[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 5, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S66]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


   SENATE RESOLUTION 10--TO IMPROVE THE DEBATE AND CONSIDERATION OF 
           LEGISLATIVE MATTERS AND NOMINATIONS IN THE SENATE

  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico (for himself, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Merkley, Mr. 
Durbin, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mr. Begich, Mr. Blumenthal, 
Mrs. Gillibrand, Mrs. Shaheen, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Tester, Mr. Cardin, Ms. 
Mikulski, Mr. Warner, Mr. Manchin, Mr. Coons, Ms. Stabenow, Mrs. Hagan, 
Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Casey, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. 
Franken, and Mr. Udall of Colorado) submitted the following resolution; 
which was submitted and read:

                               S. Res. 10

       Resolved,

     SECTION 1. DEBATE ON MOTIONS TO PROCEED.

       Rule VIII of the Standing Rules of the Senate is amended by 
     striking paragraph 2 and inserting the following:
       ``2. Debate on a motion to proceed to the consideration of 
     any matter, and any debatable motion or appeal in connection 
     therewith, shall be limited to not more than 2 hours, to be 
     equally divided between, and controlled by, the majority 
     leader and the minority leader or their designees except for 
     a motion to go into executive session to consider a specified 
     item of executive business and a motion to proceed to 
     consider any privileged matter, which shall not be 
     debatable.''.

     SEC. 2. ELIMINATING SECRET HOLDS.

       Rule VIII of the Standing Rules of the Senate is amended by 
     inserting at the end the following:
       ``3. No Senator may object on behalf of another Senator 
     without disclosing the name of that Senator.''.

     SEC. 3. RIGHT TO OFFER AMENDMENTS.

       Paragraph 2 of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the 
     Senate is amended by inserting at the end the following:
       ``After debate has concluded under this paragraph but prior 
     to final disposition of the pending matter, the Majority 
     Leader and the Minority Leader may each offer not to exceed 3 
     amendments identified as leadership amendments if they have 
     been timely filed under this paragraph and are germane to the 
     matter being amended. Debate on a leadership amendment shall 
     be limited to 1 hour equally divided. A leadership amendment 
     may not be divided.''.

     SEC. 4. EXTENDED DEBATE.

       Paragraph 2 of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the 
     Senate is amended--
       (1) by striking the second undesignated paragraph and 
     inserting the following:
       `` `Is it the sense of the Senate that the debate shall be 
     brought to a close?' And if that question shall be decided in 
     the affirmative by three-fifths of the Senators duly chosen 
     and sworn--except on a measure or motion to amend the Senate 
     rules, in which case the necessary affirmative vote shall be 
     two-thirds of the Senators present and voting--then cloture 
     has been invoked. If that question shall be decided in the 
     negative the Senate shall enter a period of continuous debate 
     on the measure, motion, or other matter pending before the 
     Senate, or the unfinished business. A period of continuous 
     debate shall continue as long as the subject of the cloture 
     vote is the pending business. During a period of continuous 
     debate, if a Senator seeks recognition to speak, that Senator 
     shall be recognized and the Presiding Officer shall not 
     entertain any motion or quorum calls. If during a period of 
     continuous debate, no Senator seeks recognition, then the 
     Presiding Officer shall note that the period of continuous 
     debate has ended and cloture shall be considered invoked.''; 
     and
       (2) in the last undesignated paragraph by inserting ``or 
     during a period of continuous debate'' after ``is invoked''.

     SEC. 5. POST CLOTURE DEBATE ON NOMINATIONS.

       The second undesignated paragraph of paragraph 2 of rule 
     XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate is amended by 
     inserting at the end the following: ``If the matter on which 
     cloture is invoked is a nomination, the period of time for 
     debate shall be 2 hours.''.

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