Steny Hoyer

At this time I yield to my friend, Mr. Boehner, the majority leader, for the purposes of inquiring about the schedule for the week to come.

Reclaiming my time, you indicate that the leadership on both sides of the aisle have been involved.

It will be continuing. I thank you. We understood next week was supposed to be health care week. Yet no health care legislation is listed. For example, the Health IT or the bill authored by Mr. Shadegg are not on your announcement. When do…

Thank you. The last question I would ask you, Mr. Leader, you and I have had a discussion. You have been in the leadership of the consideration of the pension reform legislation. Obviously, we all know it is critical to employees, critical…

I thank the leader for his information. The leader and I had a brief conversation, as you recall, with reference to the time when we would vote on Monday. I know that you have considered that, but I would again reiterate, as you know, one…

I thank the gentleman. I am shuffling papers back and forth here, but, again, ANWR, can you anticipate what you might expect with respect to an ANWR bill?

I thank the leader, and I want to comment that the leader has been very inclined to try to work together to make his schedule as accommodating for Members as possible. And I want you to know I personally appreciate it, and I believe we…

Reclaiming my time, if the supplemental has not been completed by the conference committee, would you still anticipate that we would be in on Friday? I yield to my friend.

I thank the gentleman. I was going to ask him about the days for the appropriation bills, but I believe the gentleman has already indicated which days you anticipate that: Tuesday, the Ag bill; Wednesday, the Energy and Water, or Wednesday…

That is such a pragmatic approach, and I thank the gentleman for that information. Mr. Leader, I don't want to end the week on an unhappy note, but you and I had discussions in these colloquies the last 2 weeks in a row. After the tax…

If the budget does come to the floor next week, would you bring it in the early part of the week or the latter part of the week; do you know? I know you have had some hard work on this. I understand that.

I thank you for that. On the energy bills, do you expect any energy-related legislation on the floor next week, refinery siting, for example?

Our Republican friends have talked a lot about jobs. Under the Clinton administration, we created 216,000 jobs per month. Under the Bush plan we have created 21,000, on average, per month.

Mr. Leader, the tax reconciliation conference and the pension conference, we have heard something about the tax reconciliation conference perhaps having reached agreement. Can you tell me the status of those two conferences and when we…

I take this time to inquire of the majority leader the schedule for the week to come. I yield to my friend, Mr. Boehner.

Reclaiming my time, the Speaker indicated it was within the rules and within the precedents. In fact, the precedents were numerous times that Republicans rose and did exactly the same thing for exactly the same reasons. ____________________

No doubt in my mind. I am not going to quote Ronald Reagan. ____________________

We can't be helpful or, frankly, we can't know what is going on if we are not in the room. I would be glad to yield to my friend.

That is acceptable to us. We think the bill needs a lot of work, and that will give you some more time to work on it. I am sorry. I couldn't help myself. Now, Mr. Leader, the budget. We have not voted on a budget yet. And you did not…

I presume the Appropriations Committee, at some point in time, will proceed without the budget. Would that be your expectation if we don't pass a budget in the near term?

Mr. Leader, let me turn the page here. The other bills that you and I have talked about, one in particular we think is extraordinarily important. I know you feel it is important, and that is the pension bill. There are literally millions…

Mr. Leader, could you comment perhaps on the Communications Opportunity Promotion and Enhancement Act, the Telecom Act. I yield to my friend.

I would be glad to have a debate with you but you need to yield some of the time.

Reclaiming my time, if you will yield yourself some time, I will be glad to have some debate with you.

Reclaiming my time, would I be correct in advising my colleagues that the probability is, and that the plan is, as it has been in years past, to allow such substitutes that are offered: the Black Caucus usually has a substitute, the…