I am interested in knowing and I think the Committee would be interested to know, is there another strategy to try to break the logjam here, get you medical records, get these claims decided, and get these people the benefits they deserve?

Let me, if I might, follow-up on Senator Tester's question about the oversight group because I, having sat in a position similar to yours, you know; there was always a willingness to put together an oversight group.

I would sure feel a lot more comfortable if there were some way you could look out there and say 'get 'er done' means 12 months or 18 months or something else, because I think this is sizable.

That gives us a pretty good insight into at least a piece of the problem and if we could somehow jar that loose and you could deal with those claims in an expeditious way, it seems to me we take a pretty sizable step forward in dealing…

I do not want to pull rank on anybody, but it seems to me if you really need help with freeing up medical records, let us know and we can also make that request.

While I disagree with your refusal to allow Congressional oversight of your budget through the appropriations process, I know that this refusal is absolute.

I think we have a right as United States Senators to probe into this kind of information because it is important that we be able to tell our taxpayers, our constituents, 'Do not worry. This money is being spent wisely and thoughtfully and…

I think we are elected to provide oversight.

I think position limits help the integrity of markets, that no one participant in the market--no one speculator in the market has an outside position either to push the price down or up.

I cannot imagine that there would be anything in a position limits rule that would drive down the price of a gallon of gasoline.

I think really what we are ending up with here, or too much of, is we are just making it difficult to do business in the United States.

That is fair. I mean, that is what the system provides for.

Ben is a perfect example of someone who demonstrates the values of rural America.

I yield the floor and I suggest the absence of a quorum. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll. The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.

I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered. (The remarks of Mr. Johanns pertaining to the introduction of S. 317, S. 318, S. 319, and S…

I rise today to discuss changes needed at the Environmental Protection Agency to rebuild public trust and transparency. The reviews of this agency are almost unanimous from my constituents in Nebraska. Quite frankly, my constituents are…

Thank you, Madam Chair, for this courtesy.

I rise today, first of all, to say thank you to Senator Barrasso and Senator Alexander for speaking so forcefully on this issue. All of us in this body are elected officials and we take an oath. In that oath, we raise our right hand and we…

I rise today to pay tribute to my colleague Ben Nelson. In fact, when we visited with each other last night, I said to Senator Nelson that I have spent a significant part of my career following jobs he had done. I was the mayor of Lincoln…

the Founders of this great country clearly wanted the Senate to serve as a deliberative body anchored with the ability to fully amend and to fully debate issues. Yet there has been a lot of talk lately about Senate rules changes to limit…

the Constitution would always trump, but that is a misinterpretation of what we are doing here. Let me play this out, because I am pretty confident I know how this is going to work if this is pursued. What would happen in January is there…

I come to the floor today in support of approving permanent normal trade relations with Russia. Over the past several years, I have often come to the floor in favor of free-trade agreements and other efforts to expand market access for…

I was very, very pleased to be a supporter of that highway bill, not only in Committee, but on the floor.

WRDA is important to every single State in the United States.

think about it--$5 trillion of new debt under this President. So when he submits a budget plan, what happens to it? On the floor of this Senate, the President's budget plan did not get a single vote. No Republican, no Democrat, no…