Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that amendment No. 4904 to the resolution of ratification be brought up as pending. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?

Mr. President, I also ask unanimous consent that we now return to the treaty. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senate is on the treaty.

So it is my understanding--to be able to talk with other Senators who have an interest on the treaty itself and would like to do some things to strengthen it, it is my understanding that what I just heard was that the chairman of the…

I thank the Senator, and I appreciate the Chair's courtesy. I think Senator Kerry was down here earlier today talking a little about procedures, and I want to follow up on that. I know we have a number of people back in the cloakroom…

If I could ask one other question. If a Senator comes to the floor and wants to offer an amendment, not on the treaty itself-- which we realize is more difficult to pass because of what that means as relates to negotiations with…

Mr. President, I would like to just interject, with tremendous respect for my friend from Arizona, this letter is something that actually I have been seeking too. I know a number of us have asked the President to send this letter. I am…

Mr. President, I am not sure it is my role, because of the way the managers manage this bill, to ask for unanimous consent in that regard. I think that is probably something that either the two leaders should ask or the two managers of the…

Mr. President, I have, I guess, a parliamentary inquiry. Maybe the Senator from Massachusetts, through you, might answer. I think we are at a point in time where it is time for amendments to be offered. I encourage people, on our side of…

So, Madam President, I know the senior Senator from Connecticut is getting ready to speak, someone we all respect. I just want to say, as I said 3 hours ago, as someone who has worked closely with the chairman of the Foreign Relations…

Mr. President, I thank the Senator. I would say I was here last night on the floor. I think the Senator was, too, when discussions took place around the CR. I think emotions around here were slightly frayed, and I think everybody wants…

So to talk about--I just want to get it straight. There is not going to be any debate on START, should one of the two matters that will be taken up in the morning pass cloture; the whole weekend will be spent on other issues?

I have a few questions, Madam President, through you to the Senator from Massachusetts. It is my understanding we have a cloture vote in the morning and should cloture be reached, we would then be on that matter for a couple days; is that…

Mr. President, I do think there are getting ready to be some amendments coming forward. I had the opportunity, working with Senator Lugar, to help write the resolution of ratification with the chairman. I don't personally have amendments…

Secondly, Madam President--I appreciate the answer to the first question. My guess is, though, just based on the nature of the topic, I wouldn't be surprised that most of that time is used. But when a message comes over from the House…

Mr. President, I wish to thank the Senator from Missouri for her work in setting the ceiling that was adhered to. I don't support this bill, and I didn't ask for any earmarks, and I know the Senator from Missouri did not ask for any…

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result. To my friends on the Republican side, we did this 10 years ago with the Bush tax cuts, and it didn't work. It has been mentioned over and over…

I also thank the Senator from Illinois. I thank the senior Senator from Tennessee, who is always doing and saying the right thing from the floor and leads us in such a great way. I say to the Senator from Illinois, through the Chair, I…

I want to thank the chairlady for giving me this opportunity. I wasn't going to support the rule this morning, but I am going to support it now. I am going to support it because I want to be able to vote to make the estate tax more…