Jeff Bingaman: “just to make it clear, I am focused on the semantics and I think the Senator from Idaho is right. I am focused on line…”

“just to make it clear, I am focused on the semantics and I think the Senator from Idaho is right. I am focused on line 16 and 17, page 21, where it says, ``It shall not be in order in the Senate to consider'' and then it goes on and says any bill or joint resolution, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. That to me is not semantics. That is more than semantics to say ``it shall not be in order in the Senate to consider.'' I think the whole purpose of the Congress in our Federal system is to consider legislation of this type dealing with major national issues. Treating and storage of nuclear waste is just one of those. But I consider that to be an area of concern peculiarly in the purview of the National Government. So I do think I have a concern when we pass legislation, as we are getting ready to do here, as I understand it, that says, ``It shall not be in order for the Senate to consider'' various pieces of legislation. So there is a basic disagreement. I think it is more than semantics. I think it is the language of the statute. Mr. President, I appreciate the chance to discuss it.”