Cord Byrd: “I repeat: After no more than thirty hours of consideration-- I am reading from the present cloture rule-- After no more…”

“I repeat: After no more than thirty hours of consideration-- I am reading from the present cloture rule-- After no more than thirty hours of consideration of the measure, motion, or other matter on which cloture has been invoked, the Senate shall proceed, without any further debate on any question, to vote on the final disposition thereof-- Meaning the final disposition of the reconciliation bill-- to the exclusion of all amendments not then actually pending before the Senate at that time and to the exclusion of all motions, except a motion to table, or to reconsider and one quorum call on demand to establish the presence of a quorum (and motions required to establish a quorum) immediately before the final vote begins. Therefore, Mr. President, we do away with this situation in which pandemonium reigns supreme and where scores of amendments remain to be acted upon after the expiration of the time on the reconciliation bill and people want to call those up--and they have a right to call them up and get a vote thereon. This amendment encourages Senators, if they want time to debate their amendments, to call them up at the beginning of the debate, call them up early, when they will have time to explain their amendments.”