[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 11 (Thursday, January 22, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S367]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       REAL DEBATE IN THE SENATE

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, the Senate, as I indicated, will 
continue its work on the Keystone jobs bill today. It is great to see a 
real debate on the floor of the Senate again. We saw some action in the 
Chamber yesterday and even some unpredictability. We saw how democracy 
in the Senate has looked many times in the past. It is great to see 
both sides able to offer amendments once more.
  I know many of our Democratic friends have been ready to give more of 
a voice to their constituents too. I know they have been waiting for 
this moment for some time. The assistant Democratic leader said he 
welcomes our vision of the Senate where Members ``bring amendments to 
the floor, debate them, vote on them, and ultimately pass 
legislation,'' and that is what we are doing.
  Another Democratic colleague, the senior Senator from West Virginia, 
said he was ``very excited'' about the prospect of an open amendment 
process. He also noted that it gave Members of his party a valuable 
opportunity to pursue some of their own priorities through the 
legislative process.
  The Senator makes an important point about the more open Senate we 
are working toward. A more open Senate presents more opportunities for 
legislators with serious ideas to make a mark on the legislative 
process. It can give Members of both parties a real stake in the 
ultimate outcome of the bill on the floor. And because it does, it 
represents one of our best avenues to secure passage of sensible 
legislation centered on jobs and the middle class. That is something we 
should all want.
  So I hope Members in both parties will help us continue our efforts 
to make the Senate function better. That would be a good thing for our 
country. It would represent a change from the kind of Senate we have 
seen in recent years. And it would represent a positive step forward, 
not just for Congress but for the people we represent.

                          ____________________