Real Debate in the Senate

Floor Speech

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, the Senate, as I indicated, will continue its work on the Keystone jobs bill today. It is great to see a real debate on the floor of the Senate again. We saw some action in the Chamber yesterday and even some unpredictability. We saw how democracy in the Senate has looked many times in the past. It is great to see both sides able to offer amendments once more.

I know many of our Democratic friends have been ready to give more of a voice to their constituents too. I know they have been waiting for this moment for some time. The assistant Democratic leader said he welcomes our vision of the Senate where Members ``bring amendments to the floor, debate them, vote on them, and ultimately pass legislation,'' and that is what we are doing.

Another Democratic colleague, the senior Senator from West Virginia, said he was ``very excited'' about the prospect of an open amendment process. He also noted that it gave Members of his party a valuable opportunity to pursue some of their own priorities through the legislative process.

The Senator makes an important point about the more open Senate we are working toward. A more open Senate presents more opportunities for legislators with serious ideas to make a mark on the legislative process. It can give Members of both parties a real stake in the ultimate outcome of the bill on the floor. And because it does, it represents one of our best avenues to secure passage of sensible legislation centered on jobs and the middle class. That is something we should all want.

So I hope Members in both parties will help us continue our efforts to make the Senate function better. That would be a good thing for our country. It would represent a change from the kind of Senate we have seen in recent years. And it would represent a positive step forward, not just for Congress but for the people we represent.

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