mr. barrasso: i ask that the quorum call be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. barrasso: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, i come to you today to visit on the floor of the senate because since last november, the president has been trying to convince the american people that he has a plan to restart our economy. he was in north carolina yesterday with his council to talk about issues. i will tell you to me, mr. president, the president's approach has left a lot to be desired. if the white house created as many jobs as it creates speeches, things would be a lot better. i will tell you that the president's empty words are not filling the pockets of american citizens. now the president has been given a new chance, a new chance to show his commitment to economic growth. that is the chance he has recently had to nominate a secretary of commerce to the united states. when i think about the commerce department, it's a department whose job in terms of american businesses to make those businesses nor innovative at home, more competitive overseas. well, the mission,

mr. barrasso: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, i come here today to compliment the minority leader, senator mcconnell, for his resolution in our effort to put a balanced budget amendment onto the constitution of the united states, and i -- i come here today just to tell you a little story about a friend of mine from douglas, wyoming. i was in douglas on memorial day. every year, memorial day in douglas, they have a sunrise ceremony, services in the cemetery where they raise the flag, go through the names of all of the veterans from converse county who have passed in the last year, the flag back at half staff, 21-gun salute, and a time for people to come together and think about this great nation and honor those who have given their lives. after the -- after the ceremony this year, we're leaving the cemetery, my friend bernie sebalm stopped by me, and said, you know, senator -- we have known each other a long time. he is on medicare, social security, lived a long life, contributed to the community. he said i don't care i

mr. barrasso. the importance of responding appropriately to the lessons of fukushima weighs heavily on all of those who serve on the nuclear regulatory commission. may we continue to send our best wishes to the people of japan as they continues their hard work recovering from the march 11 earthquake. we have and will continue to learn from fukushima. that said, i recognize it will take months and possibly years before all the technical facts are fully assessed. while we will learn much from a complete understanding of what happened at the plant after it was -- by the earthquake and tsunami, we know enough today to review the nuclear regulatory framework in the united states. from what we know now, i believe that we will need to make some changes in a variety of areas. it is our responsibly to take new perspectives and review our nuclear regulatory framework. we need to take safety seriously and step up to identify safety issues in the aftermath of fukushima. while as a staff reported to us yesterda

mr. barrasso: thank you, mr. president. i come to the floor again today as i have week after week since the health care law has been passed, with a doctor's second opinion about the health care law. as you know, i've practiced medicine for 25 years in wyoming take care of wyoming families, and, madam president, i have great concerns about this health care law that has been passed by this body, as wellals the house, signed -- signed by the president and the american people continue to learn more and more about this health care law understan and the more theyo learning the more concern they have about this health care law being bad for patients, bad for providers, the nurses and doctors who take care of those patients, and bad for the payers, the taxpayers of this country who are going to get hit with an incredible bill. and now, madam president, the main thing i want to talk about today is a new report that has come out that says to me that the taxpayers are going to get hit with a bill even much higher than they initially t

mr. president barrasso. >> i can respond to the distinguished member of the parliament saying the positionf the commission has been over the years one of the open and sympathetic because my predecessors, the first to put forth their reality that there was no agreement between the member states. it was the creation of the european stability mechanism that would become the number one international financial institution in the world, most important in terms of financial strength and that's where we should concentrate efforts. thye at the same time we are open to discuss with member states and parliament of course several options regarding the possibility of the willingness of the member states to consider that possibility. there is a very important one. >> thank you for answering the question that a rather problematic collection which of a g8. >> thank you. the recent summit wanted to be known it was providing $40 billion to egypt for over from the dictatorships and increasing democracy. however the g8 statement said it would support countries of the region that move towards not just democrac

mr. barrasso: thank you, madam president. madam president, i come to the floor today as i do each week as a doctor who practiced medicine in wyoming for 25 years, as someone who has taken care of families all around the state of wyoming, as a doctor who has great concerns about what's happened to the american health care system and will continue to happen under the health care law that has been passed by this body and signed into law at the assistance of this president. and i come as a doctor giving a second opinion because i have great concerns about this health care law. in talking with patients and talking with doctors and just from my own personal knowledge, i believe that this health care law is going to be bad for patients, bad for providers -- the nurses and the doctors who take care of those patients -- and bad for the payers, the taxpayers of this country who are going to be left to pay the bill. madam president, recently my friends on the other side of the aisle have been using what i believe to be significant scare

mr. barrasso: mr. president, i ask that the quorum call be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. barrasso: mr. president, are we in morning business? the presiding officer: we are not. we're on the measure. mr. barrasso: i ask unanimous consent to speak up to ten minutes as if in morning business. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. barrasso: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, i come to the floor today as i have each week since the health care law was signed with a doctor's second opinion about the health care law, because it does seem is that each week there is more information that comes out about this health care law that is bothersome to the people of this great country. the more they learn about it, the more concerned they are. and as nancy pelosi said last year, first you must pass it before you get to find out what's in it. well, the people of this tkupbt continue to learn what -- of this country continue to learn what's in this health care law and continue to be opposed to it. last friday the administration rel