Senate Proceeding on Jul 15th, 2009 :: 8:57:15 to 9:05:54
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8:57:11 to 8:57:31( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: otherwise we'll d midnight tomorrow night. mr. mccain: the presiding officer: the senator from thank the majority leader for his words concerning the parliamentary situation we're in and, of course, i'm very

8:57:15 to 9:05:54( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: John McCain

8:57:32 to 8:57:53( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: apprecia the long service that we have shared together both in the other body and in the united states senate. since i have returned from the caaign trail i hav appreciated his kind words about my service to the country. i must say while the majority

8:57:54 to 8:58:14( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: leader is still on the floor, if i might point out there are dramatically different from the comments that he made about me during the campaign -- not just our political different trepses but my qualifications to serve and other statements about my character. but all those things are said in

8:58:15 to 8:58:38( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: political campaigns but i'm certainly glad to see sort of a significant change in his comments concerning me and i always am very grateful. can i also say that the distinguished leader said he couldn't understand that i couldn't understand. well the thing i can't

8:58:39 to 8:59:00( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: understand, mr. president, is leader can be, by virtue of being majority leader, can put legislation at any time before this body. i've never been majority leader and in all candor, i never want to be majority think that majority leader of the senate has a very tough job.

8:59:01 to 8:59:21( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: and i appreciate the that he does in trying to move my former colleague and one time majority leader senator lott once said that being majority leader of the senate was like herding cats and i certainly agree with that assessment. so let me just say

8:59:22 to 8:59:42( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: appreciate the work that the majority leader does. but if i had been majority leader i would never have had to do any of those amendments. the majority leader sets the agenda for the united states senate. all he has to do if he wants a hate crimes bill up is to schedule it to be be debated and discussed, and

8:59:43 to 9:00:04( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: amended in the regular order of the united states senate. instead, he chooses to put it on the a bill that's vital to the future of the security of this nation. and id that his passion concerning hate crimes. and i have heard speakers come to the floor

9:00:05 to 9:00:27( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: they in very graphic terms described and very moving terms and i am sure the next speaker will, too. about the terrible crimes that have been commi country by some of the worst of the worst people that have ever inhabited this country. but the question remains: why should a bill of this

9:00:28 to 9:00:49( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: importance, the hate crimes legislation, not have been at the majority leader's direction moved through t committee, reported out and reported to the floor of the senate? the judiciary - we've been in session since the united states senate could have -- judiciary committee, i'm

9:00:50 to 9:01:10( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: sure that they're got a lot to do, but this is -- has been described by its proepts as they -- proponents as they come to the floor as one of the most important issues of our time. if it is, why not move it to the judiciary committ the floor and allow to us amend, debate and discuss? instead it's put on this

9:01:11 to 9:01:31( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: amendment on the defense authorization bill. now, that's that's not right, mr. president. and the fact is that the amendment that the majority leader just very rightfully extolled, the levin-mccain amendment -- and i appreciate his strong remarks about the importance of it -- he's the one

9:01:32 to 9:01:52( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: that wanted it withdrawn. the reason whye're not debating that right now is because the majority leader told the chairman of the committee to withdraw the so, i appreciate his passionate advocacy of this issue. and i also want to reemphasize,

9:01:53 to 9:02:13( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: this isn't just about $1.75 billion. this is about -- this amendment is about whether we're going to change fundamentally the way we do business here. if the opponents of the amendment succeed and we fund additional f-22 aircraft, as the

9:02:14 to 9:02:35( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: marity leader pointed out, has never flown in iraq or afghanisn, then that signal to the military industrial which president eisenhower warned us about, that it's business as usual here in our nation's capital. so this is an amendment that has a transcendent importance. the president of the united

9:02:36 to 9:02:57( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: states has guaranteed a veto. the secretary of defense has come out and staked his reputation on succeeding here in eliminating, bringing to an end the moving forward with the f-35 production line. a lot of my friends ought to understand this is not just

9:02:58 to 9:03:19( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: about cutting cutting, eliminating, ending the production of the f-22, but it's also about the f-35 aircraft. so if i had been majority leader, then i would have, when he described those amendments

9:03:20 to 9:03:41( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: that i put on amendments, because i couldn't get them up any other way. le hate crimes legislation deserves the attention of the united states \@ senate in the normal legislative process, with amendments, with debate, with discussion f. it's and speaker after speaker, including the majority leader

9:03:42 to 9:04:03( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: has come to the floor and talked about how important it is and how vital it is and all the terrible happened as a result of us, in their view, of having this bill, although that's not in agreement with the united states commission on civil

9:04:04 to 9:04:25( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: the fact is that you would think we would want to take it up in a regular fashion. we would want to debate it. we would want to improve it and make it more effective through the amending process. but, no, we're not going to do that. we're going to take down a pending amendment that has probably one of the most significant amendments that we've had in the history, recent

9:04:26 to 9:04:47( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: history of the united states senate at least as far as defense is concerned, replace it with a piece of legislation which is complex, certainly controversial, and certainly deserves the full attention of the united states senate. so,

9:04:48 to 9:05:10( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: proposed earlier a unanimous consent agreement that was rejected by the majority that we f-22 amendment, we dispose of this legislation and then move to the hate crimes bill, the matthew shepard hate crimes prevention act, move to it, even bypassing the judiciary

9:05:11 to 9:05:31( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: committee, which is not a normal to of this so, you know -- and i'm deeply moved by the stories that the majority leaderag told, both the floor. many others have given very

9:05:32 to 9:05:52( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: graphic and dramatic and compelling terrible things that have happened to our citizens. horrible, awful, horrify things. and i sympathy, my thoughts and my prayers go out to their families. and we must do everything in our power to make sure that these kinds of horrendous acts are

9:05:53 to 9:05:55( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: never repeated.