[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 5, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S33]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           ORDER OF PROCEDURE

  Mr. WYDEN. Madam President, Senator Udall and Senator Merkley have 
waited at great length to make their remarks. I wish to propound a 
unanimous consent at this time. At this point, Senator Udall would be 
the next speaker. There would be a Republican who would speak next. I 
am very hopeful it will be Senator Grassley because he and I have been 
partners for almost 14 years in this effort to force the Senate to do 
public business in public and get rid of these secret holds. So after 
Senator Udall, there would be Senator Grassley. After Senator Grassley, 
there would be my friend and colleague Senator Merkley who would speak. 
At that time there would be a Republican who would be next in the queue 
to speak.
  So my unanimous consent request at that point is--I would like to be 
able, for up to 30 minutes, to have the bipartisan sponsors of the 
effort to get rid of secret holds once and for all, including the 
distinguished Presiding Officer, to have up to 30 minutes for a 
colloquy on this bipartisan effort to eliminate secret holds.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any time limits on the UC motion for 
any Senators other than the 30 minutes designated for the cosponsors of 
the secret hold legislation?
  The Senator from New Mexico.
  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Madam President, in addition to his UC, we 
have myself for 15 minutes, Senator Merkley for 15 minutes, and I 
believe Senator Wyden has asked for 30, and then to accommodate the 
Republicans, our UC would say if there is a Republican seeking 
recognition that we alternate between the two sides and they be under 
the same time limitations as listed above. So Senator Alexander can see 
I would speak for 15, and then he would have a block for 15, and then 
Senator Merkley, and then it would be 30 for Senator Wyden.
  Mr. WYDEN. Then, after Senator Merkley, there would be another 
Republican who would be in a position to speak for 15 minutes, and at 
that point under the unanimous consent request we would be able to 
discuss this bipartisan effort to eliminate secret holds for up to 30 
minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. HARKIN. Madam President, I wonder if the Senator would mind a 
slight modification to that. One of the things I thought we were kind 
of getting into today were colloquies wherein we could ask a question 
and have a response in a reasonable manner. I would ask to modify the 
unanimous consent request to say that any colloquies entered into--
questions propounded to a Senator through the Chair--not be detracted 
from the time allotted to that Senator.
  Mr. WYDEN. I am very open to that. I think it is an excellent 
suggestion.
  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. I very much agree with that. I have been 
sitting here following the debate, and I think Senator Alexander, among 
others, has propounded some very good questions. I actually have 
another question I was going to ask on top of his question of what is a 
filibuster. So I am looking forward to that portion of it. Senator 
Harkin, thank you very much for that.
  Mr. WYDEN. Madam President, I think Senator Harkin has made an 
excellent suggestion. Unless Senator Alexander or anyone on the other 
side has a problem with that, let's modify the unanimous consent 
request I have made to incorporate Senator Harkin's suggestion.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from New Mexico.

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