Actually all amendments to all bills should have SOMEthing to do with the bill
Class Action Bill Bogs Down in U.S. Senate
Wed Jul 7, 2004 08:58 PM ET
By Susan Cornwell
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Legislation to rewrite the rules on class-action lawsuits became mired in procedural wrangling in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday over whether to allow unrelated amendments on issues like immigration and drug re-importation.
Seeking to bar unrelated additions to the bill which could complicate its future in negotiations with the House of Representatives, Senate Majority leader Bill Frist on Wednesday evening moved to limit the debate to germane amendments. A vote on this motion was set for Friday.
In the meantime, Frist said, he welcomed senators to propose relevant changes to the bill, which has supporters in both parties, on Thursday.
Earlier Wednesday, Frist used a different procedural maneuver, which effectively blocked other senators from making any amendments at all while debate continued.
"We are not prepared to have this bill become a magnet for every unrelated issue that is brought to the floor," the Tennessee Republican declared. The bill would allow most class action suits to be shifted from state to federal courts.
But Frist's efforts to bar unrelated amendments provoked an outcry from Democrats, who had several waiting in the wings such as proposals to raise the minimum wage and to allow re-importation of less expensive drugs from Canada.
