Tom Coburn

I submit the following notice in writing: In accordance with rule V of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby give notice in writing that it is my intention to move to suspend rule XXII, including germaneness requirements, for the…

I submit the following notice in writing: In accordance with rule V of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby give notice in writing that it is my intention to move to suspend rule XXII, including germaneness requirements, for the…

I submit the following notice in writing: In accordance with rule V of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby give notice in writing that it is my intention to move to suspend rule XXII, including germaneness requirements, for the…

I submit the following notice in writing: In accordance with rule V of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby give notice in writing that it is my intention to move to suspend rule XXII, including germaneness requirements, for the…

You know, the real issue is that we have spent 3 days this week not doing anything on this bill. We have borrowed $12 billion. I have amendments, if we could pass, that would save us $20 billion. Every day that we don't take hard votes is…

It does. Mr. McCAIN. That the average citizen would not understand. But I think they understand $4.9 billion and that those savings would accrue to them, along with the reduction in inflation and the costs of the products of corn. So it is…

I think it is the case, but to be fair, there is bipartisan opposition to this amendment. I understand it. It is from the corn-producing States. They are worried that this might have an effect on ethanol production and corn processors…

I think the message of the American people is they want the spending cut. They want it cut now. They want us to quit spending money we don't have on things we don't need, and this is a ideal program--just like the other portion of it. I…

Yes. I have a letter from the refiners. I actually have it here and I will introduce it to the Record if we need to, that says they don't want it, they don't need it. Mr. McCAIN. So the recipients of this government largesse would want it…

We do not seek to eliminate any subsidies. We seek to eliminate a blenders' credit that the very people who receive the credit do not want, and it is $4.9 billion between now and the end of the year. Mr. McCAIN. It is $4.9 billion and the…

I think they are illegal.

The fact is if you cross the border illegally, you have committed an illegal act.

I think it is unfortunate that we are going to try to--because I use the word 'illegals.'

We do not have good control on requirement creep.

That is where you need to come to us and say, How do we get a waiver on some of these compliance costs?

We need to shift the emphasis and the incentive system so people get into production sooner so they can start to make money.

I will discuss amendment No. 220 now. Is the chairman's intention that I defer calling up that amendment right now?

The thing that concerns me is we have Diplomacy 3.0 with this goal of ramping up at a time when we're on an absolutely unsustainable course in terms of being able to pay the bills.

It is one thing to ramp up. It is the other thing to ramp up without proper training and also the proper controls on the training.

I also want to put into the record a criticism on locality pay.

The recommendation of the Deficit Commission was to essentially reduce State Department personnel by 10 percent based on studies that we reviewed.

Most of us in this room today, however, understand that we cannot simply cut our way out of the debt.

I have often wondered, how can you be for profit when you are getting 90 percent of your money from the taxpayers.

The issue in terms of the lack of proper utilization of facts in the Department of Education in advantaging investors in one segment to make significant dollars over something the government is thinking about doing is highly unethical, and…

If we are really serious about out-innovating the rest of the world, we need to start by out-educating them.