September 29: The Senate will convene at 9:30 a.m. and will be in a period of morning business until 10:00 a.m. with the time equally divided between the two Leaders or their designees.

At 10:00 a.m. the Senate will proceed to vote on adoption of the conference report accompanying H.R. 5631, the Department of Defense Appropriations bill.

Upon disposition of the Defense conference report, the Senate will resume the post cloture debate on H.R.6061, the Border Fence bill.

As a reminder, cloture was filed on Wednesday on the House Message on S.403, the Child Custody Act. That vote will occur upon disposition of the Border Fence bill.

Roll call votes are expected to occur throughout the day on Friday. If the Senate is unable to complete our work on Friday, the Senate will be in session on Saturday.

Senate Democrats have approved 205 of President Bush’s Judicial Nominees and rejected only ten. Desiring absolute power Republicans want to go “Nuclear” and turn the Senate into a rubber stamp for President Bush, ending a 200 year old Senate right to engage in unlimited debate.

This is about more than a few unqualified judges, this is about protecting the rights of disabled Americans to work, the rights of minorities to vote, the rights of every American to have clean air, safe drinking water and be heard in Washington.

I have set up the website below as a resource for those of you seeking information on this incredible partisan power grab.

Thank you,

Harry Reid

History of the Filibuster:

Prior to the Start of the Bush administration in 2001, 11 judicial nominations need 60 (or more) votes -cloture- inorder to end a filibuster.
Read the History

Fact vs. Fiction:

FACT: Filibusters are Constitutional
Democrats are relying on long-standing Senate Rules to protect the independence of the judiciary from a few of this President’s most extreme nominees.
GET THE FACTS

FICTION: Republican Rhetoric: "No federal judical nominee by the past 42 presidents has been filibustered in the history of the U.S. Senate dating back to 1784.
GET THE FACTS

FACT: Republicans currently in the Senate voted to filibuster Clinton Nominees
GET THE FACTS

FACT: Our Constitution Creats a Uniquely Powerful Senate
GET THE FACTS

FACT: Ending the filibuster would change the character of the Senate
Read the Letter By Historian Robert Caro

FICTION: There is precedent for the “Nuclear Option.”
GET THE FACTS

FICTION: Senator Byrd has previously tried to employ the Nuclear Option when Democrats were in power
GET THE FACTS

To visit Democratic Leader Harry Reid's homepage visit http://reid.senate.gov.

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