Carl Levin

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, what we wish to do now is move to Senator Blumenthal's amendment which has been cleared and I believe can be voice-voted. I think that is the current situation. Then as soon as that is done, I hope we will have an announcement as to where we go next. With the cooperation of one Senator, whom I do not see on the floor, we may be able to go to Senator Whitehouse's amendment, but I cannot quite announce that yet because we have to find that Senator and make sure that is not objected to. I would hope the chair would now recognize Senator Blumenthal.

Mr. LEVIN. Madam President, I think we are now willing to proceed to disposition on the Blumenthal amendment. I don't know if anyone wants to speak further on that amendment.

Mr. LEVIN. Madam President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. LEVIN. Madam President, I wonder if we could ask unanimous consent at this point to take up the Inhofe amendment. We know of no objection to it. Rather than setting any amendment aside, just simply send it to the desk. Is the amendment at the desk? Just call up the amendment, if the Senator would. Amendment No. 2972

Mr. LEVIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that we proceed to the Gillibrand amendment, that there be 20 minutes debate on the amendment, and that it be equally divided between Senator Gillibrand and Senator Coburn.

Mr. LEVIN. Is there anyone seeking the yeas and nays?

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I believe Senator Portman may be ready with an amendment that has been cleared and, I believe, can be voice-voted. I am wondering if my friend from Ohio could confirm my understanding that he is ready to proceed and that he is willing to take a voice vote on this amendment?

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. LEVIN. I wonder if we could get a unanimous consent that Senator Casey be allowed to proceed as in morning business to comment on filed amendments for--I am sorry, was it 10 minutes?--10 minutes. I ask unanimous consent that Senator Casey be allowed to proceed as in morning business.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, we are now going to turn to an amendment of Senator Whitehouse which has been cleared. We have worked to make sure everybody understands that he is going to proceed to the amendment. And then I understand there is not going to be a need for rollcall vote on it. I ask the Senator from Rhode Island, about how much time does he believe he would need on his amendment before we hopefully voice vote?

Mr. LEVIN. I thank the Presiding Officer.

Mr. LEVIN. And I appreciate that. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that there be 10 minutes on the Whitehouse amendment, equally divided between Senator Whitehouse and Senator Coburn.

Mr. LEVIN. The Senator, we expect now, will be calling up his amendment. And may I, though, correct what I said before. It is possible that there will be a need for a rollcall vote on the Whitehouse amendment. Amendment No. 3180

Mr. LEVIN. I know of nobody else who wishes to speak on this amendment--I withhold that so we can hold off and see if anybody else wishes to speak. Mr. President, I know of no further debate on this amendment.

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

Mr. LEVIN. Senator Portman, I believe, wishes to speak relative to an amendment? I believe the Senator from Ohio wishes to speak relative to an amendment? I ask Senator Portman be recognized for--how many minutes, may I ask the Senator?

Mr. LEVIN. For up to 10 minutes, to speak up to 10 minutes.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that it be in order for the Lieberman amendment, No. 3090, to be called up with the modification that is at the desk; that the amendment, as modified, be agreed to; that following disposition of the Lieberman amendment, it be in order for the following amendments to be called up: Ayotte No. 3245 on Guantanamo and Feinstein amendment No. 3018 on detainees; that there be up to 20 minutes of debate equally divided in the usual form on the Ayotte amendment; that upon the use or yielding back of time on the Ayotte amendment, there be up to 60 minutes of debate equally divided in the usual form on the Feinstein amendment; further, that at 9:30 p.m. this evening, the Senate proceed to votes in relation to the Ayotte and Feinstein amendments in the order listed and that no amendments be in order to the amendments prior to the votes.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that any further amendments must be filed no later than 7:30 tonight.

Mr. LEVIN. If there is an amendment filed tonight by 7:30. It could be offered as a second degree at some later time, but it has to be filed tonight by 7:30.

Mr. LEVIN. The Senator is correct. These are not the last two votes tonight necessarily at all. As of now, we are still planning on having votes tomorrow.

Mr. LEVIN. We could. Let us report this amendment first and then why don't we do that. It will just take us a couple minutes.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I call up a list of 12 amendments which have been cleared by myself and Senator McCain: McCaskill amendment No. 2929, McCaskill amendment No. 2942, Boxer amendment No. 3230, Hatch amendment No. 2966, Inhofe amendment No. 2973, Boxer amendment No. 2980, Casey amendment No. 2994, Toomey amendment No. 3059, Inhofe amendment No. 3072, Vitter amendment No. 3086, Shaheen amendment No. 3098, Coburn amendment No. 3186. I understand from Senator McCain that these amendments have been cleared on his side.