Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, I want to acknowledge that we will not be debating this amendment this evening. Senator Hutchison has laid down her substitute. What I am so excited about is that we are actually going to be debating the Lilly Ledbetter Act and also amendments and substitutes therein.

I know the Senator from Texas has a plane she is going to try to make; otherwise, we would have had a more amplified debate tonight. But I am so excited this moment has finally come, that we are actually going to debate what is the most effective way we can end wage discrimination in our country and keep the courthouse door open to legitimate claimants.

I am also excited that, once again, the Senate will return to a regular order. What do I mean by ``a regular order''? We are actually going to bring up bills. We are not going to get lost in some quagmire of parliamentary procedure where we entangle ourselves and strangle ourselves. This debate, that actually begins tonight, is the signal of a new day returning to some of the old ways the Senate operated, which was a regular order where we could offer amendments, debate amendments, and vote on amendments.

This is what doing legislation is all about. Before I actually, briefly, comment on the merits, to affirm the process: We said to our colleagues on the other side of the aisle, we are going to give you the opportunity to offer amendments and to debate them. We are keeping that promise. In the way HUTCHISON and MIKULSKI are kicking it off now, we are showing we are keeping our promise.

Second, this affirms the way we, the women of the Senate, want to operate. Senator Hutchison and I agree on the goal: ending wage discrimination and keeping the courthouse door open. Senator Hutchison and I absolutely disagree on what is the best way to achieve that goal. I have our legislation. She has her substitute. But though we disagree, you will see on Wednesday, as we pick up an amplified discussion, we can disagree without being disagreeable.

It is time to return to civility. It is time to show that good manners produce good legislation. We look forward to a robust and amplified way of discussing this issue.

So we are going to debate Lilly Ledbetter and also the Hutchison substitute and other amendments. We will do it, if there is more tonight, and we will also do it tomorrow, if there are Senators who wish to offer it. I will be here. But we will be able to do it.

We strongly disagree with the Hutchison amendment. But rather than debate it, without her being here, I am going to reserve my remarks for when she is here, and we are going to show that good politics starts with good manners and a good process.

I thank the Republican leader for being so cooperative to help us set the stage for doing it.

I yield the floor.