if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it adjourn under the previous order. There being no objection, the Senate, at 4:47 p.m., adjourned until Monday, May 21, 2012, at 2 p.m…

it is my intention to resume the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 400, S. 3187, the FDA user fees legislation, when we convene on Monday. At 5:30 p.m. Monday there will be at least one rollcall vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the…

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, that there be no intervening action or debate, and any statements related to the bill be printed in the Record. The…

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of H.R. 4045. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title. The legislative clerk read as follows: A bill (H.R. 4045) to modify the Department of…

as in executive session, I ask unanimous consent that the injunction of secrecy be removed from the following treaties transmitted to the Senate on May 17, 2012, by the President of the United States: Protocol Amending the Convention on…

I ask unanimous consent that a Boxer- Feinstein substitute amendment, which is as the desk, be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed; the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action…

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to a period of morning business, with Senators allowed to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President…

Jessica Lewis, who is seated by me, my foreign policy adviser--is it true that she worked for the Senator from New Jersey?

No, not right now. This is absolutely untoward, what is happening here. We have tried to get this done every day. Oh, it is just we have to do a little bit more. We have this agreement that was agreed to by all of the parties, but, of…

During the last 2 months, the Senator from New Jersey and his staff have been heavily involved in what is going on during the negotiations that have taken place; is that fair?

The matter about which we talk, the Iranian sanctions legislation, came from the Banking Committee. It was reported unanimously from the committee, right?

Before my friend leaves, I direct a question to him. Is it true that he is a member of the Banking Committee?

No matter how many times you say it, the language we are told they are complaining about was in the initial bill. Mr. President, I appreciate my friend saying most people work 5 days a week. I work more than 5 days a week, and I have been…

And it is true that we have worked over this period of time--our staffs, working with Republicans--very hard to try to get something done. I say to my friend, is it true that each time we were there, were not there the next few minutes…

This is such an interesting conversation here on the floor this afternoon. I did not have the papers. Now, I do not blame my friend from Arizona for not having the documents. I do not blame my friend from Missouri for only having a half…

There will be up to 6 hours of debate on the motions to proceed to the budget resolutions. Senators should expect five rollcall votes around 4 p.m. if all time is used, and it probably will be. Measure Placed on Calendar

I would object to any further proceedings with respect to this legislation at this time. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection having been heard, the bill shall be placed on the calendar. Obstructionism

S. 3187 is at the desk and due for a second reading. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will read the bill by title for the second time. The assistant legislative clerk read as follows: A bill (S. 3187) to amend the Federal Food…

I now move to proceed to Calendar No. 365, S. 2343. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the motion. The assistant legislative clerk read as follows: Motion to proceed to calendar No. 365, S. 2343, a bill to amend the…

if I can have everyone's attention, we have one more vote this evening. The Republican leader and I have worked out something tentatively--I think we will be able to put it in writing in just a few minutes--where we will have two votes…

it is almost universally acknowledged that Republican obstructionism has reached new heights in the Senate. There are separate articles written about it. There are even now books written about it. Democrats would have to break a…

following my remarks and those, if any, of the Republican leader, the Senate will begin debate on several motions to proceed to Republican budget resolutions. Consent was asked last night, I am quite sure, that the first hour be equally…

before my friend leaves the floor, I hope we can do a short-term bill. As my colleague knows, the impediment to the regular function of the Senate this year has been the offering of irrelevant amendments. I am wondering if I could say…

I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum under rule XXII for both cloture motions. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________

this is a very important piece of legislation done in the right way. Senators Harkin and Enzi have done something in the way we always used to do things: They moved a bill out of committee to the Senate floor, truly a bipartisan bill, so…