[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 1108]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE

  Mr. McCONNELL. This weekend President Obama's Chief of Staff lamented 
that the Senate has taken several weeks to debate an infrastructure 
project, the Keystone jobs bill. I agree it is about time to bring the 
Keystone debate to a positive conclusion, and we will do that soon. We 
have had a lot of floor discussion. We have considered Democratic and 
Republican amendments. All in all, the last few weeks have been time 
well spent. The debate has been good for our country. But tonight is 
our chance to notch another win for the middle class by supporting 
cloture and then actually passing this bipartisan jobs bill.
  We have heard rumors that some in the Democratic leadership are 
pressuring rank-and-file Democrats--even Democrats who cosponsored this 
bill--to block Keystone's jobs with a filibuster instead. This is 
really disappointing when you consider all that our friends on the 
other side have been saying about the filibuster for so many years.
  What is most disappointing, though, is the apparent reasoning for the 
Keystone filibuster. The Democratic leadership is claiming that there 
haven't been enough opportunities to consider amendments. Yet nine 
current Senate Democrats voted for the Keystone project just a few 
weeks ago without having the opportunity to offer or debate even a 
single amendment. Nine current Senate Democrats just a couple of months 
ago voted for the Keystone project without having the opportunity to 
offer or debate even a single amendment.
  This time around, the new Republican majority allowed more amendment 
rollcall votes on just this one bill--this one bill--than the previous 
leadership allowed on every single bill from last year combined. 
Altogether, there were more rollcall votes on this bill than we got on 
amendments on the Senate floor all of last year combined.
  I would also note that a majority of amendments we have taken 
rollcall votes on were also offered by the minority, by the Democrats. 
We also offered our friends on the other side an opportunity to 
consider more amendments just a few days ago. They objected to it at 
the time. Even so, it is still my hope that we will be able to consider 
more amendments from both sides of the aisle. Instead of filibustering 
this bill or blocking their own amendments, which we experienced the 
other night, I am asking my Democratic friends to work with the bill 
manager, Senator Murkowski--who has done a fantastic job on this bill--
to get amendments lined up.
  Let's keep up the positive momentum generated by a more open 
legislative process that actually clearly has benefited both parties. A 
Keystone filibuster cannot succeed without the support of Democrats who 
voted for a Keystone bill just a few weeks ago without any amendments--
any amendments--and who are cosponsoring the jobs bill today. I truly 
hope these Democrats won't vote to block Keystone jobs now just because 
a different party controls the Senate. The American people voted 
decisively against this type of partisan gridlock back in November. 
They want us to work together to get things done. Why don't we just 
continue to do that?
  The debate over this bipartisan bill has already had so many positive 
effects on the Senate as an institution. It has shown Senators the 
benefits of a more open process, it has given a real voice to the 
minority, and it represents a decisive change from the broken Senate of 
recent years.
  Here is how the assistant Democratic leader put it just a few days 
ago:

       We are in a healthy environment on the floor of the Senate 
     where we are pursuing amendments and active debate.

  It is ``great to see'' this happening, he said. I couldn't agree 
more. That is exactly the way we ought to operate.
  I would urge the Senate not to fall into the old partisan habits. 
Let's keep working together. Let's cooperate to get this important 
infrastructure project over the finish line and onto the President's 
desk.
  I am calling on all of my colleagues--especially the cosponsors of 
this bipartisan bill, especially those who have supported Keystone 
without any amendments in the past--to vote for jobs and progress 
tonight, not the kind of gridlock American voters rejected so 
emphatically.
  Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. 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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