Schedule
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD
SENATE
PAGE S14285
Nov. 10, 2003
Schedule
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, today we will begin consideration of the Commerce-Justice-State appropriations bill.
Several Members have indicated they are prepared to offer amendments during today's session. Senators should expect rollcall votes to occur this afternoon. It is hoped that we can make substantial progress on the bill today.
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As a reminder, the Senate will be in session tomorrow. There is a lot of important work remaining before we adjourn for the year.
In addition to the appropriations bills, there is the Military Construction appropriations conference report, and also the Department of Defense authorization conference report is available and will need to be disposed of early this week.
Also, as a reminder, we have a short time agreement with respect to the Syria Accountability Act. We will be scheduling that matter quickly as well.
Mr. McCAIN. Will the Senator from Kentucky yield?
Mr. McCONNELL. Yes, I yield.
Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, my colleagues may be wondering what happened on the Internet tax moratorium bill. I wish to make a couple of comments. There was significant disagreement over a variety of issues on both sides of the aisle concerning various provisions of S. 150, the Internet tax moratorium bill. It is now narrowed down to one final difference-the rest are negotiable or have been negotiated-and that is the definition of "Internet access." It sounds pretty technical and a bit arcane, but it is really the vital aspect of this issue.
I think both opponents and supporters of the Internet tax moratorium will agree to some kind of moratorium, but the question of the definition of Internet access, particularly as it has been affected by the development of new technologies that now apply to the Internet, has complicated the issue. Intense negotiations are going on, on both sides. I think there is a recognition on both sides that we need to act on the issue of the Internet tax moratorium. I will be actively engaged in those negotiations, and I hope that absolutely before we leave for the Christmas break, we will have this issue resolved and voted on by the Senate.
I thank my friend from Kentucky.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Arizona, the chairman of the Commerce Committee, for his tireless efforts to get this important piece of legislation through the Senate. I wish him well. We really must achieve something in that area before we leave for this year.
Mr. President, I am going to ask for a few moments to address the Senate as in morning business. I don't know whether the Senator from Nevada would like to make a couple of observations prior to that time.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, simply when the Senator completes his statement, I am going to manage the bill for a while until Senator Hollings arrives. I wanted to let everybody know that.