHREY. I yield to the Senator from Maine.
Mr. TALMADGE. May we have order?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senate will be in order.
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I apologize for the fact that I did not hear the statement the distinguished floor manager of the bill made a few moments ago with respect to amendments. Is it his desire to delay my amendment?
Mr. TALMADGE. I cannot hear the Senator. May we have order in the Senate? Will the Senator use his loudspeaker?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senate will be in order.
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I compliment the Senator. I am not often accused of not being heard. Is it the Senator's desire to withhold calling up my amendment for a while? I simply did not hear that part of the discussion.
Mr. TALMADGE. The Senator may, at any time he wishes, propose his amendment. It is probably the most important amendment that will be proposed to this bill and one vigorously supported by the administration, I may say. We have two recorded votes scheduled back to back for 2 p.m. We have one or two noncontroversial amendments that we can accept in short order.
Senator HUMPHREY desires to have a colloquy that will take just a very short period of time.
If it is agreeable with the Senator and agreeable with the ranking minority member, I suggest that at 1 p.m. we proceed to consider the amendment to be offered by the distinguished Senator from Maine (Mr. MUSKIE). The time limit will be 1 hour. That will take us to 2 p.m., and then we have two scheduled back-to-back votes at 2 pm. We can vote on the Muskie amendment at the conclusion of the other two votes.
Is that agreeable to the Senator from Kansas and the Senator from Maine?
Mr. MUSKIE. It is agreeable to me. I am flexible.
Mr. DOLE. It is agreeable to me, if we can take care of a few of these minor amendments before that time.
Mr. TALMADGE. We have 10 minutes, for a colloquy with the Senator from Minnesota and then one or two of those matters prior to taking up the Muskie amendment.
Mr. McCLURE. Mr. President, will the Senator yield for a unanimous consent request?
Mr. TALMADGE.I yield.
Mr. McCLURE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Frank Cushing, of my staff, have the privilege of the floor during the consideration at all stages and voting on this measure.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. TALMADGE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at 1 p.m., the distinguished Senator from Maine (Mr. MUSKIE) be recognized to call up his amendments, with the vote thereon to occur after we complete the other two votes scheduled for 2 p.m.
Mr. MUSKIE. I have no objection.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.