Cord Byrd: “Twenty minutes. Mr. President, I yield myself such time as I may consume within that 20-minute limitation. I again thank…”

“Twenty minutes. Mr. President, I yield myself such time as I may consume within that 20-minute limitation. I again thank Chairman Thad Cochran for his patience in the processing of this supplemental appropriations bill when it came before the Senate. He was especially patient during the Senate consideration in seeing that all who wanted to offer amendments were afforded the opportunity to be heard. The members of the Appropriations Committee have had a longstanding sense of cooperation, comity, and civility. There is always give and take, live and let live, on both sides of the aisle. And that was the same with regard to the Senate processing of this supplemental. Everybody did not get everything he or she wanted in this supplemental, but Members were treated fairly in a bipartisan manner. However, when it came to processing the supplemental in conference, several members were severely disappointed that the conference was recessed subject to the call of the Chair. As a result, several Senators were precluded from offering their motions and their amendments. A number of Members on this side of the aisle have expressed disappointment that the conference did not have any open debate on the immigration provisions, including the REAL ID legislation, that found their way into the bill, and that neither the majority nor the minority of the Senate Appropriations Committee participated in the formulation of the REAL ID immigration provisions.…”