listening to the senate, it is sort of interesting. Ron Wyden, a dem from OR, has been talking for like two hours, he has control of the floor and he won't let anyone else talk, he is criticizing a tax incentive that oil companies get to drill in the U.S., the companies don't have to pay royalties if they drill. it is an outdated tax policy and he wants to get an up or down vote on it, he wants a guarantee that the senate will vote on his amendment that will do away with the tax giveaway. but the other senators, of both parties, are pissed because if lets anyone else add an amendment to the spending bill they're debating, he will lose control of the floor, which he doesn't want to do...then Ted Stevens, repub from AK, said we don't make promises about what we vote on, i've been tryin to get a vote on ANWR for twenty five years...so Stevens is trying to get ANWR on this bill...but Wyden is repeating himself now, he has about five or six things he has to say and he just keeps cycling through them.... [12:37 edt]
[13:35 edt]
Ronnie Wy Wy is still talking...for awhile he was conversing with Jon Kyl, of Arizona. Kyl is a co-sponsor of Wyden's amendment. Kyl doesn't like subsidies, generally.
[13:50 edt]
Murray (WA) came on and asked for a unanimous consent request, so that Salazar from CO could offer his amendment. Wyden and Murray had to work out the wording of the request so that Wyden wouldn't lose the floor as a result. Indeed, that he would not lose the floor and that afer Salazar Wyden's amendment would still be the order of the day. But Cochran (MS) was obliged to object. Wyden isn't very happy and neither is Salazar. Cochran says no one gets special treatment. Salazar is saying WTF, can't we work something out? Wyden says he wouldn't just like to take a breath he'd like to take multiple breaths. But, he says, the chair (Cochran) says it's not possible to work anything out. Wyden says, I talked to the distinguished chair, Sen Cochran, and offered to work something out, before the Senate even opened today. It's a sugar laden program, getting sweeter and sweeter over the years. I called him at 9:30 Wyden says, and that has been his interest all day, up until about 2:00.
Cochran says I want in, I want a response, since he referred to our conversation. Wyden lets him in to talk. Cochran says yeah he did call me. But I'm not in the business of pickin out which senator can speak first. It's the presiding officer's job. I said good luck with your amendment and that was pretty much the extent of the conversation. There are twenty-one total amendments, his is the last one that's been presented. I can read the list. [This is all part of Cochran's question, the only means by which he can talk on the floor right now, if he has a "question" But colloquy is good, and unusual on the floor, unfortunately.]
Wyden back on reclaiming his time. The Sen from MI is a person of enormous integrity and I agree with most of what he said about our convo. What I take exception to is that I asked to be put at the front of the line; I have not asked to be put to the front of the line...highest regard for the Sen from MI...agree with vast amount...open to working this out in any way, I said...don't care if it's even in the first batch...be happy with second batch...Sen from NM here who knows more about this program than anybody on the planet...maybe the sen from NM can get us to the point where we can get a vote on this...it's Domenici...when I think of him I always think of fairness...fairness is when the US senate has a debate, as we've had now for many hours, amendments are pulled together in a cluster...open to bein part of the first cluster, the second cluster...would the sen from NM like me to yield to him...
thanks for the kind words but we're wearing the patience of the chairman thin...Domenici is not here to help him...made a mistake in your amendment, I think the amendment is wrong...under current law...oil cos. will pay royalties under current law than under your amendment...threshold of $55 on oil...current threshold is $36...you have made a mistake when you're takin it up to $55...so your amendment should not be adopted...Wy: is the sen asking a question?...Wy says nothing in amendment says threshold couldn't be lowered...
Salazar is saying let's do three amendments from each side, he's putting that to Cochran...is that something we could agree to? would the chairman object to that, understanding we'd be turning back...now Wyden reserves the right to object...he wants a clarification, the same one from before...chair gives him the clarification of what unan consent agmt. means...cochran says this agmt. would prevent Domenici's amdt. and coburn's amdt. If Wyden doesn't ask for the regular order then nobody can...[is this a one-man filibuster?]...[14:08]...Cochran objects
