I thank Senator Kirk. I am grateful for the Senator inviting me to join him in a real debate on the floor on an issue about which we disagree and about which we cast opposing votes earlier today. It is an issue of real import to our…

I could not agree more that we need to be responsible; that the United States and this Senate need to face our serious and crippling national deficits and debt. It was a good idea when Thomas Jefferson recognized that a balanced budget…

This Senate can, should, and has shown the ability to reach balanced budgets--no, in fact, surpluses--within living memory. In fact, when President Clinton was the President, this Senate and the House acted together. They adopted budgetary…

Mr. President, how much time remains? The PRESIDING OFFICER. On the Senator's side, 2 minutes 20 seconds; on the side of the Senator from Illinois, 1 minute 16 seconds.

Mr. President, as the good Senator from Illinois suggests, we are, indeed, encumbering future generations with a debt that has risen above $40,000 per American. This is a central challenge of our time, one in which our national security…

I thank the Senator. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll. The assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Louisiana.

Thank you, Assistant Secretary Carson.

I would like to follow up, if I might, on that same line of questioning.

I have heard from a number of constituents real concern about Cameroon and President Biya who modified the Cameroonian Constitution to run for a sixth term.

this assessment does not propose the final order of candidates necessarily different than announced by the CENI, only that the results process is not credible.

the management and technical aspect of these elections to be seriously flawed, the vote tabulation to be lacking in transparency.