Issue of Fairness

ISSUE OF FAIRNESS -- (Senate - February 15, 2007)

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, using some of my leader time, let me respond briefly to my good friend, the majority leader.

The Senate Republicans are fully prepared to have a debate on the Iraq war. We were prepared to have a debate on the Iraq war last week. We anticipated it. The issue is whether the Senate will operate like the House. It will not.

In the House, they have one Iraq resolution. The minority gets no voice at all, up or down, on one proposal. As my good friend, the majority leader, and certainly the majority whip said repeatedly over the years, the Senate is not the House. Senate Republicans are anxious to have the Iraq debate. We are not trying to avoid it in any way, whatever. But there will be, at the very least, a proposal that a majority of Senate Republicans support in the queue to be considered so that we will have an alternative.

Now, the majority leader and I have had a number of discussions about this issue over the week. I am still hopeful we can work this out and have a process for going forward that is fair to Senate Republicans. However, I am very confident that Senate Republicans will insist on having at least one alternative favored by a majority of our Members. Again, I am not anticipating that we will end up in the same position we were last week. The majority leader and I are continuing to talk about it.

But fundamental fairness is essential on the most important issue confronting the country.

I yield the floor.

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