Arlen Specter: “If we are to finish this bill and get it completed before September 30, we are going to move ahead with expeditious…”

“If we are to finish this bill and get it completed before September 30, we are going to move ahead with expeditious diligence. If we do not get it completed by September 30, we are going to lose $3 billion. This is a very tight bill as it stands at the present time. There is always concern about what is going to happen on Friday. In my capacity as manager of the bill, it is my desire to move ahead and have substantive votes tomorrow morning. Our custom is to conclude by noon, but I believe we are going to have to do that if we are going to finish this bill in a timely way. There is word that there are 13 amendments ready to go today, which is good. But we may be a little slow getting out of the box here with amendments being ready to come to the floor as early as 10 o'clock. I think it would be advisable to work on into the evening with the stacking of votes tomorrow morning early.”