I understand there are aggressive deadlines for implementing the Act that require competitive bidding to operate the one stop career centers.

Thank you for being here and for your service.

I very much appreciate that and look forward to your coming up for the ribbon cutting.

I just want to be reassured that the operating costs to begin enrolling students on the target date of this July are in fact in the budget.

I wonder is it common practice for DOL to change rate classification in the middle of a construction project like that, and then to backdate the contract?

My understanding is there were a class of workers who did in fact get their wages raised.

Hopefully, we will act with more sanity in this budget cycle.

I read with great interest the President's recent executive order planning for Federal sustainability in the next decade.

And can you talk about the role of the Department of Energy in encouraging, looking at the use of thermal biomass throughout the Federal Government?

I wonder if you could talk a little bit about the potential that you see in thermal biomass and what the role of DOE can be in promoting that or encouraging its use.

I would encourage you to do that.

What do you mean by a non-trivial potential?

I was pleased to hear the President's announcement this week that he has decided to leave 9,800 troops in Afghanistan until the end of the year.

Mr. President, last year in this body, we heard and saw evidence about what was happening at some of our VA facilities--the manipulated wait lists, the delays our veterans had to endure--and, unfortunately, some of our veterans died…

Mr. 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 establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to…

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to set aside the pending amendment and call up my amendment No. 400. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk will report. The senior assistant…

Making events on the ground and the commitment to continue there be more conditions-based than time-based is always a good thing.

Frankly, there are many of us that want to deal with the overall BCA in solving it. I'm still committed to doing that.