Barbara Mikulski

Ms. MIKULSKI

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 Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Will the Senator from Colorado yield for a question?

Ms. MIKULSKI. I thank the Senator from Colorado. I appreciate his comments and support. Madam President, by way of information for our colleagues, when we talk about the COPS Program, one might recall, as the Senator from Colorado said, violent crime really skyrocketed in the mid-1990s. President Clinton, working then with our colleague who continues to be in the Senate, Senator Joe Biden, a leader on the Judiciary Committee, came up with the COPS Program. During the Clinton administration, from 1993 to 1998, they put 118,000 extra police officers on the streets of America. They were in 13,000 communities, and violent crime dropped 10 percent. Cops do make a difference. We are concerned that by eliminating the COPS Program, the thin blue line that protects us in our communities is even getting smaller. So working on a bipartisan basis within the Senate, we have added over $500 million to restore that COPS Program; not that we micromanage from the national level, but we empower the local communities to apply for these grants and deploy where they know best to protect their citizens. We think we have a great bill. We want to move it along. We thank the Senator for the kind words. Now our colleagues can help us not only with words but with deeds, which is, if they have an amendment, offer it or send their staff to either see if we can modify it or have it withdrawn. Amendment No. 2360

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, we have now cleared 28 amendments. As we continue to move toward a vote that we will be having at 5:45 on the Brown amendment dealing with international trade, we hope if colleagues do have amendments on which they wish to have a vote they will please come now and offer the amendment and let's have a debate on it. We would like very much to debate as many amendments as we could to have stacked votes tomorrow, and even to come to final passage before the 12:30 caucus. Colleagues out there on both sides of the aisle, Senator Shelby and I are here. We are open for business. We are ready to hear your ideas and ready to debate them and follow through on our regular process. Either that, or if you do not wish to offer it, come see us and withdraw it and perhaps offer it at another time. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, we are making great progress. We have some amendments we wish to clear. I call up amendment No. 3256, as modified, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 3318 by Senator Coburn of Oklahoma and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, I stand here with my colleague from Alabama to tell all of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle it is the intention of Senator Shelby and myself to finish this bill tomorrow. We have some amendments that have been filed, and yet we do not know what the intent is of the Senators who have filed such amendments. We are going to be voting very shortly--in a matter of minutes--and we would like every Senator who has filed an amendment to come and tell us what their intent is. Do they intend to offer it? When do they intend to offer it? Or do they wish to seek another accommodation? We would like to present to the leaders on both sides of the aisle-- the majority leader and the Republican leader--a finite list tonight before Senator Shelby and I go home so we can have the finite list for tomorrow and assiduously, earnestly, thoroughly work through these amendments. But we must know the intent of the Senators. I believe there is an old-fashioned saying: It is now time to fish or cut bait. We would prefer Senators actually cut their bait. But being an old Maryland fisherwoman myself, we want to talk to our colleagues. Talk to us during this vote. Senator Shelby is at his desk. I will be at mine. Let's talk things over and see how we can move this bill and make America proud of us. Too often when all is said and done, too much gets said and nothing gets done. I yield the floor.

Ms. MIKULSKI. This amendment also has been cleared on both sides of the aisle. I ask for its immediate adoption.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I ask unanimous consent the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 3251 offered by Senator Lautenberg of New Jersey and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 3275 by Senator Levin of Michigan and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 3318

Ms. MIKULSKI. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 3273

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I now call up amendment No. 3273 by Senator Shelby and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. MIKULSKI. This amendment has been cleared on both sides of the aisle. I ask for its immediate adoption.

Ms. MIKULSKI. This amendment has been cleared on both sides of the aisle. I ask for its immediate adoption.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I ask unanimous consent the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 3263 by Senator Pryor of Arkansas and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I ask that I be added as a cosponsor of the amendment.

Ms. MIKULSKI. This amendment has been cleared on both sides of the aisle. I ask for its immediate adoption.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 3239