I yield back the remainder of our time. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Republican leader. MIDDLE EAST UNREST Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, the attacks this week on our diplomats, our installations, and diplomatic security personnel have…

we come to the floor today to talk about the sequestration and the looming fiscal cliff. Unfortunately, the White House missed an important deadline last week by failing to provide Congress and the American people with a required report…

And yes, Mr. President, they did build it.

Yes, Mr. President, they did build it.

I know it is very confusing, and I thank my colleague from North Dakota for yielding to his colleague from the South. I hoped to come down and to ask unanimous consent to pass S. 1956 with a committee-reported amendment. My understanding…

If I might say to my colleague from Mississippi and to the Senator from Indiana, to put this into perspective, the proposal in the Democratic bill, which would take the exemption back down to $1 million and raise the top rate to 55…

I thank the Senator from Kansas. I too look forward to working with him on fundamental tax reform, because that is what we need to do to get the economy turning around. I think you will see tremendous economic growth. I think you would see…

I appreciate the remarks of my colleague from North Dakota who understands this issue very well, representing a State that is composed largely of family farms and ranches and small businesses. It is similar to my State of South Dakota…

I think we have about one-half hour left; is that correct? The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct.

if I might respond to my colleagues from Mississippi and from Indiana, the Senator from Mississippi is absolutely right. The proposal we will vote on as presented by the Democrats today would allow the death tax exemption to go back to $1…

I first want to thank the Senator from Indiana for his very astute observations about the impact of these taxes on hard-working men and women in this country. I would say to my colleague from North Dakota, who is now here, and the Senator…

I ask unanimous consent that I be able to enter into a colloquy with my colleagues for the remainder of that time. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

I'm wondering if anybody would like to comment about whether you think that drug shortage issues can be attributed in any way to the pricing structure within Medicare.

I rise today to talk about the need to extend the current tax rates and to reject the tens of billions of dollars in higher taxes the President and Senate Democrats want to impose next year. I believe the upcoming vote or votes will be…

This issue does seem to be quite wrapped up in the issue of drug shortages.

What we need is a Federal system. It's not enough to do something in California.

And it also seems that part of the problem stems from questions about the supply chain.

I think the question is if the tax system is the appropriate place from which to expand access to education, and if these subsidies are really truly benefitting students or are they just structured primarily to benefit the educational…

I think we all understand the critical role that education plays in our modern society and how important it is that we continue to expand the opportunity for more Americans.

I hope that we can find 21st century solutions to 21st century challenges.

Make no mistake. Retransmission consent was and is a construct of lobbyists and politicians.

I guess my fear is, along the lines of what Senator Smith said, if you introduce more players--and some of these players are hard to find even to clear the rights.

We need to be able to plan. We need to know what the rules are going to be.

I believe in the free market, whose instincts are that deregulation is a good, solid, preferred approach.

I thank the Senator from New Hampshire for yielding on that point--more important, for the great work she is doing as a member of the Armed Services Committee. She has been a very active member of that committee and a strong and clear…