Harry Reid

I think Harry Reid really sort of summed up the whole issue today when he said, I think that even though we have at least two positions, I think, if you look at them closely, they're basically the same.

I am sorry I was not on the floor. I thought we had this all worked out. It is my understanding there are people who want to go forward with the cloture vote, is that right? Because either we do the cloture vote at 3:30 or we take it off…

My only response would be on this side of the aisle, we will be voting on the estate tax. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Wisconsin is recognized.

And I remind my friend, the Defense of Marriage Act passed when we had a Democratic President and a Democratic majority in the House and the Senate. I am quite sure that is right, at least in the Senate; I don't know about the House. We…

It is a matter of priorities, I say to my friend, a matter of priorities, what is important to this administration. Obviously, it is not gas prices. Obviously, it is not college tax deduction. Obviously, it is not this debt. I say to my…

One of the Democratic Senators spoke with the majority leader. The majority leader said these things need to come up every year or two. That is the reason.

Maybe--I think it has been about a year; I have lost track of the time--maybe what we are going to be coming up with after these, maybe we will have the Schiavo matter come up again. What does the Senator think of that?

I respond to my friend that I am stunned. I am stunned that it has taken weeks, weeks, weeks, and weeks to even be able to deal with money for our troops, the supplemental appropriations bill. I am in a quandary. I am so grateful that I…

It is this administration's way of avoiding the tough, the real problems American citizens are confronted with each and every day.

My question is, What time does the leader want to come in in the morning? I understand it is 9:15.

We as Democrats are declaring our commitment to change.

I have forgotten quite a bit about that, so maybe you should go ahead and explain it.

We just received a call from one of our Senators who objects to the Ensign amendment. So let's do the hour and a half on Kyl, and maybe we can work that out while we are doing that.

Is all time expired? The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Burr). The Senate majority still has 2\1/ 2\ minutes.

Very briefly, we have in this most important debate two veterans of the Senate, to say the least, Senators Specter and Leahy, who will be managing this bill. I agree with the distinguished majority leader. This debate should be dignified…

The only request for time I have at the present time is for the Senator from Arkansas, Senator Lincoln, for 7 minutes. Is there anyone who wishes to speak? Senator Kennedy wants 10 minutes. Senator Durbin may request time, I think 7…

Does that give us our 17 minutes? I ask to amend the request to 17 minutes on each side.

And do you remember the relief that was given to us as boys, young boys, when a cure was found? They could give us a shot. We knew we wouldn't go into an iron lung or have a hump on our back like my friend Elwin, whom I love almost like an…

The Senator from Illinois and I are about the same age. Do you remember as a boy being worried about polio?

I would be happy to. Mr. McCONNELL. I would like to ask my good friend, the Democratic leader, if his concern here is that the House bill overruled what we call the Colorado II decision in the Supreme Court, which basically would allow…

I personally believe very, very fervently that they have helped picture this issue in the minds of the American people in a positive fashion.

I think prior to this vote, we should have time to talk about it. The hour is set aside for morning business?

Just out of curiosity, I know on some of your trips you have taken to care for the poor in these countries, you have done a lot of surgery and other things. Have you done any in this area?

I can wait and do my speech after that, if that would be OK with my colleagues. It is just a matter of trying to be nice to people. So I ask unanimous consent that the Senator from New Mexico be recognized--or the Senator from Tennessee be…

I see my two colleagues in the Chamber, the distinguished Senators from Tennessee and Louisiana, and I see my friend from New Mexico here. I have a statement to give. It will take a few minutes to complete. I apologize, but that is what I…