congressional_record: CREC-2008-12-11-pt1-PgS10889-6
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| granule_id | date | congress | session | volume | issue | title | chamber | granule_class | sub_granule_class | page_start | page_end | speakers | bills | citation | full_text |
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| CREC-2008-12-11-pt1-PgS10889-6 | 2008-12-11 | 110 | 2 | SCHEDULE | SENATE | SENATE | SSCHEDULE | S10889 | S10890 | [{"name": "Harry Reid", "role": "speaking"}, {"name": "Bob Corker", "role": "speaking"}] | [{"congress": "110", "type": "HR", "number": "7005"}, {"congress": "110", "type": "HR", "number": "7005"}] | 154 Cong. Rec. S10889 | Congressional Record, Volume 154 Issue 186 (Thursday, December 11, 2008) [Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 186 (Thursday, December 11, 2008)] [Senate] [Pages S10889-S10890] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] SCHEDULE Mr. REID. Mr. President, following leader remarks, the Senate will proceed to a period of morning business, with Senators allowed to speak for up to 10 minutes each. Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to H.R. 7005, the legislative vehicle for the auto industry's financing and restructuring. Rollcall votes are possible during today's session in the Senate. When we left here a few weeks ago, the decision was made that there would be 1 week for the automobile industry to make presentations to the two committees of jurisdiction, the House and the Senate Banking Committees, to determine what would take place during the following week. That was last week, and hearings were held in both committees, and evidence, in fact, was taken. There have been weeks and weeks of work put into coming up with a piece of legislation on which we can vote. That matter is before the Senate in H.R. 7005. I have had calls from a number of Senators today--frankly, mostly Republican Senators--telling me that they have the solution to all of the problems of the auto industry; they need a few amendments. A few amendments. We have done our very best to include everyone who wants any input into this legislation. The White House, President Bush and his people have been heavily involved in this legislation. This is, in effect, the White House's legislation. There was a decision made that the minority would not participate in the preparing of this legislation. But the White House was heavily involved. Negotiations took place over days between Chairman Frank and Chairman Dodd and the White House, and we now have a piece of legislation. Some have asked: Well, what we want is to set up a procedure where we have lots of amendments, and then we will ultimately vote on the final version. I think it is only fair that if the minority, the Republicans, want to have a better bill, then they should offer an alternative. I invite them to do it. The House passed a bill last night. It would be my suggestion that we perhaps have a vote on the substitute or the alternative the Republicans would put forward, vote on the House bill, vote on the Senate bill. If there is no agreement that can be reached on that, we have danced this tune long enough. What we will do, we can have a motion to proceed to this tomorrow, and if the Republicans want to come and say, well, you know, you have not allowed us any opportunity to offer amendments--that is what has taken place for the last 2 years, and look what it got the Republicans: lost seven or eight Senate seats, lost the Presidency. We want to legislate, and we are doing the very best we can to do that. I have reached out to my Republican colleagues. As soon as the elections were over, I called a number of Republicans and said: We want to work with you. We cannot continue doing what we have done in the past. But we are right back where we have been for 2 years, the same place we have been for 2 years. So, again, I suggest that if the Republicans have an alternative, let them [[Page S10890]] offer that. It would be very easy to do. We could vote on a Republican alternative, we would have a vote on the White House proposal now before the Senate, and we would vote on the bill that passed the House and leave here. If that is not something the Republicans choose to do, then we will vote tomorrow on a motion to proceed to the bill that has been prepared, drafted, and had input on by the two committees and the White House. If we are not allowed to proceed to that, then we, in fact, will be through with this, as we have been through with numerous pieces of legislation through the past year. So, again, I invite the Republicans, if they have an alternative, to put it forward. They have had ample opportunity to do that. Again, I have received a number of phone calls from Republicans today saying: I have just the thing that needs to be done to make this a great piece of legislation. Well, I would hope they would be ready to do that. If not, we will have a vote tomorrow on a motion to proceed to H.R. 7005. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll. The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. Mr. CORKER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________ |