I want to first of all thank my good friend from South Carolina for those comments. He has been very perceptive of the importance of turning this responsibility over to the Afghans as soon as possible, and we are clearly on track to do…

I thank the Presiding Officer, and I yield myself 10 minutes. Mr. President, the nomination of Leon Panetta to be Secretary of Defense is a wise and a solid nomination. Director Panetta has given decades of dedicated public service to this…

I ask unanimous consent that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

I ask for the yeas and nays. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second? There is a sufficient second. The clerk will call the roll. The legislative clerk called the roll. The result was announced--yeas 100, nays 0, as follows…

first, let me thank the Senator from South Carolina for his analysis on Afghanistan as well as his great support for Leon Panetta and his comments about Bob Gates, which I very much share and commented about this afternoon in a very…

We are prepared to yield back the remainder of our time and do so. The PRESIDING OFFICER. All time has expired. The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the nomination of Leon E. Panetta, of California, to be Secretary of…

I understand there is a time agreement on this nomination; is that correct? The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct--2 hours of debate, equally divided.

I think we know our Presiding Officer, Senator Shaheen, is very much into the issue of putting some real pressure on Pakistan to end the Haqqani network's intrusions and excursions into Afghanistan. And I think we are all together on that…

I will vote to oppose both the amendments offered today. I share many of the concerns of Senator Feinstein and others in this body about the impact of the volumetric ethanol excise tax credit. I am particularly concerned that this credit…

I have supported regulatory reform since before my election to the Senate in 1978, to make regulations more sensible and efficient while protecting the public's health and well- being. The Snowe regulatory reform amendment would amend the…

This is indeed an open rule in the sense it's so open that if you vote for the rule, you're voting to end Medicare. Republicans have done this once. If you vote for this, you're going to do it twice. And the gentleman who is handling this…

I will finish. So instead of a bipartisan effort to save it, by this rule you are essentially deeming the budget that you passed that ended Medicare, period. So don't come and say you're saviors when you're eliminating a program. Stand up…

I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell), a member of our committee.

It is my pleasure to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to a member of our committee, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal).

I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra), a member of our leadership and a member of the Ways and Means Committee.

I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to another member of the Ways and Means Committee, Mr. Blumenauer of Oregon.

I yield myself 10 seconds. I think, Mr. Camp, Standard and Poor's did not downgrade. They threatened. Let's be accurate. I now yield 1\1/2\ minutes to a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee, the gentleman from New York (Mr…

How much time is there on each side, please? The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin) has 14\1/2\ minutes. The gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Camp) has 13 minutes.

I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland, the ranking member on the Budget Committee, Mr. Van Hollen.

I yield myself 5 seconds. Mr. Camp, you were the ones who said just keep spending. We don't say that. I now yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett).

How much time remains from our minimum 20 minutes? The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin) has 3\1/2\ minutes remaining. The gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Camp) has 4\1/2\ minutes remaining.

I yield our final minute to our leader, who will close on our behalf, Ms. Pelosi, from the great State of California.

the Paul amendment would throw out the window a legitimate and useful law enforcement tool. It has worked effectively. Three courts have said it is constitutional. I hope the Paul amendment is tabled, and I thank the Presiding Officer.

I thank the Chair. Madam President, I rise in opposition to the amendment of Senator Paul, No. 365. This amendment would effectively wipe out a critical tool used against terrorists and drug traffickers. I want to explain exactly what…

I thank the Chair. The Attorney General further points out: It is also important to note that SARs themselves are confidential under law (i.e., not available to the public) and cannot be used as evidence. They contain information that, if…