Free Flow of Information Act of 2007 - Motion to Proceed
Floor Speech
FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION ACT OF 2007--MOTION TO PROCEED -- (Senate - July 30, 2008)
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Mr. GRASSLEY. The American people rightly wonder why these popular expiring tax relief provisions can't be passed by the Senate on their merits alone. Why can't we get there and ``get 'er done''? Part of the problem is that the committee and floor process have been disregarded by the Senate Democratic leadership. The debate and exchange of ideas, which is the essence of the Senate, has been bottled up. The Senate process is being truncated.
For the first time in this decade, since 2001, the Finance Committee members have not been allowed to exercise their right in committee markup with respect to these issues. With one exception--the 2002 stimulus bill--for the first time in this decade, Senate Members have not had the opportunity to debate and amend the extenders in a real Senate floor process. For the first time in this decade, Senators in the minority are being presented with a top-down deal, crafted in the dark corners of Democratic leaders' offices of the House and Senate.
The irony of all of this is compelling. Almost 2 years ago today, we faced an attempt to end run the natural order of the committee and floor process by the bicameral Republican leadership of the House and Senate. I referred to it at that time as a wrongheaded effort that was doomed to fail--even when it came from my own party. It envisioned a unicameral tax writing committee that ignored the rights and privileges of Members of both parties. I used sharp words and directed them at my side's leadership in the House and Senate. I am sure some on my side thought I had gone a bit overboard in criticizing the Republican leadership at that time.
Then the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions chairman, Senator Enzi, stood with me. Some of my friends on the Democratic side spoke up about the harm the leadership was doing to the rights of the Members of the Senate.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator's time has expired.
Mr. GRASSLEY. May I have 1 more minute?
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. GRASSLEY. Ironically, today we find the Democratic leadership attempting to do much the same thing. Like the failed trifecta jam to which I referred, today's jam will not work.
It is part of a larger problem with the Senate because we are not going through the regular order at the committee and the floor level. Issues are building up, tempers are flaring, and, most importantly, nothing is getting done. The Senate is constipated. This legislative body needs a function, a laxative. Legislation needs to circulate through this body in the usual form like food through your body. We need real debate, real amendments, and we need an informal bipartisan process that leads to an agreement that can pass the House and the Senate.
I have my pencil sharpened, my notepad out. I am ready to engage in our usual bipartisan process with my Democratic friend, Chairman Baucus. I am hopeful that the Democratic leadership will relieve the constipation on the tax extenders legislation. The Finance Committee and the Senate need to function just like our intestinal system functions.
I yield the floor.
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