Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Policy be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 9, 2012, at 10 a.m. to conduct a hearing…

I hope that this is the beginning of a meaningful discussion or set of discussions for our committee.

I would say, if you are really trying to change behavior, limit tax deductible excludability of health care to a very basic standard option and Blue Cross benefit.

We need to provide a stable foundation for paying physicians today and tomorrow, not 5 or 10 years from now.

The tax policy drives a lot of behavior, and there are a lot of places to go, but if you put in a tough tax cap, you change behavior, you raise revenue for other things, you close the deficit.

There is good news and bad news with the change.

Chairman Baucus and I have both called for repeal of the flawed Sustainable Growth Rate payment formula.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to also have printed in the Record an op-ed in Roll Call written by two representatives of this broad coalition again explaining the absolute importance and the critical nature of doing this full…

Madam President, I keep coming to the floor urging this because it is so important and because it is so achievable. Again, there are not big issues dividing us. This is not a partisan issue. We just need Senate floor time to get it done…

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Sidd Gejji, a detailee from the Commerce Committee, be granted the privilege of the floor during the remainder of the day. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

We appreciate the bill's strong support for NATO, which continues the long tradition of Senate advocacy.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record another letter along the same vein addressed to Senator Tester, the subcommittee chair, and myself, the ranking member on the subcommittee, again strongly supporting…

Madam President, I come to the floor again to urge all of us to join together on a bipartisan basis and to reauthorize the national flood insurance program, to do it now, to do it quickly because time is running out. On May 31 the entire…

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered. National Flood Insurance Program

Here we are, a House of Congress having a hearing on a subject that unquestionably impacts women disproportionately, and our witnesses are actually women.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman of the subcommittee, as well, for his work and leadership on this bill today and yesterday. We voted long into the morning this morning, and certainly appreciate his time and consideration. The…

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the following: Sec. __. None of the…

I think it would, at least, begin to move us in the right direction.