I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 4, 2014, at 2:30 p.m. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. subcommittee on…

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 4. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Committee on Foreign Relations

I am proud of what we were able to accomplish in the nutrition title of the Farm Bill. It achieves important reforms in SNAP, but also protects food assistance for families, many of whom never dreamed that they would need help putting food…

Yes, the USDA has the economists and experts that can analyze various alternatives to the current system of pricing milk--and if the system is not working well for most of the players in the dairy industry, especially the farmers, the…

I want to thank the Senator from Maine. This legislation addresses many aspects of agriculture including dairy. During our deliberations we heard clearly from various dairy stakeholders who argued that the class III and class IV milk…

we have heard a lot from colleagues the last 2 days about just how important this farm bill is, and that is because there is so much more in this bill than what we would call a farm bill. It is really 12 different pieces of legislation…

Yes, I believe that not only does the Secretary have the authority to act upon a petition, but as was said earlier, the USDA has the ability to conduct a thoroughly researched prehearing procedure to consider alternative pricing formulas…

Yes, that is correct; the Dairy Industry Advisory Committee has recommended such action. Further, I believe that a study of pricing alternatives, followed by a rigorous prehearing process, would cut to the heart of the issue. This would…

I am happy to assist dairy farmers in their efforts and will contact the Secretary to ask that he take action on a prehearing request.

I suggest the absence of a quorum. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.

So I just want to say it is going down. It has dramatically gone down.

what you are suggesting is that rather than raising the minimum wage so there is a decent livable wage, that Government, taxpayers, should be paying more money through their earned income tax credit or food help or Medicaid and so on.

What do you say to somebody who is working 40 hours, 50 hours, 60 hours, two, three jobs, and still in poverty?

So your position would be that rather than reward work so if someone is working 40 hours a week, so they would be out of poverty, that they work 40 hours a week, they stay in poverty, but Government subsidizes that poverty?

I appreciate very much your thoughtful, deliberate approach.

We are seeing stock markets double, basically double since the spring of 2009.

I think the freedom involved in folks being able to make choices is one of the wonderful things about moving forward and not having health care have to be tied to employment.

We need more, but certainly in the last few years, and that is a good thing.

So when we are looking at a global economy competing with China, with those around the world investing like crazy to lower their costs of college, to build their countries, to invest in clean energy and so on, we in America are actually…

And I might just add that it is also an area where we have not allowed refinancing at the low rates that you have created for other parts of purchasing in the home market and so on, which is why many of us have joined with Senator Warren…

I am so proud that we are going to be able to give moms and dads that choice.

We have a deficit, Madam Chair, as you know, that since 2009, since the President came into office, is down by about two-thirds, about 66 percent.

We are giving a choice to someone in my family, in fact, right now where this is very real who wants to stay home with her 18-month-old.

I think we need to be doing more on work, job training, and similar efforts.

So that is a pretty big drop. A pretty big drop.