Trent Lott

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators were necessarily absent: the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain) and the Senator from Alaska (Ms. Murkowski).

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain).

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain).

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Will the Senator yield? Is it too late to object to the Senator's amendment?

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. LOTT. Well, Mr. President, here is one of my speeches I guess I am going to have to make every fortnight, but it is 6:20--it is on Thursday--and here we stand or mostly sit or hide and will not act on important amendments on this legislation because our colleagues will not come to agreement on some provision or another in the managers' package or some amendment. I say to my colleagues, this is no way to legislate. If you have a problem, get over here and state it. If you have an objection, have the courage to stand up--be the man or the woman--and express your objection. This is outrageous, and I am not blaming our leadership. It is not them. It is us. This whole bill has been a curiosity to me because I thought we were making good progress, and then we were not, and then I thought we were going to again, and now we are not. So I tell you--it is not my authority to do so--but if I had the ability to wave a wand, I would say we are going to vote. If you don't like it, vote against it, but you are not stopping these amendments. So I urge everybody involved--whether it is my colleagues on this side of the aisle or the other side--come over here and let's get going because we look pathetic when we do this sort of thing. It is just outrageous. We have votes we could take. We have two judges. Let's vote. Let's have a vote on the judges, and it will give us a chance to explain to our colleagues what the problem is with these other amendments. So I plead with somebody: Pull the trigger. Let's have a vote. Then let's get some results around here. I am telling you, we all look bad. Did we not hear the American people? They want us to produce results. I have looked at these amendments. There is nothing wrong with any of these amendments. It is going to be injurious to the institution, to the Republicans and the Democrats. And, yes, I admit, I am outraged because I want to go home and be with my wife, have supper, and live a normal life. I would suggest some of our other colleagues do that. Maybe we could get a little more done around here and not look so bad in the process. I want to say to the managers of the bill, I love them both, and I think they have been doing the very best they can. They are ready to go. So it is a disservice to Senator Lieberman and Senator Collins, who have been managing this bill, which, yes, has problems, but we are never going to get them resolved, never going to get to a reasonable conclusion without actually having some votes. When was the last time we had a vote around here? I can't even remember. Yesterday? So Senator Lieberman, I know you would like to get the show on the road. I support anything you want to do. If you want to just move the previous question, I am for that, or any other motion you want to make that would get the process started. A motion to table--that would be good. We could get going.

Mr. LOTT. I know it is abnormal for Senators.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Maine and the Senator from Connecticut for their work. I admire them both so much. Can I inquire, Mr. President, what is the pending business?

Mr. LOTT. Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. President: Would a motion to move the previous question be a proper way to proceed?

Mr. LOTT. Would a motion to table be in order, Mr. President?

Mr. LOTT. It is not my prerogative, but I am threatening it. With that, Mr. President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Inhofe) and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain).

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo) and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Kyl).

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from North Carolina (Mrs. Dole) and the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Enzi). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from North Carolina (Mrs. Dole) would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback), the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Enzi), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain), and the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Spector).

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators were necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Bunning), the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Enzi), the Senator from New Hampshire (Mr. Gregg), the Senator from Texas (Mrs. Hutchison), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Kyl), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain), the Senator from Nebraska (Mr. Hagel), the Senator from Alaska (Ms. Murkowski), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Roberts), the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Sessions), and the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Bunning), and the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Sessions) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators were necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Bunning), the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Enzi), the Senator from New Hampshire (Mr. Gregg), the Senator from Nebraska (Mr. Hagel), the Senator from Texas (Mrs. Hutchison), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Kyl), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain), the Senator from Alaska (Ms. Murkowski), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Roberts), the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Sessions), and the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Bunning), and the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Sessions) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators were necessarily absent: the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain), and the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators were necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback) and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain).

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators were necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback) and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain).

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators were necessarily absent: the Senator from Utah (Mr. Bennett), the Senator from Missouri (Mr. Bond), the Senator from Mississippi (Mr. Cochran), the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Corker), the Senator from Nevada (Mr. Ensign), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Kyl), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain), and the Senator from Alaska (Ms. Murkowski). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Utah (Mr. Hatch) would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators were necessarily absent: the Senator from Utah (Mr. Bennett), the Senator from Missouri (Mr. Bond), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Chambliss), the Senator from Mississippi (Mr. Cochran), the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Corker), the Senator from Nevada (Mr. Ensign), the Senator from Utah (Mr. Hatch), the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Isakson), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Kyl), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain), the Senator from Alaska (Ms. Murkowski), the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Specter), the Senator from Alaska (Mr. Stevens), and the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Voinovich).

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators were necessarily absent: the Senator from Nevada (Mr. Ensign), the Senator from New Hampshire (Mr. Gregg), and the Senator from Texas (Mrs. Hutchison).

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators were necessarily absent: the Senator from Nevada (Mr. Ensign), the Senator from New Hampshire (Mr. Gregg), the Senator from Texas (Mrs. Hutchison), and the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Inhofe). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Inhofe) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. What is the order, Mr. President?