[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 28, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S1522]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   USA PATRIOT ACT ADDITIONAL REAUTHORIZING AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2006--
                               Continued

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair, in his capacity as a Senator from 
the State of Ohio, suggests the absence of a quorum.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, in a few minutes the Senate is going to 
vote on whether one small group of Senators, with the blessing of the 
majority leader, can effectively amend a conference report while other 
Senators are precluded from offering amendments by a procedural tactic. 
I urge my colleagues, regardless of their views on the White House deal 
or PATRIOT Act reauthorization, to vote against cloture. Senators 
should not be precluded from offering amendments to important pieces of 
legislation.
  In December, 46 Senators voted against cloture on the PATRIOT Act 
reauthorization conference report. The deal we are asked to bless today 
makes only minor or, in the words of the Senator from Pennsylvania, 
``cosmetic'' changes to that conference report. But regardless of 
whether you agree with me that the deal does not address the key civil 
liberties issues identified as problems with the conference report in 
December, there is no question this is a deal the vast majority of the 
Senate had no role in. A few Senators worked out a few changes with the 
White House, and we are now being asked to take it or leave it. That is 
not how the Senate is supposed to work.
  I have filed four reasonable amendments. They reflect provisions that 
were included in the bill the Senate passed in July without objection 
or that were central to the concerns raised by so many Senators late 
last year. They are so reasonable the Senator from Pennsylvania plans 
to introduce a bill incorporating them and has pledged to pursue it 
after the conference report becomes law. There is no reason we should 
put off addressing these important concerns that long when we could be 
debating and voting on them this week.
  I am also willing to have time agreements limiting debate on my 
amendments as long as they get votes. But, again, the majority leader 
has simply said no. He has filled the amendment tree, effectively 
blocking me or any other Senator from trying to improve this bill 
during debate. The majority leader has told us the conference report 
will be amended by this deal cut with the White House by a few 
Senators, and there is nothing the rest of us can do about it.
  But, of course, there is something we can do about it. We can reject 
this parliamentary game. These kinds of strong-arm tactics are not 
right. They are an abuse of the process. They are beneath the Senate, 
and I hope my colleagues will send a strong message that it will not be 
tolerated on this bill or any other bill. So I urge my colleagues to 
vote no on cloture and to allow the Senate to consider amendments to 
improve the PATRIOT Act.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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