[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 17842]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            PROGRESS ON S. 1

  Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, there are times since I have been here 
that I have been surprised and shocked. This week was one of them, when 
I saw the leader of my party rise to ask the body to send S. 1 to 
conference. Keep in mind what S. 1 is. S. 1 was the first piece of 
legislation we passed in the Senate this year. That is why it is called 
S. 1. Keep in mind what the vote was. It was 96 to 2. There are not 
going to be very many times that we do anything 96 to 2. That was 
months ago.
  Now, all this time we have been waiting to send this bill to 
conference so we can move ahead and make it law. This is ethics reform. 
This is the essence of what we should be about. We are here to do the 
people's business, not big money's business. We are here to protect 
average people in these United States, not the lobbyists in the 
hallway.
  Ethics reform should be at the top of our list. What happened when 
our leader asked for this bill to go to conference? The Republican 
leader objected. What in the world is going on that we would pass a 
bill 96 to 2 and then the Republican leader would say, ``I object to it 
going to conference''?
  The American people have been very engaged on the immigration issue 
for weeks. That bill has come to its conclusion. I urge every American 
out there to use those same fingers and those same phones, to use those 
same e-mails and those same letters, to immediately begin calling their 
Senator and say to them: Why in the world would you be blocking ethics 
reform in the Senate? There is no good excuse--except politics. If we 
cannot get beyond politics to reform ethics, then I think the people 
have a right to give us an approval rating in the cellar.
  So I call on the Republican leader, I call on our Republican 
colleagues: Stop playing games with ethics reform. Let's move forward. 
Let's make this happen on behalf of the people we came here to 
represent. If we cannot do this, we ought to put our tail between our 
legs, be ashamed, and go home.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. 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for the quorum call be rescinded.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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