Arlen Specter: “I am opposed to cloture of the Lieberman bill until I have a chance to offer that amendment. I have also voted against…”

“I am opposed to cloture of the Lieberman bill until I have a chance to offer that amendment. I have also voted against cloture on the Gramm-Miller bill because, again, although I have had discussions with Senator Gramm, as I have had discussions with Senator Lieberman, we have not reached fruition. I want an opportunity to include this language about the intelligence directorate on the Gramm-Miller amendment. While I have not taken a position, as I said on Thursday, on whether I will ultimately support the Nelson-Chafee-Breaux amendment, which is backed by labor, or whether I will support the Gramm-Miller amendment, which is the President's preference, it is my hope we can yet work out an accommodation. But I think it is much more important the Senate pass a bill and we go to conference with the House, whichever provisions are included. I grant the provisions labor wants included are important to labor, and I grant the provisions the President wants included are important to the President. But as important as all of those provisions are, they are not as important as getting a bill that can be conferenced with the House, which can be signed by the President, so we can set up this Department of Homeland Security and we can have, under one umbrella, all of the intelligence agencies.”