[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 12 (Wednesday, January 21, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S693-S694]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      LILLY LEDBETTER FAIR PAY ACT

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Madam President, I am prepared to offer my amendment 
to the Ledbetter Act, the Mikulski bill. To proceed, I need to know if 
that is the order of business.
  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I was seeking recognition when the quorum 
call was put in. I am still seeking recognition. Obviously--well, I 
would just note that, that I was--
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Madam President, I had been working with Senator 
Mikulski and the majority leader about moving to Senator Mikulski's 
bill and my amendment, which is pending, and I had offered to allow 
Senator Voinovich to speak on that. If the Senator has something to 
intervene, I would be happy to try to accommodate, but this is the 
pending business.

[[Page S694]]

  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I crafted the Ledbetter matter that is 
now before the Senate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. That is the pending business.
  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, am I correct that I was seeking 
recognition when the Republicans suggested the absence of a quorum, and 
I was still seeking recognition--
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator was standing to seek recognition, 
although the quorum call was placed without objection.
  Mr. LEAHY. Again, I object to somebody asking for a quorum call to be 
placed, Madam President. Perhaps I don't understand the rules after 34 
years here, but I was the first one seeking recognition.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas has the floor.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Madam President, I would like to ask the Senator from 
Vermont, without relinquishing my right to the floor, if there is 
something he would like to do that would be short, and then we could go 
back to the business of the Ledbetter bill. I am happy to try to 
accommodate him.
  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, as I said when a similar question was 
propounded by the distinguished Senator from Texas, I wish to speak on 
the Ledbetter bill.
  Mr. REID. Madam President, would the Senator from Texas yield without 
losing her right to the floor?
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. I would be happy to yield.
  Mr. REID. There is a lot of time. We are going to be in session as 
long as people want to talk. The issue before the Senate now is an 
amendment offered by the Senator from Texas. Senator Mikulski, who is 
managing this bill, has been trying to get a time as to how long the 
debate will take on this tonight. The distinguished Republican leader 
asked that we try to figure out what amendments are going to be laid 
down tonight, and we will try to set up a series of votes, if 
necessary, in the morning. So no one should feel they are being cut 
off. There is plenty of time. We are not going anyplace tonight. We are 
on the Ledbetter legislation. I would hope we could work our way toward 
a vision of completing this legislation sometime early tomorrow. I 
appreciate the Senator from Texas moving forward with this.
  I know the strong feelings of the Senator from Vermont about this 
Ledbetter legislation. It is a legal issue, and he is chairman of the 
Judiciary Committee. But I hope everyone will be calm and relax. There 
is plenty of time for everyone to say whatever they want tonight.
  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent--and, of course, 
the Senator from Texas can object and has every right to object--I ask 
unanimous consent that I be allowed to continue for all of 7 minutes, 
all on the Ledbetter bill.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Madam President, reserving the right to object, let 
me ask the Senator from Ohio, whom I promised 12 minutes, whether he 
would be able to wait 7 minutes for Senator Leahy, after which I would 
turn the floor over to him before I discuss my own amendment?
  Mr. VOINOVICH. I am more than happy to do that as long as I have a 
guarantee that after 7 minutes, I have a chance to offer my voice about 
the amendment.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Madam President, let me ask whether I could propose 
this: I move that the Senator from Vermont be allowed 7 minutes on 
whatever subject he chooses, after which the Senator from Ohio would 
have 12 minutes, after which I would have the floor to speak on my 
amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  The Chair hears none, and it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Vermont.

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