I agree with you [Captain Colburn] and with your written and oral testimony that the Secretary has the authority to do this and should do it.

the Senator from Ohio mentioned the Budget Control Act of 2011. It wasn't a particularly pretty way to do debt reduction, but it did give us the spending levels we are operating under now. The authors of this opinion piece go on to point…

as far as I am concerned, my distinguished friend from Ohio can still have the floor. I only wanted to take a moment to congratulate him on his remarks and to observe that when it comes to budget matters, he knows whereof he speaks. He not…

I thank the Presiding Officer. This article points out in a very detailed and annotated way a number of times when this Congress has made policy changes, important, far- reaching policy changes, in connection with negotiations on the debt…

The distinguished Senator from Ohio is absolutely correct. As a matter of fact, the American people are alarmed, actually, at the level of debt this government has run up, particularly in the last 4\1/2\ to 5 years. It has been astounding…

If the Senator would yield for a moment. I think the distinguished majority leader is going to make a procedural motion which will take only a moment, and then I have a question for my distinguished friend from Ohio.

I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record at this time an opinion piece written by Kevin Hassett and Abby McCloskey on page 23 in today's Wall Street Journal entitled ``Obama Rewrites Debt-Limit History.'' There being no…

I am optimistic, having talked to Chairman Shuster in the House and others that we can move that in addition to other transportation legislation.

I thank the Senator. We believe this amendment is a step forward to ensure GSA and DOE's green building policies support domestically sourced wood. I look forward to working with the Senator and committee leadership as this legislation…

The amendment I have introduced with Senator Landrieu addresses a number of issues that are important to America's forest products industry. In particular, the amendment specifies that the Department of Energy and the General Services…

We should focus on empowering individual consumers, entrepreneurs, and innovators.

As Congress looks at this issue and as the FCC looks at this issue, what do you say to that?

It is the fourth of the hearings on the state of communications.

We like the fact that essentially, whether unintentionally or otherwise, the 1996 Act left broadband technologies out of the regulatory scheme of the FCC.

It may take more effort to pronounce those diphthongs; but not for Roger Wicker and Mark Pryor.

We are counting on NOAA leadership to manage RESTORE Act programs and funds properly.

NOAA faces many challenges, including a tough fiscal environment, needed improvements in fisheries management, and the restoration of the Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

It is important for the Committee to review the nominations for NOAA leadership promptly in order for this Agency to be managed appropriately.

I appreciate your concern and your assurance. And we will certainly look to you and others for assistance in this regard.

I remain committed to working with my colleagues in the Congress to reign in the Administration's intrusive power grabs to push a radical climate agenda that will not help but will cost jobs.

I just think it is important to explain what we are talking about when we say greenhouse gases.

I want to reiterate the importance of treating various scientific views on climate science with deference.

As I understand, what you are saying, these actions will be harmful to the economy, they will raise our energy prices, they will hurt our economy in a way that hits particularly hard at the people at the bottom of the economic spectrum.

I just wanted to make sure that it got in at the same time.

Just to understand, is that a yes on trying to get us together, as Republicans and Democrats, as early as lunch Tuesday to see if there is some way we can talk about this?