Pete Sessions

I would be glad to, if the chairman thinks it won't be a problem calling it up at a later date.

I wish to set aside the pending amendment and call up amendment No. 3009. I understand it would not be voted on tonight, but I wish to get it pending.

I appreciate the opportunity to share these remarks. I ask for 1 additional minute to wrap up. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Senator Olympia Snowe, who is not running again, is frustrated with this body and pointed out yesterday on the Senate floor that we voted in this body a few years ago up until November 1. We act like we have to be out by the middle of…

Well, it is a challenge we have to face, and it is not easy. It will be a challenge and it will be difficult and it will force us to make difficult choices. But I feel very frustrated. We are from small towns in America. Where we grew up…

It is amazing. We do not have a defense bill. The Senator serves on the Armed Services Committee, as I do. It came out of committee unanimously, bipartisan vote, and for some reason, the Democratic leadership has failed to bring the bill…

Senator Wicker just talked for a minute about this. What does the Senator think? Would it be great to have the chairman of the Finance Committee be named Senator Orrin Hatch?

I thank the Senator from Oklahoma. He served on the debt commission. He is steeped in the challenges facing our country and he is working hard to fix our problems. I salute Senator Burr for coming forward with a proposal that helps…

I know my colleague, the Democratic assistant leader, is here, and I will make a budget point of order now because I understand he would be objecting. Madam President, the pending amendment, No. 2789, offered by the Senator from…

The Senator from New Hampshire has campaigned on this and talked about these issues. I guess it has been frustrating to serve on the Budget Committee and the Armed Services Committee and to see as much dysfunction as has occurred.

I do believe we are at a point in history that this Congress has the responsibility. Sequester cannot be carried out in the way it is written today. It will do severe damage to the Defense Department. We are going to fix it at some point…

Senator Thune mentioned the Ryan budget, a historic budget which changes the debt course of America and puts us on a path to prosperity and not decline. It is an honest budget, and it fixes this sequester. I would ask Senator Thune…

We are going to have a lot more unemployed veterans if we don't fix this sequester because it is clearly going to cause the Defense Department to reduce personnel in a significant number; wouldn't the Senator agree? Mr. McCAIN. I totally…

Absolutely; that is correct. Under the law, these cuts will take place in January. That will happen unless we pass a law to change it--unless we take action to change it. What, are we going to wait until December 31? Is that when we are…

For the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman, my friend from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time…

During my first term in Congress, in 1997 and 1998, I had the opportunity to sit on this committee.

Isn't it true that we are at a situation at this point in history where we are heading toward a sequester, and the Commander in Chief is utterly silent on how to fix the problem?

The Secretary of Defense now has said this would be a disaster to the Defense Department for these cuts to take effect. Isn't it true that the President is the Commander in Chief of all our military forces?

Senator Thune is in the leadership on the Republican side and he is in the Budget Committee and the Defense Committee and is aware of how this all happened. So we are at a point where it appears to me the Defense Department is being asked…

I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment. The Clerk read as follows: Page 9, line 6, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by $10,000,000)''. Page 35, line 15, after the dollar amount…

If the Senator would make that 10 minutes, I think that will be fine.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I have no further requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

At this time, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman who, before he came to Congress, was on the front line of health care as an anesthesiologist on the eastern shore of Maryland, Congressman Harris.

At this time, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Laurens, South Carolina (Mr. Duncan), from the Foreign Affairs Committee, one of the most influential committees we have here in the House of Representatives.

At this time, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Savannah, Georgia (Mr. Kingston).