April 25, 1978
Page 11478
ORDER FOR SENATOR DOMENICI'S AMENDMENT TO BE THE PENDING BUSINESS
Mr. ROBERT C. BYRD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment by Mr. DOMENICI become pending at that hour.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, and I have no objection to that, I wonder if we might work out something where the vote on my amendment might be deferred, perhaps backed with some others, or at least put off until a little later in the day.
Mr. ROBERT C. BYRD. Mr. President,if I might have the attention of the distinguished Senator from Maine (Mr. MUSKIE).
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. MATSUNAGA). The Senate will be in order.
The Senator from West Virginia.
Mr. ROBERT C. BYRD. Mr. President,may I ask the distinguished manager of the resolution in response to the inquiry of Mr. DOMENICI at what time we mightbe able to begin voting on the amendment by Mr. DOMENICI first and stacking any other votes behind it that may be possible.
Mr. DOMENICI. What was the next amendment?
Mr. MUSKIE. We do not have them scheduled. The amendments of which I am aware, and I do not see the sponsors here, are an amendment by Senator DOMENICI, two Durkin amendments of 30 minutes each, and he should be notified to be here in the morning, two Byrd amendments and we have 4 hours down for that, but I understand he will not agree to a limitation but he does not believe he will take more than an hour, on those two. There is a Nelson amendment which will not involve a vote to be offered, and it has 30 minutes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senate will come to order.
Mr. MUSKIE. The Tower amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Please cease conversations going on on the floor.The Chair is unable to hear what is going on on the floor.
Mr. MUSKIE. The Tower amendment we would like to delay until about noon to serve the convenience of Senator STENNIS.
Mr. ROBERT C. BYRD. I wonder, if the distinguished Senator will yield at that point, whether it will be possible to have the first vote, say, occur at 12 or 12:30 p.m. tomorrow so as not to disturb the committees which are trying to meet the May 15 deadline?
Mr. DOMENICI. I think that would be a good suggestion. Go ahead with mine coming on first, agreeing that it would be the first one voted on but the vote on it would not occur prior to 12 o'clock.
Mr. MUSKIE. That would be fine with me.
Mr. ROBERT C. BYRD. Will that be agreeable?
Mr. DOMENICI. Yes.
Mr. ROBERT C. BYRD. 12 or 12:30?
Mr. DOMENICI. Whichever the leader thinks preferable.
Mr. ROBERT C. BYRD. Perhaps 12 :30p.m. That will give committees time to meet.
Mr. MUSKIE. If there are others in the interim, may I say to the majority leader, that could follow the Domenici amendment.
Mr. ROBERT C. BYRD. Yes.
ORDER OF PROCEDURE TOMORROW
Very well, then, Mr. President, if that is agreeable, I ask unanimous consent that the vote on the amendment by Mr DOMENICI, which amendment will become the pending business when the Senate resumes consideration of the resolution in the morning, occur at the hour of 12:30 p.m. tomorrow and that when the debate is completed on the amendment by Mr. DOMENICI tomorrow it be temporarily set aside to allow other amendments to be called up and that if roll call votes are ordered on such other amendments that they follow in sequence immediately back of the vote on the disposition of the Domenici amendment.
Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, reserving the right to object.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Mexico reserves the right to object.
Mr. DOMENICI. I wonder if the distinguished chairman of the Budget Committee might agree as a further condition that we change the time allowed for the Domenici amendment from a half hour equally divided up to 45 minutes equally divided.
Mr. MUSKIE. Yes.
Mr. DOMENICI. I am not sure I will use that, but I have certain notions in mind between Senator MUSKIE and me that we might have to talk about here on the floor.
Mr. MUSKIE. That is agreeable. I suspect we may be moving slowly at that hour in the morning anyway.
Mr. DOMENICI. That is what I mean.
Mr. ROBERT C. BYRD. I include that in my request.
Mr. DOMENICI. No objection.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. ROBERT C. BYRD. Mr. President.I thank all Senators.