Senator McConnell objects to up or down vote on Reid amendment
Senator McConnell asked consent that the cloture vote on the motion to concur in the House amendment to S.627 with the Reid amendment #589 occur immediately. Senator Reid objected.
The unofficial transcript is below.
18:06:11 NSP} (MR. REID) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
MR. REID: THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. TODAY THE SPEAKER AND
REPUBLICAN LEADER HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE TO ANNOUNCE THEY'RE
IN TALKS WITH THE PRESIDENT AND THAT A BARGAIN TO RAISE THE
DEBT LIMIT IS IN THE WORKS AND IS CLOSE. MR. PRESIDENT,
MEMBERS. SENATE, THAT'S NOT TRIEWVMENT I JUST SPENT TWO HOURS
WITH THE PRESIDENT, THE VICE PRESIDENT, AND THE AGREEMENT IS
{18:06:41} (MR. REID) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
NOT IN A MEANINGFUL WAY. THE REPUBLICANS STILL REFUSE TO
NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH. REVENUES OFF THE CALENDAR. NO WAY WE
CAN TALK ABOUT REVENUES. ENTITLEMENTS, OH, THEY'RE AFTER
ENTITLEMENTS -- MEDICARE, SOCIAL SECURITY. THE SPEAKER AND
REPUBLICAN LEADER SHOULD KNOW THAT MERELY SAYING YOU HAVE AN
AGREEMENT IN FRONT OF TELEVISION CAMERAS DOESN'T MAKE IT SO.
THE REPUBLICAN LEADER SAYS HE'S ENGAGED. FORTUNATELY MEMBERS OF
{18:07:14} (MR. REID) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
HIS CONGRESS, AT LEAST AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, ARE MORE
ENGAGED THAN HE IS. THERE ARE MEANINGFUL TALKS GOING ON WITH
SOME OF HIS MEMBERS WITH MY SENATORS. WHILE THE REPUBLICAN
LEADER IS HOLDING MEANINGLESS PRESS CONFERENCES, HIS MEMBERS
ARE REACHING OUT TO ME AND OTHER MEMBERS, AS I'VE JUST
INDICATED. THEY'RE COMING FORWARD WITH THOUGHTFUL IDEAS TO TRY
TO MOVE THE PROCESS FORWARD. I WELCOME THEIR IDEAS AND ASK ALL
MEMBERS TO CONTINUE THESE DISCUSSIONS. AMERICA IS WATCHING US
AND ARE DEMANDING A RESULT THAT'S BALANCED. I SAY TO MY FRIEND
-- AND HE IS MY FRIEND, THE REPUBLICAN LEADER -- I'LL COME TO
{18:07:49} (MR. REID) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
HIS OFFICE, I'LL GO TO THE WHITE HOUSE WITH HIM, AIL DO
ANYTHING THAT I CAN DO TO TRY TO MOVE THIS PROCESS FORWARD. BUT
I SAY, AS RESPECTFULLY AS I CAN TO MY FRIEND, THE SENIOR
SENATOR FROM KENTUCKY, THE PROCESS HAS NOT BEEN MOVED FORWARD
{18:08:05 NSP} (MR. McCONNELL) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
DURING THIS DAY. MR. McCONNELL: MR. PRESIDENT?
{18:08:10 NSP} (THE PRESIDING OFFICER) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE MINORITY LEADER. THE REPUBLICAN
LEADER.
{18:08:15 NSP} (MR. McCONNELL) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
MR. McCONNELL: MR. PRESIDENT, THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT
THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GOING TO GET AN AGREEMENT BEFORE TUESDAY IS
TO HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
THE ONLY PERSON IN AMERICA OF THE 307 MILLION OF US WHO CAN
SIGN SOMETHING INTO LAW. AND I'M MORE OPTIMISTIC THAN MY
FRIEND, THE MAJORITY LEADER. WE BOTH TALKED TO THE PRESIDENT
TODAY. WE TALKED TO THE VICE PRESIDENT SEVERAL TIMES. I THINK
WE'VE GOT A CHANCE OF GETTING THERE. WHAT I THINK IS NOT
{18:08:45} (MR. McCONNELL) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
HELPFUL IS THE PROCESS WE'RE GOING THROUGH HERE ON THE SENATE
FLOOR HAVING A -- SHOW VOTES OVER LIVE QUORUMS, HAVING A
RELUCTANCE ON THE PART OF THE MAJORITY TO HAVE A VOTE ON A
MEASURE THEY FAVOR, WHICH WE'VE BEEN PREPARED TO VOTE ON SINCE
LAST NIGHT. LOOK, WE NEED TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE ALL OF US
IN THE LEADERSHIP CAN COME BACK HERE AND SAY THAT WE THINK
WE'VE REACHED A FRAMEWORK OF AN AGREEMENT THAT WE CAN RECOMMEND
{18:09:19} (MR. McCONNELL) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
TO OUR LEADERS AND BE BRIEFING OUR MEMBERS. AND THE SOONER WE
CAN DO THAT IS CORRECT THE SOONER WE CAN REASSURE THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET A RESULT ON A BIPARTISAN BASIS.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'M WORKING ON. AND I'M NOT INTERESTED IN
SCORING ANY POLITICAL POINTS. I'M INTERESTED IN GETTING AN
OUTCOME FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. AND THE ONLY WAY THAT CAN BE
DONE IS WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. AND WE'RE
GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT, GET THIS PROBLEM SOLVED, LET
EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTRY KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO DEFAULT
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OUR HISTORY. THAT'S HOW I'M GOING TO
SPEND MY TIME UNTIL WE GET THAT OUTCOME, THAT I CAN COME UP
HERE AND RECOMMEND TO MY COLLEAGUES. MR. REID: MR. PRESIDENT?
{18:10:04 NSP} (THE PRESIDING OFFICER) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE MAJORITY LEADER.
{18:10:12 NSP} (MR. REID) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
MR. REID: WE ARE HERE TODAY
RIGHT NOW FOR THIS REASON: IT'S SPELLED F-I-L-B-U-S-T-E-R. IT'S
A FILIBUSTER. THEY WON'T ALLOW US TO HAVE AN UPDARN VOTE ON OUR
AMENDMENT. THAT IS FILIBUSTER. BY THE ANY OTHER TERM, IT IS A
FILIBUSTER. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE. I HOPE THAT THE NEGOTIATIONS
GO ON. WE'RE WILLING TO BE AS FAIR AS WE CAN, BUT THERE HAS TO
BE SOMETHING THAT THE PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN AND
THE REST OF US THINK IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. I GUESS
TALKING IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT THAT'S ABOUT IT.
SO, MR. PRESIDENT, I ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT THAT THE MATTER THAT
WE HAVE BEFORE US WHICH IS AMENDMENT NUMBER 589, THAT WE HAVE
AN UP-OR-DOWN VOTE ON THAT, NO -- AS WE HAVE ALL THE TIME, OF
COURSE. THERE WOULD BE NO POINTS OF ORDER AND LIKE WE DO HERE
ALL THE TIME. HAVE A VOTE ON IT RIGHT NOW.
{18:11:25 NSP} (MR. McCONNELL) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
MR. McCONNELL: MR. PRESIDENT, RESERVING THE RIGHT TO OBJECT,
THESE ARE DIRECT QUOTES FROM MY FRIEND, THE MAJORITY LEADER. HE
SAYS, "IN THE SENATE, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE YOU NEED 60
VOTES. ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE YOU NEED 60 VOTES." THIS IS THE
MAJORITY LEADER OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE. FOR HIM TO SUGGEST
THAT A MATTER OF THIS MAGNITUDE IN A BODY THAT REQUIRES 60
VOTES FOR ALMOST EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE DONE WITH 51 VOTES
MAKES NO SENSE AT ALL. I OBJECT. MR. REID: MR. PRESIDENT?
{18:11:54 NSP} (THE PRESIDING OFFICER) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE OBJECTION IS HEARD. THE MAJORITY
LEADER.
{18:12:00 NSP} (MR. REID) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
MR. REID: IT IS -- FIRST OF ALL, IT IS UNCONSCIONABLE THAT THE
REPUBLICANS WOULD FILIBUSTER LEGISLATION THAT WOULD PUT A
DEFAULT ON OUR OBLESES. IT IS UNPRECEDENTED, UNPRECEDENTED.
SINCE 1962 CONGRESS HAS RAISED THE DEBT LIMIT 74 TIMES,
INCLUDING 18 TIMES UNDER PRESIDENT REAGAN AND THERE WAS NEVER A
{18:12:21 NSP} (MR. McCONNELL) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
THREAT OF A FILIBUSTER, AND IT WAS ALWAYS BY MAJORITY VOTE. MR. McCONNELL: MR. PRESIDENT?
{18:12:24 NSP} (THE PRESIDING OFFICER) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE REPUBLICAN LEADER.
{18:12:28 NSP} (MR. McCONNELL) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
MR. McCONNELL: MR. PRESIDENT, I MIGHT SAY, I ACTUALLY CUT SHORT
A CONVERSATION WITH THE VICE PRESIDENT TO COME OUT HERE FOR
THIS IMPORTANT VOTE ON A LIVE QUORUM. I'D LIKE TO GET BACK TO
WORK SO WE CAN HOPEFULLY SOLVE THIS PROBLEM AND IT SEEMS TO ME,
MR. PRESIDENT, IT WOULD BE GOOD IDEA FOR THE MAJORITY TO DECIDE
TO ALLOW THE VOTE ON THE PROPOSAL THEY SAY THEY'RE IN FAVOR OF.
THEREFORE, I WOULD ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT THAT THE VOTE ON THE
PENDING CLOTURE MOTION OCCUR AT
6:30.
{18:12:56 NSP} (MR. REID) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
MR. REID: I OBJECT.
{18:13:08 NSP} (THE PRESIDING OFFICER) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
THE PRESIDING OFFICER: OBJECTION IS HEARD.
{18:13:12 NSP} (THE PRESIDING OFFICER) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE MAJORITY LEADER.
{18:13:16 NSP} (MR. REID) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
MR. REID: MR. PRESIDENT, YOU CAN PUT LIPSTICK ON IT, A NICE
SIEWRKTS EVEN A SKIRT SOMETIMES, IT'S STILL A FILIBUSTER. I
SUGGEST THE ABSENCE OF A QUORUM.