Madam President, I come to the floor today to talk about one of the dirty little secrets around here, and that is the ticking time bomb that is right under our noses and that, until recently, had been virtually ignored until some recent…

Madam President, the editorial highlights a point that I have been making since I first offered an amendment to strip the CLASS program from the health care reform bill back in December of 2009. The inclusion of the CLASS program is…

Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 650 to make it pending. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report. The assistant legislative clerk read as follows: The Senator from South Dakota [Mr. Thune] proposes an amendment numbered 650.

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: amendment no. 650 (Purpose: To require a report on the consequences of…

Mr. President, I rise in support of this amendment, which I filed yesterday afternoon, which deals with what I believe is a very important topic; that is, the high cost of delay when it comes to the pending free-trade agreements. I raised…

Mr. President, I want to emphasize one final time, as we get closer to votes on these amendments, the importance of getting the free-trade agreements passed and put into force, but also the importance of understanding that, as we move into…

Madam President, my amendment simply requires a study by the International Trade Commission when a trade agreement has been signed but the implementing legislation has not been taken up by Congress within 2 years. The study will examine…

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Amendment No. 650

Madam President, I also believe profoundly that increasing our exports, improving our trading opportunities for businesses in this country can do a lot to get Americans back to work. It employs a lot of people across this country today…

Madam President, I just want to say I thank the Senator from Oregon. He and I have worked together on a number of issues, not the least of which is some of these trade issues, and I look forward to continuing that collaboration. I do…

Mr. President, in a few minutes we are going to be voting on a bill that has been put on the floor that would address many of the emergency disaster needs that have come our way this last year. In my State of South Dakota, it has been a…

Madam President, I wish to echo the comments made by my colleague from Wyoming regarding regulations. That is something I hear from small businesses all across South Dakota, traveling my State during the month of August. I toured…