Kent Conrad: “yesterday I withdrew an amendment to provide disaster assistance to farmers and ranchers for the disasters of 2005 and…”

“yesterday I withdrew an amendment to provide disaster assistance to farmers and ranchers for the disasters of 2005 and 2006. I did so on the basis of an assurance by the majority leader that is in the Record very clearly: we would go to the Agriculture appropriations bill today, I would have a chance to offer my amendment today, the rights of all Senators were protected, and that they would have their rights. Now I am told there is an objection to going to the Agriculture appropriations bill. I say to my colleagues, that leaves me with no alternative but to object to other business. I, in good faith, removed my amendment yesterday, took it down, with the assurance--and that is in the Record, very clearly in the Record--from the majority leader, the assurance that we would go to Agriculture appropriations today. I alert my colleagues I kept my word. I would hope others would keep theirs. If that is not to be, I will be in a position in which I will be objecting to any other business coming before the Senate. If they want to have a live quorum, we can go through that exercise, but we will go through it repeatedly. This is not fair. It is not right. We have tried repeatedly to get this bill up so we can have a vote. It has previously passed the Senate with 77 votes in favor. What we are asking for is not unreasonable. We have reduced the cost dramatically. Here, a person's word is their bond. I kept my word. I am expecting others to keep theirs.”