I appreciate the question of the Senator, and it is one I have given a great deal of thought. I think there have been a lot of discussions around here about fancy changes to the budget process and new bills and new budget processes and new…

I thank the Senator from Montana for his clear thinking, as always, and his contribution to this discussion. I hope our colleagues will pay heed, as they always should, to the Senator from Montana.

The same thing. I wish we could banish the phrase ``continuing resolution.'' I know of no business that does business that way. I know of no school district or very few States--I think some States allow 1 or 2 days if they are in really…

I don't understand why we are adjourning when we are in this urgent situation. We could vote tonight on cloture and have an entire day tomorrow to work on this matter. This is irresponsible, and I just don't understand it, so I object to…

Senators Burr and King have the Repay Act, to simplify Federal repayment plans into two programs.

You are suggesting that Congress would slow down something? I am shocked, shocked.

I consider your two positions two of the most important in the United States Government, for the following reason.

So I commend that to you for your thinking as another alternative as we are approaching this.

Well, I was wondering, there is a concern of Congress losing, entirely, the control over transfers of important public assets.

Your client is the Constitution, it seems to me. Your client is the people of the United States.

But if there was a contemplated major change in the facility, if it was transferred from public ownership, NEPA didn't apply to the transfer but then the new owner would be exempt from NEPA, would they not because it would not be a federal…

I think we need to recognize that when we do things like that we cut the ability of government to respond to processes like what you are talking about.

If we have gone from 60 to 51, and if we are shortening the time, and if we are drifting away from the blue slip requirement, it seems to me we are moving very rapidly toward a majority only.

I rise today to talk not about legislation or about the tax bill--well, I may talk about the tax bill a little-- but I do wish to talk about deadlines and how we all do our work, whether it is in the Senate, in our businesses, or in our…

I agree with your statement that we haven't gotten there, but nobody has come up with an alternative for solving this problem that would maintain Israel as a democratic Jewish state.

I don't see how you can ignore one of the most significant decisions in terms of the Middle East.

This decision that is being made tomorrow is terrible on a lot of levels.

it's often easy, politically, to talk about shrinking the government, and hiring freezes, and fewer people.

you can't on the one hand talk about a more efficient permitting process and on the other hand talk about firing people and shrinking the size of government.

I find this hearing fascinating because this is an issue I've been wrestling with for 30 years. I've been an environmental advocate, a developer, a governor, and an administrator.

My concern is that in this situation we see the pendulum swinging back and forth to excessive and untimely regulation that impedes responsible development, but we don't want to swing back to the point where we open the floodgates to…

reducing lead times is almost as important as price.

a little bit later this afternoon, I am going to be offering a motion to instruct conferees in connection with the tax bill that may be one of the most simple, straightforward motions ever offered in this body. I will read it in its…

I have a motion at the desk. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the motion. The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows: The Senator from Maine [Mr. KING] moves that the managers on the part of the Senate at the…

this could not be a more simple motion. It simply says to the conferees to bring us back a tax bill that is deficit-neutral. It can be done. It should be done. We are in a period now where we have no business adding to the Federal deficit…