[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 158 (Tuesday, September 30, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S10188]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   UNANIMOUS CONSENT AGREEMENT--HOUSE MESSAGE TO ACCOMPANY H.R. 2095

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that all postcloture 
time be yielded except for 30 minutes, and that--this is in regard to 
H.R. 2095, the rail safety bill--at 7 p.m., Wednesday, October 1, the 
Senate resume consideration of the House message with respect to H.R. 
2095 and that the time until 7:30 p.m. be equally divided and 
controlled between the leaders or their designees; that at 7:30 p.m. 
the motion to concur with the amendments be withdrawn, and the Senate 
then proceed to vote on the motion to concur in the House amendment to 
the Senate amendment to the bill; that upon disposition of the House 
message, the Senate resume consideration of H.R. 7081, the India-U.S. 
Cooperative Agreement, and then proceed to vote in relation to the 
amendments to the bill and passage and that the amendments be voted in 
the order offered; that on Wednesday, October 1, there be 2 minutes of 
debate prior to each vote, equally divided and controlled; and that 
after the first vote of any sequence, the succeeding votes be 10 
minutes in duration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, let me say that after long discussions with 
Senator Dodd, the chairman of the Finance Committee, the chairman of 
the Budget Committee, and other Senators, including Jack Reed, and, of 
course, in constant contact with the Republican leader, with maybe 
eight or nine conversations today, and conversations with people in the 
House and with the White House, it has been determined in our judgment 
this is the best way to move forward. This is good for the country.
  Mr. President, I do not want to sound like a stuck record, but I have 
known the distinguished Senator from Connecticut for 26 years. We have 
served in the Senate together for 22 years. We have worked together on 
many different issues but never as we have during the housing debate 
which concluded successfully and this financial crisis in which we find 
ourselves.
  Each day that goes by I am more admiring of the work he has done. 
Today is an example. This has been very difficult, and words cannot 
express well enough how satisfied I am with the work he has done and 
what a good thing he has done for the State of Connecticut, the State 
of Nevada, the State of Kentucky, and our country.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Republican leader is recognized.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, let me just say this is one of the 
finer moments in the Senate. We have come together on a bipartisan 
basis and structured a way forward on an important rescue package for 
our country.
  I commend the majority leader, my good friend, for his extraordinary 
work on this issue, as well as Senator Dodd and Senator Gregg, who have 
been the lead negotiators on this matter for the Senate.
  This is an important accomplishment and a way forward to get a result 
we need to achieve for the American people.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.
  Mr. REID. Finally, Mr. President, if I could say this: One person has 
been with me now for the last 24 hours almost constantly: Senator 
Durbin from Illinois. He has helped me make dozens of phone calls 
today. He had a number of meetings. I want the Record to reflect his 
involvement in this has been important and essential.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois.

                          ____________________