I will speak for just a moment, if I could. I know people in Washington and people in America do not believe we can actually eliminate a program. We are getting ready to eliminate one now in a bipartisan fashion to cut funding and to cut a…

I ask for the yeas and nays. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there a sufficient second? There is a sufficient second. The question is on agreeing to the amendment. The clerk will call the roll. The legislative clerk called the roll.

before I get into the business before us, which is SBIR and STTR reauthorization, a very important small business program, let me just add a few thoughts to the colloquy of the Senator from Arizona and the minority leader. I would most…

at this time, Senator Casey, whose amendment is pending, wishes to speak a few minutes. I know at 12 o'clock, under a unanimous consent agreement, we will have a speech from the Senator from Connecticut. I ask unanimous consent that at…

while we are waiting for Senators to come to the floor, I would like to put a couple other quotes or comments from very well-respected organizations about the importance of this bill into the record. I, again, appreciate the 84 Members of…

I wish to thank all of my colleagues for really helping us to focus on this debate yesterday and today. We started discussing the reauthorization of the SBIR and STTR Programs within the Small Business Administration. Senator Snowe has…

I appreciate the cooperation of the Senator from Oklahoma. We have been able to get his amendment No. 184 pending in the list of seven others, which gives us eight pending but not yet set for a vote. If he would allow me to get back to him…

we are waiting 10 or 15 minutes for Senators to come to the floor to speak about the bill. Senator Snowe, myself, and others have fairly described it for hours today and yesterday. I thought I would take a minute to pay honor to a…

I appreciate the Senator from Pennsylvania being so supportive and so helpful. I think this is an amendment we can support. I am hoping to get clarification to actually go to a vote on this amendment sometime in the next 20 minutes or so…

I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Amendment No. 216

I ask unanimous consent that we resume consideration of the Casey amendment No. 216; that there be 2 minutes equally divided before we proceed to a vote in relation to the amendment; that there be no amendments in order to the Casey…

as we are waiting for Senator Casey, I don't think there is any opposition to this amendment. I see the ranking member on the floor and I am wondering if she has anything she wishes to add at this point. I said earlier Members have been…

how much time remains before the vote? The PRESIDING OFFICER. There are 45 seconds remaining.

I ask unanimous consent to proceed to a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 16, 2011. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. committee on…

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on March 16, 2011, at 2:30 p.m., in room SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled…

this has been a very interesting debate. It really gets to the heart of the larger amendment on Capitol Hill and in the minds of all Americans. How are we going to close this budget deficit, annual deficit, and how are we going to…

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 16, 2011, at 2:30 p.m. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Committee on Commerce, Science…

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 16, 2011, at 10 a.m. in SD-406. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered…

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 16, 2011, at 10 a.m., in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Health Reform: Lessons…

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 16, 2011, at 9 a.m., to hold a hearing entitled, ``Intelligence Update on Libya.'' The PRESIDING OFFICER…

I wish to join Senator Snowe in supporting this amendment. We have received actually many complaints from small businesses at any number of the roundtables we have held in our committee about the old bait and switch that is going on, where…

Let me use the 45 seconds to ask unanimous consent to be listed as a cosponsor of the Casey amendment. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Thank you, Mr. President. That is what our records show. I appreciate all these Members being very patient. We have their amendments pending. We are going to try to line up votes for them, hopefully, sometime either later tonight or…

I may not have an objection. We are trying to get it cleared on our side. If the Senator will explain it, we can get back to him in short order.