Cord Byrd: “I want to make it indubitably clear that I am not seeking to be a traffic cop. That is the third time I said that today…”

“I want to make it indubitably clear that I am not seeking to be a traffic cop. That is the third time I said that today, but some things bear repetition. I feel that we are justified in knowing more about this bill before we cast our votes and make our decisions on it. I believe this is the second bill to come up in this Senate session, and it is important. The number is S. 1, which indicates that it is a matter of very high priority to the leadership on the majority side, else it would not necessarily be in that number. It is important to many Members on both sides. This bill has supporters on both sides, one of the supporters being Senator Glenn, the manager of the bill. He believes in it. Mr. President, there is a principle involved here. In this particular instance, this early in the session, we are not backed up against a deadline. There is no reason to rush this bill through without our being able to see a committee report--being able to see both reports. We are entitled to that. The people from West Virginia expect their Senators to know what they are doing, what they are voting on.”