June 9, 1977
Page 18182
Mr. BAKER. Mr. President, will the Senator yield to me to answer his question?
Mr. RIEGLE. I yield.
Mr. BAKER. I can report that I am at this time prepared to offer an amendment to the Riegle-Griffin amendment, and when the time is yielded back I will proceed to do that.
It is my understanding, and I will put it as a parliamentary inquiry, that under the previous unanimous consent order, there would be a time limitation of 30 minutes on an amendment to the Riegle-Griffin amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct.
Mr. BAKER. Mr. President, I am prepared at this time to do that, and if the distinguished authors of the amendment and the managers in opposition are prepared to yield back the remainder of their time, which I understand is necessary as a precondition to any further action in this respect, I am prepared to proceed.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's presumption is correct. Is time yielded back?
Mr. RIEGLE. Do I correctly understand that the Senator from Maine is prepared to follow that arrangement?
Mr. MUSKIE. As I understand, all time must be yielded back on the amendment for the substitute to the amendment to be offered. That is our understanding, and we are ready to proceed.
Mr. RIEGLE. And am I correct in understanding that the half hour of time on the Baker amendment which we will proceed with in a matter of moments will be divided equally, and that Senator GRIFFIN and I will acquire half of that 30 minutes? Because we wish to speak in opposition to the Baker amendment.
Mr. MUSKIE. That is my understanding, and I will be an observer on the sidelines as you and the Senator from Tennessee discuss the amendment.
Mr. RIEGLE. On that basis, Senator Griffin and I are prepared to yield back our time so that the Senator from Tennessee can present his amendment now.
Mr. PERCY. Mr. President, will the Senator yield for a question?
Mr. RIEGLE. I yield.
Mr. PERCY. Would that be two back-to-back votes, and is it the intention of the Senator from Maine that that would be the last vote tonight?
Mr. MUSKIE. I do not wish to speak for the majority leader, but that would be our understanding, that those would be the two last votes.