[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 128 (Friday, September 11, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9291-S9292]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2010

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the 
Senate will resume consideration of H.R. 3288, which the clerk will 
report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 3288) making appropriations for the 
     Departments of Transportation, and Housing and Urban 
     Development, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
     September 30, 2010, and for other purposes.

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Washington.

[[Page S9292]]

  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, we are now on the floor considering the 
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill. This 
is an extremely important measure to everyone here and to the country, 
with important investments in our roads, bridges, highways, airports, 
housing, and infrastructure across the country. My ranking member, 
Senator Bond, and I are here ready to go and ready to work. We are 
waiting for our colleagues to come to the floor to offer their 
amendments, and I encourage them to do so.
  The majority leader has asked us to move this bill as expeditiously 
as possible. We need to finish all of our appropriations bills by 
October 1 of this year in order to make sure people have the funding 
they need and so they know where we are going.
  So we again ask our colleagues to come to the floor, and if they do 
have amendments, offer them, or if they do not, allow us to continue to 
finish this bill.
  If there are no Members here seeking recognition at this point, I 
suggest the absence of a quorum.
  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I ask the Senator to withhold the suggestion 
of an absence of a quorum.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I withhold.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Missouri.
  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I add to what the Chair, Senator Murray, has 
said. We are open. We are ready to do business. We have, I believe, 
close to two dozen amendments that have been filed. This would be an 
ideal time for people to come in and discuss their amendments, to bring 
them up. We are scheduled, I believe, to have votes on pending HUD 
amendments on Monday afternoon when we return, and it would be good for 
people, without time constraints, to come in and explain why they wish 
to amend the bill, and to allow us to debate those amendments and be 
ready for votes.
  But we know there is interest. We know amendments have been filed, 
and we will have at least this morning to consider those amendments. I 
assume the majority leader will bring us in Monday afternoon. So I urge 
my colleagues, if you have an amendment to be seriously considered, 
whether it is on this side or the majority side, please bring it 
forward and let us have an opportunity to look at it, review it, debate 
it, discuss it, and prepare it for a vote.
  With that, Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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