Mr. President, I rise to introduce the Workforce Health Improvement Program Act of 2011, otherwise known as the WHIP Act. I am very pleased to be joined again by my good friend and colleague, Senator Tom Harkin, who shares my commitment to…

Mr. President, I want to speak briefly again on my amendment as to the sale of F-16C/Ds to Taiwan and respond to the comments of the distinguished chairman of the Finance Committee, Senator Baucus, who said this was neither the right bill…

Mr. President, briefly, once this production line is shut down for the production of the F-16, it cannot be reconstituted. The 2,000 people currently working on the F-16 production line will be reassigned or fired and so this is important…

Mr. President, as my colleagues know, under article I, section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, Congress is given the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations. That is why this amendment is relevant to this trade bill we are getting…

I would like to offer a bipartisan proposition to my colleagues here in the nature of this amendment. The reason I say this idea enjoys bipartisan support is 47 Senators, Democrats and Republicans, have joined in a letter to the…

I thank my colleague from Indiana. I would like to respond briefly to the Senator from Massachusetts. This isn't an assessment I have made that Taiwan needs these aircraft; this is one made by the Department of Defense in their 2011 report…

Mr. President, I yield myself 5 minutes out of my remaining time. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The senior Senator from Oklahoma is recognized.

I see the distinguished Senator from Oklahoma in the Chamber, and I will defer to him momentarily. But I want to just say we need to understand what would happen if this production line of F-16s was shut down. The people who work on that…

This is a very interesting document because it breaks down on a nationwide basis where jobs would come from or be affected by a refusal to sell these F-16s. In California, for example, 11,399 job- years. If you are wondering, like I was…

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.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. 634

Mr. President, as I said, yesterday I spoke about the legislation Senator Menendez and I had offered. That is a stand-alone bill; this is now an amendment to this pending trade bill. I do believe it is appropriate for us to consider this…