[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 166 (Wednesday, December 15, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10261-S10262]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            MORNING BUSINESS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have had a number of conversations in the 
recent minutes with the Republican leader. I think we would be well 
advised--and we are going to proceed along this avenue unless someone 
has an objection--that for the rest of the day and the evening, however 
long people want to visit, we will be in a period of morning business. 
As soon as Senator Lincoln finishes her remarks, we will be in a period 
of morning business, and Senators will be allowed to speak for up to 15 
minutes. I put that in the form of a consent request.
  We have a number of Senators over here and on the Republican side who 
want to speak on the START treaty, but people are not going to be 
restricted to that. They can speak about anything they want. Then 
tomorrow morning we will return to the START treaty.
  So this afternoon, I again ask unanimous consent that we be in a 
period of morning business and that Senators be allowed to speak for up 
to 15 minutes each during this period of morning business, with the 
understanding that tomorrow morning, at a reasonable hour, we will 
return to the START treaty and begin debate directly on that.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection?
  The majority leader is recognized.
  Mr. REID. And part of that agreement is that today will be for debate 
only.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection?
  The Republican leader is recognized.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, and I am 
certainly not going to object, I want to thank the majority leader. I 
think it is a good way to go forward. There was some suggestion that 
some on this side of the aisle wanted to read the treaty. Our view is 
that that is not essential.

[[Page S10262]]

We do encourage our members--I know Senator Lugar, our ranking member 
on Foreign Relations, is here and Senator Kyl, who has been deeply 
involved in this issue. We would encourage them to begin the debate on 
the treaty.
  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, reserving the right to----
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, also, if I could respond to my friend, I 
know Senator Lugar has spent lots of time on this treaty, as has 
Senator Kyl, as has Senator Kerry and others. Everyone, we will be very 
generous with time. If Senator Lugar, who is one of the wizards of 
foreign policy in the history of our country, needs more time, no one 
is going to stand in the way of that. So everyone should understand 
that we did put a 15-minute limitation on it, but there will be 
consents granted for people to speak longer if, in fact, it is 
necessary.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Massachusetts is 
recognized.
  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I appreciate the comments of the leader 
with respect to that question. I wonder if the order might predicate at 
the outset that Senator Lugar--he has asked me for 40 minutes as an 
opening. I know Senator Kyl would probably want to be able to speak an 
equal amount of time. I would like to, obviously, make an opening, 
appropriately a little longer. So if we could perhaps make the order 40 
minutes to Senator Lugar, 40 minutes to Senator Kyl. I would like a 
half hour. And we have some other Senators from there. And we could 
vary this as we go. Is that possible?
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection?
  Mr. REID. So the consent request is that Senator Lugar be recognized 
for 40 minutes, Senator Kyl for 40 minutes, Senator Kerry for 30 
minutes; is that right?
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. That is correct.
  Mr. KYL. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I am not sure 
I will be speaking for 40 minutes or any particular timeframe here. I 
want to focus for the moment on the omnibus and a continuing 
resolution, so my remarks probably would be relevant to that, and 
therefore I probably should not join in the unanimous consent request 
at this time.
  Mr. REID. OK. So, Mr. President, I am glad we clarified that. But, as 
I said, anyone can talk about anything they want. So why don't we have 
the consent request amended that Senator Lugar be recognized for 40 
minutes, Senator Kerry for 30 minutes, and then the rest of the time 
will be jump ball for people to speak for up to 15 minutes.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. REID. And I conferred with Senator McConnell. There will be no 
rollcall votes the rest of the day.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senate will come to order.
  The Senator from Arkansas is recognized.
  Mrs. LINCOLN. Thank you, Mr. President. Well, I hope there is not too 
much order because it will make me feel a little bit out of place.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, the Senate is not in order.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senate will please come to 
order. Take conversations off the floor.
  Mrs. LINCOLN. Thank you, Mr. President. As I said, I hope there is 
not too much order. I do not want this place to change too much.

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