Republican objection to S.3525, the Sportsmen Act
The unofficial transcript of their remarks is below.
16:50:32 NSP} (MR. REID) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
MR. REID: MR. PRESIDENT, WE'RE TRYING TO WORK THROUGH ALL THE
ISSUES WE HAVE. THERE ARE A FEW OF THEM, NOT TOO MANY, BUT A
FEW. BUT I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT WE -- WE CAN FINISH ALL
OF OUR WORK TOMORROW. IF WE DON'T FINISH IT TOMORROW, WE'RE NOT
GOING ANYPLACE. WE'RE STAYING HERE UNTIL
TUESDAY, PROBABLY 3:00, 3:30 BECAUSE WE HAVE YOM KIPPUR ON
WEDNESDAY, BUT WE WILL BE RIGHT BACK HERE ON THURSDAY. WE HAVE
TO FINISH OUR WORK. SO THAT MEANS IF WE CAN'T WORK THINGS OUT,
WE'RE GOING TO BE HERE FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY. I KNOW THAT WE
TALK ABOUT THIS ONCE IN A WHILE AND USUALLY WE'RE ABLE TO WORK
THINGS OUT, AND I'M GLAD THAT WE ARE, BUT JUST IN CASE WE
CAN'T, NO ONE SHOULD THINK THEY ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO CATCH
AN AIRPLANE OUT OF HERE TOMORROW -- I MEAN FRIDAY, I'M SORRY.
MR. PRESIDENT, I'LL BE VERY QUICK. I KNOW THAT THE ASSISTANT
LEADER FOR THE MINORITY IS HERE, AND I DON'T WANT TO TAKE A LOT
OF TIME OF HIS. THE SENATOR FROM MONTANA, SENATOR TEFER --
TESTER, HAS ASSEMBLED A BROAD PACKAGE OF LEGISLATION THAT IS
BIPARTISAN IN NATURE TO SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF SPORTSMEN
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. HE HAS WORKED WITH THESE GROUPS AND I
HAVE BEEN IN MEETINGS WITH HIM WHERE HE HAS TRIED TO GET THE
DEMOCRATIC SENATORS TO BACK OFF AND LET THIS PACKAGE GO FORWARD
AND THERE HAS BEEN SOME ADJUSTMENTS MADE BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS
THAT REPUBLICANS HAD AND DEMOCRATS HAD. SO I APPRECIATE VERY
MUCH HIS WORK. WHAT HIS BILL DOES, IT COMBINES ABOUT 20 BILLS
THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THE SPORTSMEN COMMUNITIES AROUND THIS
COUNTRY. THEY WOULD FOSTER HABITAT CONSERVATION THROUGH
VOLUNTARY PROGRAMS. MORE THAN 50 NATIONAL GROUPS SUPPORT THIS.
THESE ARE SPORTSMEN AND CONSERVATION GROUPS. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE
OF LEADERSHIP THAT IS IMPORTANT IN THIS BODY, THAT WORK ON
SOMETHING THAT BRINGS TOGETHER A DISPARATE GROUP OF BILLS AND
ARE BIPARTISAN IN NATURE AND TRY TO MOVE FORWARD. WE OUGHT TO
PASS THIS PACKAGE TODAY. MR. PRESIDENT, I ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT
THAT THE SENATE PROCEED TO CALENDAR NUMBER 504, S. 3525, THE
SPORTSMAN ACT OF 2012, THAT IT BE READ A THIRD TIME, PASSED,
THE MOTION TO RECONSIDER BE LAID ON THE TABLE WITH NO
INTERVENING ACTION OR DEBATE AND ANY STATEMENTS RELATED TO THIS
MATTER BE PLACED IN THE RECORD AT THE APPROPRIATE PLACE AS IF
GIVEN.
{16:53:03 NSP} (THE PRESIDING OFFICER) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
THE PRESIDING OFFICER: IS THERE AN OBJECTION?
{16:53:05 NSP} (MR. KYL) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
MR. KYL: MR. PRESIDENT, RESERVING THE RIGHT TO OBJECT.
{16:53:09 NSP} (THE PRESIDING OFFICER) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR FROM ARIZONA.
{16:53:11 NSP} (MR. KYL) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
MR. KYL: I HAD ASKED THE DISTINGUISHED MAJORITY LEADER IF I
REQUESTED AN AMENDMENT TO HIS REQUEST TO ADD A PIECE OF
LEGISLATION THAT HE AND I BOTH SUPPORT, WHETHER HE WOULD HAVE
TO OBJECT TO THAT, AND I PRESUME HIS ANSWER IS THAT HE WOULD
HAVE TO OBJECT, AND AS A RESULT, RATHER THAN DOING THAT AND
FORCING HIM TO OBJECT, I'LL SIMPLY POSE MY OBJECTION AT THIS
TIME.
{16:53:36 NSP} (THE PRESIDING OFFICER) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
THE PRESIDING OFFICER: OBJECTION IS HEARD.
