[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 30 (Monday, February 24, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S981]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--S. 1752, S. 1917
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at a time to be
determined by me, after consultation with Senator McConnell, the Senate
proceed to Calendar No. 251, S. 1752; that if a cloture motion is filed
on the bill, there be 2 hours of debate on S. 1752 and S. 1917, equally
divided between the two leaders or their designees; that upon the use
or yielding back of that time, the Senate immediately proceed to vote
on the motion to invoke cloture; that if cloture is invoked, all
postcloture time be yielded back and the Senate immediately proceed to
vote on the passage of the bill; that no amendments, points of order or
motions be in order to the bill prior to a vote on passage; that if the
motion to invoke cloture on S. 1752 is not agreed to, the bill be
returned to the calendar; that upon disposition of S. 1752, the Senate
immediately proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 293, S. 1917;
that if a cloture motion is filed on the bill, the Senate immediately
proceed to the vote on the motion to invoke cloture; that if cloture is
invoked, all postcloture time be yielded back and the Senate proceed to
vote on passage of the bill; that no amendments, points of order or
motions be in order to the bill prior to the vote on passage; that if
the motion to invoke cloture on S. 1917 is not agreed to, the bill be
returned to the calendar.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, reserving the right to object.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kansas.
Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, the Gillibrand and McCaskill bills that the
majority leader talked about were filed as amendments to the Defense
authorization bill that the Senate passed in December of last year.
They each have significant bipartisan support.
The majority leader filled the tree on that bill and blocked
amendments on both sides of the aisle, and therefore the Senate did not
vote on these bills last year. There are hundreds of other amendments
that were also blocked.
Would the Senator modify this request to include a vote, at a 60-vote
threshold, on another proposal that was blocked from consideration? The
Kirk amendment No. 2295 was filed to the Defense bill. It would impose
additional sanctions against the government of Iran if it violates the
interim agreement with the United States. Will the Senator include a
vote on the Kirk amendment as part of this agreement?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does the majority leader agree to the
modification?
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I reserve the right to object. There is no
more important national security concern today than keeping Iran from
getting a nuclear weapons capability. For our own national security and
for that of Israel, our ally, we are committed to stopping Iran from
getting that capability.
That is why President Obama has entered into international
negotiations with Iran. The Senate has a long tradition of
bipartisanship on this issue, including numerous strong bipartisan
votes that we put in place to initiate the very sanctions that have
brought Iran to the negotiating table.
In summation, I am terribly disappointed that my Republican friends
are trying to turn this vital national security concern into a partisan
issue by trying to inject it into a setting where it is clearly not
relevant.
I object.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
Is there objection to the original request?
Mr. MORAN. I object.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.
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