mr. gregg: how much sometime remaining? 1*6r 15 minutes and 36 seconds. mr. gregg: and on the other side? the presiding officer: two minutes. mr. gregg: did the chairman have a request, i was told? i thought the chairman had a request. mr. president, i am going to yield to the senator from oklahoma. but before die, i want to take just 30 seconds to respond quickly to the senator from michigan. the idea that we haven't done anything for the automobile industry is really hard to accept. $83 billion has been spent for the automobile industry. the idea that a billion dollars is just a small amount of money is also very hard to accept. a billion dollars in new debt is a billion dollars that our children are going to have to pay. and it's want a small amount of money. and it compounds. and the idea that we would fly in the face of the procedures which the democratic leadership set up around here to have pay-go and to also have the open and honest leadership act, we fly in the face of that by putting

mr. gregg: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from new hampshire. mr. gregg: first off, i appreciate the assistant majority leader collar frying the situation, that this waiver issue is about and solely about the issue of cash for clunkers, a piece of legislation that has absolutely nothing to do -- nothing to do with funding our troops in the field and was airdropped into a conference without being paid for adding $1 billion of new debt to our children's back. that's what this waiver is about. the majority leader has said that this waiver will in some way harm the ability to fund the troops. that's totally -- i believe that to be totally inaccurate. this motion comes out of a piece of legislation which the majority leader and the assistant majority leader authored. they wrote the bill called the honest leadership and open government act. and that bill created this point of order specifically to address this type of situation where in a conference one or other of the bodies sticks into a bill that is a must-pass bill, language that has nothing to do with

mr. gregg: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from new hampshire. mr. gregg: did the chairman wish to speak? mr. inouye: i'll speak after you. mr. gregg: i'm happy to yield to the chairman if he wishes to go before me. first off, this is a very important piece of legislation. i congratulate the chairman and ranking member, senator cochran and senator inouye for bringing it forward. it is critical that we adequately fund our troops in the field. this is the first responsibility yeas a government when we have troops in the field in harm's way to give them the resources they need in order to protect themselves and defend our liberties. and so this is a very, very important piece of legislation. it must pass. it simply must pass. however, ironically, the hedges legislation that occurs around here, this legislation had air dropped into it by the house of representatives something that has no -- nothing to did with our troops fighting in the field. and that is a bill called the cash for chunker bill. now, -- clunker bill. i have -- purchasing automobiles that

mr. gregg: i'm objecting to the one that you just requested. mrs. boxer: for senator carper? is there any way we can assuage the senator. does he want to take the floor before senator carper? mr. shaheen: madam president, i believe i still have the floor. the presiding officer: the senator has the floor. mrs. shaheen: madam president, yesterday, along with senators boxer, senator klobuchar and 43 other senators, i introduced senate resolution 187, a resolution condemning the use of violence against providers of reproductive health care services to women. and expressing sympathy for the family, friends and patients of dr. george tiller. unfortunately, the murder of dr. tiller was not an isolated incident. our country has a history of violence against reproductive health care providers. since 1993, eight clinic workers have been murdered and there have been hundreds of additional attempted murders, bombings, death threats, and kidnappings. since 1977, there have been more than 5,800 -- 5,800 -- reported acts of violence against providers and clinics. my own state has been touch

gregg mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from new hampshire. mr. gregg: i ask unanimous consent that further proceedings under the quorum call be set aside. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. gregg: i want to rise to talk about two issues. i know senator burr wants to continue his discussion on the f.d.a. tobacco bill. there are two issues very significant to the american taxpayer, especially to those of us concerned about how much debt this administration is running up on our children. the first is good news. the -- it looks like a number of banks are going to repay a fair percentage of the tarp money that's been put out by the administration, potentially $65 billion. now, when tarp was originally structured, the understanding was that we would buy assets in banks, or from banks, and that at some point we would get that money back as taxpayers. in fact, you would get it back with interest. and this is what's happening now. the money is coming back as these banks have restored their fiscal strength, and it's actually coming ba

i urge that we defeat the gregg amendment. >> mr. chairman if i might briefly respond. >> senator gregg. >> first off, i don't think it's throwing sand in the gears to find out how much the programs will cost. whether they are going to be savers or expenditures. i have no dog in the fight on behalf of gao, i'm willing to modify the amendment and would ask to modify the amendment to wherever it says gao, we'll insert, end or cbo. i would say that we -- what we do need, however is an umpire, a fair ash ter of whether or not we're getting what we claim we're asking for. this bill is already scored as being a trillion dollar add onto the deficit, the debt, we haven't seen the entire bill. when we finish scoring the entire bill, should we get the language, i'm sure it will be close to close to a $2 trillion in spending. so to spend more to get savings, which was may well have been good advice from your father, i don't think is applying when you're talking trillions of dollars. i think a better metaphor would be the one out of vietnam, wher

mr. chairman >> thank you, senator. storr gregg. >> thank you, mr. chairman. let me acknowledge that you and others have, senator kennedy's unwav unwavering personal and professional commitment to try to address the issue of healthcare in this country, making sure all americans have adequate healthcare. and obviously it is with considerable reyet he is not here today to participate in this because he is an exceptional force on this issue and somebody we all admire. i also thank you, mr. chairman for picking up the mail and getting on this issue a

mr. chairman. first i want to respond to senator gregg. i just listened to what you said the president wanted to accomplish. there is one way to accomplish that and that is to a single payer national insurance health program. very simple. >> if you want to bring that forward. why don't you bring that forward? we need to bring forward senator coburn's proposal and my proposal and we'll be working off product that gets where you want to go, where i want to @í@% overcharged subscribers and taxpayers an estimated $4.4 billion, that has to be factor into our thinking process around here and how we are building this system up. we do what we can around here. while i have long been a supporter of a single payer, my record is clear on this going back to the early '90s, that that was the simplest, strayed forward way to do things. i probably recognize there aren't the votes for that. that doesn't mean we shouldn't talk about it and let the american people know what it would mean to have a single payer type of a system in this country. i think people

mr. chairman. first i want to respond to senator gregg. i just listened to what you said the president wanted to accomplish. there is one way to accomplish that and that is to a single payer national insurance health program. very simple. >> if you want to bring that forward. why don't you bring that forward? we need to bring forward senator coburn's proposal and my proposal and we'll be working off product that gets where you want to go, where i want to go. this product we are working off today does not accomplish what a single payer would accomplish. >> i say to my friend i'm sure we'll have a chance to vote on it on the senate floor, one way or the oefrmt other. i want to say to senator sanders, thank you very much what you just brought to this committee. we have to have a dose of realism once in a while as to what we are talking about here. when you pointed out that the inspector yen vorted that 80% of the insurance companies participating in medicare part d overcharged subscribers and taxpayers an estimated $4.4 billion, that has to b

gregg amendment say aye. those opposed, no. the noes appear to have it and the amendment is not agreed to. >> mr. chairman? we are ready to accept murkowski amendment number 23 as modified. >> want a roll call? they do want a roll call vote. i was under the impression we did not want a roll call vote. sorry about that. the clerk will call the roll on the gregg amendment. >> senator dodd. >> no. >> senator harkin. >> no. by proxy. >> senator mi cull ski. >> no. >> senator hingeeman. >> no by proxy. >> senator reed? >> no by proxy. >> senator brown? >> no by proxy. >> senator casey? >> no. >> senator hagan? >> no by proxy. >> senator berkeley? >> no. >> senator whitehouse? >> no. >> senator enzi? >> aye. >> senator gregg? >> aye. >> senator alexander? >> aye. >> senator burr? >> aye by proxy. >> senator mccain? senator hatch? senator murkowski. senator roberts? >> the senator is recorded. senator, would you like to be voted as aye? >> chairman kennedy? >> no by proxy. >> 14 ayes -- or no, 11 ayes, 14 noes. >> the amendment is not agreed to. senator murray? >> mr. chairman, we are now ready to accept murkowsk

senator judd gregg of new hampshire tried to have that money taken out of the bill but his amendment failed. here is 20 minutes of that debate he meant. >> mresident, i think the majority leader for his statement and another is controversy involved in the so-called cash for clunkers which is a kind of humorous name for a very serious proposal, let's be honest about where we are in america today. we have seen the largest decline in automobile sales and 50 years. sales down 29% and production down 46% from where it was 17 months ago. plummeting on all cells have reduced production and had a ripple affect across the economy forcing factories to close, we have lost 280,000 american jobs in the automobile industry. that is what this is about -- 280,000 american jobs that are lost and more than it will be lost if we do nothing. sum would have us do nothing. while the automobile industry is reeling from job losses and declining production many consumers in the market are waiting, they're holding back. purpose of this legislation is to put some movement into the purpose -- purchase of new automobiles, is a targeted way to give incentive to buy cars

gregg bill. or the bill that senator hatch is working on with senator cornyn and others. those are the way to meet our objectives. is here are our objectives once more, mr. president. we want to provide health coverage to 300 million americans, not just to the 47 million uninsured. we want for you a health care plan that you can afford. we want for you a plan in which you and your doctor make the decisions, not washington, d.c. we want a plan that emphasizes prevention and wellness. we want a plan that gives low-income americans more of the same opportunities and choices for health care that most americans already have. and we want a plan that doesn't make it harder for american businesses to compete in the world marketplace by adding to their costs. we want in the end a program, a health care program that your grandchildren and your children can afford and doesn't keep trillions of dollars of new debt upon them, that devalues the dollars that they eventually will earn and the quality of their lives. and as the president has repeatedly said, the best way to do that is to do it in a bipartisan way. but in order to do that, mr. president, we need to put a

durbin, gregg and talk about the measure that would provide rebates for consumers to trade in vehicles with low gas mileage for more fuel-efficient cars. from earlier today, this is about 20 minutes. mr. durbin: mr. president, i know there is controversy involved in the so called i know there is controversy involved in this proposal. let's be honest about where we are in america today. we have seen the largest decline in automobile sales and 50 years. sales are down 29%. plummeting auto sales have reduced production and it has had a ripple effect across the economy, forcing dealerships and factories to close. we have lost 280,000 american jobs in the automobile industry. that is what this is about. 280,000 american jobs that are lost and more that will be lost if we do nothing. some would have us do nothing. while the automobile industry is reeling from job losses and declining production, many consumers in the market are holding back. the purpose of this legislation is to put movement into the purchasing of new automobiles. it is a targeted way to give incentives to americans to buy cars, get them back in the showrooms, and start moving the inventory. start creating demand and creat

mr. gregg: mr. president, we are as a nation facing an incredibly severe fiscal situation not only in the short-term but in the long term. the debt of this country is piling up at astronomical rates. this year we will have a deficit that is close to $2 trillion -- $2 trillion, 28% of our gross domestic product. we are talking about a deficit next year of well over $1 trillion. under the budget except to us by the president and approved by this congress, not with my support or many -- i don't think any republicans supported it -- the deficit will run at $1 trillion a year for as far as the eye can see. the debt of this country will double in five years. it will triple in 10 years. deficits are running at 4% to 5% of g.d.p. not only immediately after we get passed this recessionary period, for, again, the next 10 years. and the debt to g.d.p. ratio a test of how viable a nation is will jump 80%. those are numbers which aren't sustainable. everybody admits they're not sustainable. and, in fact, they ar

titles, to the environmental staff on the committee, gregg doddson, laurie schmidt, alexander thais, jeff baron, alex baron, ben hicks and rob cobbs and, mr. markey, i don't know if you've put together -- mr. markey: may i do the same thing? i'd like to thank joe, michael gu, danielle, unra, i'd like to thank mihal, more began gray, jonathan phillips, evan, jackie, jeff sharp, ali broad i ask and especially -- broadski and especially jerry walden and jeff duncan. along with shannon henry who is still sitting over there had as well. all of you were fantastic and it's just a historic achievement and we thank you all so much for everything. mr. waxman: mr. speaker, i also want to add our appreciation to matt weiner, our staff assistance on this legislation. i feel empowered because i only asked for one minu and i've talked far more than one minute. but i guess that's become a new tradition in the house. but i don't want to abuse it and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from new york rise? >> mr. speaker, by direction of the committee on appropriations, i present a privileged r