a group of senators including tom udall from new mexico, tom hark enfrom iowa, and several others, recognize there is one point in the legislative year at the beginning of the congress where an extraordinary procedure can take place. when that extraordinary procedure takes place you can amend the rules with a simple majority. on all other legislative days it takes a super majority even to correct the flaws of the filibuster. we're hoping that the pressure that we're building with our federal lawsuit and with the support of not only some of the members of the senate who know the filibuster has been destructive, but also harry reid's comments last week. we think we can build momentum. there is a bill that senator hearken introduced who said, let's keep it at 60 votes. but three days later make it 57. three days later, make it 54, and then eventually get to a majority vote. there are many changes that could happen. i would also like to see us go back to a talking filibuster like we saw in the movie "mr. smith goes to washington." in 1939 when jimmy stewart did that movie there were zero filibus

the honorable tom udall, state of new mexico. i'd just like to close with a couple. you know, we talk about the digital advertising alliance is making it very clear they want to cooperate, and they appear to be doing so, but there are two areas where they still can collect information, their own definition. i think one of those is market research and the other is product development. now, i don't -- that doesn't take me to a series of blisses or sins, but i get very nervous when i read that about those two, you know, little snippets being able to swallow up the rule. what is it that allows them to get, and after your question, can you talk about what you're doing to make sure that they don't get that, if you can? >> well, i think from the perspective of the majority of the commission, we entirely agree with you. do not track has to mean do not collect, if it's going to mean anything. there might be a few narrow enumerated exceptions. for example, for anti-fraud purposes. but we are -- we are, would go with the digital advertising alliance at this point. we think by t

provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable tom udall, a senator from the state of new mexico, to perform the duties of the chair. signed: daniel k. inouye, president pro tempore. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. mr. reid: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader is recognized. mr. reid: i move to proceed to calendar number 400. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: motion to proceed to calendar number 400, s. 3187, a bill to amend the federal food, drug and cosmetic act to revise and extend the user fee programs for prescription drugs and medical devices, to establish user fee programs for generic drugs and biosimilars and for other purposes. mr. reid: thank you, mr. president. we're now on the motion to proceed to f.d.a. user fees legislation i. now extent that following my remarks and those of the republican leader, the time until 10:30 be equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees with the republicans controlling the fi

provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable tom udall, a senator from the state of new mexico, to perform the duties f the chair. signed: daniel k. inouye, president pro tempore. mr. reid: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader is recognized. mr. reid: i move now to proceed to calendar number 396, h.r. 2072. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: motion to proceed to calendar number 396, h.r. 2072, an act to reauthorize the export-import baipg of the united states and for other purposes. mr. reid: mr. president we're now on the motion to proceed to the ex-im bill. i hope we can pass the bill today. i haven't had an opportunity today to speak to the republican leader, but i'll do that shortly and will decide if there's a way forward on that. so i ask unanimous consent that the next hour be divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees with the majority controlling the first half and the republicans controlling the second half. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i no

provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable tom udallco, to perform the duties f the chair. signed: daniel k. inouye, president pro tempore. mr. reid: mada mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader is recognized. mr. reid: we're now considering s. 3187, the f.d.a. user fees legislation. there is an agreement now reached to complete this legislation today. under the agreement, debate time will expire at 2:00 p.m. today. up to 12 roll call votes could begin earlier in order to complete action on the bill and have a couple votes in relation to the student loan interest rate hike. we'll notify everyone if time is yielded back, but people should be aware of the need for you come here we hope before noon to have a couple votes. there will be no votes between 1:00 and 2:00 because of meetingmeetings both sides have. so we also hope -- we worked out a tentative agreement yesterday on flood insurance, which is important to 6 million people. we need to get that done today also. we hope we can get that done. mr. president, i was ple

if there were ever a time when tom udall and jeff merkley were prophetic, it's tonight. these two young, fine senators said it was time to change the rules of the senate, and we didn't. they were right. the rest of us were wrong -- or most of us, anyway. what a shame. so here we are wasting time because of the republicans. this week we have accomplished a lot, mr. president. we had a vote on a judge and we voted on cloture on the republicans defeating our ability to get something done with student loans. that's our workload this week. i know it's been tough. mr. president, that was sarcastic, of course, but this is just absolutely mindless what's going on. then to top it off, one of the finest members of the senate we have had ever was defeated yesterday by a man -- listen to this, mr. president -- who campaigned on the platform that there is too much compromise in the senate, and he is going to come back here and not compromise with anybody on anything. now, that's what we need in the senate -- more people who are willing to do nothing but fight. so, mr. president, i am

really appreciate this the mix before, the honorable tom udall from the state of texas. >> i would justike to close with a couple. we talk about this digital advertisin

previous presiding officer when i began, senator franken; the current presiding officer, senator tom udall, as well as senators schumer and jeanne shaheen. senator schumer has been leading the charge on disclosure since citizens united up ended and followed our campaign system. in 2010 with senator schumer's leadership we came within one vote of passing the original disclose act. and since then the problem of anonymous unaccountable special interest money has become much, much worse. we must redouble our efforts and pass disclose 2.0. disclose 2.0 says very two very simple things. first, if you're an organization such as a cooperation, a super pack, a 501-c-4 and spending money in an election campaign, you have to tell the public where that money came from and what you are spending it on in a timely manner. that should not be a controversial idea to anyone, at least to anyone who is not seeking secret special influence. this chart shows how easy it is under our current system for wealthy interests to anonymously spend millions on election ads. this amounts to a form of legalized money laun

amendment that senator vitter as worked with me on, as well as senators franken, shaheen, cole, tom udall, tim johnson, senator klobuchar, senator merkley, senator sanders and senator sherrod brown. the amendment has the strong support of many organizations that are focused on the cost of prescription drugs. here is a list: aarp, afl-cio, wal-mart, families u.s.a., consumer federation of america, u.s. pirg, consumers union, center for medicare advocacy, afsme. national legislative association on prescription drug prices, the alliance for retired americans; various other companies and organizations. the new mexico pharmacy association strongly supports this legislation. this amendment addresses the root cause of anticompetitive, anticonsumer settlements that are entered into between brand name and generic pharmaceutical manufacturing companies. the effect of these settlements that they enter into is to delay timely access consumers would have to generic drugs. this practice is commonly referred to as pay for delay. and it costs american consumers and it costs the federal government billion