Cord Byrd: “one or two Senators listened and voted against cloture. Some others listened and didn't vote against cloture but voted…”

“one or two Senators listened and voted against cloture. Some others listened and didn't vote against cloture but voted for cloture, which was their right to do. But let me just show what happened there. They voted for cloture. Cloture was invoked. Some of those Senators with whom I talked said: ``You have 30 hours in which amendments can be offered, and some of the problems that you outlined, you can get a vote on them, and possibly those can be amended and corrected.'' As we have seen, only one amendment--one amendment--was offered. It filled up that particular tree, so that no other amendments could be offered while that amendment was pending. But our good friends on the other side said: This far, no farther. You have offered an amendment-- meaning Mr. Daschle had offered an amendment on behalf of Mr. Lieberman; that amendment was pending--you have offered this amendment. That's the amendment we are going to vote on. You are not going to get to to offer any more amendments. The 30 hours will be run on that one amendment. So I hope Senators in the future will remember. Of course, I knew that could be done. But I have to say I think that is the first time in my memory--and I have been here during the great civil rights debates of the 1960s--I believe that is the first time--and I don't say it critically of the Republicans; they had that right, they played by the rules. Our problem is we don't all know the rules. But they played by the rules.”