[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 117 (Friday, July 20, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S9645]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader is recognized.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, we will be in session today with speeches in 
morning business and Senators allowed to speak for up to 15 minutes 
each. Senator Dorgan, though, under an order entered last night, may 
speak for up to 30 minutes.
  We all know this has been a long, hard week. We have had numerous 
votes. I express my appreciation for staff who have worked so hard all 
week--2 days in a row, and then last night we ended sometime this 
morning. So I appreciate very much the hard work of all the very loyal, 
dedicated staff.
  There will be no rollcall votes today.
  Next week, I am happy to report and recognize we will have a lot to 
do. Monday we are going to work on another education measure, a higher 
education measure. There is an order that has been entered which 
provides for the possibility--I say possibility--of 12 first-degree 
amendments, and, of course, second-degree amendments. But this all must 
be completed within 8 hours. First-degree amendments will be limited to 
30 minutes, and second-degree amendments will be limited to 15 minutes, 
so we are going to, hopefully, conclude this matter on Monday. If all 
the amendments are not offered, it would, of course, shorten the time.
  The two managers are Senators Kennedy and Enzi, who did such a good 
job on the bill yesterday, until they lost control of it with the rules 
we have here, which I hope--I see my friend in the Chamber, the 
distinguished junior Senator from Utah. I hope as one of the key 
members of the Rules Committee--being the ranking member of the Rules 
Committee--he and Senator Feinstein will look at a way we can change 
these rules. What went on last night was ridiculous. There is no way to 
stop that unless the rules are changed, and we should change those 
rules. I think it can be done with the Rules Committee. We have to take 
a look at that. It did not help anybody.
  But, anyway, that is what happened. But it is not going to be that 
way on this matter on Monday. As I said, Senators Kennedy and Enzi 
managed the bill very well, until it ran into the rule we have that 
allows unending amendments on any subject forever, literally, before 
you get to final passage.
  So we will have multiple votes starting at about 5:15 on Monday. 
Members should plan accordingly.




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