[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 121 (Thursday, September 30, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S9996]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             COMPLETING THE INTELLIGENCE REFORM LEGISLATION

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, as we have now done several days in a 
row, both the majority leader and I have felt the need to impress upon 
our colleagues the urgency of completing our work on this bill. It is 
important that we maximize the next 2 days. I think my advice to the 
majority leader will be that we have votes on Friday unless we can 
specifically enumerate at least 10 amendments that can be offered and 
debated and considered tomorrow.
  There is absolutely no reason this body, with 100 Senators, if we are 
serious about completing our work, cannot find the time and the effort 
to use tomorrow to its fullest. So I am very hopeful Senators will come 
to us throughout the day to volunteer their willingness to come to the 
floor tomorrow to offer these amendments. If that does not happen, then 
our only other recourse will, of course, be to have votes tomorrow and 
force our colleagues to use the day that otherwise will be lost.
  So please let either our managers know or leadership know your intent 
regarding these amendments. As the majority leader noted, you have 
until 4 o'clock this afternoon to file your amendments. As we noted 
yesterday, because of the backlog of legislative counsel, we appreciate 
the logistical challenge this may require, but we are going to be 
understanding and flexible with regard to your ability to refine your 
amendment at that time when it is considered. We have done that before. 
It is important we accommodate Senators' needs to do that again this 
time. So I ask, on behalf of leadership in particular, that we have the 
cooperation of all Senators.
  We had a reasonably good day yesterday, but a lot more needs to be 
done. We have about 300 amendments pending. Senators are going to have 
to be more realistic about their expectations with regard to offering 
amendments. It is my hope that over the course of the next several days 
we can find a more realistic appreciation of how many amendments there 
really are and what kind of time will need to be allocated to consider 
those amendments in the coming days.

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