[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 17289]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--S. 223

  Mr. BENNETT. Madam President, reserving the right to object, on 
behalf of the Republican leader, I would add an additional unanimous 
consent request that at a time to be determined by the majority leader, 
in consultation with the Republican leader, the Senate proceed to the 
immediate consideration of Calendar No. 96, S. 223, under the following 
limitations: That the committee-reported amendment be agreed to and 
that the only other amendment in order be a McConnell or his designee 
amendment, with 1 hour of debate equally divided in the usual form on 
the bill and 1 hour equally divided on the McConnell amendment, and 
that following the use or yielding back of the time, the Senate proceed 
to vote in relation to the McConnell amendment, followed by a vote on 
passage of the bill, as amended, if amended, with no intervening action 
or debate.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection?
  Mr. REID. Madam President, here we go again, doing their best--that 
is, the Republicans--to stop us from going ahead on ethics and lobbying 
reform. The suggestion of the distinguished Senator from Utah is 
reasonable, but it should be a different matter. In fact, once we look 
at the amendment, we may be willing to accept it. But it is only an 
effort to divert attention from ethics and lobbying reform, those 
matters--corporate jets, what lobbyists can do, what they can't do, 
bundling, what we need to do with earmarks. It is an effort to divert 
attention from that. Attention may be diverted for a few minutes this 
afternoon, but we are going to continue to focus on it. We need to pass 
this legislation. It is important we do so.
  We, the Democrats, support what the Senator has suggested, basic 
electronic filing of FEC reports. There is no problem with that. 
Senator Feinstein moved it through the Rules Committee and has been 
seeking consent to pass it on the floor unanimously. We have never seen 
the amendment Senator McConnell wishes to stick on this. Once we have a 
chance to review it, we will be able, perhaps, to move forward on this 
consent request. In any event, let's not muddy the waters on the ethics 
bill. We want to move forward on that comprehensive bill, the most 
sweeping reforms in a long time, probably ever.
  I wanted everyone to know there has been objection made by the 
minority to going forward on a conference. The conference will be led 
by Joe Lieberman on our side, a man who is certainly fair to both 
sides. Why would we not go to conference on this important legislation?
  I will be back. I will be back and hope there will be the revelation 
to the Republicans that we are going to do everything we can on this 
legislation. We are going to focus attention on why it is not going to 
conference. It is not going to conference because the Republicans are 
stonewalling our ability to do so, coming up with something as 
diverting as FEC reports being filed electronically.
  I object to the request of my friend.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection is heard.
  Mr. BENNETT. In that case, Madam President, on behalf of the 
Republican leader, I must object to the request of the majority leader.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection is heard.
  Mr. REID. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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