One of my colleagues... described it like the metaphor of the frog who jumps into a pot and the water just starts boiling

would the rearrangement, if there is flexibility, affect economic growth in any real way

It is a great Committee with a great group, and I hope we will have a good, productive time under the Chairman's leadership.

Estimates suggest that letting sequester take effect could reduce the GDP by as much as half a point over the remainder of the year.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

This strikes me as a little bit like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic rather than steering away from the iceberg.

Both sides know they have to give, and they are.

The economic impact would be the same. I think the damage it would do to important investments, from defense to education, would be wrong.

We have a serious problem with spending, with the budget, with being out of process. It is broken in Washington.

It is not just in New York, but in many areas with tall buildings that might be targets of terrorism.

Jack is uniquely qualified to take the helm of Treasury in these precarious economic times.

I am delighted to endorse Jack's nomination to serve as the next Secretary of Treasury.

As you know, unless Congress acts before March 1, sequestration will roughly impose $85 billion of across-the-board cuts.

There is no straighter shooter than Jack Lew.

The program remains vital to obtaining insurance, regular insurance, to build and even to get financing.

Jack was heavily involved in that, and continues to be a bipartisan person who wants to, and is successful at, working with both parties.

It would not change the reduction and the estimates of reduction in growth if we just did all cuts?

At the request actually or the importuning of Senator McCain, in 2010 we had--you asked for and we in Congress gave you 1,500 additional border personnel to the southern border.

But all of us believe that it is going to be much easier to accomplish these things after we account for all of the people who are currently here without lawful status and allow those individuals living here peacefully and productively to…

We need to reform the immigration system, and we need reform that fixes all aspects of our broken immigration system.

What I know is that apprehensions are at a low because attempts are at a low.

The President is handling this just right, so I thank you and him for that.

I wish to announce that the Committee on Rules and Administration will meet on Wednesday, February 13, 2013, at 10:00 a.m., to conduct its organizational meeting for the 113th Congress. For further information regarding this meeting…

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The Senator from Iowa.

I know Senator Kerry will be speaking tomorrow, so I will be brief. I think I speak on behalf of every one of us here that we so admire the job Senator Kerry has done in the many different phases of his past life. We are excited he will be…