Arlen Specter

I agree. I yield to Senator Ensign for some comments and then to Senator Dodd, and if no other speakers appear, I am going to move to table.

May I inquire as to whether we might be set now to enter into a time agreement on this amendment?

I suggest we proceed with the Ensign amendment. I agree. The discussion with Senator Graham, Senator Inhofe, and Senator Durbin was very productive. Perhaps we could continue the discussion on an informal basis as we try to come to an…

In an effort to not lose any more time, we had an amendment by Senator Lieberman, which he decided not to offer. It is more time to discuss the rules as to whether that constitutes the Democratic amendment, but the suggestion has been made…

I ask consent that the vote in relation to the Cornyn amendment occur at 6 o'clock this evening; provided further that the amendment be temporarily set aside to allow Senator Inhofe to offer an amendment; and finally, I ask consent that…

We will move to get Senator Ensign in the queue, but we can start on the Cornyn amendment, and we will talk about this in the cloakroom.

I modify the request. Senator Vitter is moved. After Lieberman, we go to the Inhofe amendment, and perhaps by that time we can have them laid down, side by side, and before we begin debate, have a time agreement.

We already had the unanimous consent to go to the Cornyn amendment. Mr. President, I ask consent that we then lock in the Vitter amendment next in sequence, for 45 minutes, equally divided.

Can we have a time agreement on Lieberman-Brownback, 45 minutes equally decided?

Do I understand the Senator from Massachusetts to mean he would be prepared to go, if we revert to the original schedule, with Senator Inhofe and take the Inhofe amendment now under a time agreement?

It would be my suggestion, if we can't work out a time agreement on the Inhofe amendment, subject to an agreement on all sides, that we try to get the side-by-side before the afternoon is up so we can take up the Inhofe amendment first…

I am talking about changing the order. When the Senator from Oklahoma and I last talked, Senator Kyl had asked for more time and there were discussions. It is my understanding that we were trying to work through to simplify the action once…

That is agreeable. Vote on Amendment No. 3963 The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Martinez). The question is on agreeing to the Vitter amendment No. 3963. The yeas and nays have been ordered. The clerk will call the roll. The legislative clerk…

The essence of the argument from the Senator from Louisiana is when he says ``automatic guaranteed path to citizenship.'' Well, it simply is not so. There is nothing automatic when you have to fulfill the requirements of paying a fine and…

We have now worked out that we will conclude Senator Vitter's amendment, then we will go to Senator Obama's amendment, which I believe we can accept. I ask unanimous consent that between now and 2 o'clock, the time will be equally divided…

We have been engaged in extensive discussions to try to move the schedule along. What we plan to do is to take Senator Kerry's amendment and accept it, with 15 minutes to Senator Kerry. He says he will try not to use all of it. Tomorrow…

We have the amendment from Senator Kyl and Senator Cornyn next in sequence. They have a right to go next. If they are willing to wait until the morning, we will proceed with another amendment.

We are ready for your amendment, Senator Dorgan, if you are prepared to offer it.

While you are undertaking those last-minute preparations, would you give some consideration to a time agreement, an hour equally divided?

It is 2:15. We are reconvening. We are about ready to proceed with the bill. We have quite a number of Senators who have stated an interest in filing amendments. We urge them to come to the floor so we can get a queue and proceed to…

To start the debate, if I may, as I have referred to earlier, I send an amendment to the desk and will ask for its consideration when we debate the amendment further tomorrow and proceed to a vote. It is an amendment that has been…

It is not amnesty because the undocumented aliens will have to pay a fine. They will have to pay back taxes. They will undergo a thorough background investigation. They will have to learn English. They will have to work for six years.

I endorse the nomination of Brian Mark Cogan for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Mr. Cogan graduated from the University of Illinois in 1976, and received a law degree from Cornell in 1979. He is admitted to…

Again, I invite my colleagues if they wish to comment to come to the floor. There is time. I yield the floor.

It appears conclusively at this point that we are not going to make any--I was about to say any more progress. I can't say that because that suggests there has been some progress. We can't make any progress on the immigration reform bill…