I thank the Chair. Mr. President, we are in the midst of a defining debate on the budget of the United States. All of us understand we have a debt threat looming over this country that is as significant as anything we have faced in many…

I object to any further proceedings with respect to the bill. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection is heard. The bill will be placed on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV.

I rise, along with my fellow colleagues, to again address the need to reduce our deficit and our debt. The United States is the strongest country in the world--in the history of the world--but that will not be the case for long if we do…

I thank my esteemed colleague, the senior Senator from Utah, for taking the lead on this balanced budget amendment. I am pleased to join him, pleased to be one of the original cosponsors, and I am extremely pleased every member of the…

I thank the Senator from Colorado for his remarks and for his leadership. He has been right on point with respect to what has to be done in this country to get the debt threat under control. Make no mistake, we do face a debt threat of…

I rise today to call attention to my home State of North Dakota where we have terrible flooding occurring. We have flooding today on the Souris River and the community of Minot is now in the process of evacuating more than 11,000 people…

I think it is a critically important one in the circumstances we confront.

Let us not kill the baby in the crib.

When we are borrowing as a nation 40 cents of every dollar we spend, no taxpayer can be wasted and no program can be abused.

In Minot, North Dakota, more than 11,000 people have been evacuated since yesterday, and we face the worst flood in recorded history in my state.

I ask unanimous consent the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. North Dakota Flooding

the city of Minot, ND, in my home state, is facing a dire emergency. Minot and other communities on the Souris River in my home State are facing a flood of epic proportion. We have a wall of water heading toward the city. I am told the…

I ask unanimous consent to use such time as I might consume. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________

USDA has gotten the message, reducing travel, canceling bad loans, renegotiating the basic agreement on crop insurance.

I want to salute the Inspector General to have identified $256 million in potential savings, going after over-payments, going after recording errors.

I am going to put in a quorum call at this moment, but then I am going to ask to be given time to speak on a dire emergency facing my State. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll…

This is unprecedented. On Saturday morning, we were given reports that looked as though we had dodged the bullet.

The water is going to come and stay.