Trent Lott: “I regret that we have to use this procedure. But we are hoping that we can see an agreement reached with regard to Y2K.…”

“I regret that we have to use this procedure. But we are hoping that we can see an agreement reached with regard to Y2K. I know there is a bipartisan effort underway on this important issue. It is timely. I hope that Members will work together this afternoon and tonight, and that we can find a way to come to a conclusion on it. The Social Security lockbox also is an issue that we think is very important which we need to be talking about and find a way to actually achieve that goal. This will give us an opportunity to discuss that some more. I want to say to Senator Daschle publicly what I have been saying to him privately. It is not my intent, and I will not be used to prevent a discussion in a reasonable period of time--we talked about week after next--with regard to school violence, how you deal with that. I think it is appropriate after a reasonable period of time to have a debate and have votes on amendments. I suggest that we would do it on the Justice bill. If for some reason that bill is a problem, we will find some other vehicle, and I am sure there will be amendments with a lot of different ideas of how we try to deal with this problem. I am not sure we can solve what has happened in Colorado here. But we will have a chance to have a discussion and have a debate and have amendments. I said to Senator Daschle that we are going to do that, and he and I will work together to find a way to do it and to have amendments dealing with school violence.”