Tom Harkin: “I agree with the Senator, this is a matter of accountability. Senators should have the right to speak, but they should…”

“I agree with the Senator, this is a matter of accountability. Senators should have the right to speak, but they should also have the right to cast their vote one way or the other, up or down, on the amendment. So I am hopeful that there would not be a tabling motion, that in fact we would be able to vote up or down on the package of amendments that I will soon be offering on behalf of Senator Daschle and the Senator from Minnesota, the Senator from North Dakota, and several others. But they should have the right to vote on that up or down. I think our constituents, as the Senator pointed out, they have the right. We have the obligation. They have the right to demand that we vote up or down on whether we are going to take some meaningful steps to alleviate the situation in agriculture.”