Kent Conrad

Mr. CONRAD

Mr. CONRAD. Does Senator Johanns have an amendment to offer?

Mr. CONRAD. If the Senator could discuss it but not formally offer it so we get it in the right place in the queue--would that be acceptable to the Senator?

Mr. CONRAD. Absolutely.

Mr. CONRAD. I ask unanimous consent that Senator Reed be able to call up his amendment.

Mr. CONRAD. Fair enough.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, under the consent agreement, I believe Senator Johanns is recognized for 12 minutes, followed by Senator Whitehouse. Then I understand Senator Graham would like to speak on the Johanns amendment for 5 minutes. I ask unanimous consent that after Senator Whitehouse, Senator Graham be recognized for 5 minutes.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, under the order, Senator Whitehouse is next. If I could just say, Senator Whitehouse is a very valued member of the Senate Budget Committee. He brings a wealth of experience to the committee, especially on health care, and he has been extremely energized on the issue of the use of information technology to reduce cost and improve health care outcomes. He has also been very focused on health care reform and the significant opportunity that is for the country, and, of course, global climate change, protecting the planet, and being concerned about environmental values. We are very fortunate to have Senator Whitehouse as part of the committee.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, will the Senator yield? Again, I apologize for interrupting.

Mr. CONRAD. Just for a moment, for the purpose of a unanimous consent request. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that after Senator Whitehouse is done, Senator Graham be recognized for 5 minutes and then Senator Enzi for 5 minutes.

Mr. CONRAD. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. CONRAD. Earlier, Senator Graham was in a unanimous consent agreement for 5 minutes. Other Senators were here at the time and took the time. It would be appropriate if we allowed Senator Graham 5 minutes at this point. I ask unanimous consent that Senator Graham be allowed to speak for up to 5 minutes.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I want to indicate for all colleagues what is happening. We are about to go to a series of votes. It is not clear how many in total. I would say it is probably at least nine, perhaps more, rollcall votes. We are waiting for the unanimous consent agreement to be entered into. When we start this process, we are going to have 2 minutes equally divided before each amendment. We will start with the Lieberman-Collins amendment and then go to the Alexander amendment, then the Sessions amendment--at least this is the understanding at this point--then we will proceed until all of the amendments have been dispensed with. Then, once those are completed, the ranking member and I will work on another series of amendments to have in order. This evening, there will be an opportunity for Members to present their amendments. We have not yet decided if they would be able to call them up or just speak on them and then call them up tomorrow. This goes to the question of trying to make sure there is some fairness going back and forth between the two sides. We do not have a Sessions modification on which we are waiting.

Mr. CONRAD. Yes.

Mr. CONRAD. We can't do that with amendments we have not yet seen.

Mr. CONRAD. We have 150 amendments that have been filed. Before we go to somebody to call up an amendment, we need to be able to see it because if we start the debate, we need, for the effective and efficient ordering of the debate, to be able to answer the amendment.

Mr. CONRAD. I want to make certain that we have a chance to interrupt and go immediately to the votes.

Mr. CONRAD. All right. So, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senator Coburn be permitted to talk on the budget generally for up to 15 minutes, but if we have the unanimous consent request ready to go, that he be interrupted so we can get on to votes as quickly as possible because we are already 15 minutes behind schedule.

Mr. CONRAD. That is in the unanimous consent request we are working on. We have not yet agreed to the whole package, but it is in the proposal to be agreed on next.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, will the Senator yield?

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I would say to the Senator, we are now prepared to go forward with the unanimous consent request to set up the votes, and if the Senator would permit us to do that, we could get an earlier start on the votes.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Oklahoma for his courtesy. It is gracious of him, as is typically the case with the Senator from Oklahoma. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at 3:20 p.m. today, the Senate proceed to vote in relation to the amendments listed below and that prior to each vote there be 2 minutes of debate, equally divided and controlled in the usual form; that after the first vote in this sequence, the succeeding votes be limited to 10 minutes each; that no intervening amendments or motions be in order during this vote sequence prior to a vote in relation to the amendments, except if a point of order is raised and a motion to waive the relevant point of order is made; that all time consumed during the votes be counted against the time remaining on the budget resolution; the order of the amendments is as follows: Lieberman-Collins No. 763, and that the purpose line be changed as noted at the desk; Alexander No. 747; Sessions No. 772, and that the amendment be modified with the changes at the desk; Casey No. 783; Ensign No. 804; Kerry No. 732; Cornyn No. 806; Gregg No. 835; Isakson No. 762; Shaheen No. 776; Crapo No. 844; Reed No. 836; Johanns No. 735; and Whitehouse-Boxer as a side by side with the Johanns amendment.

Mr. CONRAD. Well, that is the typical order. Let's take a quick pause, and we will check with the Senator. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. CONRAD. There would be no objection on this side to taking Lieberman-Collins by unanimous consent.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, next is the Alexander amendment. May I say to colleagues, if staffs are listening, Members are listening, the Alexander amendment is next in line, then the Sessions amendment, then the Casey amendment, then the Ensign amendment, then the Kerry amendment, then the Cornyn amendment. It is very helpful if Senators are here when their amendments are called up. Also I say to colleagues, after the first vote, we are going to be dealing with 10- minute votes. So, again, we have done the Lieberman-Collins amendment. Amendment No. 747 The Alexander amendment is next, and Senator Alexander is here.