So if we were going to go forward and try and include energy efficiency as part of a clean energy standard how would you suggest we do that?

I thank Senator Harkin for his efforts over the years to try to move us to a biennial budget and a process that gets a budget done that makes a lot more sense and allows us to be a lot more thoughtful about how we are supporting programs…

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to extend morning business until 5:30 p.m., with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. President, we have now almost a 9-percent unemployment rate in this country. I think the good news is that unemployment dropped to 8.9 percent, but it is still way too high. We have a $1.6 trillion deficit. Yet, despite these enormous…

Fishermen are the first line of defense in protecting our marine resources.

Would you still agree that is one of the worst bridges in America?

Certainly we appreciate the commitment, when you came to Portsmouth, to the project.

Can I have your commitment to expedite the review process within the Department of Transportation?

As I understand it, the NEPA review that was already approved--the one that has been resubmitted is very substantially similar, very few differences between the two.

I just wanted to follow up with the House bill and the language in it to clarify with you that the funding for the Memorial Bridge is actually TIGER II competitive grant funding.

Catch limits and sectors established by NOAA for the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan represent significant obstacles for the fishing industry in New Hampshire.

Mr. President, I thank Senator Boxer for her leadership. I thank Senator Mikulski for the work she has done to organize us this afternoon, to point out just what is being proposed by our colleagues in the other Chamber. We need to address…

I think all of us here recognize how critical an issue that is for the country.

I very much appreciated and am in agreement with your comments, that not only do we have to look at the spending side of our budget, and entitlements and defense are a big piece of that, but we also need to look at revenues and tax reform.

I think Pease National Guard Base is one of the places that you should look at very carefully.

This program has been supported by congressionally-directed spending--earmarks--which are not likely to continue.

I appreciated everyone's expressed commitment, again, to the health and well-being of all the servicemen and women and their families.

In New Hampshire we have a very significant defense industry that has been doing a lot of cutting edge research.