Tom Harkin: “Well, Madam President, I think we have had a good debate and colloquies on this bill. At noon we are going to be voting…”

“Well, Madam President, I think we have had a good debate and colloquies on this bill. At noon we are going to be voting, as I understand it, on a cloture motion on whether we are going to have a bill on the floor. That is all we are saying: Will we have a bill on the floor to which amendments can be offered by anybody? I say to my friends on the Republican side, if they have an idea--and some of them do--that has some Democratic support--and there is some of that--the best way to flush this out and to see whether the Senate as a whole agrees is to vote for cloture on the motion to proceed to the bill at noon. That means the bill is on the floor. That means it is open for amendment. That means if Senator Burr wants to offer an amendment that incorporates his whole bill, he can do that and we can have a debate on that. And I would say to my friends on the other side, it only takes 51 votes, not 60. It only takes 51 votes to adopt an amendment. It seems to me the proper way, if you want to proceed on this, is to vote for cloture. That brings the student loan bill to the floor. If my friends from North Dakota or Tennessee or North Carolina or wherever-- or my friend from West Virginia on this side--if they want to offer amendments, do so. We can debate it. And then it only takes 51 votes. I do not know why they would be opposed to voting for cloture on the underlying bill because that moves us to a point where 51 votes is controlling.…”