I ask unanimous consent that I be recognized for up to 10 minutes and that Senator Collins be recognized for up to 10 minutes following my remarks; further, that following Senator Collins' remarks, the Senate recess until 5:30 p.m. The…

we have had a lot of discussion on the floor of this Chamber about the challenge of our deficit and our debt, and these are indeed very important issues. It is important to remember exactly how we got here because it was only one decade…

So I want to back up and see if I heard you correctly. You say that commodity trades in the near past sometimes were unsettled for 3 or 4 years?

So let us say the initial deadline on trading was, say, March 2012.

Certainly in my home State of Oregon, we do a lot of wrestling with what strategies will most affect pollution, most affect congestion.

Government catastrophic loss protection would be paid for by an appropriately priced co-cop premium.

Well, and in essence, the investor was looking at pools that mixed the loans from many sources, so they did not have really a choice of discriminating as far as I am aware.

Thank you all. Thank you very much.

I am trying to picture how this unfolded and I assume it was volume discounts and the competition between Fannie and Freddie.

So if I am an investor, would I not want to pay a higher price, if you will, for loans originated by community banks and credit unions where they have a tradition of kind of honest underwriting, if you will?

What are a couple that you would highlight for us?

I would just leave you with this thought. In order to do that, one has to have an understanding kind of what are the highest risk areas.

So one of the other issues that has been discussed in the past has been automatic depressurization systems.

It is not your business to tell the people of Vermont that they have to keep open a nuclear power plant that they don't want.

It has always been the argument and it has never been the case.

My concern--and it sounds like you are echoing this--is that we essentially put home ownership out of reach of families.

The statistics on 2010 alone, preventing 160,000 cases of premature mortality, reducing heart attacks by more than 100,000.

I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The amendment is as follows: (Purpose: To require the Secretary of Energy to establish an Energy…

I object. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard. The assistant legislative clerk read as follows: Tom Coburn, Jim DeMint, John McCain, Richard Burr, David Vitter, Kelly Ayotte, Scott P. Brown, James E. Risch, James M. Inhofe, Bob…

Reserving the right to object. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The unanimous consent request is pending. Mr. McCAIN. Madam President, I still ask unanimous consent to call up both amendments. It is my understanding amendments are allowed, but if…

I ask unanimous consent to set aside the pending amendment and call up amendment No. 440 that is at the desk. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk will report. The assistant editor of…

I rise to speak to amendment No. 428 on the regulation of mortgage servicing. We spend a lot of time in Washington talking about many topics but often not getting to the issue most important to American citizens; that is, getting them back…

I ask unanimous consent the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Amendment No. 428

I reserve the right to object. I ask the Senator if he can hold off for a moment. We wish to consult with the chairwoman.

I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The amendment is as follows: (Purpose: To make a technical correction to the HUBZone designation process)…