[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 149 (Thursday, September 18, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S9009]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 UNANIMOUS-CONSENT AGREEMENT--H.R. 6049

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that on Tuesday, 
September 23, following a period of morning business, the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 767, H.R. 6049, the energy 
extenders, that the bill be considered under the following limitations: 
there be 60 minutes of general debate on the bill, equally divided and 
controlled between the leaders or their designees, that the only first-
degree amendments in order be the following, with no other amendments 
in order, and that they be subject to an affirmative 60-vote threshold, 
and if the amendment achieves that threshold, then it be agreed to and 
the motion to reconsider be laid on table; if the amendment does not 
achieve that threshold, then it be withdrawn; that each amendment be 
subject to a debate limitation of 60 minutes, equally divided and 
controlled in the usual form: Baucus-Grassley substitute amendment 
regarding energy tax extenders with offset; Reid or designee perfecting 
amendment regarding AMT with offset; Baucus-Grassley perfecting 
amendment regarding tax extenders amendment without full offset; that 
it be in order for Senator Conrad to raise a budget point of order 
against the amendment, and that once debate time has been used or 
yielded back, a motion to waive the applicable point of order be 
considered to have been made; further, that if the motion to waive is 
successful, then the amendment be agreed to and a motion to reconsider 
be laid on the table; if the motion to waive is not successful, the 
amendment be withdrawn; and that Senator Conrad control up to 10 
minutes of time during debate on this amendment; provided further that 
regardless of the outcome of the vote with respect to the Baucus-
Grassley substitute amendment, the Senate would vote in relation to the 
remaining two amendments covered in this agreement, that the votes in 
relation to the above-listed amendments occur in the order listed after 
the use or yielding back of time; upon disposition of all amendments, 
the bill be read a third time and the Senate then proceed to vote on 
passage of the bill as amended, if amended, with no intervening action 
or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is 
so ordered.
  I ask unanimous consent that the cloture motions on the motions to 
proceed to Calendar No. 895 and Calendar No. 767 be vitiated.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, we are keyed up now to start the energy 
debate on Tuesday. It has been a long, hard 24 hours. Everyone has been 
working hard. You have to be patient in this business. I especially 
extend my appreciation to Senators Baucus and Grassley, and it has been 
difficult.
  We have had a terrible natural disaster that has hit. Louisiana--not 
to denigrate Katrina--they still got hurt, but Texas was devastated. 
That is the reason this was held up. I understand Senator Hutchison and 
Senator Cornyn being concerned. I would say to them, if this does not 
take care of all of the problems, we will have to take another look at 
it because pictures are worth 1,000 words. We have had a lot of 
pictures about what took place with this terrible wind storm.
  So, again, I wish we could have moved this more quickly. But certain 
things do not happen as you would want. Next week we have to complete 
this legislation. We just arrived at a way to move forward on it. We 
have to do what remains with energy after that. We have to do a CR and 
maybe a stimulus.
  We still have the Coburn package floating around. So we have a lot to 
do. We will do our best to try to complete our work by a week from 
tomorrow. I also appreciate the efforts of my colleague, Senator 
McConnell. It has been difficult for him because the problems have been 
on his side. But he has been a gentleman about this and has been 
probably more patient than I have.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Republican leader.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, my good friend, the majority leader, 
should feel good about this. We are on the cusp of a very significant 
piece of legislation worked out on a bipartisan basis. I, too, feel 
grateful to Chairman Baucus and Ranking Member Grassley for their 
endless number of hours in crafting this truly bipartisan compromise.
  So I think it is something the Senate can be proud of achieving. We 
are set up to reach that achievement on Tuesday.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Montana is recognized.
  Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I am very grateful to Senators for working 
to put this together for several reasons: One, this is going to help to 
create jobs in America. It is going to very much help American 
families. Third, it is going to help us move more quickly toward energy 
independence, something we all need.
  On a procedural basis, I very much appreciate that this was worked 
out on a bipartisan basis. I worked with my good friend from Iowa, 
Senator Grassley, also with the staffs of the majority leader and 
minority leader, and other key Senators who worked together to put this 
together.
  I am very grateful, frankly, that we see a glide path now. We are 
going to get this legislation enacted, hopefully, on Tuesday. Again, my 
thanks to everyone involved.
  I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Sanders.) The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. VOINOVICH. 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. VOINOVICH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for up 
to 17 minutes as in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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