Date: 1982-12-16
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

I thank the distinguished majority leader. The Senate is in session today because the President asked Congress to return to deliberate and act on appropriation bills. The distinguished majority leader and the Speaker. meeting together. thought it advisable to propose and enact a highway rehabilitation bill. an infrastructure bill. and to enact a 5cent gasoline tax. The President. as I understand it. has supported that proposition. That proposition did not originate here. It is not our proposal. That is not said by way of derogation of the proposal. There are a good many Members on this side who support this proposal. some Members will not support it. Now we are confronted with a situation in which. as of midnight tomorrow night. the old continuing resolutioh will expire and a lot of things begin to happen. A lot of people. very soon. will not get their checks: Social security recipients. veterans. military. et cetera. et cetera. It is very important that the continuing resolution be acted on by midnight tomorrow. The majority leader indicated that he was going to do his best to complete action and adjourn sine dine by the 15th. which was yesterday. and. if not by the 15th. by the 17th. He said that in good faith.. Having been majority leader. I know that one cannot always bring to fruition what one wishes as majority leader because. after all. it is the Senate that makes the final decisions. and the majority leader is but the elected instrument of his party to press the legislation and try to keep the legislative process moving. the minority leader is but the elected instrument of his party to try to cooperate where he can to keep the program moving and see what we can accomplish. of course. in the best interests of the country. Now. we have come back and we have not acted on aDpropriation bills alone. We have reached the point now where we are within 36 hours. or nearly so. of the expiration of the continuing resolution. There are a good many amendments on this side of the aisle. A lot of Senators over here want to offer amendments: we discussed them in our little caucus. but we have come to the conclusion that it is in the interest of the Nation that we get on with the business of disposing of the continuing resolution. if at all possible. before the expiration at midnight tomorrow. We are also hopeful of the previously announced deadline of the 17th. which majority leader and I both announced after consultation. and he after consultation. I believe. with the Speaker. He can correct me if I am misstating anything. But we on our side of the aisle feel that we ought to get on with the continuing resolution and pass it so that the Government will not come to a stop in the next 48 hours. and that we get action on this bill one way or the other and in a very short time. and that we adjourn sine die and go home. We have agreed on this side of the aisle to offer no more amendments to the pending measure. We are willing to forgo the offering of any further amendments. We are willing to vote on the pending matter after 30 minutes of debate. But we are willing only to forgo offering amendments on this side of the aisle if those on the other side of the aisle are willing to forgo offering their amendments. so that we vote by 6:30 or 7 oclock whatever we agree on. The majority leader is going to have to consult with the Members on his own side of the aisle. But our proposition is that we have 30 minutes of debate. that we forgo offering any further amendments if those on the other side of the aisle will forgo offering any amendments. and then we vote upordown on the committee amendment. as amended by Senator BAKERS amendment. and others amendments that have been adopted to the Baker substitute and go immediately to the continuing resolution. If the chairman of the Appropriations Committee and the ranking member are ready. we are ready on this side. and we would stay on that resolution until it is acted upon. Now. if so. we would vote on the Baker substitute amendment as amended. without further amendments. In the alternative. if the distinguished majority leader cannot reach a decision among those on his side of the aisle that there be no other amendments adopted. we would urge the majority leader. most respectfully. that he proceed to take up the continuing resolution and let us act on that and get it to conference so that the people who are employed in the Government and those who are in anticipation of checks. and so on. may know that there is going to be no delay. We offer this proposal in the utmost good faith. I feel confident that the majority leader can obtain passage of the highway bill. We can reach a vote on it. even though a good many Members on our side may vote against the bill. I am confident it would be passed at this time. But the vote would be on the Baker substitute. as amended. with any pending amendments set aside. that we have a halfhour of debate or less and that we forgo offering any further amendments on this side. the other side forgo offering their amendments. that we take up the continuing resolution immediately. and we try to complete final action on that by tomorrow night. and be out at least by Saturday of this week. I do not think I have misstated the proposition. and I do not think I have omitted anything. and if I have. I look to my colleagues to remind me or to correct me. That is the proposal. I now yield the floor.