Arlen Specter

Mr. SPECTER

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I suggest we proceed with the Ensign amendment. I agree. The discussion with Senator Graham, Senator Inhofe, and Senator Durbin was very productive. Perhaps we could continue the discussion on an informal basis as we try to come to an agreement on language but meanwhile proceed to the Ensign amendment with the prospect of a vote around 12:30. I yield the floor.

Mr. SPECTER. I ask unanimous consent that 5 minutes be allotted to Senator Dodd after Senator Lugar and I speak.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, may I inquire as to whether we might be set now to enter into a time agreement on this amendment?

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, Senator Lugar has come to the floor and would, jointly with me, request a few minutes as in morning business to introduce legislation. Would the Senator from Nevada be willing to yield for--how long do you require, I ask Senator Lugar?

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, we have tried to move along this position of the Ensign amendment, looking for a time agreement. Senator Sessions has asked for 5 minutes. If other Senators want to debate this amendment, I ask them to come to the floor. If there is no time agreement and there are no people to debate, I will move to table the amendment so we can get the bill moving. I now yield to Senator Sessions.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, Senator McCain is asking for some time. It is my hope that we can move ahead with either a time agreement or a vote on the Ensign amendment, but now I yield to Senator McCain.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, we will hear from Senator Ensign in a moment on his amendment. If there are no other speakers desiring recognition to speak on this amendment, at the conclusion of Senator Ensign's comments, I intend to move to table.

Mr. SPECTER. To speak on the amendment?

Mr. SPECTER. How much time does the Senator desire?

Mr. SPECTER. I agree. I yield to Senator Ensign for some comments and then to Senator Dodd, and if no other speakers appear, I am going to move to table.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, Senator Dodd is next in line to speak for 4 minutes, as agreed.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I believe there are no other speakers on the other side. I heard there would be no objection to a motion to table, not that I need permission to move to table. We have the Inhofe amendment pending. I very much want to get a vote on the Inhofe amendment this afternoon. So we can either come to a time agreement to finish debate or if there are side-by-sides that have been prepared so that we could move ahead there.

Mr. SPECTER. I would.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I move to table the Ensign amendment, and I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, we have come to an agreement on sequence. I ask unanimous consent we proceed next to Senator Akaka; thereafter, we proceed to Senator Vitter under a time agreement for 45 minutes; and the time from 2:40 to 4 o'clock be set aside for the Inhofe amendment, where the expectation is there will be side-by-side amendments, side- by-side for the Inhofe amendment, until 4 o'clock.

Mr. SPECTER. That is correct.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, we will take half an hour for Senator Akaka's amendment. We will give him 25 minutes of that time. Senator Kennedy and I will take the remaining 5 minutes to accept it.

Mr. SPECTER. I ask consent for that.

Mr. SPECTER. Without any second degrees to Vitter and Akaka.

Mr. SPECTER. That is correct.

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

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, under our unanimous consent agreement, it is now time for the amendment by the distinguished Senator from Louisiana under a time agreement of 45 minutes equally divided.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, there is no doubt that we have to have appropriate evidence in order to establish the criteria for moving ahead on the path to citizenship. I believe the Senator from Louisiana has structured a realistic amendment and made improvements to the bill. We are prepared to accept it on this side.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I think we are ready for a voice vote on the Vitter amendment.

Mr. SPECTER. It is.