Legislative Program

LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM -- (House of Representatives - March 03, 2005)

(Mr. HOYER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)

Mr. HOYER. Mr Speaker, for the purpose of informing us of the schedule of the week to come, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay), the majority leader.

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me.

Mr. Speaker, the House will convene on Tuesday at 2 p.m. for legislative business. We will consider several measures under suspension of the rules. A final list of these bills will be sent to Members' offices by the end of the week. Any votes called on these measures will be rolled until 6:30 p.m.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the House will convene at 10 a.m. We will likely consider additional legislation under suspension of the rules, as well as the Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users.

And, finally, I would like to note for all the Members that we are making a change to the schedule that was sent to offices at the beginning of the year. We do not plan to have votes next Friday, March 11.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for that information. Let me say that I am pleased, and I know our side is and I am sure the gentleman's side is as well and I know the Governors and county officials throughout the country are pleased, to see that the transportation bill is on the floor. This was a bill, as the majority leader knows, that expired, I think, September 30, 2003, and we have done extensions since that time.

It is scheduled for 2 days on the calendar, as I understand, and we just heard the announcement of the Committee on Rules chairman that there may be limitations to amendments in the bill. In light of the fact that I know there are still some substantial questions, this bill was reported out on voice vote unanimously but with one of the most contentious issues, as I understand it, left unresolved in terms of donor/donee States.

Can the majority leader amplify, perhaps, on what the Committee on Rules chairman said in terms of whether we will have general debate on one day and amendments on the next, or does he think he will start considering amendments on the first day of consideration.

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. HOYER. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's yielding to me. The gentleman is correct in that we really want this bill to move as quickly as possible, get it through the other body, because contract letting is seasonal, particularly in the northern States and that contract letting needs to be done. So we are working as hard as we can to get this bill done.

Since this bill is very similar to the reauthorization that was passed in the last Congress, I would expect that the Committee on Rules would develop a rule that was very similar to that one that was used when we considered this bill last Congress which, if I recall, there were 23 amendments allowed under the rule, a manager's amendment. So we have to see what the Committee on Rules is going to do and see how we can divide the work between Wednesday and Thursday.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his response. And I think the gentleman is correct. There were a substantial number of amendments. I would hope that those Members on either side of the aisle who have substantive amendments to offer, in light of the fact that we have been waiting on this bill for some time, would have ample opportunity on either side of the aisle, and I appreciate the leader's focus on that.

Mr. Speaker, lastly, if I can, can the majority leader tell us what his thoughts are in terms of scheduling, we have 2 weeks left before the Easter work period, with reference to either the supplemental appropriation and/or the budget?

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's yielding to me.

It is our anticipation, or I have been notified by the respective committees, that we will be considering the supplemental from the President and the budget that both committees expect to hold markups on those two bills next week, which would prepare us and give us plenty of time to have both of those bills on the floor the week prior to the Easter recess.

Mr. HOYER. So, Mr. Speaker, it would be his expectation that we would consider both those bills before the break?

Mr. DeLAY. The gentleman is correct.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the majority leader for his answers.

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