Roy Blunt

It was really amazing, he said, to see the length of this attack.

I think we wrote you a letter, we wrote a letter, or you wrote a letter to Ambassador Locke about this issue in October 2012.

I would like to take a few moments to share a rare piece of good news related to international religious freedom. On October 11 of last year I submitted for the Record the story of a Christian pastor in Iran who had been charged with…

the No. 1 job of this Congress domestically should have been more private sector jobs. The President's long-held view of redistribution as a goal for the government is not going to accomplish that. What is going to accomplish that is more…

I thank my friend from Rhode Island, and I think we can move forward. I think there is good faith. As I said, we started--the four of us--beginning to get people together. That group was quickly joined by Senators Collins and Lieberman, so…

I am concerned that we are going to go home without an agriculture disaster bill farm families can rely on. This disaster is real. The disaster programs for livestock ran out a year ago, September 30 of last year. We have a chance to do…

This 10 page bill would simply give them that right--and keep up with changes in technology and the way consumers make purchases today.

I think I'm going to add to that, in case somebody else hasn't, a pretty good outline of conservatives, like the Chairman of the American Conservative Union; Governor Mitch Daniels; Chris Christie; Congressman candidate for Governor, Mike…

As we gear up for what I hope will be meaningful reform of our tax code, I believe this is the right moment to also consider allowing states to level the playing field.

I strongly believe that states should have the right to decide to collect or not collect sales taxes for online transactions.

fiscal relief for the states that does not cost the Federal Government a single dime.

It is disappointing in that, as the Senator says, it is not even that hard to figure out what we could be doing or what we should be doing or what is the fundamental work of what we should be doing. There are things the Constitution says…

I do think we are having that discussion, and particularly about the budget. There have never been 60 popularly elected Republican Senators, so anytime the Republicans have controlled the Senate, it was with a number that was below 60. And…

That is exactly right. That is the way the process is supposed to work. I think the observation the Senator made on the Budget Control Act is that is the maximum amount of money we agree to spend. The majority leader's view is: Well, if…

My only thought, as we are standing here finishing up this discussion, is that as people hear this, they may wonder if Senator Alexander and Senator Blunt are talking about how the Federal Government can spend the money, and that being the…

I think the Senator is exactly right. He has made that pledge at press conferences. I think some of that has been said recently on the floor of the Senate: Let's get our work done. And if we were in the majority, we would pledge that we…

I think Senator Mikulski made the case so well here, too. When we looked at this, when we have gone through exercises, the power grid is where you go first because it is the most dramatic, I suppose. But there are so many other places you…

I thank the Senator from Rhode Island for his kind comments. I wish to comment on a couple of things that have been said, and one by my friend from Connecticut that there are competing concerns here and they don't need to be mutually…

we have heard our colleagues talking about jobs. Clearly, that needs to be the No. 1 priority in the country today, and it needs to be domestic jobs. The private sector is not doing just fine. The answer to the problems we face is not more…

I ask unanimous consent to enter into a colloquy with some of my colleagues on the minority side for 30 minutes. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Well, I am pleased to have the time on the floor today to talk about these issues: the attack on small business, and the idea that the private sector is doing fine, that we just need more government jobs. I just do not find anybody in…

How much? The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. There is 8 minutes 40 seconds remaining.

I thank the Senator. Madam President, how much time do we have? The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. There is 8 minutes 43 seconds remaining.

I will yield to Mr. Wicker who I believe has a unanimous consent request as well. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Mississippi.

I thank the Chair. I thank my colleagues for joining me. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Illinois.