Morning Business Extended until 5:00pm
10:31:16 NSP} (MR. REID) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
MR. REID: MR. PRESIDENT, SENATOR McCONNELL AND I HAVE JUST
FINISHED A MEETING. WE'RE MAKING REALLY GOOD PROGRESS ON BEING
ABLE TO HANDLE THE ISSUES THAT EVERYONE KNOWS ARE OUTSTANDING.
WE'RE NOT THERE YET, BUT WE'RE VERY, VERY CLOSE. THERE WILL BE
VOTES TOMORROW. THERE COULD BE VOTES THIS AFTERNOON ALSO. I
WOULD ALSO SAY, BECAUSE THIS IS A QUESTION THAT PEOPLE WILL
ASK, THE HOUSE IS GOING TO PASS
THEIR BILL AROUND 3:00. THAT IS THE OMNIBUS.
AROUND 3:00. THE TIME IS NOT ALWAYS EXACT. THERE'S A RULING
FROM THIS WHITE HOUSE, ITS PREDECESSORS THAT IF ONE HOUSE
PASSES A SPENDING BILL AS WE ARE DOING HERE, AND THERE'S A
PRESUMPTION IT WILL PASS IN THE OTHER BODY, THE TIME IS
EXTENDED FOR 24 HOURS. SO EVERYONE DOESN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT
THE GOVERNMENT CLOSING TONIGHT.
{10:32:10 NSP} (MR. McCONNELL) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
MR. McCONNELL: MR. PRESIDENT, LET ME ECHO THE REMARKS OF THE
MAJORITY LEADER. AS HE'S INDICATED, THE ADMINISTRATION TAKES
THE VIEW THAT IF THE FINAL APPROPRIATIONS BILLS PASS ONE HOUSE
THIS AFTERNOON, WE COULD HAVE THAT VOTE TODAY OR IT COULD BE
TOMORROW. BUT THE ADMINISTRATION, I'M TOLD BY THE MAJORITY
LEADER, TAKES THE VIEW THAT IF IT'S PASSED ONE HOUSE, THERE
WILL NOT BE A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN. SO I THINK EVERYBODY SHOULD
BE REASSURED THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. THE CONFERENCE REPORT
HAS BEEN SIGNED AND WE'RE MOVING TOWARD COMPLETING THE BASIC
WORK OF GOVERNMENT THROUGH NEXT SEPTEMBER 30 VERY SHORTLY. ON
THE SECOND ISSUE, THE MAJORITY LEADER AND I ARE MAKING
SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS AND REACHING AN AGREEMENT ON A PACKAGE
THAT WILL HAVE BIPARTISAN SUPPORT, I HOPE. I THINK WE'RE GOING
TO GET TO THAT PLACE. AND I SHARE HIS VIEW THAT GOOD PROGRESS
IS BEING MADE.
