[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 11480]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            MORNING BUSINESS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, we are working to complete work on the so-
called extenders bill. We thought we would be ready to do the 
procedural votes to get to that a couple of hours ago. But as things 
happen around here, there has been changes requested by a number of 
Senators. As a result of that, we are going to have to go back to the 
Joint Committee on Taxation and get some more numbers. That is probably 
going to take about an hour.
  So we are not jammed for time, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Senate proceed to a period of morning business until 4:30 p.m. today, 
and that during that period of time Senators be allowed to speak for up 
to 10 minutes each. We are not going to divide the time Democrat and 
Republican. What we will do is, if there is a Democrat who wants to 
talk, talk for 10 minutes. If there is a Republican here, then it would 
be their turn.
  We will try to work this out by a gentlemen-and-ladies agreement to 
go back and forth, if in fact there are people who want to talk, with 
10-minute limitations alternating time, if in fact there are the 
Senators. If there are two Republicans and no Democrat here, then the 
two Republicans and vice-versa.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Merkley). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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