The reduction is in overhead expense; it is not in labor. The definition the Senator is using is an across-the-board cut. That is not in this amendment at all. Does the chairman realize that the 5- percent reduction is in overhead--not…

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Udall of Colorado.) Without objection, it is so ordered. Amendment No. 4232

Mr. President, I wanted to spend a few minutes talking about the bill before us and also call up two amendments. I will call up the amendments first and get that out of the way. I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendment be set…

I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The amendment is as follows: (Purpose: To pay for the costs of supplemental spending by reducing Congress'…

I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendment be set aside and amendment No. 4231 be called up. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk will report. The bill clerk read as follows: The Senator from…

We now have cloture filed on a $60 billion bill. I don't know what the intentions of the majority leader are but the fact is, we are going to limit debate. We have been on this bill about a day or a day and a half, $60 billion. We are…

We have before us almost a $60 billion emergency supplemental appropriations bill. This is about the eighth supplemental bill we have discussed since I have been in the Senate--some appropriate, some not. But the thing that I think the…

So $\1/2\ trillion since we famously passed pay-go, and we are going to waive it six times, and when we haven't waived it, we have declared something an ``emergency'' so we do not have pay-go law applying. The budget rules go out the…

Mr. Speaker, in 2006 our distinguished majority leader said enacting a budget was ``the most basic responsibility of governing.'' Representative Spratt, from South Carolina, our distinguished Budget chairman, said in the same year, If you…

Reserving the right to object, first let me say I agree with most of what the Senator from New Jersey is saying. He mentioned the profits of the top five oil companies--Shell, BP, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, and Chevron. They are the…

Reserving the right to object. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there an objection? The Senator from Oklahoma.

Let me make a couple comments about the comments of my friend from Maryland concerning the opportunities we might have to exploit our resources in the United States. I hear quite often people say that we only have 3 percent of the world's…

For clarification, I know he expressed his sentiment that he wishes to stop all drilling offshore. But for the purpose of this amendment, it is confined to two areas, and it is only until such time as the investigations underway are…

Mr. President, for clarification, I knew people were walking around talking. I apologize to Senator Cardin. I have no objection to him offering his amendment. I would say, I was wanting to get clarification on the amendment so I would know…

I object. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard. The Senator from New Jersey.

This is a problem. I used to be in this business on some scale. The smaller contractors are the ones who do the renovation business. That means if they try to go out there and even replace one window, you can't replace the window without…

No. My answer to the question is, as I said, we don't know where that cap should be. You are coming up with a cap that might end up being the appropriate cap for everyone. But my understanding now would be that the only ones who would be…

Mr. President, first of all, I reserve the right to object, and I am going to object in a minute, but I agree with a lot of things that were said by the Senators from New Jersey. I say to the Senator from New Jersey, I was also there 20…