I first of all want to thank my colleague, the Senator from Vermont, for his comments and his relentless voicing of the concerns of folks who are not often heard in the halls of this institution. I thank him for his work and for letting…

I'd like to thank Congressman Young and Senator Murkowski and also everybody that's sitting here for putting a band-aid on the fisheries.

If we fail to produce, market share goes to someone else.

I've got to tell you, I really respect your testimony and your restraint, because if you're not mad as hell then I don't think you're appropriately expressing at least the way I feel and a whole lot of folks around the country feel.

So when people say we need to negotiate, we have. Now they want another one.

We are already in a position where we're losing our very eminence in science and therefore our ability to attract the best and brightest to join America's scientific community is getting harder and harder.

If we want to build for the future, if we want to have a scientific enterprise that's the envy of all others in the world, we're going to have to address these kinds of problems directly.

We can't get appropriation bills, I'm missing the picture here.

I agree we need to deal with our fiscal issues on both sides. I would simply remind our colleague that the Senate passed a budget this spring and has asked 21 times to go to conference.

We are in uncharted territory. We do not know what would happen. Why would we take that risk?

You could potentially have a circumstance where perhaps America does not default, but every State and every locality either is in an immediate budget crisis or they would have to default.

I wish to follow up on the remarks of my colleagues and the Senators who have spoken before me. It seems as though we have accepted this new normal, that shutting down the operations of the largest enterprise in America is acceptable. I…

Wouldn't the market access fund be the first time ever that there would be this stable existing fee that would help provide some funding in this area?

So if we do not do reform, the status quo is going to even further harm rural communities, point one.

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on October 8, 2013, at 3 p.m., to hold an African Affairs subcommittee hearing entitled, ``Security And Governance In…

I ask unanimous consent to extend the period of morning business for debate only until 7 p.m., and that all provisions of the previous order remain in effect. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on October 8, 2013, at 10 a.m., in room 366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The PRESIDING OFFICER…

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on October 8, 2013, at 2:30 p.m. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered…

I want to thank my colleague, the Senator from Illinois for his comments on this issue. I will comment as well, but I also want to thank the chair of the Budget Committee for asking one more time and saying: Let's negotiate this. I think…

Time is not on our side in GSE reform.

It does not seem like it makes a lot of sense.

I think it is a very laudable effort.

As someone who is passionate about infrastructure investment and rebuilding our economy, I care deeply about the reauthorization of this program.

We obviously--again, on the defense investment side, though, there have been some disappointments and some wins.

It is starting to sound a little bit like us.