[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 149 (Thursday, September 18, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S8985]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   UNANIMOUS-CONSENT REQUEST--S. 3073

  Mr. CORNYN. So let me ask unanimous consent at this time that the 
Rules Committee be discharged and the Senate proceed to the immediate 
consideration of S. 3073, the Military Voting Act.
  I ask unanimous consent that the amendment at the desk be agreed to--
by the way, that is the amendment we worked on with Senator Bennett, 
the ranking member, and Senator Feinstein, the chairman of the Rules 
Committee, together with Senator Levin and Senator Warner. I ask 
unanimous consent that the bill, as amended, be read a third time and 
passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any 
statements relating to the bill be printed at this point in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I object on behalf of the leadership, as 
the Rules Committee needs time to look at this and digest this and 
figure this out to try to work something out. So I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I am disappointed that the other side 
would object. This is the same amendment that was already cleared by 
the Rules Committee, so I don't understand what the process is that the 
Senator is referring to. I hope this isn't just another delay tactic. 
It is something that really cries out for us to address.
  I have to say, when I travel back to my State and talk to my 
constituents, they absolutely believe this Congress is dysfunctional. 
If we can't find some way to come together on a bipartisan basis to 
pass noncontroversial voting rights protection for our military such as 
this, I guess there is not a lot of hope for doing other, perhaps more 
complicated, more involved things.
  This is very straightforward. To have an objection to this bill which 
has already been worked on and cleared through the process and which 
was a casualty of the bizarre process by which we adopted the Defense 
authorization bill, without any right, really, to offer any amendments 
such as this, is, frankly, beyond me.
  In the remaining few days this Congress is in session, I hope 
whatever concerns the Senator was referring to which have not been made 
known to me will be addressed. I will come back here every day, if 
necessary, and offer a similar unanimous consent request. I would ask 
those on the other side who object to the passage of this bill to offer 
me some explanation for what the specific concern is. If there is a 
problem we can eliminate by working with them, we would be glad to do 
it. But to just stonewall this important amendment to protect one of 
the most basic civil rights for our men and women in uniform--the right 
to vote--is, frankly, beyond me.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Webb). The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BINGAMAN. 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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