John Sarbanes: “I want to report to our colleagues where I think we are. We had been hopeful that we would have agreement on a few…”

“I want to report to our colleagues where I think we are. We had been hopeful that we would have agreement on a few amendments that had been discussed at some length--largely with Senator Kyl and Senator Thompson--and that those amendments could be agreed to and the managers' amendment would be agreed to, and then we would have been able to go on to final passage of the legislation this evening. I know a number of our colleagues are going to the White House for the state dinner with the President of the Republic of Mexico. Regrettably, there has been a hangup, I guess I will describe it as, at this point with respect to this blue ribbon commission amendment that we had discussed. An effort is still underway to try to work that out. We did reach agreement on two other amendments that I think are of some consequence, for which both Senator Kyl and Senator Thompson earlier in the debate sort of laid out a rationale. Senator Enzi and I joined together in trying to accommodate that concern. Apparently, it is believed that if we go overnight, that will provide some opportunity to work out the one remaining item.”