[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 646]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, yesterday, we made significant progress on 
the ethics and lobbying reform bill. This will go a long way toward 
helping to reduce cynicism about this body. We began debate on the 
bill. The Republican leader and I offered a strong substitute amendment 
that made numerous important improvements to the underlying bill. And 
then I offered an amendment to strengthen the bill even further. Then 
we have had a number of other Senators come to the floor and make 
statements, offer amendments. And I think that is certainly 
appropriate.
  Mr. President, I do emphasize this morning this is not a campaign 
finance reform bill. My personal feeling is campaign finance reform 
needs a very close going over. We need to hold extensive hearings on 
this issue. There are a lot of very complicated issues dealing with 
campaign finance reform, some of which deal with not only the Rules 
Committee but the Finance Committee because there are tax implications. 
I respectfully submit to my colleagues--both in the majority and 
minority--this is not the place to do rifle shots on campaign finance 
reform. I was a real cynic in the past about doing anything with, for 
example, 527s. I now think we have to take a look at a lot of these 
campaign finance issues, including 527s. But it has to be done in a 
thoughtful, probative way. I hope we can do that.
  This is not a campaign finance bill. Campaign finance is an important 
issue, and we are going to have a full consideration of campaign 
finance in this Congress. But this bill is not the place for those 
amendments.
  I look forward to Senators continuing to offer amendments today and 
hope we can make more progress in the coming days to wrap up this bill 
next week. We will wrap up the bill next week, even if it is a long 
week. If things slow down or there appears to be some stalling, I will 
have to see if cloture is the only alternative, which it might be. But 
for now let's keep moving forward. I have had people come to me and say 
they have some amendments to offer. I think that is very important. 
This is an open process. People should be able to do that.
  We are going to be in a period of morning business for an hour, as 
soon as I and the Republican leader sit down. The majority will control 
the first half hour and the minority will control the last half hour. 
Once morning business closes, the Senate will resume the consideration 
of the ethics bill.
  As I have said, there are a number of amendments pending. And as I 
have indicated, there are other Members who are interested in offering 
amendments today. I hope we will be in a position later this morning to 
take action on some of these pending amendments. The managers have 
expressed their desire to work with Members in regard to these two 
amendments.
  The two managers of this bill are two of our finest. Senator 
Feinstein in the past has managed bills as a member of the 
Appropriations Committee. Senator Bennett is someone who has a great 
knowledge of Senate procedures. He is, in my opinion, a Senator's 
Senator. He does such a good job in everything he is involved in. We 
have two very good, thoughtful managers of this bill. If anyone can 
move this forward, I know the two of them can.

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