I thank the Senator for his leadership and the extraordinary effort he has made to get us back on track. I thank him for supporting Simpson-Bowles and the group of six that is now the group of eight. Senator Durbin has spent hundreds of…

I thank the Senator. I thank him for the extraordinary work he has done on the Budget Committee. I thank him for the extraordinary work he has done as an individual Senator to propose bipartisan tax reform, bipartisan Medicare reform, and…

We have Senator Reed slotted in between. I wonder if we could propose--I say to Senator Alexander, how much time would you like?

The problem is, we are oversubscribed by that. It is difficult to--we have not been yielding for things that are not budget related, I would say to the Senator. So I wonder if it would be agreeable if the Senator would take 5 minutes on…

That was part of a unanimous consent agreement so that we could manage the time on the floor better. We have, I say to the Senator, 60 minutes left on our side. I think they have 100 minutes left on their side. We have seven Senators left.

If I may, if the Senator could do his presentation in about 8 minutes, we have six speakers left and we have 50 minutes.

the smuggling of people and goods across the Nation's borders is a large-scale business dominated by organized criminal enterprises.

the Mexican drug cartels today are more sophisticated and dangerous than any other organized criminal groups in our law enforcement experience.

a small percentage of employees have committed criminal acts and other egregious misconduct warranting stiff sanctions.

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to meet, during the session of the Senate, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Identifying Opportunities for Health Care Delivery System Reform…

I ask unanimous consent that Chantel Boyens, a detailee to the Budget Committee, be given floor privileges for the pendency of the debate on the budget resolutions and S. 2516, the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act…

I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Children's Health and Environmental Responsibility of the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 16, 2012, at 10 a.m. in room…

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on May 16, 2012, at 10 a.m., in room SD 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled…

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 16, 2012, at 10 a.m. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered…

Well, it is hard to see how it would not. Let me say, in education, it cuts education 59 percent. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the motion.

I thank the Senator for his courtesy. Mr. President, the place we agree is we have a long-term problem for this country that we must address. I attempted to lay before the Budget Committee, and did lay before the Budget Committee, the…

the vast majority of employees within DHS are dedicated civil servants focused on protecting the Nation.

OK. I ask unanimous consent that Senator Harkin speak for 4 minutes and Senator Johnson for 10 minutes. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.