the only time left in debate right now is Democratic time. But in a spirit of bipartisanship, I yield 5 minutes of our Democratic time to the Senator from Nevada.

how much time do I have? The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator has 30 minutes.

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on March 22, 2013, at 11 a.m., in S-216 of the Capitol, to conduct an executive business meeting. The PRESIDING OFFICER…

the Senate has passed a budget. I want to thank all of my colleagues. I especially want to thank our staff who have literally spent weeks and weeks and days and hours on this--Evan Schatz and Mike Spahn and John Righter and the others who…

I wish to pay tribute to a great American governor, dedicated public servant, and community leader from the State of Washington, Governor Booth Gardner. He was born August 21, 1936 in Tacoma, WA and was a leader of tremendous compassion…

I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Amendments Nos. 706, 359, 705, 614, 696, 187, 619, and 152 En Bloc

I would speak in opposition. Gains in quality, productivity, and efficiency year after year, in department after department, would not have been possible without the reasonable and sound use of collective bargaining and worker…

I don't believe there is any opposition to this amendment and I ask that we take it by a voice vote. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the amendment. The amendment (No. 455) was agreed to.

I do not oppose this amendment, and I am happy to have a voice vote. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there further debate? The question is agreeing to the amendment. The amendment (No. 527) was agreed to. Amendment No. 153 The ACTING…

I move to reconsider the vote and lay that motion upon the table. The motion to lay upon the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 455 The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, there will now be 2 minutes of debate equally divided…

Social Security and Medicare have played a very critical role in providing a foundation of financial security and health care for millions upon millions of Americans over the decades. Democrats are committed to preserving and protecting…

I move to reconsider the vote and lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 213 The PRESIDING OFFICER. There is now 2 minutes equally divided prior to a vote in relation to amendment No. 213…

hearing no opposition, I suggest we voice vote this amendment. The PRESIDING OFFICER. If there is no further debate, the question is on agreeing to the amendment. The amendment (No. 366) was agreed to.

I would add to what the majority leader said. Senators have been very good in helping us work through our list on both sides. We will have some more amendments to be offered in a unanimous consent in a short while once we work through…

I am proud of our Senators for having patience for exactly 30 seconds. I yield to the Senator from Idaho to offer an amendment. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Idaho. Amendment No. 318

I ask unanimous consent that the amendments be reported en bloc. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk will report. The legislative clerk read as follows: The Senator from Washington [Mrs. Murray] proposes…

I ask unanimous consent that the next amendments in order to be called up be the following: McCaskill No. 366, Johnson of Wisconsin No. 213, Brown No. 455, and Scott No. 597; that there be no second-degree amendments in order prior to the…

I too am committed to meeting the needs of our military to defend the Nation and our interests abroad. That is exactly what this budget does. We should not be linking defense funding with unrelated benchmarks. This amendment is…

hearing no opposition, I suggest we have a voice vote on it. The PRESIDING OFFICER. If there is no further debate, the question is on agreeing to the amendment. The amendment (No. 273) was agreed to.

I strongly oppose this amendment. I agree with the Senator from California, and I yield her my time in opposition.

I believe the pending amendment is Coats amendment No. 514. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair stands corrected. Amendment No. 514 The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, there will now be 2 minutes equally divided in the usual form…

I move to reconsider the vote and to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, there will now be 2 minutes of debate equally divided in the usual form prior…

I believe we can take this by a voice vote. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the amendment. The amendment (No. 442) was agreed to.

I move to reconsider the vote and to lay the motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 442 The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, there will now be 2 minutes of debate equally divided prior…

again, for our colleagues, the goal of our budget is to tackle our deficit and debt responsibly in a way that works for our middle-class families and our economy. That means a balanced mix of responsible spending cuts and new revenue from…