[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 6459-6460]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            MORNING BUSINESS

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, there 
will be a period of morning business for 90 minutes, with Senators 
permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each, and with the time equally 
divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees, with 
the Republicans controlling the first 30 minutes and the majority 
controlling the next 30 minutes.
  The Senator from Pennsylvania is recognized.
  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I thank the distinguished majority leader 
for his generous and complimentary comments. As today completes 1 year 
since my return to the Democratic Party, I have a few observations on 
what we should do as Senators, not as Democrats or Republicans, to tend 
to the Nation's business in these difficult days.
  Partisanship ran high in 2005, with Republican threats to invoke the 
nuclear or constitutional option, which would, in effect, change the 
rule to allow 51 votes to cut off filibusters. The so-called ``Gang of 
14,'' a group of centrists from both parties, structured a compromise 
which confirmed some judicial nominees, rejected others, and 
established a standard that filibusters should not be employed except 
in ``exceptional circumstances.'' That spirit of compromise, I suggest, 
should be revisited today.
  In the threat of a great depression in February 2009, I refused to 
join the Republican obstructionism and played a

[[Page 6460]]

key role in the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. 
I am fully aware that my vote put my job on the line.
  Achieving civility and cooperation for the common good in 2010, as it 
occurred in 2005 with respect to judicial nominations, will require 
independence and risk-taking by Senators. Senators must be willing to 
cross the aisle and work with their colleagues even at the peril of the 
disfavor of their own political party. The problems of the country 
today are too severe, too many Americans are out of work, too many 
Americans are fighting and dying in foreign lands, for members of this 
body to be unwilling to risk their seats for the public good. The 
stakes for America require we all do our level best and permit the 
public to judge us accordingly.
  At the moment, there is a pressing need for Republicans to join with 
us in reforming Wall Street to prevent the kind of financial crisis 
that cost this country 8 million jobs. Both sides agree that 
legislation is necessary. On a motion to proceed, which is now pending 
on this legislation, there is no realistic contention that 
``extraordinary circumstances'' justify a filibuster. Once the bill is 
being debated, there will be opportunity for amendments. Forty-one 
Republican Senators will then have the opportunity to filibuster 
whatever proposed legislation evolves before final passage occurs. 
``Extraordinary circumstances'' now call for Republicans to join 
Democrats in passing legislation to prevent another economic crisis.

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