mr. harkin: i yield. mrs. shaheen: i would thank you, senator harkin, for your efforts over the years to try and move us to a biennial budget and a process for getting a budget done that makes a lot more sense and allows us to be more thoughtful about how we're supporting programs in the federal government. thank you very much. mr. harkin: just make sure i'm on your bill, okay. mrs. shaheen: we will. mr. harkin: you're right on, and senator isakson. it is a bipartisan -- it should be a bipartisan effort. i talked to a number of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who feel the same way as we do about this. so hopefully we can have a good bipartisan approach on this. mr. president, i just wanted to take a few moments to talk about the budget and what we're confronting right now here in the congress. first of all, we all agree -- i think we should all agree that the deficits we have now are unsustainable. they are a drag on our economy. they jeopardize our future. they've got to be brought under control.

mr. harkin: i ask that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. officer without objection. mr. harkin: i ask unanimous consent that the senate stand in recess subject too the call of the chair. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection, so ordered. the senate is in recess subject to the call of the chair. >> on his final day in the job yesterday, chart start your general neal brodsky discussed findings on the program to stabilize financial markets. his testimony before the house senate lasts about an hour 20 minutes. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] committee will come to order. today's hearing is entitled as dodd-frank ended too big to fail. this is the inspector general for tariq's last in the job. he has an eventful lifetime and we certainly appreciate your service and you being here on your final day on the job. but as has been tradition for us that com