A concurrent resolution commending the Government of Switzerland for ongoing assistance in the case of Robert Levinson, urging the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to intensify cooperation with the Government of Switzerland and the Federal Bureau of Investigation on the case of Robert Levinson, and expressing sympathy to the family of Robert Levinson.

Mr. President, I am introducing a resolution in the Senate that touches on one of the tragic cases of a Floridian, Bob Levinson, who has been missing in Iran since he visited Kish Island off the coast of Iran in the Persian Gulf in early 2007. I have spoken on this issue ad infinitum before to call the attention of the Congress to the plight of Mr. Levinson as well as to the difficulties that are faced by his wife Christine and their seven children.

Bob Levinson, a businessman and a former FBI agent, vanished after checking out of his hotel on the resort island of Kish on March 9, 2007. It is no doubt the wish of everyone who knows this man that Bob Levinson be reunited with his loved ones. It has been very difficult to get information out of the Government of Iran. The State Department has delivered a number of requests for information and cooperation to the Iranian Government through our diplomatic intermediary, which is the Government of Switzerland. Unfortunately, Iran continues to claim it has no information on the fate of Bob Levinson.

Mrs. Levinson and her eldest son, Daniel, and her sister, Ms. Halpin, traveled to Tehran and Kish Island in December of last year in the hopes of finding information about Bob Levinson's disappearance. The Iranian authorities, to their credit, extended courtesies to her and they promised her at the time they would help in the case, but those promises have not been fulfilled.

This resolution I am introducing urges Iranian officials to fulfill their promises of assistance to the Levinsons. It calls for Iranian investigators to meet with the FBI to discuss the Levinson case. It calls for the U.S. Government and our allies to

press Iran on this case at every opportunity and at every level-- something I think the U.S. Government is beginning to do. Also, this resolution thanks the Swiss for their continued assistance in the case. It furthermore expresses appreciation for the efforts of Iranian officials who have ensured the safety of the family during their visit of December of last year. This resolution also expresses sympathy to the Levinson family during this trying period. This is a wife and seven children of a missing former FBI agent in the country of Iran, missing now since the early part of 2007.

In this year, on July 28, the President of Iran stated during an interview with NBC that Iranian officials were willing to cooperate with the FBI on this case. Why is the FBI involved? The FBI is involved because he is a former FBI agent. This resolution calls upon the Tehran government to make this meeting happen as soon as possible to discuss the evidence the Iranians have uncovered about Mr. Levinson's disappearance.

Now, I wish to underscore that because on July 28 of this year the President of Iran stated in an NBC interview that Iranian officials were willing to cooperate with the FBI on this case. They have not.

I wish to be blunt. We obviously have serious disagreements with Iran on its nuclear program and a whole range of other issues. I haven't hesitated over the years, as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Senate Intelligence Committee, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to express my opposition to a number of Tehran's policies--and I will continue to press for change in Iran's positions and activities--but I am calling on the Government of Iran out of human compassion and humanitarian assistance to a family of a wife and seven children to come forth and cooperate in trying to find and get evidence of the whereabouts of Bob Levinson.

We want to see an Iran where individuals are respected, not locked up in Evin Prison--we want to see an Iran that is respected--for signing a petition calling for women's rights. We want to see an Iran that champions the Middle East peace process rather than supporting terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. We want to see an Iran whose leaders do not make despicable threats to ``wipe Israel off the map.''

We clearly have our differences with Iran, and those differences, especially under a new administration, can start to be bridged with Iran stepping forth with discussions regarding the safe return of an American citizen whose family desperately wishes to be reunited with him, that American citizen being former FBI agent Bob Levinson.

So this resolution calls upon the U.S. Government and our friends and allies to engage with Iranian officials to raise Mr. Levinson's case at every opportunity and at every level. I understand many of our allies already have raised Mr. Levinson's case on our behalf, and I wish to encourage them to continue to do so. This Senator has done it as well, both publicly and privately, and I will continue to do so.

The resolution I have filed additionally commends the Swiss for their ongoing assistance to the U.S. Government and to the family of the Levinsons. The assistance of the Swiss Ambassador and his staff at the American Interests Section in Tehran was essential during Mrs. Levinson's visits in the past, and will be, I think, to her visits in the future.

I wish to express--the word ``sympathy'' does not conjure up what I am trying to express to Christine Levinson and to her family. No one should have to experience what they have been through. I have met with her on a number of occasions. She is a loving mother. She is clearly an eloquent advocate. She is a tough fighter on behalf of her husband. She is relentless. She is not going to give up, nor should she. I deem it a great privilege that I may in some little way try to assist her and her family.

I want to bring more of our colleagues into this issue of trying to find Bob Levinson in Iran and get the world's attention focused on this missing American. I am going to ask Mrs. Levinson to come back in January when we reconvene, and I want some of our colleagues to meet her.

Remember, Senators, that as representatives of the American people, that means we have to help individual American citizens in distress. This is clearly a family who is in distress. We cannot--and I believe I can speak for the Senate--we are not going to forget Bob Levinson and his family.

I want to comment briefly about what I consider the disintegration of the standing of the Senate as the world's greatest deliberative body. There was a time, when someone wanted to filibuster, that they had to stand up and speak. The Democrats brought to the floor legislation to alter the Supreme Court decision which cut short the statute of limitations on women's pay. I voted for cloture to take up that issue. The issue came and went in the course of a few hours one day. Under the traditional rules of the Senate, when a matter is raised, it is presented. It is argued. If someone opposes and wants to object and filibuster, they have to speak.

The cost of a filibuster today is very cheap. All you have to do is say: I am going to filibuster. Then there is a cloture vote, and 60 votes are not obtained, and the issue goes away.

That is not the way the Senate has traditionally functioned. If the Democrats had been serious about trying to change the rule that the Supreme Court handed down, which I thought was a bad decision--bad on the law, and it certainly can be changed by legislation--they would have argued the matter. They would have compelled opponents to come to the Senate floor and oppose the matter. There would have been a public debate. Had there been an extended debate, the American people would have understood the wrong Supreme Court decision and insisted the Congress take corrective action.

Similarly, we have found the Senate has now been overwhelmed by procedural motions on filling the tree which preclude any meaningful, traditional Senate approach to our function where Senators should be able to offer amendments at any time on any issue. Senator Reid, who now has the distinction of having the record on filling the tree the most times, has it in heavy competition. Senator Mitchell established a new record in the 103rd Congress with nine. Senator Lott tied him in the 106th Congress with nine. Senator Frist tied him in the 109th Congress with nine. But Senator Reid is now the champion.

The problem with filling the tree is that Senators are precluded from coming to the floor and offering amendments. The American people do not understand what is happening in the Senate because nothing is happening in the Senate. Last week we had one cloture vote at 5:30 on Monday. We didn't vote on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday--one vote, and not a peep in the news media about the inactive Senate. So what we are seeing--and I intend to speak at length on this at a later date--is the disintegration of what the Senate is supposed to be.

If legislation is needed to change the statute of limitations on enforcing women's employment rights for equal pay, let the Senate take it up and debate. If we are on the FAA Act, let's have Senators come forward and consider it.

It is time we declared a truce on the judge issue. It has been exacerbated continuously over the last 20 years. It is time for a truce because the American people are caught in the crossfire.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a survey of the filling of the tree, compiled by CRS, be printed in the Record. I urge my colleagues to study it to see how the business of the Senate has been thwarted, stymied, and eliminated by this procedural, inappropriate activity.

I again call on the Rules Committee to take up my pending rule change which would stop this abhorrent practice.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, is the Senate in morning business?

I thank the Chair.

(The remarks of Mr. Nelson of Florida pertaining to the introduction of S. Con. Res. 106 are located in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')

Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, what is the parliamentary situation? Is the Senator from Virginia able to address the Senate?

I ask unanimous consent to proceed for no more than 5 minutes.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the time for morning business be extended until 12 noon, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.