For 10 minutes. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the request is granted. The clerk will report the amendment. The bill clerk read as follows: The Senator from Texas [Mrs. Hutchison] proposes an amendment numbered 197.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendment be set aside, and I call up amendment No. 197. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?

I do, Mr. President. I would like to have my amendment called up, then speak, and then I am happy to have the unanimous consent so that they know the order following me. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington.

Mr. President, I wish to speak in favor of the McConnell amendment, which is the pending amendment, which the Senator from Louisiana is trying to get tagged for a vote. But I also wish to have the opportunity to support two of the…

Mr. President, the reason we did not pass this legislation is everyone realized it would have raised the cost of gasoline. Now the EPA is trying to do the same thing by fiat. By executive fiat, they are trying to regulate greenhouse gases…

But, you're moving along the----

I'm trying to get a--just a clear answer to whether you are going in the direction that the law asked you to go, or actually told you to go.

It's just not feasible. And certainly, NASA is one of those that, I have been bringing up repeatedly, must be in a long-term CR.

But, are you moving toward the type of use of present technology, but with the further mission, beyond the present one, of using our technology but also being able to adapt it later for beyond-Earth orbit, and all of the relevant pieces of…

It doesn't seem like the contracts are being modified to address the law that uses the technologies that we have.

We see that mission as extremely critical to us.