Byron Dorgan: “let me describe the difficulty with the procedure my colleague described. We can't just bring something up for a vote…”

“let me describe the difficulty with the procedure my colleague described. We can't just bring something up for a vote, because if somebody here doesn't like it, they object. Then you have to file a cloture motion, and it takes 48 hours to get a cloture vote. Then you have 30 hours postcloture. That is what we run into. I agree with that; let's put the best idea up and have a vote on it. If you don't like the settlement and decide that somehow these plaintiffs are not worthy, despite the fact they have been bilked for 130 years, then vote no. But we can't even get a vote. At any rate, I will wait and see if there is a better idea that will get votes in the Senate or are we going to continue every 30 days or so to say to this Federal judge that we understand a settlement was negotiated and reached on behalf of the United States of America, but we don't intend to vote for it? I have another bill at the desk. Before I ask unanimous consent, I will describe it. In the piece of legislation we passed today, dealing with FMAP, and funding for teachers, and so on, there was a provision that was first described as a pay-for but actually scored as zero, which meant it was a pay-for that had zero impact. It does have an impact on American Indians, and I wanted to describe it briefly.”