Byron Dorgan: “the reason a cloture motion was even filed is we have been here a week and a half and have not even been able to move to…”

“the reason a cloture motion was even filed is we have been here a week and a half and have not even been able to move to the first amendment because it has been blocked. Yesterday, Senator Harkin offered this. He said: Well, how about if we at least start. The way to move on it is to start. He said: How about let's start with a couple of Republican amendments and a couple of Democratic amendments. In every case, there was an objection by the minority side which said no, we can't start. So I think the majority leader had no choice but to say let's file a cloture motion and try to shut off debate, but that will not shut off amendments that are germane postcloture. After being very discouraged, I really hope those of us who care about a farm program can move forward. Having watched this blocking of the farm bill now for a week and a half, I hope tomorrow morning, when we have this vote, the message that American farmers will get is that this Senate cares enough to decide that, yes, we will go to work, and we will do the farm bill. I would make one final point to the majority leader. I made the point yesterday. Farmers can't do what the minority in the Senate is doing. When it is time to milk a cow, you have to milk a cow, or the cow gets sore. When it is time to plant, you have to plant, or your crop will not grow. When it is time to harvest, you have to harvest, or the crop will spoil.”