Senate Proceeding 10-14-09 on Oct 14th, 2009 :: 0:30:15 to 0:42:00
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0:30:12 to 0:30:34( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: amendment on to the billme bill. with that, mr. president, i yield back the floor. the presiding officer: the senator from north dakota is recognized. mr. dorgan: mr. president, my understanding is that we are now in what is called a 3406 hour postcloture -- 30-hour postclotur period. we had a cloture vote on the

0:30:15 to 0:42:00( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Byron Dorgan

0:30:35 to 0:30:55( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: energy, water i shared that with the subcommittee on appropriations, it funds the energy projects, the nuclear weapons, among other things much it's a very we could not just bring it to the floor from conference. we actually it to -- had to file cloture, wait for the cloture petion to ripen two days.

0:30:56 to 0:31:16( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: i think we got 79 votes in favor of it. and now we're in a period where we can't yet adopt it because some are insisting that we have the 30 hours postcloture expire. my hope is whoever feels that way might relent is that later this afternoon we can pass this piece of legislation. but this legislation is very much like almost everything else

0:31:17 to 0:31:37( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: we're trying to do in appropriations. we've tried very hard to do the appropriations bills as we're supposed to do them, one at a time, bring them to the floor, have votes, debate the amendments and so on. in the last couple of years, in my judgment, the appropriations process has been a failure

0:31:38 to 0:31:59( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: because we've had to do omnibus bills, which is not right way to do it. we were forced to do that in many respects. but now we're trying to do one bi at a time. an we've done many of them. the kret goes to the -- the credit goes to the majority leader. but the fact is we're getting almost no cooperation much almost none.

0:32:00 to 0:32:21( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: we've had relatively noncontroversial, i think that the leg branch, i believe, as i recall, we had to file a cloture petion to shut off debate on the motion to proceed, not the bill, just the motion to proceed to the bill. and this takes two days to ripen. and then you have 30 hours postcloture. virtually every step of the way

0:32:22 to 0:32:42( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: we've had this problem with no cooperation at all. it's like trying to ride a bicycle up hill, a bicycle built for two and the person on the backseat's got their foot on the brakes. that's what's happening around here all the time. all we'd like is a little cooperation to get the bills completed. when we bring a conference bill to the floor, that shouldn't take us two or three days.

0:32:43 to 0:33:03( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: th floor myself, the energy and water amount of time. we sat on the floor waiting for people to ce over and offer amendments, they didn't. it is why i sometimes refer to the senate it is not -- it is not to get people to come over even when they have amendments to offer amendments.

0:33:04 to 0:33:24( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: and then from time somebody comes over and has an amendment that -- that has nothing to do with the subject, which is fine. the rules allow that. but then insist that they've got to have a vote on their specific two or three or four amendments or they will hold everything up forever. we're it would be nice to get just

0:33:25 to 0:33:45( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: some so we can get the appropriations bill done. it is rig way to do it. bring the billso the floor. do them, debate them, have votes on them. that's the way the senate should work. and, lord knows, we have tried this year to do that, but we've had almost no cooperation. at every turn we've had people stand up and say, well, i've got

0:33:46 to 0:34:07( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: my four amendments, but, no, i'm not going to come over to offer em. i'm just going to got four. an if you try to shut off amendments, we'll filibuster, and we won't give you the 50 votes you need to shut it off and there you are, unable to get things done. again,

0:34:08 to 0:34:28( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: yesterday failed on state justice. you know, so normally senator mikulski would bill like that to the floor of the senate. it would be on the floor maybe one day, maybe two she was out here waiting for people to offer amendments -- siing here waiting and no one

0:34:29 to 0:34:50( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: was coming to offer amendments by and large. and then here until i think 10:00 at night one evening trying to reach an agreement and no agreement was not forthcoming. it would be nice to get an understanding, it is not

0:34:51 to 0:35:11( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: democrat, liberal, it is just common sense. if we could get a bit of that cooperation, we could get the work done around here. i did with respect to the agenda while we're trying to get the appropriations bills done, we also will begin a process of senate. a hc bill that will be brought

0:35:12 to 0:35:32( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: to the floor reasonably soon. and i wanted to mention that one of -- one of the efforts i will make when the health care bill comes to the floor. i mentioned before will be to try to addresshis issue of the expanding costs of prescription drugs. that is not dealt with in the legislation that is coming to the floor, i assume. and, if not, then there are 30

0:35:33 to 0:35:54( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: of us, republicans and that will give the american people the freedom to import f.d.a. appved drugs sold at a fraction of the price elsewhere. that will be one of the amendmentshat i and many others will come to the floor to offer. another amendment that i intend to offer is a legislation called the indian hc improvement act.

0:35:55 to 0:36:15( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: we senate last year. we have modified it just a bit this year. we'll be reintroducing it, i believe, later this afternoon. but the indian hc improvement act has not been reauthorized for a long, long time. i believe it has been 17 since the senate dealt with indian health care and authorization bill, except for

0:36:16 to 0:36:36( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: last year when we failed because one of our colleagues, who previously spoke, offered an abortion amendment that became the amendment that stopped the bill when it got to the house of representatives. having said all of that, i would intend to offer the indian health care legislation as an amendment to the broader health care bill. because i don't think

0:36:37 to 0:36:57( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: think we should go on to pass a health care reform bill if we don't address the health care obligations that we have made to the first americans, american indians. the fact is american indians were promise bid treaty, were -- promised bit treaty and promised time and time again in treaties that the gov we would provide for their health care.

0:36:58 to 0:37:18( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: and we have not met those promises. we have both a trust responsibility and treaty responsibility to -- affects the health care system for american indians. it has not been fixed. i think it would be a tragedy if we moved forward with health care and don't include the important part that is required by us to reauthorize the indian health care improvement act.

0:37:19 to 0:37:41( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: so i would intend to offer that as well. and i also want to say that when we get health care completed, i spoke earlier today about the need to bring the energy bill up, but there's another bill that is very important that i spent a lot of time on that has to be considered by the senate, and the entire congress, and that is the f.a. reauthorization bill.

0:37:42 to 0:38:02( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: the f.a., federal aviation administration authorization bill, is?w critically important. it has a wide range of issues dealing with safety in the skies. it has the important p dealing with modernizing our air transportation system, our air traffic control system, i should say. and that modernization can't wait. we have to move forward and it requires a lot of things and we

0:38:03 to 0:38:23( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: have now with -- senator rockefeller an i have brought a bill out of the commerce committee. it's ready for floor action. but we need to get to the floor of the senate a and get it to conference with the house of representatives. if i could describe for a moment why this is important. we've got the sky i -- skies full of airplanes. i know that the carriers shrunk

0:38:24 to 0:38:44( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: their size by 8% or 10% in terms of commercial air carriers. nonetheless, we have the sky full of airplanes, transporting people and cargo. and the fact that is we are flying to ground-based radar and what happens is we put an airplane in the air someplace with a couple of hundred people

0:38:45 to 0:39:06( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: on board and it guided by ground-based radar. it's better than the when in order to haul the mail, they used to use bond fires, so you could fly to a bond fire and see where you were then, second, flashing lights and now ground-based radar for many decades.

0:39:07 to 0:39:29( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: but the ground-based radar is clearly obsolete someone where an airplane was for a mano second. the transponder on the airplane shown on a tube someplace or by a monitor somewhere in the air traffic control cenr shows that when the arc goes around on the radar, that's where that jet airplane was.

0:39:30 to 0:39:51( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: for the next six or seven seconds, as it is going around again, that jet airplane is someplace else because it's traveling very it only tells you about where the airplane is. it tells you exactly where it was for a we need november to a g.p.s. system so that we less energy use, safer for passengers, you don't have to

0:39:52 to 0:40:12( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: space them as far apart because you kno airplane is. not about where it is. we need to move on with it, europe is moving on it, many other countries. but it is complicated and it requires us to pass legislation that includes the modernization of the air traffic control system.

0:40:13 to 0:40:34( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: again, we brought it out of conference committee. it is awaiting action on the senate. i hope following health care and an energy bill at some point, i hope that the f.a.a. reauthorization bill will have its day on the floor of the senate and i also hope to have substantial cooperation. i know that senator hutchison from texas worked with us,

0:40:35 to 0:40:55( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: senator demint worked with us to bring it out of the conference committee and i look forward to having of the agenda. so all of those who worked for a long, long time on these issues dealing with safety in the skies and dealing with modernizing our air traffic control system will be able to feelike we've made progress and have been able to get this bill to conference with the house.

0:40:56 to 0:41:16( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: so, mr. president, i know that the majority leader has a lot to try to plan for the agenda from now until the end of the year. and these are big, difficult issues. i want to help of my colleagues much we are going to need a little cooperation here and there. if we c on cloture petitions on motions to proceed, it means that every

0:41:17 to 0:41:38( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: single thing you bring to the floor of the senate takes a week just to get up. you've got, you no, clotures that take a couple of dayss to ripen and postcloture. we just need cooperation, that's not to get the business of the senate done. mr. president, i yield the floor

0:41:39 to 0:41:54( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: and make a point of order that a quorum is not present. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll.