Trent Lott: “Well, we have a number of very important appropriations bills we want to move through the Senate, including…”

“Well, we have a number of very important appropriations bills we want to move through the Senate, including appropriations bills with emergency provisions. In the case of the military construction bill, we have emergency funds, needed funds, for the Defense Department to reimburse accounts, such as operation maintenance, that have already been used to pay for the additional cost of fuel. In the case of foreign operations, we have language regarding the Colombian narcodrug war situation. In agriculture, of course, we have disaster funds included in that legislation. The rule is very clear on germaneness when it is a substantive amendment, and the germaneness point also lies against budget resolutions and, under rule XXII, cloture votes and on reconciliation bills. All this would say is, that germaneness point of order would be ruled on by the Chair, as it is in these other instances, in the future. Germane amendments would clearly still be in order. I assume they would be offered on many of these bills. It is a clarification of the rule XVI provision.”