On the recordApril 5, 2011
I appreciate everyone's patience in regard to getting this consent agreement. None of these votes are easy, but the votes are necessary. I would also say, in relation to the statement made by my friend from Colorado, that--I am trying to figure out who is the senior Senator between the Presiding Officer--the junior Senator from Colorado, the nice statement he made: We are doing our very best to work something out on the CR that will fund the government to the end of this fiscal year. As has been reported in the press, I had a meeting with the Speaker tonight at 4 o'clock. We are still negotiating in good faith. We are not that far apart. Hopefully, we can work something out. It is something we should be able to do and certainly we are trying. As we speak, our people are working. So I want everyone to know the government is not going to be shut down yet. There is still air in the tire. We still have some miles to travel, but I hope there is enough air in it to get us where we need to go. ____________________
