Senators Kerry and Lugar are managing this most important treaty. We are now in executive session. We are going to take a couple of hours to see who wants to offer amendments. Senator Lugar, Senator Kerry or their staffs should be…

I would object to any further proceedings with respect to this bill at this time. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection is heard. The bill will be placed on the calendar.

the Republican leader is entitled to his own opinion but not his own facts, and we seem to have a revision of facts that simply are not accurate. I served with Senator Metzenbaum. He understood the rules. We always worked through them…

at 5:30 today, all postcloture time on S. 3525, the Sportsmen's Act, will have expired. There will be two rollcall votes at that time. The first vote will be on a motion to waive the Budget Act. The second will be on passage of the bill…

the election is over, and the American people listened to what we had to say, and they acknowledged without any question that the message we delivered is valid: The Senate is a dysfunctional body, caused by the Republicans. Democrats…

no matter how many times my friend the Republican leader says ``break the rules to change the rules,'' it doesn't make it true because it is not true. We are going to follow the rules. I would also say this: I was stunned by reading in a…

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in teh Record as follows: S. 3637 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives…

I ask unanimous consent that the Reid amendment No. 2878 be withdrawn; that the vote on passage of the bill be vitiated; that the bill be returned to the calendar status quo; further, that at a time to be determined by the majority leader…

I had the pleasure of serving with one of the greatest Senators in the history of this country, Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York. He said people are entitled to their own opinions but not their own facts. And that is what my friend the…

in the weeks since our country voted to return President Obama to the White House and a Democratic majority in the Senate, I have spoken often about compromise. I remain optimistic that when it comes to our economy, when it comes to…

I now move we proceed to Calendar No. 419, S. 3254. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title. The assistant bill clerk read as follows: Motion to proceed to the bill (S. 3254) to authorize appropriations for fiscal…

As I indicated this morning, we are trying to work our way through a number of issues. We thought we were going to be able to move toward the Carcieri matter this evening, but we are still negotiating this matter, so we are going to have…

I think that would be wrong, but we are not trying to get rid of the filibuster. We are changing a tiny aspect of what goes on around here so that people would have to do a couple of things: One is to not filibuster simply getting on a…

Sorry. Mr. McCONNELL. How would you feel if 2 years from now I have your job and my Members say, why don't we get rid of the filibuster with just 51 votes?

I will be happy to in one second. The Republican leader keeps talking about not following the rules. We are following the Constitution of the United States to make these changes, and that is certainly appropriate. Your question? Mr…

Of course his statement is untrue and I don't accept that. Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I believe I have the floor. That is the point. What the majority leader is saying is he will break the rules of the Senate in order to change the…

The one thing the Republican leader said that is absolutely true is I follow the Golden Rule, and it is very clear what has happened during this Congress. We can go over all the numbers--and I think they project what has happened--about…

I now move to proceed to Calendar No. 419, S. 3254. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the motion. The legislative clerk read as follows: Motion to proceed to the bill (S. 3254) to authorize appropriations for fiscal…

I ask unanimous consent that on Monday, November 26, it be in order for Senator Sessions or his designee to be recognized in order to raise a Budget Act point of order against the Reid for Tester amendment No. 2875 and that it be in order…

we have had a number of individuals come to the floor over the last several months and say they want to move to the Defense authorization bill. So yesterday I said: Fine, let's move to it. What Senator Levin and Senator McCain said they…

the filing deadline for all second-degree amendments to S. 3525, the Sportsmen's Act, is 9:10 a.m. today. At 9:15 a.m., there will be a cloture vote on S. 3525. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk…

I now ask that the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements related to this matter be printed in the Record. The…

I ask unanimous consent that Bryan Seeley, a detailee on the Senate Judiciary Committee, be granted floor privileges for the duration of the 112th Congress. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________

I rise today to honor my colleague Chuck Grassley on the occasion of his 11,000th vote. Senator Grassley has cast more than 6,400 consecutive votes--more consecutive votes than any Senators currently holding office in the Senate. This is…

I move to proceed to Calendar No. 419, S. 3254, the Defense Department authorization bill. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report. The bill clerk read as follows: Motion to proceed to the bill (S. 3254) to authorize…