Speech #1040197399

If I can respond to the distinguished majority leader. I hope we could use whatever time we have available to us to see if we can find some mutually agreeable schedule here. Our desire is to come to final passage on an illegal immigration bill. We want to see that happen as badly as anybody else here in the Senate. We also recognize. however. that circumstances in the past have precluded us from offering amendments relating to minimum wage. We will not have. if we bring up the constitutional amendment to balance the budget under the reconsideration rules here in the Senate. an opportunity to offer amendments. So we really have no vehicle with which to offer alternatives. But I understand and certainly respect the majority leaders position. and I want to work with him to see if we cannot accommodate his desire and ours to complete work on the illegal immigration bill. as well as to have opportunities to vote on issues that we hold to be very important. I object under the circumstances now presented.