Jon Kyl

Mr. KYL

Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I object.

Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I object.

Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I object.

Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I object.

Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I object.

Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I object.

Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I object.

Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I object.

Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I object.

Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I object.

Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. KYL. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. KYL. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Utah (Mr. Bennett) and the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Inhofe).

Mr. KYL

Mr. KYL. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Utah (Mr. Bennett).

Mr. KYL

Mr. KYL. Reserving the right to object, and I will simply make a couple of comments at this point because, as my colleague has said, it is her intention to make further unanimous-consent requests, and much of what I say will be linked to them as well. So with her indulgence, let me just make a couple of points. I don't know whether there are, in fact, holds on all of the individuals for whom there will be a unanimous-consent request made or whether in some cases there was just a failure to clear on what we call around here a hotline; that is to say, a request made by the clerks on both the Republican and Democratic side. I don't know who has holds on these individuals. If there are, I haven't looked it up. There are some, clearly, who are not objectionable who are on the Executive Calendar. I think, for example, of U.S. Marshals and, as far as I know, there will be no objection on our side. Those are simply to be worked out, in terms of when the votes will occur, between the two leaders. There is a process for that to occur. We just voted for a judge, and that process was done. I understand there is an agreement for a Department of Justice Assistant Counsel who will be voted on tomorrow and two judges--I think both circuit court judges--which has been worked out by the leaders. I only say, if my colleague from Missouri intends to ask unanimous- consent requests that each of the individuals she names be approved by unanimous consent, I will have to object to that because I think it is more appropriate for our leaders to determine a time for debate, if there needs to be debate, and a vote, if there needs to be a vote. Short of that, I will have to object to the unanimous-consent request. Therefore, with respect to the specific request just made, respectfully, I object.

Mr. KYL. If the Senator will yield, I appreciate my colleague's comments, which I consider well taken. It is my practice if I have a hold on someone, it is for a very specific purpose that I consider to be legitimate, and I will notify whoever may be involved in it. When I talked about clearing the so-called hotline, I meant this: Sometimes either a piece of legislation or a nominee will be hotlined--usually in the evening after all business has expired and most of us have gone home--and I have on occasion, because my staff will then be informed of that, and sometimes they will respond to that hotline by saying Senator Kyl does not approve of that bill or nominee because I know nothing about it. The next morning we will take a look at it, and 9 times out of 10 say: OK, no problem. Let it go. Technically, I think that could be deemed a hold under the legislation to which we referred. I don't think any of us are getting to that objection. About 1 time out of 10, there is usually something you say: I don't like X in the bill. And frequently that gets cleared up. I think sometimes the practice of hotlining can be a good practice, but it means everybody needs to look at what is being hotlined and have an opportunity to register an objection or get it worked out or maybe the objection would stand. To the point of my colleague about the so-called secret holds, I totally agree. The fact is, there are different reasons some people might be on the calendar my colleague is reading, but I don't know those reasons. I need to object on behalf of the minority tonight, and I will do that. To the extent they are secret and being used for some of the purposes my colleague described, I agree those are improper, and that happens around here.

Mr. KYL. Madam President, I object.

Mr. KYL. I object.

Mr. KYL. I object.

Mr. KYL. Madam President, reserving the right to object, I might inquire of my colleague. I gather there will be several individual unanimous-consent requests made for the purpose of getting on the record the objection as to each name on the calendar. I believe we can accomplish that purpose by an en bloc request. If my colleague were to make such a request, it would be deemed that the request was made for each of the individual names, and perhaps my colleague would read the numbers on the calendar. I can then interpose an objection. If my colleague's purpose is beginning the clock, as it were, or requiring the person with the hold on the individual having to come forward, that could be achieved. I would be happy to spare the time of my colleague and the Senate from going through each individual name. I can object en bloc and that process can then commence, if that is acceptable.

Mr. KYL. I appreciate that concern, and I would think by a unanimous- consent agreement, which specifically stated the reason for it, as both of us have said, that it would be our intention that the process would be invoked by an en bloc request, if the Chair would rule on the matter, perhaps that would be sufficient to move forward on it, and we could know at that point that the process had been invoked for everybody. Might I inquire whether the Chair would consider the process to be invoked for all of the names considered in the Senator's request?

Mr. KYL. I would be happy to have the Senator proceed whatever way she would prefer and for me to object appropriately for that purpose.

Mr. KYL. Madam President, for the reasons indicated, I object.

Mr. KYL

Mr. KYL. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Utah (Mr. Bennett), the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Chambliss), the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Coburn), and the Senator from Texas (Mrs. Hutchison).

Mr. KYL

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