Dan Coats: “I will not begin to use that amount of time. I think I can use 10 minutes or less, and I will leave some time for my…”

“I will not begin to use that amount of time. I think I can use 10 minutes or less, and I will leave some time for my colleagues. I can't count how many times I have been here speaking about the same subject, but this subject occupies all of us and it has done so for this entire session of the Congress. Three days are left until we reach that date on which the White House and the Treasury has said we will default. Right now, we are debating on a Saturday night over a bill that has already been defeated in the House of Representatives by a substantial vote, including with Democratic support. We are debating a bill tonight that we know will not pass here. The irony of being charged with filibustering the majority leader's bill, the Reid bill, is somewhat bizarre given the fact that Republicans are willing to give Senator Reid and the Democrats a vote on this bill as soon as they want it. It has been going on now for many hours. I think everything that can be said for or against this bill has probably been said. Nevertheless, the majority leader himself objected to our offer to stop talking on both sides and get to the vote. That is where we are. I have been talking for some time now about the fact that the current fiscal crisis the United States faces demands Congress to recognize seriously the enormity of the problem and come forward with a bold plan.…”