Barbara Mikulski

But I think this looming threat is severe, and I'm sure it has a tremendous impact on morale.

The reason I asked about the training--I went to graduate school on an NIH grant.

I think what we're hearing today is that effective intervention, whether it's autism or chronic schizophrenia--it's research, it's treatment, and the workforce to make both happen.

Without these services, many children would not be able to obtain the care they seriously need.

Research shows that Americans with serious mental illness (SMI) die 8 years earlier than the general population from largely preventable or treatable comorbid medical conditions.

I am a big champion of privacy but with Virginia Tech, none of the systems talked with each other.

If the Senator will withhold, the next amendment under our agreement was Senator McCain. He will be here in 5 minutes, so the Senator may proceed.

To the Senator from Oklahoma, I apologize. I am sorry for the delay. We will move forward to further debate on the second amendment.

If I might discuss with the leader and get the consent of the minority, the Senator from Oklahoma has a series of amendments. I wonder if we could debate the next amendment now, which is the Feinstein amendment, and then have two stacked…

The Senator from Oklahoma, Mr. Coburn, has asked that he have a chance to get his own paperwork together because he has extensive remarks. I am going to ask unanimous consent that the Coburn amendments be temporarily laid aside until he is…

Yes. I wish to thank the Senator from Oklahoma for being willing to debate these amendments this evening. I know he has a pressing engagement, and he may proceed in whatever order he so chooses.

I say to the Senator, we have been advised that we will not be voice voting amendments tonight. But I want to just comment that we support the Landrieu amendment No. 3415, which clarifies the intent of section 609(e) of the pending…

Replying to the Senator from Oklahoma, for those amendments we know we have cleared on both sides of the aisle that we can do by voice votes or by consent, we are going to get those done this evening. Does the Senator have an objection to…

Wait. Before the Senator from Montana speaks, why don't we voice vote the amendment now.

What is the pending business before the Senate? The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Sanders.) The pending business is H.R. 1.

Yes, the Senator is exactly right. And it happened under both Democratic and Republican Senates. So this has been declared under President Bill Clinton, and we worked with his Secretaries of Commerce. This was done under George Bush, and…

But what I am wanting to say to the Senator from Oklahoma is that my subcommittee deals with coastal impact, so the issue the Senator wishes to raise is with the Subcommittee on Homeland Security. If it dealt with my part of the bill, I…

I have a section of this bill, and I wonder if that amendment is relevant to my bill, and I would extend some courtesy.

I would really compliment you for the thoughtful work that's gone into that and it's something I think you'll see reflected in the work we're doing.

You think of Baltimore City, but it's at 9 percent--9 percent--and in some communities it's 30 percent.

We practice the three R's: Readiness, response, and now recovery.

We in Maryland, we're part of reform. I used to chair the funding of FEMA, so I'm a FEMA reformer.

I think this has been a great hearing. Also, what you bring is experience in this area, both as a Senator and a Louisianan, and a great sense of response, compassion, but also reform.

We had heroic people.

I think if we work together out of moving on the supplemental we can institute reforms, respond in a very creative, compassionate way, and yet keep an eye on the bottom line.