[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 16753-16754]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        THANKING SENATOR MERKLEY

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, before the Senator from Oregon leaves the 
floor, I wish to thank him for his leadership on this bill. He picked 
up the mantle from our dear late colleague Senator Ted Kennedy. Senator 
Merkley had worked on this issue in his home State before coming to the 
Senate, and we have worked very closely together as this bill has been 
on the floor. He has been very fair and openminded. Although we were 
not able to work out agreements on everything, as I would have hoped, I 
do believe there was a good-faith effort which was evident in the 
passage of Senator Portman's amendment.
  I am very excited that tomorrow we will be reaching final passage, 
and Senator Merkley deserves an enormous amount of credit for his 
leadership. I wanted to thank him while he was still present on the 
floor and also tell him how much I appreciated his kind words earlier 
today.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.

[[Page 16754]]

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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