[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 49 (Thursday, April 8, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S3964]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                JOBS ACT

  Mr. REID. Madam President, we have worked very hard on this side of 
the aisle to pass S. 1637, which is the bill to amend the Internal 
Revenue Code to comply with World Trade Organization rulings, the so-
called FSC bill. I want everyone to understand on our side of the aisle 
and on the other side of the aisle that Senator Daschle made to the 
majority leader, last night, I think, a proposal that should have been 
accepted last night; that is, from the 75 amendments that have been 
proposed on our side, that has been reduced to approximately 20 
amendments, with very short time agreements on the 20, nothing more 
than 30 minutes, and one amendment is for as little as 5 minutes.
  I also suggest that if we look at what has happened with this piece 
of legislation, there has been nothing on our side that has been 
dilatory. We have wanted to move forward on this bill, but in the 
entire time we have worked on this bill we have voted once. If you go 
back to years past, when a tax bill comes before the Senate, it is not 
unusual to have more than 100 amendments offered and disposed of here 
in the Senate.
  I think the good-faith offer made by the Democratic leader to the 
Republican leader is something that should be accepted. This is a 
proposal that would be good for the country, and it is in keeping with 
what we have tried to do on this piece of legislation--let the Senate 
act in accordance with the traditions of the Senate. It is a far cry 
from what we should have been doing this past 2 weeks. We could have 
worked our way through all of these amendments, but that has not been 
done.
  I would suggest it would be in the best interests of the country that 
the offer made by the Democratic leader to the Republican leader be 
accepted at the earliest possible date.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Dole). The Senator from Connecticut.
  Mr. LIEBERMAN. I thank the Chair.
  (The remarks of Mr. Lieberman pertaining to the introduction of S. 
2305 are printed in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced 
Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Vermont is recognized for 15 
minutes.

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