Orrin Hatch: “in a few hours we will be voting on cloture for this bill. I would just like to take a minute or two and remind everyone…”

“in a few hours we will be voting on cloture for this bill. I would just like to take a minute or two and remind everyone why it is time to end the debate on this bill. It has been 8 long years of consideration on this legislation. We have all compromised a great deal. Not everyone got their preferred language or amendments. Not everyone is happy with the current legislation. But I think everyone would have to agree that we have given thoughtful consideration and fair opportunity to all suggestions on the bill throughout the years of debate. Over the years, we modified the homestead exemption. We modified the means test. We provided for sanctioning attorneys who file abusive claims. And we hindered creditors who would try to collect through predatory lending practices. All of these changes, among scores of others, came from my Democratic colleagues. After all this, just 2 weeks ago, we took 5 more Democratic amendments in the Judiciary Committee markup. And yet almost everyone of the pending amendments today touches upon the areas where we have previously compromised. At a certain point, the time comes to move forward with what we have. Given how far we have come on this bill already over the last 8 years, and considering all the compromises that have been made, we may get no bankruptcy bill at all if we try to take more amendments.”