Carl Levin

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I will yield myself the remainder of my time. Just about everybody now agrees there is no military solution in Iraq and that the only way to end the violence is for the Iraqi political leaders to settle their differences. Their own Prime Minister Maliki acknowledged that in November when he said, in words that all of us should remember: The crisis is political and the ones who can stop the cycle of . . . bloodletting of innocents are the [Iraqi] politicians. Our brave service men and women are dying and being wounded while Iraqi leaders dawdle. The Iraqi leaders themselves made specific commitments to pass legislation relative to sharing power, sharing resources, amending their Constitution, holding provincial elections. They made those commitments to be achieved by specific dates. They were their commitments. We didn't impose them on them. These are their commitments that they have not kept. Because they have not kept their commitments, our troops are paying the price, caught in a crossfire of a civil war. If there is any hope of forcing the Iraqi political leaders to take responsibility for their own country, it is to have a timetable to begin reducing American forces and to redeploy our forces to a more limited support mission instead of being everybody's target in the middle of a civil war. That transition is the only way we can force the Iraqi leaders to act. If the Republican leader's procedural roadblock proceeds this morning, we will be denied the opportunity to vote on an issue which just about every American has strong feelings on: whether to change course in Iraq by setting a timetable to reduce the number of our troops in Iraq. Because of that procedural roadblock, we will not be voting at 11 o'clock on Levin-Reed but on whether to proceed to vote on Levin-Reed. Our amendment deserves the chance to be voted on by this body. The American people deserve that vote. They deserve to know if we support a timetable to reduce our troop presence in Iraq. They deserve to know whether each of us favors a change of course in Iraq. If you do not agree with our amendment, vote against it. But do not prevent the Senate from voting on it, expressing our will on this critical issue. The American people deserve for us to vote up or down, do we want to change course in Iraq in order to improve the chance of success in Iraq, which can only happen if the Iraqi leaders understand we cannot save them from themselves. I yield the floor.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, July 17, 2007, at 2:30 p.m. to hold a hearing on intellectual property and tax treaties.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. I ask unanimous consent that the Senator from Oregon be recognized as in morning business for 15 minutes.

Mr. LEVIN. I then ask unanimous consent that the Republican leader be recognized, and then following his statement, which we expect to be about 10 minutes, Senator Durbin be recognized, and then the Senator from Colorado, Mr. Salazar, after Senator Durbin; I further ask unanimous consent that if a Republican wishes to speak in between Senators Durbin and Salazar, that Republican be recognized.

Mr. LEVIN. I thought it was going to be a morning business UC, but we have protected a Republican speaking in between Senators Durbin and Salazar.

Mr. LEVIN. The order would be that Senator Wyden would speak in morning business, then Senator McConnell, and then Senator Durbin, then if there is a Republican, and then to Senator Salazar.

Mr. LEVIN. Well, it is the pending amendment. Those who want to speak on the amendment would be free to do so. Hopefully, there will be many people speaking on it because we should have an opportunity before Wednesday.

Mr. LEVIN. I have a number of things to say on the amendment, and the things I wish to say in depth I will maybe save until tomorrow. I would not want to speak without your being here.

Mr. LEVIN. I feel similarly about your amendment. I think both would enjoy being here when the other speaks. We can arrange that. We have been arranging this for 28 years. We will continue to arrange it.

Mr. LEVIN. What section are you reading?

Mr. LEVIN. What section of the bill?

Mr. LEVIN. Is there a number?

Mr. LEVIN. If the Senator would yield so we can follow him, I wondered if there is a number in front of the paragraph you are reading.

Mr. LEVIN. Section 14.

Mr. LEVIN. Parliamentary inquiry: What is the pending amendment?

Mr. LEVIN

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

Mr. LEVIN

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

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, what is the regular order?

Mr. LEVIN. I call for the regular order.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senator Sanders be recognized for 3 minutes as in morning business.

Mr. LEVIN. I will amend that request.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I amend my request to ask that after the Senator from Vermont speaks, the Senator from Minnesota be recognized for up to 15 minutes.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, if the Senator from Minnesota will yield before he speaks for a unanimous consent request.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that after the Senator from Minnesota is finished, Senator Bill Nelson be recognized for up to 20 minutes on the pending amendment.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I object.