I rise also to congratulate and thank a terrific Senator, Kay Bailey Hutchison, and to wish her much success in her further efforts. I know she will provide great leadership in whatever she is doing. It has been wonderful to watch over the…

I also wish to speak about the importance of passing a farm bill today and thank the Senator from Texas for her support as we passed a strong bipartisan farm bill in the Senate back in June when sent it over it the House of…

I share my colleague's deep concern with the low water levels in the Great Lakes. This is, without a doubt, a disaster for the communities who rely on our harbors and waterways. The Great Lakes provide jobs for more than 800,000 Michigan…

I just wanted, for the record, for you to indicate your awareness of this and willingness to work with me and many other Senators to make sure we are clarifying this in the final rules.

Thank you for recognizing all four colleagues who are leaving, and the extraordinary efforts of Senator Conrad, Senator Bingaman, Senator Snowe, and Senator Kyl.

I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Remembering Daniel K. Inouye

I rise today, as so many colleagues have done throughout the day, to pay tribute to a tremendous colleague whom we lost yesterday, a friend to all of us, someone from whom we have all learned a tremendous amount, on both sides of the…

Let me just take a moment and thank Senator Merkley, Senator Baucus, Senator Wyden, and Senator McCaskill for joining, and I know others will join us as well. We are still working very hard to complete the farm bill and have the House take…

I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Pryor). Is there objection? Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I object. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard. The clerk will continue with…

today I rise because middle-class families are counting on the House of Representatives to do the right thing between now and the end of the year, which is just 19 days away. The House needs to pass the middle-class tax cuts we sent them…

I wish to take a moment to thank our distinguished colleague and my dear friend for his wonderful service. We serve on three committees together. It has been my honor to serve on the committee Senator Conrad chairs, the Budget Committee…

Is it also correct, basically, if we had voted, we would have guaranteed we would not place the country again in a situation of defaulting on our bills; that we would send a message that we can work together--the fact that we were willing…

Will my colleague, the distinguished assistant majority leader, yield for a question?

I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered. The Senator from Michigan. ____________________

I rise today to once again speak about the fact that in July, July 25 of this year, the Senate passed a middle-class tax cut bill guaranteeing that the first $250,000 dollars of income any American has would be exempted from any tax…

I rise to bring attention to a critically important piece of legislation the Senate has passed and the House needs to pass immediately. It passed the Senate with bipartisan support. There are those on both sides of the aisle in the House…

I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll. The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Akaka). The Senator from Virginia.

I rise to speak in favor of the Udall amendment, of which I am very pleased to be a cosponsor. I want to start, though, by thanking our terrific chairman, who we are so proud is from Michigan, and the distinguished ranking member for all…

I thank my friend from Colorado, Senator Udall, for speaking on this important issue, and for his constant advocacy of the wind production tax credit. We have entrepreneurs right now in Michigan and all across the country who are working…

Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you to the former chair of the Agriculture Committee and a very distinguished Member who leads in so many areas, whether it is our dairy producers, whether it is organic farmers, whether it is nutrition…

first, I did come to the floor to talk about the urgency of the farm bill, but I also want to thank my friend and colleague from Colorado, who chairs our conservation subcommittee, for the tremendous piece of work on the conservation title…

No question, we would be paying for disaster assistance. By the way, the reforms go away, and I know the Senator from Montana supports the reforms in the bill. We would see those subsidies continue--direct payments and so on--and we would…

It goes away. There is no $23 billion in taxpayer savings if we don't pass the farm bill.

I wish to thank my friend from Montana, who, by the way, is a farmer. I have called him more than one time in Montana, and he has said: I am in the field. I am getting off the tractor. So he speaks with great authority. And the answer is…

The Senator raises a very important question because economic certainty means that farmers and ranchers are going to be able to know what is happening next year and can go to the bank and get those operating loans and plan for next year…