Mitch Landrieu: “yesterday, there were several amendments voted on and, unfortunately, I was not here yesterday. I was attending a…”

“yesterday, there were several amendments voted on and, unfortunately, I was not here yesterday. I was attending a funeral of one of our State officials who unexpectedly passed away. Had I been here, I would have voted with my colleagues in rejecting the Coburn-Boxer amendment to the fiscal year 2006 State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill, which is the bill about which I am speaking. Mr. President, while the vote on this amendment was taking place, as I said, I was returning from the funeral of my dear friend and Louisiana Secretary of State, the Honorable Fox McKeithen. Had I been here, I would have voted with my colleagues in rejecting the Coburn- Boxer amendment to the fiscal year 2006 State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill. In preparation for this vote, I cosigned a letter, along with my colleagues Senators Feinstein, Santorum, and Specter requesting that Senators vote against the amendment. I have concluded this amendment would derail something that would benefit both China and the United States at a critical time in our two nations' history. In this, the most important bilateral relationship of the 21st century, it is crucial that both countries continue to work in cooperation with one another. The Shaw Group-Westinghouse consortium is the only American team bidding on a contract to construct four advanced-designed nuclear powerplants in China. This deal has the full support of the U.S.…”