[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 1306-1307]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           REPUBLICAN SUPPORT

  Mr. McCONNELL. If I may, I missed the first part of what my friend 
was saying, but I think I understand the gist of it because we had an 
opportunity to talk a couple of times today.
  The dilemma we currently have on the proposal the majority leader is 
referring to is that I believe it is the case that not all members of 
the Finance Committee are yet fully aware of what the package may look 
like. We also do not have an entire conference that understands it yet. 
If we are talking about a roughly $80 billion package, no matter how it 
may be labeled--whether it is another stimulus, whether it is a jobs 
bill, whether it is a combination of both--I would say to my friend 
that my members need to be able to feel as if they understand what they 
are being called upon to support. So the sooner we could get the 
parameters of the final package, the better.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader.

[[Page 1307]]


  Mr. REID. I hope to be able to get something to the Republican leader 
very soon. I was told an hour ago that the document is completed. I 
hope that is the case.
  I do say to everyone in the Senate at this time that we want to work 
through this in an orderly way. I want to make sure both the Republican 
conference and the Democratic conference have a chance to see the bill. 
That is fair and that is what we need to do. But I do say to everyone, 
in addition to that, if, in fact, there is a procedural deadlock we 
find ourselves in Thursday because of filing cloture on this package--I 
have explained to everyone that I have no intention of trying to jam 
anybody on this. It is a jobs bill. We have to let the American people 
know we are really trying hard to get something done that will create 
jobs immediately. So I will do my very best to make sure everybody has 
an opportunity to see everything on this proposed legislation.
  If we wind up Thursday on this legislation, I will continue being as 
cooperative as I can be to make sure people who want to change this in 
some way legislatively will be able to do that. I may, as I have 
already indicated to everybody, have to stop amendments in order to get 
to where we are on Thursday. But I will be happy to open up the vehicle 
and have people offer amendments. I have no concern at this stage 
about, frankly, whether the amendments are germane or relevant, just if 
people want to offer amendments on some subject and to have the ability 
on both sides to do that, we should be able to do that.

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