Mr. President, we all admire the Senator from Texas for his wanting to talk. With all due respect, I am not sure we learned anything new. He had talked about it before on a number of occasions-- in fact, endlessly. It has been interesting…

Reserving the right to object, we are going to have a cloture vote at 1 o'clock and any consent agreements after that I will be happy to listen to them. At this stage, I object. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection is heard.

Reserving the right to object, my friend has had an opportunity to speak. I will speak for a longer time period in a few minutes about statements he has made in the last several hours. But he has spoken. At 1 p.m. the Senate will speak…

Madam President, he has the right to speak from 12 o'clock to 1 o'clock. What I am asking the consent for is would he allow, during that period of time, Senator McCain to speak for 15 minutes.

Between 12 and 1 o'clock, would my friend yield to Senator McCain for 15 minutes of that time?

I have a question I wish to ask my friend from Texas. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Will the Senator from Texas yield for a question without losing the floor?

If I could ask for a unanimous consent agreement with my friend. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?

Madam President, first, this is not a filibuster. This is an agreement that he and I made that he could talk. Let me say this: We are going to have a vote about 1 o'clock today. After that is over, we will follow the rules of the Senate…

I ask my friend from Texas to yield to me, without losing his right to the floor, for a colloquy. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Will the Senator so yield?

I understand. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does the Senator from Texas yield for a question?

May I direct a question to my friend from Texas? The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does the Senator yield for a question?

Mr. President, following my remarks and those of the Republican leader, there will be a period of morning business until 11:15 this morning. The Republicans will control the first half and the majority the second half. At 11:15 a.m. the…

Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 195, which is the continuing resolution. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the motion. The assistant bill clerk read as follows: Motion to proceed to Calendar No. 195…

Mr. President, I have a cloture motion at the desk. I ask the clerk to report it, if the Chair so advises. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The cloture motion having been presented under rule XXII, the Chair directs the clerk to read the motion. The…

Parliamentary inquiry, Madam President. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does the Senator from Texas yield for a parliamentary inquiry?

The question is the Senator seems to not understand that he has time, after the prayer is given at 12 o'clock, time until 1 o'clock. During that period of time my question was, because the Senator still has the floor, would the Senator…

I look forward to working with you, Mr. Chairman, with the Ranking Member, and all my colleagues here on this Committee.

I want to thank you and the Ranking Member for holding this, what I consider to be a very important hearing.