| 00:00:00 | AND I THINK IT -- IT'S -- I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK TO IN THE FUTURE. |
| 00:00:10 | WE DECIDED WE WERE GOING TO HAVE AN AMENDMENT PROCESS HERE. |
| 00:00:13 | MAYBE IT IS NOT AS FAR AS FEN WANTS TO GO, BUT IT'S A PRETTY GOOD STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. |
| 00:00:19 | RATHER THAN HAVING NO AMENDMENTS, RATHER THAN HAVING ONLY GERMANE AMENDMENTS, WE DECIDED WE'D HAVE A STANDARD THAT'S VERY, VERY BROAD; THAT IS, RELEVANT AMENDMENTS. |
| 00:00:30 | AND IT'S GIVEN PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OFFER LOTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS. |
| 00:00:34 | SO I HOPE IN THE FUTURE -- IT MAY NOT HAPPEN ON EVERY PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT COMES ALONG, BUT I HOPE WE GET IN THAT HABIT OF BEING ABLE TO DO THINGS LIKE THIS. |
| 00:00:44 | IT GIVES SENATORS A WIDE RANGE OF THINGS THEY CAN DO. |
| 00:00:47 | BUT ANYWAY, WE'VE DONE IT ON THIS, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S COOPERATION. |
| 00:00:51 | I ALSO -- I ALSO APPRECIATE THE GOOD WORK OF SENATOR LIEBERMAN AND SENATOR COLLINS. |
| 00:00:59 | I HAVE MANY TIMES IN THE LAST WEEK OR SO EXPRESSED THAT APPRECIATION TO THEM FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP. |
| 00:01:04 | THIS IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. |
| 00:01:05 | THIS IS A MASSIVE BILL, DEALING DEALING WITH MORE THAN HALF A MILLION POSTAL EMPLOYEES, MORE THAN 30,000 POST OFFICES, 500 OR SO PROCESSING CENTERS, AND IT'S BEEN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO GET TO A POINT WHERE I HOPE WE CAN ARRIVE SHORTLY. |
| 00:01:24 | SO WE ARE HERE. |
| 00:01:25 | I HAVE G.N.P. GIVEN THE NOD, MR. |
| 00:01:26 | PRESIDENT. -- I. |
| 00:01:27 | V. BEEN GIVEN THE NOD. |
| 00:01:29 | I ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT THAT THE CLOTURE MOTIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE LIEBERMAN AN COLLINS MOTIONS BE WITHDRAWN. |
| 00:01:36 | THE PENDING A. |
| 00:01:37 | M.S A. |
| 00:01:38 | M.S 22013 AND 20 15B BRAWN, MATTER FOLLOWING AMENDMENTS BE THE ONLY AMENDMENTS IN ORDER TO S. |
| 00:01:44 | 1789. |
| 00:01:45 | OR THE PENDING SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT 2000 AS MODIFIED. |
| 00:01:50 | McCAIN 2001, TESTER 2056, COBURN 2060, McCAIN 2033, WYDEN-FEINSTEIN-2020, COBURN 2058, McSKAS KILL-AMERICACY 2031, COBURN 2061, SNOWE 2080, UDALL OF NEW MEXICO, 2043, DURBIN 2082, AKAKA, 2034 WITH A MODIFICATION AGREED TO BY THE TWO MANAGERS, BENNET-BLUNT, 2047, CORKER 2083, MIKULSKI 2003, AKAKA, 2049, PAUL 2025, MANCHIN 2079, PAUL 2026, BINGAMAN 2076, PAUL 2027, CARDIN, 2040, PAUL 2028, CARPER 2065, PAUL 2029, CARPER 20 OF 6, PAUL 2039, PAUL 2038, LANDRIEU 2072, DeMINT 2046, McCASKILL TO 30, COBURN 2059, PRYOR 2036, ROCKEFELLER, 2073, ROCKEFELLER 2074, SCHUMER 2050, TESTER 2032, AND WARNER 2071, WITH THE MODIFICATION AGREED TO BY THE TWO MANAGERS. |
| 00:03:27 | ON USE IT DIRKS APRIL 25 T-4, AT A TIME TO BE DETERMINED BY THE MAJORITY LEADER, THE SENATE VOTE IN RIELINGS TO THE AMENDMENTS IN THE ORDER LISTS, THAT THERE BE TWO MINUTES EQUALLY DIVIDED IN THE USUAL FORM PRIOR TO EACH VOTE. |
| 00:03:41 | ALL AFTER THE FIRST VOTE BE 10 MINUTES, THAT THE AMENDMENTS BE SEMICONDUCTORRED TO A FAO AFFIRMATIVE VOTE THRESHOLD, THE SUBSTITUTE AS MODIFIED OR AMENDMENTS LISTED -- I'M SORRY, MR. |
| 00:03:58 | PRESIDENT, LET ME START OVER AGAIN BECAUSE I MISREAD A LINE. |
| 00:04:04 | ON TUESDAY, APRIL 24, AT A TIME TO BE DETERMINED BY SENATOR REID, THE SENATE VOTE IN RELATION TO THE AMENDMENTS IN THE ORDER LISTS, THERE BE TWO MINUTES LISTED IN THE USUALLY FORM PRIOR TO EACH VOTE, ALL AFTER THE FIRST VOABT 10 MINUTES, THAT THE AMENDMENTS BE SUBT TO A 60-VOTE AFFIRMATIVE THRESHOLD, THERE BE NO OTHER AMENDMENTS IN ORDER TO THE BILL, THE SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT AS MODIFIED OR THE AMENDMENTS LISTED AND THERE BE NO POINTS OF ORDER OR MOTIONS IN ORDER TO ANY OF THE AMENDMENTS, THE SUBSTITUTE RAIMENT OR THE, OTHER THAN THE BUDGET POINTS OF ORDER AND APPLICATION MOTIONS TO WAIVE. |
| 00:04:36 | UPON DISPOSITION OF THE AMENDMENTS, THE SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT P IF AMENDED BE AGREED TO, THE BUILT BE READ A THIRD TIME AND THE SENATE PROCEED IT A VOTE ON PASSAGE OF THE BILL AS AMENDED, FINALLY, THAT THE VOTE ON PASSAGE OF THE BILL BE SOWBT A 60-AFFIRMATIVE VOTE THRESHOLD. |
| 00:04:52 | THE PRESIDING OFFICER: IS THERE OBJECTION? |
| 00:04:55 | WITHOUT OBJECTION, SO ORDERED. |
| 00:04:57 | MR. |
| 00:04:58 | REID: MR. PRESIDENT, ANOTHER |
Mr. REID. Mr. President, first of all, let me express my appreciation to every Senator. We tried something a little different, and I think it is something we can look to in the future. We decided we were going to have an amendment process. Maybe it is not as far as everyone wants to go, but it is a pretty good step in the right direction. Rather than having no amendments, rather than having only germane amendments, we decided we would have a standard that is very broad; that is, relevant amendments.
It has given people the opportunity to offer lots of different things. So I hope in the future--it may not happen on every piece of legislation that comes along, but I hope we get in the habit of being able to do things such as this; that gives Senators wide range on things they can do. But anyway, we have done it on this and I appreciate everyone's cooperation.
I also appreciate the good work of Senator Lieberman and Senator Collins. I have many times in the last week or so expressed that appreciation to them for their leadership. This has been extremely difficult. It is a massive bill dealing with more than one-half million postal employees, more than 30,000 post offices, 500 or so processing centers, and it has been extremely difficult to get to a point where I hope we can arrive shortly. So we are here. I have been given the nod.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the cloture motions with respect to the Lieberman-Collins substitute amendment and the bill be vitiated; the motion to recommit be withdrawn; that the pending amendments Nos. 2013 and 2015 be withdrawn and that the following amendments be the only amendments in order to S. 1789 or the pending substitute amendment No. 2000, as modified: McCain 2001; Tester 2056; Coburn 2060; McCain 2033; Wyden-Feinstein 2020; Coburn 2058; McCaskill-Merkley 2031; Coburn 2061; Snowe 2080; Udall of New Mexico 2043; Durbin 2082; Akaka 2034, with a modification agreed to by the two managers; Bennet-Blunt 2047; Corker 2083; Mikulski 2003; Akaka 2049; Paul 2025; Manchin 2079; Paul 2026; Bingaman 2076; Paul 2027; Cardin 2040; Paul 2028; Carper 2065; Paul 2029; Carper 2066; Paul 2039; Casey 2042; Paul 2038; Landrieu 2072; DeMint 2046; McCaskill 2030; Coburn 2059; Pryor 2036; Rockefeller 2073; Rockefeller 2074; Schumer 2050; Tester 2032; and Warner 2071, with a modification agreed to by the two managers; that on Tuesday, April 24, at a time to be determined by the majority leader, after consultation with the Republican leader, the Senate vote in relation to the amendments in the order listed; that there be 2 minutes equally divided in the usual form prior to each vote; that all after the first vote be 10-minute votes; that the amendments be subject to a 60-affirmative-vote threshold; that there be no other amendments in order to the bill, the substitute amendment, as modified, or the amendments listed; and there be no points of order or motions in order to any of these amendments, the substitute amendment or the bill, other than budget points of order and the applicable motions to waive; that upon disposition of the amendments, the substitute amendment, as modified and amended, if amended, be agreed to; further, the bill, as amended, then be read a third time and the Senate proceed to a vote on passage of the bill, as amended; finally, that the vote on passage of the bill be subject to a 60-affirmative-vote threshold.
