Senate Proceeding on Sep 24th, 2008 :: 4:29:56 to 4:40:11
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4:29:56 to 4:30:05( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: mr. president, i make a point of order that a quorum is not present. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: quorum call: mr. specter: mr. president? the presiding officer:

4:29:56 to 4:40:11( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Arlen Specter

4:30:05 to 4:30:22( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: the senator from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. specter: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent further proceedings under the quorum call be terminated. the presiding officer: without objection, the senator

4:30:22 to 4:30:44( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. specter: mr. president, i have sought recognition for the purpose of introducing or co cosponsoring the healthy americans act, senate bill number 334, legislation which

4:30:44 to 4:31:04( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: is directed to cover the some 47 million americans who are now covered by health insurance. it is a bipartisan bill which has 16 cosponsors, half republicans and half democrats. it has been sponsored principally

4:31:04 to 4:31:22( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: by senator wyden, democrat of oregon, and senator bennett, republican of utah, and i believe it provides the basis for moving ahead on this very important subject. we have long struggled to cover all

4:31:22 to 4:31:38( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: americans with health insurance, and in the detailed statement which i'm about to submit, i have recounted the efforts which this senator has made over the course of my tenure in the united states senate.

4:31:38 to 4:32:00( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: and beyond the bill's coverage, the work which has been done on the appropriations subcommittee of labor, health, education where senator harkin an i have taken a lead with increasing funding for

4:32:00 to 4:32:16( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: the n.i.h. from $12 billion to $30 billion. this proposal, senate bill 334, has a number of issues which i think need further analysis and further study and modification, as noted in the text of the

4:32:16 to 4:32:30( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: statement. but i believe it is an excellent starting point, and having some 16 cosponsors, the most i've seen on a bipartisan piece of legislation to address this very important subject, i think it

4:32:30 to 4:32:44( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: has an excellent opportunity in the next congress to provide the basis for moving ahead for the appropriate coverage of all americans. i ask consent that the full text of my statement now be included

4:32:44 to 4:32:59( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: in the record as if read on the senate floor. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. specter: mr. president, i now ask consent that comments on my recent trip to latin america be

4:32:59 to 4:33:14( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: included in morning business under a separate designation. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. specter: from august 17 to august 23, i traveled to mexico and to venezuela to take a

4:33:14 to 4:33:27( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: look at the issues relate ing to the serious drug problem we have in the united states and issues relate ing to immigration and specifically illegal immigration. and i ask unanimous consent that this be included

4:33:27 to 4:33:44( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: in the "congressional record" as if read if in full, as noted, under a separate caption. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. specter: mr. president, i now ask unanimous consent

4:33:44 to 4:33:59( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: that a statement be included in the "congressional record" under a separate caption and ask that an article by michael smirkonish esquire concerning efforts by the united states to capture osama

4:33:59 to 4:34:18( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: bin laden and al minute al disa harry be included in the record. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered mr. specter: he is a columnist from the ""philadelphia inquirer" "" and "philadelphia

4:34:18 to 4:34:31( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: daily news," has a daily talk show on 1210 wpht philadelphia and appears nationally on msnbc. i've known him for more than 20 years and have a very high regard for his scholarship, among his other

4:34:31 to 4:34:48( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: fine qualities. while i do not agree with all of his comments, especially the political evaluations, i believe this article should be made available to my colleagues and the public generally to the extent

4:34:48 to 4:35:03( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: that the "congressional record" is read. and i ask that this section be captioned specially under morning busiss. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. specter: mr. president, i ask consent that

4:35:03 to 4:35:20( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: the next comments similarly be captioned under a separate section under morning business. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. specter: and as we near -- as we near the end of the 110 110th

4:35:20 to 4:35:36( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: congress, it is my hope that when we return for the 111 111th congress, that there will be more comity and more bipartisanship and more a accomplishment than we have seen in this congress and in prior

4:35:36 to 4:35:53( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: congresses. but i've spoken at some length on the senate floor about this subject, and i'm about to introduce a prepared written text. but the essence of my concern a arise a arises because of the practice

4:35:53 to 4:36:10( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: -- arises because of the practice of limiting the amendments which senators may offer on the floor and the problems of confirming judges, especially in the last two years of a president's administration.

4:36:10 to 4:36:31( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: e great value of the united states senate on the american political scene which has earned this august body the title of "the world's greatest legislative body" has been the right of any senator at

4:36:31 to 4:36:50( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: any time to offer virtually any amendment on a bill. and that, plus unlimit debate, has made this chamber a unique place among modern democracies where great ideas can be stated, can be articulate ed,

4:36:50 to 4:37:10( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: and can be debate ed. and where, with sufficient debate, sufficient analysis, and sufficient merit, they can attract great public attention. but that has been thwarted in recent years. the lt 15 years specifically,

4:37:10 to 4:37:23( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: by both republican and democratic majority leaders. so that as usual when there is a problem with this institution, there is bipartisan blame. senator mitchell, senator lott, senator frist, and senator

4:37:23 to 4:37:41( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: reid have all use ed this practice. the first three senators use ed it on some nine occasions each, as detailed in the written floor statement which i am about to introduce for the record. senator

4:37:41 to 4:37:56( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: reid has use ed it some 15 times. and the practice has been that the majority leader, who is entitled as a matter of senate practice to first recognition takes the floor and offers amendments so that

4:37:56 to 4:38:11( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: there is a process where no other senator can offer an amendment. that is called "filling the tree tree." and that has resulted then in the follow-up on a cloture motion to cut off debate, and then

4:38:11 to 4:38:26( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: it becomes a bipartisan wrangle with the one half of the aisle -- the democrats -- vote ing for cloture to cut off debate and the republicans in a partisan context vote ing against cloture. and

4:38:26 to 4:38:45( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: i have voted against cloture because, as a matter of principle, i do not think we ought to end the debate before we have had a debate. or before senators have had an opportunity to offer amendments.

4:38:45 to 4:39:03( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: and that has resulted, as i see it, on gridlock on the senate floor so that the senate has really become dysfunctional. and i contrast the kinds of work workweeks we have had with very, very few votes

4:39:03 to 4:39:23( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: to the management of the comprehensive immigration bill during the 109th congress congress, where we had some 211 amendments filed and some 27 votes, which is the way i think that the senate ought

4:39:23 to 4:39:37( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: to operate operate. then beyond the issue of filling the tree and stopping senators from proceeding with the offering of amendments, we've had the problems of the filibuster. and again there is bipartisan

4:39:37 to 4:39:50( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: blame -- blame on both sides of the equation. i ask unanimous consent, mr. president, that the full text of my statement on this subject be included in the "congressional record" as if read in full. the

4:39:50 to 4:40:00( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: presiding officer: without objection. mr. specter: i thank the chair chair. i know my time has expired. my distinguished colleague from new jersey is waiting to speak, so i'd yield the floor. des des

4:40:00 to 4:40:11( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from new jersey is recognized. mr. menendez: mr. president, i appreciate my distinguished colleague from pennsylvania's consideration in terms of time. he

4:40:11 to 4:40:24( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Menendez: could have stayed longer. i appreciate it. i rise today because there are far too many women in america suffering in silence from postpartum depression and it's time to let them know they are not

4:40:11 to 4:43:53( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Robert Menendez