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“LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H2263 on March 20, 2003.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
(Mr. HOYER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I wish to inquire of the majority leader the schedule for the balance of the week and next week.
Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. HOYER. I would be glad to yield to the distinguished majority leader who worked just a little too hard tonight.
Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I have to say that I no longer have to whip these folks like the gentleman does, and our whip was really working hard tonight and did a great job.
I appreciate the gentleman from Maryland yielding to me, Mr. Speaker.
If the gentleman would continue to yield, the House will convene on Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. for morning hour and 2 p.m. for legislative business. We will consider several measures under suspension of the rules. A final list of those bills will be sent to Members' offices early next week. Any votes called on these bills will be rolled until 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, we expect to consider several additional bills under suspension of the rules before moving to legislation to create a compensation fund for first responders who receive the smallpox vaccine. While this legislation has not yet been introduced, I tell my friend from Maryland the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Education and the Workforce have been working diligently to arrive at a compromise that I believe all Members will be able to support.
On Thursday, we will consider two bills addressing child abuse, as we head into April, which is designated as Child Abuse Prevention Month. H.R. 1104, the Child Abduction Prevention Act, would extend the Justice Department's Amber Alert system to a nationwide program. It also eliminates the statute of limitations for child abduction and sex crimes, prohibits pretrial release in cases of rape and child kidnapping, provides for a mandatory minimum sentence for child kidnapping, and establishes a two strikes and you are out requirement for child sex offenders.
H.R. 14, the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act, will reauthorize and modify the Child Abuse Prevention Treatment Act and related programs to prevent child abuse and family violence, and to protect and treat abused and neglected children and victims of family violence.
I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. I will be happy to answer any of his questions.
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished leader for that information.
First, Mr. Leader, I presume we have concluded all of our work this week; is that correct?
Mr. DeLAY. If the gentleman would yield, the gentleman is correct. I failed to say that we have completed the work of the House for the week and will not return until Tuesday.
Mr. HOYER. I know all the Members thank the gentleman for that information.
I will ask the gentleman, next Friday, does the gentleman expect to be in session next Friday, or could the Members expect not to be in session next Friday?
Mr. DeLAY. No, we do not expect to be in session on next Friday.
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for that information.
Does the gentleman anticipate that the tax bill will be marked up by the Committee on Ways and Means next week, and then can we anticipate it on the floor the following week?
Mr. DeLAY. If the gentleman would continue to yield, the Committee on Ways and Means, as the gentleman knows, has held a series of hearings on various components of the President's economic growth package. Now that the House has passed the budget resolution, I expect that the committee will move forward very soon in this important legislation, and I would certainly like to have it considered by the House before the Easter recess.
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman talked about the committees, but the energy bill, when can we expect the full committee to take action on that bill, and when does the gentleman expect it to come to the floor?
Mr. DeLAY. If the gentleman would continue to yield, as the distinguished minority whip knows, the proposal that the House passed in the last Congress had provisions from more than half a dozen committees. We are again working to coordinate the work of various committees to ensure that we can quickly get a bill through the House. At least one committee began the markup process for that bill last week, and I know the others are moving forward as fast as they can, and many of them are marking up next week. I would hope that all the committees involved in this important legislation on energy would complete their work in time so that we can have the bill on the floor prior to the Easter recess.
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments, and, Mr. Speaker, I have no further questions of the leader, and I appreciate his giving us the schedule.
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