[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 2334-2335]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ORDER FOR ADJOURNMENT

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come 
before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in 
adjournment under the previous order following the remarks of Senator 
Durbin for up to 15 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Reserving the right to object, I wish to indicate that 
I am pleased we could work out a time for the vote tomorrow. I want to 
be very clear that not only have I not given up any of my rights under 
the bill, as I understand it, given the rules postclo-
ture, I actually have more time for debate than I otherwise would have 
to oppose this unwise legislation. In terms of convenience for Members, 
I am pleased about that. It will be important to continue the debate 
tomorrow prior to 3 o'clock. I thank the leaders for the ability to 
achieve that.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Illinois is recognized.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, pursuant to the unanimous consent request, 
I wish to speak to a resolution which

[[Page 2335]]

was just passed, but prior to that time, I would like to commend my 
colleague from the State of Wisconsin for his dogged determination to 
have the Senate actually consider an amendment--a substantive 
amendment--to the PATRIOT Act. He has been more than cooperative in 
suggesting he would limit the time of that debate to 15 minutes, but he 
has been stopped every time he has come to the floor and made that 
request by the majority.
  I may disagree with the Senator from Wisconsin, but I am going to 
stand here and fight for as long as I can that he have this 
opportunity. Why is the Senate afraid of debate? Why is the Senate 
afraid of deliberation? What is so frightening about having two 
Senators present a point of view and then have the Senate vote? It 
almost sounds like the reason the Senate was created, but the Senator 
from Wisconsin has been waiting, trying his best to get 15 minutes, day 
after day, as the majority refuses to give it to him.
  As I have said repeatedly, I think there is merit to this PATRIOT 
Act, as amended with Senator Sununu's efforts and the efforts of many, 
including myself, but I am going to defend the right of the Senator 
from Wisconsin to come to the floor any time he wants, as a Senator 
representing his State and as a coequal Member of this Chamber, and 
offer an amendment. The majority should not be so frightened of debate, 
not so frightened of a vote that they would deny the Senator this 
opportunity.

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