Tom Harkin: “My friend from Wyoming mentioned the fact that we should bring up appropriations bills. As someone who has been a member…”

“My friend from Wyoming mentioned the fact that we should bring up appropriations bills. As someone who has been a member of the Appropriations Committee for quite a long time, I would remind my friend from Wyoming that earlier this year, on the first appropriations bill that we passed out of committee under the leadership of Senator Mikulski--it was the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill--if I am not mistaken, it had a number of Republican votes in committee. It was brought out onto the floor. An extraneous amendment was offered by the Senator from Kentucky, whereupon I believe Senator Mikulski, our leader, filed cloture on the bill so we could vote on the appropriations bill. I say to my friend from Wyoming that all the Republicans on that side voted against cloture, voted against taking up that one appropriations bill--I am sorry, I am reminded that we had one Republican, the Republican from the State of Maine who did vote to go to cloture on that bill, one Republican out of all those on the other side. I say to my friend from Wyoming, we tried to bring up the appropriations bill. It was Republicans who objected to even dealing with that appropriations bill. I would ask my friend from Wyoming if he had looked at that history and understood what had happened on the bill that came up at the time. I thank my friend from Wyoming for yielding. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wyoming.”