Hold on. I just want to say, if that is not the process, I don't know what is. We didn't cut that deal in the back room. We told everybody what we were going to do. I stood out here for 12 hours. We voted in public. Everyone knew about it…

May I ask another question? I appreciate what the Senator has said, but the ranking member has made it clear for many months now that she doesn't support--and I have great respect for her-- the Small Business Lending Fund. So we actually…

Madam President, I thank my colleague from Oregon, who has been one of the creators and designers of this bill and who has been a leading advocate and tireless in his efforts. He has conducted probably dozens of meetings in his office with…

Mr. President, I wish to thank my colleague from Virginia for that explanation and for his commitment to this bill and this effort. He was an extremely successful Governor before he became a Senator, and I say ``successful'' measured by…

Mr. President, the Senator from Illinois is absolutely correct. One of the last remaining works that we have to do, as we try to wrap up this portion of the session as we move to an August work period in our home States and our home…

I understand, under a previous order, I have the next hour to follow up on Senator Durbin's comments. I would like to claim that hour now. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is recognized.

I think the Senator has assessed it correctly. But we have worked in a bipartisan fashion through both the Finance Committee--and I see the Senator from Montana, the leader of that committee, is here--and through the Small Business…

I wish to speak up to 10 minutes. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________

Last week in my home State of Louisiana, nearly 15,000 citizens gathered to rally against the Obama administration's destructive moratorium on offshore drilling. The Rally for Economic Survival was meant to send a message to Washington…

If we lower our corporate tax rate at least down to OECD averages, that will enhance U.S. competitiveness. And we do have a different tax system than other countries utilize that I think actually hurts our competitiveness. But if we…

I thank the ranking member on the Trade Subcommittee, Mr. Brady from Texas, for yielding time to me. I think it's important to recognize, and I agree with the gentleman who just spoke, Mr. Pascrell, that the United States has the most…

Now that Washington leftists have forced socialized medicine down the throats of Americans, the British are about to abandon it. According to a recent report, a large part of the British health system is being dismantled by the new…

Today I made an error in how I voted on rollcall 471, passage of H.R. 5730, the Surface Transportation Earmark Rescission, Savings, and Accountability Act. I intended to vote against this legislation and I would like to make the record…

Mr. President, I submit the following notice in writing: In accordance with rule V of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby give notice in writing that it is my intention to move to suspend rule XXII, Paragraph 2, for the purpose of…

I thank the Senator for that question. I would like to respond. I do want to be courteous to the other Members who are on the Senate floor, and if we could get some kind of timeframe, then I would be very open to that. But let me respond…

Madam President, I thank the Senator from New York for those very kind words. But I wish to say again I am humbled, actually, to be able to present this amendment because it is quite unusual. Normally a chairman or a chairwoman presents…

Mr. President, I don't think we are under any time agreement. I think the leadership is coming to talk about how we might vote tonight because we have a couple of very important votes to make tonight, if I could speak for the next 10…

Madam President, I wish to yield the 8 minutes to the Senator from Washington, who was extremely instrumental in designing this program. Perhaps the Senator knows I am evidently having some difficulty explaining to some of the Senators…