How are we possibly going to not curtail commerce when you are budgeting well less than half what we have spent in those previous years?

It is clear to me that we are never going to get a specific project recommendation out of it.

My point is that they fronted this money on the clear promise of reimbursement.

Dodd-Frank did not address one of the largest root causes of our recent crisis, and that is, Government housing policy.

This is a spending amendment to get back to what I believe is the central challenge we face as a country right now, this unsustainable path we are on with regard to Federal spending and debt. This is a very simple, straightforward…

This is one of a series of amendments that conservatives are bringing to the floor that go to our central challenge of reining in uncontrolled spending and debt. Clearly, we face a monumental challenge in this country from the fact that we…

I think it is unwarranted.

if the liability cap is too low and is not reflective of the real economic consequences, then the cost is not going to go away.

Thank you, Mr. President, and thanks to my colleagues for their courtesies and cooperation. At this point, I move to temporarily set aside the pending amendment and to call up Vitter amendment No. 178. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there…

We recommend that there be a reexamination of what would be the appropriate level of, the appropriateness of having any cap.

We think this cap is a, obviously 20 years out of date.

the industry is developing impressive new well containment technologies and there are new standards being established within the industry itself.

We believe it is very important to see this as an opportunity to do something that has been long needed.

Thank you again for your specific recommendation about Clean Water Act fines related to the event. I just want to underscore, particularly for my colleagues, you all specifically recommended that we legislate and dedicate 80 percent of the…

to me, moving forward in Louisiana and on the Gulf, I think the single most important recommendation of your report is that we, in Congress, with the President, dedicate a significant portion of the fines related to this incident under the…

Well, at least my next question, because I guess I just fundamentally disagree with that, my next question was going to be when will the President and the Administration lead on changing our fiscal course, because I truly believe what has…

I agree with the last statement and I encourage everyone, including the Administration, to latch on to that and to lead in that.

I too take the floor of the Senate to urge all of us, Democrats and Republicans alike, to focus on the single biggest domestic threat to our country, our single greatest challenge in the eyes of every Louisianan and every American I know…

I believe taxpayer subsidy of abortion providers should be among the first things to go. I personally believe it is morally wrong to end an innocent human life through abortion. I also believe it is morally reprehensible to take the…

I rise to focus on another grave threat to our economic recovery and jobs: skyrocketing energy prices, and particularly the price of gasoline at the pump. Madam President, I don't have to point out to Americans all over the country, and…

I rise in strong support of the Lee amendment, which is a sense of the Senate that this body and the House should pass a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget. Clearly, I think in the mind of every American, our top domestic…

I rise in strong support of the Toomey- Vitter amendment, which we will vote on in the series of two votes starting at 5 p.m. The idea behind the Toomey-Vitter amendment is very simple. It says if we ever reach the debt ceiling, the…

The basis of this amendment is Senator Toomey's Full Faith and Credit Act. It is very important. It simply says if we ever as a country reach our debt ceiling, then even if we go beyond the debt ceiling, we will use all the tools available…

this Toomey-Vitter amendment is the Full Faith and Credit Act--the concept that has been discussed for several weeks prior to this week. It is very timely, as we are all rightly focused on the spending and debt issue with the Thursday…

It does not make sense to continue to waste $800 million on a system we are not going to procure.