[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 36 (Tuesday, March 28, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2439-S2440]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    LEGISLATIVE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2006--Resumed

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the pending business.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 2349) to provide greater transparency in the 
     legislative process.

  Pending:

       Wyden/Grassley amendment No. 2944, to establish as a 
     standing order of the Senate a requirement that a Senator 
     publicly disclose a notice of intent to object to proceeding 
     to any measure or matter.
       Schumer amendment No. 2959 (to amendment No. 2944), to 
     prohibit any foreign-government-owned or controlled company 
     that recognized the Taliban as the legitimate government of 
     Afghanistan during the Taliban's rule between 1996-2001, may 
     own, lease, operate, or manage real property or facility at a 
     United States port.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New York.


                      Amendment No. 2959 Withdrawn

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, since I offered the amendment on the 
Dubai Ports World, a lot has happened. In fact, Dubai Ports World has 
agreed to sell its U.S. operations, and so it will have no control over 
them. That will happen over the next several months. The administration 
has agreed that should be what happens.
  Obviously, we are going to keep a watchful eye on the deal, and 
should for some reason--and I have no expectation this will occur--the 
deal not be allowed, we would want to bring the amendment back to the 
floor. The majority leader has graciously agreed that we would be 
allowed to do so, although I have no expectation that will happen.
  So I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the pending amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The majority leader.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, let me add to what the distinguished 
Senator from New York just said. First of all, I thank him, through the 
Chair, for his cooperation on an issue which is constantly evolving, 
but it looks as if it is well underway to satisfy everybody's

[[Page S2440]]

concerns. But the understanding is we will come back and address the 
issues in his amendment at some point in some way on the floor if that 
glidepath to satisfactory conclusion is not reached.


                Amendment No. 3176 to Amendment No. 2944

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maine.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, on behalf of myself, Senator McCain, and 
Senator Lieberman, I send a second-degree amendment to the pending 
amendment to the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the amendment.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Maine [Ms. Collins], for herself, Mr. 
     McCain, and Mr. Lieberman, proposes an amendment numbered 
     3176 to amendment No. 2944.

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading 
of the amendment be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (The amendment is printed in today's Record under ``Text of 
Amendments.'')
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that there now be 2 
hours equally divided between Senator Collins and Senator Voinovich or 
his designee. I further ask unanimous consent that there be 20 minutes 
equally for debate between Senator Wyden and Senator Sessions or his 
designee. I further ask unanimous consent that following the use or 
yielding back of time the Senate proceed to a vote on the Collins 
amendment, to be followed immediately by a vote on the Wyden amendment, 
with no further intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is 
so ordered.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, what we have done is cleared a way, with 
one amendment and calling up other amendments, with the glidepath that 
we will address two amendments shortly after our break for our policy 
lunches today. We, I think, can be on a glidepath thus of completing 
the lobbying reform bill before addressing the border security and 
immigration bills. Again, we have a lot of work to do, but that would 
be the intent.
  There is one remaining piece of business we need to address, in terms 
of the cloture vote that is scheduled for this afternoon, and I will, 
before lunch, have a further unanimous consent about that as well.
  At this juncture, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. 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.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the cloture 
vote with respect to S. 2454 be vitiated. I further ask unanimous 
consent that at a time to be determined after further concurrence by 
the Democratic leader, the Senate proceed to S. 2454 and, further, that 
the bill be open for debate only during the first day of consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, very briefly to review, after our break 
today for lunch, our policy lunches, we will be on lobbying reform. We 
have two amendments which will be debated. We set up to 2 hours. I 
would think that time could be condensed. Further discussions will take 
place over our lunches on lobbying reform. At a point in time, we would 
expect after we finish with lobbying reform, we will go to the border 
security bill, and we will have more to say about how that will all be 
handled at a later date.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will 
stand in recess--
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I wonder if the majority leader would be 
willing to respond to a--
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when we 
return at 2:15 I be recognized for 10 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, reserving the right to object to the 
unanimous consent request, I believe that Senator Collins had offered 
an amendment and that she would be scheduled to be recognized first.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, if I might respond to my colleague, I am 
asking that I be recognized in morning business for 10 minutes.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, what is the status of the proceedings? What 
is happening here?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. There has been a unanimous consent request by 
the Senator from Illinois to speak at 2:15.
  Mr. REID. Who has the floor now?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, will the Senator yield to me?
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, further reserving the right to object, the 
legislative business that is pending, what is the status of that, 
before the unanimous consent was made?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate is 
scheduled to have 2 hours equally divided between the Senator from 
Maine, Senator Collins, and----
  Mr. LOTT. So Senator Collins would be recognized upon the return from 
the luncheon period to begin debate on the pending amendment?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Or Senator Voinovich or his designee.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, we have had so much difficulty in getting an 
agreement to move forward on this legislation; we were not able to do 
it yesterday or this morning. I really hope that when we return from 
lunch, we go straight to the pending business and amendment. I would 
like to accommodate all of our colleagues, but we have struggled so 
hard to get to this point, I would have to object.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. 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. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be 
recognized at 2:15, when we return, for 10 minutes.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, but I will 
not object, I was not aware of the purpose of the request, and I 
understand the sensitivity and the timing of this. We will be prepared 
to proceed with Senator Collins at 2:25.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.

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