Roy Blunt: “I join my good friend in suggesting we would like to see our colleagues come over here. These three appropriations bills…”

“I join my good friend in suggesting we would like to see our colleagues come over here. These three appropriations bills are being handled on the floor and they are open to amendment. We haven't had appropriations bills on the floor of the Senate in this way in quite a while. We would like to get these bills done. Hopefully, we can get these bills done maybe even this week and send them on over to the House to talk about these bills and their bills--3 bills, 16 amendments, and those aren't all the amendments we expect to be offered. But we hope these amendments are offered today--a significant number--and as the Senator from Maryland said earlier, we expect votes on some of these amendments around 6 o'clock. Between now and then, we look forward to a vigorous debate on as many of these as the sponsors can come and debate. But the Agriculture bill that I am the ranking member of; the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill, which the Senator represents so well; and the Commerce-State-Justice bill are all bills that are moving forward in as close to a regular process as we have had in a while. We look forward to seeing these amendments debated this afternoon and some of them--as many of them as possible--voted on this afternoon and this evening. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland.”