Judd Gregg

Mr. GREGG

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I know Senator Vitter wants to be heard on his amendment and Senator Domenici wants to be heard on his amendment. There was a prior order that said Senator Domenici would occur after Senator Santorum--not an order but sort of a collegial understanding-- so we will go to Senator Domenici, then Senator Vitter.

Mr. GREGG. I move to reconsider the vote, and I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, at this point, we are going to begin the amending process again. The sequence on our side will be Senator Cornyn, Senator Vitter, then I understand we go to Senator Stabenow and Senator Akaka.

Mr. GREGG. We will do Senator Cornyn and then Senator Vitter, and then I presume we will go to Senator Stabenow and then Senator Akaka, then Senator Collins, then Senator Lincoln; right?

Mr. GREGG. I yield Senator Cornyn 5 minutes.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I yield 5 minutes to the Senator from Louisiana. Amendment No. 3025

Mr. GREGG. And that will come off your time when the Democratic Members make offers, and when we make offers, it will come off of our time.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I yield 5 minutes to the Senator from Nebraska.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I yield the Senator from North Dakota 2 minutes.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I wish to amend the prior list of how we will proceed with votes. We will begin with Senator Reed and his LIHEAP amendment. We will follow that with Senator Clinton on health care, followed by Senator Specter, and then we will go to Senator Lieberman. Then the list will continue as outlined in the prior discussion.

Mr. GREGG. I ask unanimous consent that for the amendments which are pending, there be 2 minutes equally divided prior to each vote.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I further ask unanimous consent that no second degrees be in order, with the exception of the Clinton amendment which might be subject to a second degree or further side by side.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I see the cosponsor of the amendment is on the Senate floor. Would he like to take the time allocated to him?

Mr. GREGG. The Senator has a minute. Proponents of the amendment have a minute. Amendment No. 3048

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote, and I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 3102

Mr. GREGG. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, first, we have already approved an extra $7 billion for these accounts here this evening. In addition, in the budget we brought forward, we added $1.5 billion for these accounts. This amendment is very much in the tradition of tax and spend. As the Senator from California openly admits, she wants to raise taxes significantly to pay for this new spending. But we have already committed significant dollars into these accounts, and I do not think it is necessary. So I hope we vote this amendment down. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, would the Senator agree to a voice vote?

Mr. GREGG. Why don't we do a voice vote.

Mr. GREGG. I move to lay that motion on the table.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, at this point we are going to go to Senator Akaka.

Mr. GREGG

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

Mr. GREGG

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Thursday, March 16, 2006 at 9:30 a.m., in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building, to hear testimony on ``Cuno and Competitiveness: Where to draw the line''.