[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 40 (Friday, March 6, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2855-S2856]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, following leader remarks, if any, we will 
resume consideration of H.R. 1105, the appropriations bill. The floor 
is open for debate and amendment. There will be no rollcall votes 
during today's session. I have spoken to the Republican leader and 
assistant leader. We expect to have a finite list of amendments that 
will be entered into the Record within the next hour.
  I know it is very difficult for people to understand the Senate 
sometimes. For those of us who have served in this body for an extended 
period, it is even difficult sometimes for us. But it is a wonderful 
institution that has a long list of precedents building up since we 
became a country. The Founding Fathers, when they wrote the 
Constitution, wanted a unique legislative system, and they gave us one. 
The House of Representatives is elected every 2 years. No one has ever 
been appointed to serve in the House of Representatives. If someone 
resigns or dies, there is a new election. In the Senate, that is not 
the case. There are 6-year terms and 2-year terms. The House runs every 
2 years. Their ears are in tune with the constituency like no one else. 
We are, some say, the saucer that cools the coffee. Sometimes we cool 
it for a long period. But that is the rules. An individual Senator has 
tremendous power. This isn't anything new. This is the way it has 
always been. I want everyone to recognize that the Senate is an 
institution that works on comity. We have to work together.
  We are proceeding forward on this large spending bill to make up work 
that we had not completed the last several years. We thought we were 
going to finish last night. A significant number of Republicans wanted 
more amendments. As a result, a number of my Republican friends called 
me and said: We think we need more amendments. We know we said we were 
going to vote to end debate, but we believe there should be more 
debate. I wish I had not received those phone calls, but I understand 
how the Senate works. No one broke their word to me. It was a 
misunderstanding only.
  We are where we are. I have spoken to the Republican leadership, 
Senator McConnell and Senator Kyl. Within the next little bit we will 
have a finite list of amendments. We will work our way through those. 
It is my understanding Senator McCain is going to be here today to 
offer an amendment. There are a number of other Senators who are going 
to offer amendments. We will work through these.
  It is my understanding that the House is going to, within an hour or 
so, do a CR that will take us through Wednesday. I will work with the 
Republican leader. I will probably file cloture today to make sure we 
have some instrument to move forward on. We can arrange the time 
whenever we want. The reason we will go that way, it was set up last 
night procedurally that if there were 60 votes on cloture, there would 
automatically be a third reading of the underlying bill. That is what 
we will do again so there is no need to have two separate votes. We 
will do our best to give everyone ample time as to when this vote will 
take place, the reason being, Senator Kennedy is back now. We were 
happy to see him yesterday. He looks great. He was at the White House 
for a health conference.

[[Page S2856]]

We want to make sure we give him ample time to be here. He is receiving 
some of his treatment outside Washington, DC.
  I think that pretty well outlines where we are.
  We are the Senate. We were last night and we are today. We will work 
through the legislation as quickly as we can and move on to other 
things. We have important work to do. We have some nominations we will 
try to do the first part of the week, but we can do those the latter 
part of the week. The House passed some bankruptcy legislation. I spoke 
to the Republican leader about that today. We might go to that. We have 
the lands bill that might be coming back to us. We have lots to do. We 
have 4 weeks left in this work period and a lot remaining.

                          ____________________