[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 6576-6577]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   DEBATING AND VOTING ON AMENDMENTS

  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I was listening with some interest to the

[[Page 6577]]

unanimous consent proposed by the distinguished majority leader, and I 
thought for a minute I was back in the House of Representatives. I 
remember a time in the Senate when we actually offered amendments, 
debated and voted on them. I thought that was what the Senate was 
supposed to do.
  Over in the House, where I served for 10 years, they have a Rules 
Committee. The Rules Committee reports a bill out on the floor, and a 
lot of times they give them closed rules, which means you cannot add 
amendments. That is what I just heard propounded here. If, in fact, 
they get cloture, it is a closed rule. That is basically what it is.
  I wish we can get back to a Senate where we debate and vote on 
amendments.

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