Kent Conrad

Mr. CONRAD

Mr. CONRAD. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, in the previous list sent to the desk, we need to show amendment No. 4268, by Senator Thune, as having been modified.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, we are about to move. We are awaiting some additional amendments to clear. While we are doing that, we could go to the next amendments, which are on the unborn child. Senator Boxer has a side-by-side, followed by Senator Allard. These will require votes. Senator Boxer. Amendment No. 4379

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, we can now approve another group of amendments that have been cleared on both sides: 4270, as modified, Senator Leahy; 4302, Senator Gregg; 4300, Senator Clinton; 4331, Senator Baucus; 4209, as modified, Senator Collins; 4375, Senators Specter and Casey; 4307, Senator Bunning; and 4371, Senator Graham. I ask unanimous consent that the amendments be agreed to.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, we would like to take two additional amendments at this point, 4206, Senator Barrasso; and 4299, Senator Vitter. That takes us to the DeMint amendment on deductibility.

Mr. CONRAD. No, sir. There has been objection by the chairman of the Finance Committee.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, we have a vote.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, have we reconsidered the vote? I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. CONRAD. We do not have an answer yet.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, quickly, I have two other items of business. Amendment No. 4206

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, amendment No. 4206 by Senator Barrasso needs to be accepted. I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be agreed to.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the enrolling clerk be authorized to make technical and conforming changes to levels in title I of S. Con. Res. 70 at the direction of the majority staff of the Budget Committee to reflect the effects of amendments agreed to by the Senate.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, first, thanks to all of our colleagues for their extraordinary patience. I thank Senator Gregg, the ranking member, for being so decent, reasonable, and fairminded. I think that helped the process. Special thanks to my staff director, Mary Naylor, John Righter, Joel Friedman, and Lisa Konwinski. I also thank Steve Bailey, Jamie Morin, Mike Jones, Joan Huffer, Jim Miller, Jim Esquea, Cliff Isenberg, Sarah Kuehl, Robyn Hiestand, Brodi Fontenot, Matt Salamon, Kobye Noel, Steve Posner, Stu Nagurka, David Vandivier, Anne Page, Jackie Keaveny, Josh Ryan, Ben Soskin, and Brock Ramos. I will just say they have worked tirelessly 7 days a week for months. I also want to give great regard to Senator Gregg's staff, led by Denzel McGuire--a truly professional team.

Mr. CONRAD

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, March 13, 2008, at 10 a.m. in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building, to hear testimony on ``Customs Reauthorization: Strengthening U.S. Economic Interests and Security''.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, March 13, 2008, at 10:15 a.m. to hold a business meeting.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, March 13, 2008, at 10 a.m., in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, March 13, 2008, at 2 p.m., in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, March 13, 2008, at 2:30 p.m., in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, March 13, 2008, in executive session to consider the following: Bills: S. 1810, Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act; S. 999, Stroke Treatment and Ongoing Prevention Act of 2007; S. 1760, Healthy Start Reauthorization Act of 2007; H.R. 20, Melanie Blocker-Stokes Postpartum Depression Research and Care Act; and S. 1042, Consistency, Accuracy, Responsibility, and Excellence in Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Act of 2007: Nominations: National Board for Education Sciences: Jonathan Baron; Frank Handy; Sally Shaywitz. National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities: Jamsheed Choksy; Gary Glenn; David Hertz; Marvin Scott; Carol Swain. National Museum and Library Science Board: Julia Bland; Jan Cellucci; William Hagenah; Mark Herring. Truman Scholarship Foundation: Javaid Anwar. Assistant Secretary of Labor ODEP: Neil Ramano. Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service and to be an Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services: Joxel Garcia. Member of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission: Robert Cohen; Michael Duffy.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, in order to conduct an executive business meeting on Thursday, March 13, 2008, at 10 a.m. in room SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Agenda Bills: S. 2136, Helping Families Save Their Homes in Bankruptcy Act of 2007 [Durbin, Schumer, Whitehouse, Biden, Feinstein]; S. 2133, Home Owners ``Mortgage and Equity Savings Act'' [Specter, Coleman]; S. 2041, False Claims Act Correction Act of 2007 [Grassley, Durbin, Leahy, Specter, Whitehouse]; S. 2533, State Secrets Protection Act [Kennedy, Specter, Leahy, Feingold, Whitehouse]; and S. 702, State Court Interpreter Grant Program Act [Kohl, Kennedy, Durbin, Biden, Cardin, Leahy]. Resolution: S. Res. 468, designating April 2008 as ``National 9-1-1 Education Month'' [Clinton, Stevens]. Nominations: Catharina Haynes to be United States Circuit Court Judge for the Fifth Circuit, and Rebecca Ann Gregory to be United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 13, 2008, at 2:30 p.m. to hold a closed hearing.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate to conduct a hearing on Thursday, March 13, 2008, at 9:30 a.m., in room SD366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. At this hearing, the Committee will hear testimony regarding old-growth forest science, policy and management in the Pacific Northwest region.

Mr. CONRAD

Mr. CONRAD. You know, at about this stage, you might be careful what you ask for. I ask Senator Pryor if he would not send his amendment up at the end of his remarks about his amendment so we can maintain the going back and forth? We will slot it in as soon as we can.

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