[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 13183]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--H.R. 3210

  Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 252, H.R. 3210, 
the House-passed terrorism insurance bill; that all after the enacting 
clause be stricken, and the text of S. 2600, as passed in the Senate, 
be inserted in lieu thereof; the bill, as thus amended, be read a third 
time and passed; the motion to reconsider be laid on the table; the 
Senate insist on its amendment and request a conference with the House 
on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses; and the Chair be authorized 
to appoint conferees on the part of the Senate with the ratio being 4 
to 3, without any intervening action or debate.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection?
  Mr. BENNETT. Madam President, I came to the floor to make a speech 
and discovered that my leader is not here. But to protect leadership 
rights in this matter, I will object until leadership has an 
opportunity to review the request made by the Senator from Nevada.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection is heard.
  Mr. REID. Madam President, there certainly is no surprise. We worked 
on this all day yesterday. We were told, as we are often told, that 
given a few more minutes, we will get it all worked out.
  We need to have this terrorism insurance bill conferenced and 
completed. No one knows better than the Presiding Officer what the 
people of New York have gone through as a result of the terrorist acts 
of September 11. The people of this country and the businesses of this 
country need terrorism insurance.
  Everyone should understand that on this side of the aisle we have 
done everything we can to get this passed. We were held up for weeks 
and weeks before we were allowed to bring it to the floor. Now we have 
been held up weeks and weeks to try to get the bill to conference.
  It is too bad. There is a continuous pattern of obstruction that we 
have faced. Everyone should understand that terrorism insurance is 
being held up by the Republican minority.

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