I presume for the record that we are prepared to entertain any of these serious discussions at any time with Prime Minister Maliki and his cabinet.

This notion of who can bestow immunity rests on the SOFA which the Bush administration negotiated and signed.

But as you suggested, going forward we still have a relationship in terms of FMS, in terms of not only our diplomatic presence, but there is always the possibility, because that is not precluded by the 2008 SOFA, of amendments which in the…

Mr. President, I appreciate very much the Senator yielding, but I think the custom is that we are going back and forth, if the Senator from California would like to finish her statement.

Mr. President, I rise in strong opposition to the proposal by Senator Paul to preempt the implementation of the cross-state air pollution rule. We recognize throughout this country our extraordinary employment challenges--in Rhode Island…

I think if the Senator from California wishes to finish her statement and then recognize Senator Coats, that would be appropriate. That is the procedure. I think it is appropriate to alternate back and forth.

Mr. President, I rise specifically to speak in strong support of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011. This legislation incorporates key components of the American Jobs Act and other bipartisan proposals designed to help veterans find jobs…

Mr. President, let me also commend Senator Enzi and Senator Durbin and Senator Alexander because I too am a cosponsor of this legislation, and I think it does represent a remarkably thoughtful and bipartisan approach to the problem of…

I ask unanimous consent to return to morning business. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senate is in morning business.

But as the law goes, the Governor will essentially recommend the National Guard Bureau Chief, who will, if this statute passed, be by law a member of the JCS.

So looking ahead, effectively, some Governor is going to have to be either the nominator or vetoer of a member of the JCS.

But they are Federal funds that we provide in anticipation of units being federalized to perform Federal missions that fall clearly--and I don't think you dispute this--within the chain of command of the Service Chiefs and, ultimately…

So would you be adverse to eliminating the gubernatorial recommendation, since this statute would create a position on the JCS?

Right. But as I understand this whole procedure is to give you access to talk about those State missions, which you effectively don't have any control of because you can't force them to change their budgets.

Mr. President, it was fairly recently that this summer I came to the Senate floor to commend the Environmental Protection Agency for finalizing what we called the cross-State air pollution rule, which limits the out-of-State pollution that…

I very much hope that the Administration will take a look at the delivery system reform elements in the Affordable Care Act.

We need to look at payment reform. We need to make sure that payment is tied to the value, not the volume of services.

I have said over and over again that I think if President Kennedy had said we were going to bend the curve of space exploration, we never would have gotten to the moon.