[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 14783]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--S. 3254

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have been asked on a number of occasions 
by Senator Levin and Senator McCain what we are going to do on the 
Defense authorization bill.
  I now ask unanimous consent that at a time to be determined by me 
after consultation with the Republican leader, the Senate proceed to 
Calendar No. 419, S. 3254, the Defense authorization bill; and that 
only relevant amendments be in order on the bill.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. KYL. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I am very 
disappointed in this request. Senator McCain has been asking that the 
leader take up the Defense authorization bill for weeks. This evening 
he tried very hard to get agreement from the Senator from Michigan, the 
chairman of the committee, and others to try to work out a way that we 
could take up this bill right after we come back or at some point after 
we come back after the election.
  After he leaves the Chamber, and after virtually everybody is gone, 
at 1:40 in the morning the majority leader asks unanimous consent to 
take up the bill limited to relevant amendments. Now that would be fine 
with me, and I am sure it is fine with Senator McCain, but everybody 
knows you can't get unanimous consent of your colleagues when they are 
all gone at 1:40 a.m. in the morning without any advanced notice that 
the request was going to be made.
  As a result--though I would be happy personally to agree to the 
request--we don't know what our Members would agree to and whether they 
would agree to limiting this to relevant amendments. To me that is the 
only thing that seems to be out of order, but obviously we can't agree 
to it because we can't hotline this at this time of the evening and get 
consent from our Members.
  What mostly bothers me is the implication, therefore, that the leader 
is all for taking it up and it is the Republicans who are objecting. I 
hope anyone who is aware of what has been going on here appreciates the 
fact that no one wants to go to the Defense authorization bill more 
than my colleague from Arizona, John McCain, and our leader, Mitch 
McConnell.
  With great regret and only because at this time of morning there is 
no way to survey our Members to see whether they would agree to the 
request, we have no option but to object.
  I would certainly hope the leader would contact Senator McCain. He 
left the Chamber now, but perhaps he could contact him tomorrow or the 
next day and ask if we can begin to work this out and allow us to talk 
to our Members so when we come back we can take up the Defense 
authorization bill. We should.
  The Republican Members of this body want to do so, and I would hope 
we could work that out so it could be dealt with in the very early days 
after the election.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I said I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The majority leader.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, Senator Levin has consulted with John McCain 
in regard to this matter. Senator McCain knew this was going to happen. 
That is what the chairman of the committee told me, and Senator Levin 
has never misled me ever. Again, it is obvious the bill is being held 
up. So I am not surprised. This has been going on for 6 months.
  Mr. KYL. Mr. President, would the majority leader yield for one 
question from me?
  Mr. REID. Of course.
  Mr. KYL. Mr. President, my question is, Is the Senator saying that 
Senator McCain was aware the Senator was going to make this request 
tonight in the form it was made?
  Mr. REID. Senator Levin gave this to me and said he already talked to 
Senator McCain about this.
  Mr. KYL. I know they talked all evening long, but I am not sure that 
Senator McCain was made aware that the Senator would propose this 
tonight.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I first learned about this several hours ago 
from Senator Levin, so I take him at his word.
  Mr. KYL. Thank you, Mr. President.
  Mr. REID. I note the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. 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.

                          ____________________