Orrin Hatch: “It is critical that we approach this issue carefully and reasonably and responsibly.”

I know of no further debate on the bill. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate? Hearing none, the bill having been read the third time, the question is, Shall the bill pass? The bill (H.R. 1551), as amended, was passed.

Those backlogs at the Social Security Administration are unacceptable to many, if not most, of us here in the Senate.

I thank Senators Alexander, Whitehouse, Grassley, Feinstein, Coons, and Kennedy for all of their hard work on this important bill. I am touched by this gesture. I also thank all of the staffs involved, including those in the cloakroom, and…

It is disappointing the ranking member feels a need to question a statement that I made during the hearing.