[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 23]
[Senate]
[Pages 31671-31672]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 UNANIMOUS CONSENT AGREEMENT--H.R. 3590

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that immediately 
after the opening of the Senate tomorrow, Tuesday, December 15, and 
following the leader time, the Senate resume consideration of H.R. 
3590, and there then be a period of 5 hours of debate, with the time 
divided as follows: 2 hours equally divided between Senators Baucus and 
Crapo or their designees and 2 hours equally divided between Senators 
Dorgan and Lautenberg or their designees, and 1 hour under the control 
of the Republican leader or his designee or designees; that during this 
debate time, it be in order for Senator Baucus to offer a side-by-side 
amendment to the Crapo motion to commit; and Senator Lautenberg be 
recognized to offer amendment No. 3156 as a side-by-side to the Dorgan-
McCain amendment No. 2793, as modified; that no further amendments or 
motions be in order during the pendency of this agreement, except as 
noted in this agreement; that upon the use or yielding back of all 
time, the Senate then proceed to vote in relation to the aforementioned 
amendments and motion in this order: Baucus, Crapo, Lautenberg, and 
Dorgan, with each subject to an affirmative 60-vote threshold, and that 
if they achieve that threshold, then they be agreed to and the motion 
to reconsider be laid upon the table; that if they do not achieve that 
threshold, they be withdrawn; further, that the cloture motion with 
respect to the Crapo motion be withdrawn; provided further that upon 
disposition of the above-referenced amendments and motion, the next two 
Senators to be recognized to offer a motion and amendment be Senator 
Hutchison to offer a

[[Page 31672]]

motion to commit regarding taxes and implementation and Senator Sanders 
to offer amendment No. 2837; that no amendments be in order to the 
Hutchison motion or the Sanders amendment; that upon their disposition, 
the majority leader be recognized.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, and I am 
not going to object, I would just want to confirm with the majority 
leader our understanding that even though it is not locked in in this 
consent agreement, we anticipate voting on both the Hutchison amendment 
and the Sanders amendment.
  Mr. REID. Yes. And I say to my friend, either vote on them or have 
some kind of procedural motion.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Yes.
  Mr. REID. Which I have no idea what it would be at this stage. But 
the answer is yes.
  I would also say, I have spoken to the Senator's floor staff, and, as 
I indicated to the Republican leader, we have to be at the White House 
for a while tomorrow afternoon--we will give the Republican leader that 
time--for which we will probably have to be in recess because the whole 
caucus is called to go down there. But it is my desire to make sure we 
finish this tomorrow. I think that is to everyone's interest. That is 
what we are doing here, with 5 hours.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Would that include both Sanders and Hutchison?
  Mr. REID. No. No. As I explained, again, to floor staff, I would like 
those to be offered tomorrow, but I think we would have a pretty good 
day's work if we have 5 hours of debate and then those four votes we 
have playing out.
  Mr. McCONNELL. During the time that Democratic Senators are at the 
White House, would we be in recess or would we be allowed to----
  Mr. REID. Yes. I think we should be in recess.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Do you have any idea how long that meeting is going to 
be?
  Mr. REID. The meeting is scheduled for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
  Mr. McCONNELL. And at what time is it?
  Mr. REID. I think it is at 1:30.
  So, Mr. President, I am glad we finally got the balancing back and 
forth, unanimous consent request finally settled on these matters.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Illinois.

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