Senate Proceeding on Feb 14th, 2008 :: 4:44:43 to 5:01:24
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4:44:43 to 4:44:49( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: times, drove 18 miles one way each time. five times she came. give times she was too late to be in the top ten. and she couldn't stay because she was taking care of her grandchildren. she was the day

4:44:43 to 5:01:24( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Robert Byrd

4:44:49 to 4:44:56( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: care provider for her grandchildren. and her medicine had run out for hypertension and high blood pressure in mid-october. five times she get up early in the morning to drive nearly 20 miles. and she

4:44:56 to 4:45:02( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: didn't get there in time. there were ten people on the list ahead of her. one month later she died. she tried five times and never got there. in a remote satellite location. the fact is people are

4:45:02 to 4:45:08( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: dying. children are dying. elsers are elders are dying. there is not enough to keep the promise we made to american indians. the amendment offered today is one i'm interested in working with the

4:45:08 to 4:45:14( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: senator from oklahoma in a significant reform package in which we dramatically increase the resources to keep r promise and then try to provide competition and choice. i'm interested in doing that,

4:45:14 to 4:45:20( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: frankly. i'm not interested in passing an amendment that says let's do this in a way that restricts funding for others which is what this amendment does. there's a specific restriction on funding and

4:45:20 to 4:45:27( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: that means there will be less funding for those clinics including the satellite clinics. that's not something i'm willing to entertain. but, again, i appreciate, finally, getting an amendment offed here.

4:45:27 to 4:45:32( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: and my colleague indicated he will be back. i indicated earlier we are at parade rest because one of our colleagues apparently has an objection through his staff, through leadership, and he is off,

4:45:32 to 4:45:40( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: apparently at a meeting downtown and a speech and will be back some time around 3:30 today, maybe, and in the meantime through his staff we are told we are not able to move on anything. i have a managers'

4:45:40 to 4:45:45( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: package agreed to, i believe, and i want to send it to the desk in just a moment and my understanding is we can't move to embrace it despite the fact we have a unanimous consent because a colleague

4:45:45 to 4:45:53( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: is downtown and will not be back for an hour and a half, so he will be gone for three hours and in the meantime we sit here with our hands in our pockets trying to figure out how on oath we explain

4:45:53 to 4:45:59( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: that this is a body that is supposed to get something done. mr. durbin: will the send yield? mr. dorgan: i love the united states senate but i'm not happy about the way this place works today. we

4:45:59 to 4:46:39( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: are dealing with an important issue that is life or death to some people and we're having a difficult time. senator murkowski has worked on this bill with me for a listening period of time and before

4:51:57 to 4:52:10( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: her, senator mccain worked on this. and because of things that have nothing at all to do with this bill, we're standing here, frozen, because somebody is gone, apparently. mr. durbin: can i ask the

4:52:10 to 4:52:22( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: senator from north dakota this is a critically important bill nt if a lot of very vulnerable people, native american whose have not been treated well throughout our history and i thank the senator

4:52:22 to 4:52:38( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: from north dakota for his leadership in trying to bring this bill to the floor, could i ask the senator from north dakota, how many days have we been on this bill on the floor of the united states

4:52:38 to 4:52:54( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: senate? mr. dorgan: mr. president, this is the third day that we have been on the floor of the senate and our hope was that this would be the day in which we complete action by late this afternoon

4:52:54 to 4:53:04( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: but obviously itly doesn't appear that way. mr. durbin: and it is my understanding one senator has announced he is off for lunch and meetings and would like to stop the senate from any further consideration

4:53:04 to 4:53:15( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: of this bill until he decides to return, is that the situation? mr. dorgan: i'm told a colleague is upset about something and has gone off to give a speech downtown to a pleating and will not return

4:53:15 to 4:53:24( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: and his staff indicates we are not to move without his consent and he will not provide concept until he comes back -- if then. mr. durbin: so the united states senate is at a halt at this point until

4:53:24 to 4:53:35( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: the senator's personal schedule accommodates his return? mr. dorgan: it sounds that way. we'll see. again, it's very frustrating. we have worked very hard to bring this to the floor of the senate.

4:53:35 to 4:53:43( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: a lot of people are counting on the congress to do the right thing and my hope is we can move forward. i think we have about four amendments we have cleared. we have a managers pack managers' package that

4:53:43 to 4:53:54( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: is cleared and we will get votes on the coburn amendment, which is germane. there is no reason we cannot move forward and get this piece of legislation done. mr. durbin: i would like to ask the senator

4:53:54 to 4:54:34( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: from north dakota why don't we move the package and preserve the right of that senator to offer his amendment when he returns, that is preserving his right as a senator if he wantso offer his own

4:59:36 to 4:59:42( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: amendment but to stop the entire amendment process and all the other possibilities -- i hope we don't let that happen. h through the chair i would like to ask the senator from north dakota if that

4:59:42 to 4:59:47( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: is being considered? mr. dorgan: let me say that the managers' package is something we have negotiated, i believe it has been agreed to unanimously. i don't know of any objection to the package. i know

4:59:47 to 4:59:54( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: of some objections to the process because one senator who is not here has staff objecting but let me suggest that in about five minutes i'm going to send the managers' package to the desk and ask if its

4:59:54 to 5:00:00( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: consideration. if there is someone who feels a managers' package has been unanimously agreed to and worked very hard -- by the way, let me just say, and my colleague, senator murkowski can add to

5:00:00 to 5:00:07( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: it, we have five or six areas in the mrpgs package that are very controversial and had caused us a lot of robs and we worked and worked and worked and negotiated with all of those for whom the

5:00:07 to 5:00:13( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: controversy exists. we negotiated something that is agreeable by everybody. it was a good thing to have done and finally, this managers' package, i think, is now agreeable to everybody and it is a good

5:00:13 to 5:00:19( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: piece of work. so in about five minutes i'd like to send it to the desk and ask for its consideration. mrs. boxer: will the senator yield for a question? mr. dorgan: i am happy to yield. yimrs. boxer:

5:00:19 to 5:00:25( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: in order to get my schedule and senator byrd's schedule, i know senator reid senator byrd would like to speak for 20 minutes and i ask unanimous consent to follow him. there was an amendment thatnd

5:00:25 to 5:00:31( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: involved california i was not able to be here and i would like to follow that if i could follow senator byrd. mr. dorgan: mr. president, how much time is senator byrd requesting? mr. president, does senator

5:00:31 to 5:00:39( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: murkowski which to add some comments at which point i will send the managers' package to the desk and ask for its consideration. following that, i will be happy to yield the floor and, as i understand

5:00:39 to 5:00:44( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: it, the senator from california wishes to follow the senator from westwe virginia. the senator from west virginia wants continue minutes and the senator from california? mrs. boxer: if i had continue minutes

5:00:44 to 5:01:24( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: i would be fine. if i had 15 minutes i would be fine. mr. dorgan: let me defer on the managers' amendment just for a moment and let us begin with senator byrd's request for 15 minutes followed by