Carl Levin

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Will the Senator yield for a question?

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

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, before I ask for a quorum call, if the quorum call is put in motion here, is the time charged against both sides on the Vitter amendment?

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

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I commend the Senator from North Dakota. This subject, which he has described, is a subject which every American--at least those I have spoken to--understands. Regardless of their position on the Iraq war, regardless of whether they believe we did the right thing going in, regardless of whether they are critics of the Bush administration's policies, this cuts across every single line. I have not talked to anybody, at least in my State of Michigan, who believes that when Iraq has $80 billion in surplus funds sitting in banks, some of which are our banks drawing interest from our taxpayers--we have paid billions of dollars in interest on Iraqi surplus accounts coming from sales of oil, much of which comes to America, much of which ends up in our tanks at $4 a gallon, enriching themselves at the expense of the American taxpayers. Why in heaven's name they are not paying for the kinds of items which Senator Dorgan has described beats me and I think it absolutely stuns at least every American I have spoken to when they hear about it. This cuts across all the positions on the war and the success of the surge or the lack of success because it hasn't accomplished its purposes. This issue is a critically important issue. It is shocking. It is unsustainable, it is untenable, it is unconscionable that Iraq is not paying for the kinds of reconstruction efforts the Senator has described. Senator Warner and I wrote a letter some months ago, and we received a response on this subject which provides a lot of the information to which Senator Dorgan has referred. I commend Senator Warner because he has been active in trying to probe this area: How many surplus funds are there and how much is being added every day and what are they being spent for? So we have been able to accumulate a lot of information which I believe will be very supportive of an amendment which Senator Dorgan may offer and hopefully will put in a form which can command bipartisan support of the Senate.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I note the absence of a quorum.

Mr. LEVIN. Madam President, I thank Senator Kyl for not just the amendment but his willingness to work to craft the language in a way that I think has improved it, narrowed it in a number of ways, but also meets the needs of the Defense Department and our allies.

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

Mr. LEVIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate resume consideration of the Vitter amendment No. 5280 and that all debate time be yielded back, except for 2 minutes equally divided; and that at 6 p.m., the Senate proceed to vote in relation to the Vitter amendment; that upon disposition of the Vitter amendment, the Senate resume consideration of the Nelson amendment and proceed to vote with respect to that amendment, provided that the 2 minutes of debate be made available prior to the vote; and that the other provisions of the previous order governing prohibition on intervening amendments prior to a vote and any other appropriate restrictions remain in effect.

Mr. LEVIN. I believe when we say the Senate proceed to vote at 6 o'clock--the unanimous consent request does intend to provide for rollcall votes on both amendments described. I thank my friend from Virginia for that clarification.

Mr. LEVIN. I also ask unanimous consent that it be in order to request the yeas and nays at this time.

Mr. LEVIN. With respect to both amendments.

Mr. LEVIN. I ask for the yeas and nays on both amendments.

Mr. LEVIN. Madam President, we had a very brief discussion whether the second vote will be a 10-minute vote. It is part of the order.

Mr. LEVIN. I thank all our colleagues. I thank the Senator from North Dakota for his patience.

Mr. LEVIN. If the Senator would yield, the Rules Committee has jurisdiction over the amendment, over the subject matter of the amendment. That is why we are asking the Rules Committee to give us their reaction. Before I can give unanimous consent to make it a pending amendment, I want to hear from the Rules Committee, which is part of the regular process of the Senate, since it is within their jurisdiction. So if the Senator will bear with me, I do not know what I will do if the Senator asks unanimous consent until the Rules Committee replies. If I do not hear from them by the moment the Senator asks unanimous consent, if the Senator decides to do so, I will have to make up my mind without the benefit of their advice.

Mr. LEVIN. Reserving the right to object, I am constrained and will object at this time because of the reasons I gave before. So I do object. I hope this objection can be dealt with overnight. I hope I can hear from the Rules Committee and understand what their position is. But at least at this time I will object.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Reserving the right to object, Madam President, it is my understanding that under the current unanimous consent agreement, we will begin voting on two amendments on the Defense authorization bill at 6 o'clock; is that correct?

Mr. LEVIN. Would the unanimous consent request of the Senator from California modify the existing unanimous consent?

Mr. LEVIN. It is my understanding that this agreement does not specify differently, and on that basis I do not object.

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

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. LEVIN. Madam President, what is the order now?

Mr. LEVIN. And is there a time agreement on debate?