I cannot even begin to describe how meaningless that last statement is to me, and here is why.

the more aggressively you regulate, because you have been directed to do so by Dodd-Frank, the more tempting it is for somebody to say, see you around.

we rise today to engage in a colloquy on an issue that is certainly front and center and has been for a long time in our great Nation, and that is the issue of the health care bill. This bill is hurting working Americans and small…

I ask unanimous consent to engage in a colloquy with my colleagues Senator Portman and Senator Coburn. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________

We 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 thank Senator Portman. The Senator has made so many excellent points. I believe if we look at the people who have spoken about this legislation, before and after its passage, one would be hard-pressed to find anyone who speaks with…

Let me express my appreciation, but let me also follow up with a question because I think it is important. The Senator mentioned IPAB. This was a little-discussed provision, although the Senator kept pointing it out. Talk about the powers…

I think it is a bad idea, and the reason I do is because I think it is market distorting.

Farmers tell me, 'Crop insurance is working. Please protect it.'

I have been all over Nebraska asking farmers about risk management. They talk about crop insurance. Nobody supports SURE.

But my point is that in areas of extreme disaster they are going to wait an eternity for any kind of help.

let me start this afternoon by thanking my colleague from Missouri for taking on this issue and putting this legislation together. Let me also thank my colleague for telling the real story of this legislation. It is critically important we…

Women have signed this, and one of the things they say is, they are proud to work for institutions that contribute to their community. Let me quote from that letter. They value ``the shared sense of purpose found among colleagues who…

Thank you very much for your question, and I appreciate your comment earlier about eBenefits.

I have to tell you it is not working well.

I come away from those meetings absolutely convinced that you and your team have the best interests of vets in your heart.

Every veteran has an individual problem that is not easily solved with one sweeping policy approach.

I don't know what we are doing with education benefits, but at least from our experience something's working.

We are creating an expectation of service when really there is not much service there.

I rise today to take a few minutes to comment on the bill that the Senate will soon be considering to state why I oppose the bill in its current form. I am speaking of the bill that we oftentimes refer to as the Transportation bill. I do…

I appreciate the comments made by Senator Isakson. I wish to take a moment to follow up on his comments relative to Medicare and Social Security. Then I would ask Senator Blunt to offer a few words on where we go from here, what do we…

I thank my colleagues for laying out what this budget is all about and the problems we are seeing. Senator Isakson has been a leader in trying to reform the budget process. I say to Senator Isakson, I would like you to offer thoughts on…

we rise today to talk about the budget that was submitted by the President of the United States, actually within the last 24 hours. Despite a 2009 promise to literally cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term, President Obama…

I ask unanimous consent to participate in a colloquy with my colleagues, Senators Blunt, Risch, Isakson, and Heller. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.

I anticipate Senator Heller will probably seek the floor. But this concludes our colloquy. I yield the floor. ____________________