Thank you, Chair Landrieu, for holding this hearing on what is now the largest oil spill in the history of this nation.

So the $3,100 represents 30 days of income?

over 26,000 claims have been submitted with payments of more than $36 million.

What is the average claim?

Why can't you all get together, just have one-stop shopping? Is that possible? Why isn't that possible?

I just cannot understand why this is not all being coordinated. It has to be one-stop shopping.

Now, is there a reason why less than 10 percent of the claims have gone to businesses outside of the fishing industry, such as restaurants?

That is a very limited period of time, wouldn't you think, the 30 days?

I just do not understand this, because going through your process in SBA, if you are a catalyst at solving it and doing one-stop shopping, I mean, that would be one thing.

Madam President, this is a modified version of an amendment I offered yesterday. I am joined by Senators Alexander, Inhofe, Bond, Voinovich, Snowe, Begich, Gregg, Brown of Massachusetts, Murkowski, Coburn, Thune, and Corker in supporting…

Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays on this amendment. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there a sufficient second? There does not appear to be a sufficient second.

Mr. President, I understand that the chairman has temporarily stepped off the Senate floor, so I will withhold that request. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll. The bill clerk…

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The amendment is as follows: (Purpose: To prohibit the imposition of fines and…

Mr. President, I want to thank my colleague and friend from Tennessee for his comments and his support. We have been working on this since we first began discussing it during the appropriations markup, and he has illustrated what truly can…

Madam President, I feel honored that I was on the floor and able to hear the chairman of the Appropriations Committee reflect on his own service and also compare the differences between World War II and the experience of our soldiers, our…

Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about H.R. 4213 and the impact it will have on an economy that may be improving but has not gone far enough yet. This important bill will put the folks in Maine back to work by increasing investment in our…

Mr. President, I am not going to call up my amendment at this time because I understand there is an objection on the other side. But I am going to take advantage of this opportunity to discuss my amendment, which is No. 4218. This is an…

Should there not be more coordination among those three agencies?