mr. inhofe: mr.resident, first of all, i agree with a lot of what our distinguished chairman of the senate armed services committee has said. certainly senator hagel is -- he has a brilliant military career. mr. president, i look at my time in the army and his time in the army, and mine is very unimpressive. that isn't what the issue is here. and i do think it's interesting that in the debate we've had on the floor, all the time from the democrats has been talking about his military record, and nobody disagrees with that. that's a fact. but there are some things that have to come out because they are very, very significant. first of all, what we're going to vote on at noon today is the vote. there isn't any other vote. the vote after that is merely a simple majority, and that will be automatic. those who are expressing where they are on the hagel nomination must be reflected in the vote that takes place, the cloture vote at noon today. our time is equally divided to a time. leadership time did take u

mr. inhofe: mr. the senator yield? mr. hatch: i will be happy to yield to my colleague. mr. inhofe: i ask unanimous consent that i be recognized after the two of you went through this. can i inquiry as to how much longer it will be? i am the author of a bill that is mug up for a vote in a -- that is coming up for a vote in a few minutes. mr. baucus: could the chair indicate the time remaining. the presiding officer: 22 minutes. mr. baucus: and might i ask, madam president, which side has 292 minute -- has the 22 minutes? the presiding officer: the majority. mr. baucus: i would be glad to yield time to my friend from oklahoma. mr. inhofe: i appreciate that very much. houghow much time? mr. inhofe: it is my understanding that the other author of this bill, senator toomey, wants to be heard for two minutes prior to the vote. i'd like to be heard for a few minutes -- mr. baucus: at this time? mr. inhofe: at this time, yes. right after his time, yes. mr. baucus: i fully understand. i would be happy to yield ten minutes to the senator from oklahoma. mr. inhofe: i appreciate that ve

mr. inhofe: mr. president -- mr. levin: if the senator would just yield for one moment without losing his right to the floor. before the senators from new hampshire and maine yield the floor, i want to commend them for their statements, for their conversation. it is so i didn't think cal important that we avoid se the more senators and members of the house that look for ways on a bipartisan basis to avoid it, the better. we've still only got two weeks left to go but with the kind of energy and creativity that these two senators bring to this body, it makes me little bit more hopeful that we're going to be able to avoid this unbelievably bad outcome. so i want to thank both senators and i thank my friend from oklahoma for yieldin yielding ft mo. mr. inhofe: thank you. let me first of all respond to the chairman of the armed services committee. we talk about the anguish -- we had a hearing yesterday where we had the service chiefs -- had everybody else in there -- talking specifically about the disasters that are going

mr. inhofe: okay. i don't see anyone who's seeking recognition over here so i'll go ahead and take the last three minutes. well, first of all, it's very interesting, in all of the -- those on the other side who are supporting senator hagel for being the next secretary of defense, not one of them says anything at all about the issues. they all talk about the things with which we agree. he was a hero. we've said it. senator mccain said it. senator graham said it. we all agree that he was a hero in the war and he is deserving of this type of thing. what they don't talk about, why is it not one of them has mentioned that senator hagel is one of only two senators who voted against sanctions against iran? why is it they don't mention that he was one of only four -- in fact, all of them signed a letter for solidarity with israel. he was one of four senators who didn't sign that letter of solidarity for israel. the same thing as declaring the iranian revolutionary guard a terrorist group. he was one of only fo

mr. inhofe: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from oklahoma. mr. inhofe: mr. president, i am very pleased that we just have confirmed judge bacharach. he's going to make a great federal judge. i have just been real pleased, and i have to admit i was literally running from the airport to get here because they had plane troubles, and i saw senator pryor was in the same situation. so let me first of all thank the leadership for holding that vote open so that i would not find myself in the embarrassing position of not voting to confirm my best friend from oklahoma. so we are in that situation. let me just say that i'm very proud that he's -- he actually started on the tenth circuit as a clerk, so he really knows this stuff. he has been there for a long time. as part of his profile, it's simply to say that as a future goal, he intended to improve. he's actually made that statement. and i believe that always working to improve has been a defining characteristic of judge bacharach's career. he graduated in the top 4% of his class of law school and he received all kin

mr. inhofe: would the senator yield for a question before you start? ms. ayotte: i would, senator inhofe. then i would like to -- mr. inhofe: yes. the question is this. i already know that you know this. others may not know this, but make sure that they are aware that i am in support of your bill. that i am a cosponsor of your bill way back when you first started with jon kyl a long time ago. and i agree with what was said by both senators from south carolina and arizona. so, in fact, it is my request that yours be the republican alternative. and i just want to make sure that everyone knew that. you think it's a good idea? ms. ayotte: thank you, senator inhofe. i really appreciate your statement and your support. and i certainly join in the comments and concerns that were just raised by my colleagues, senator mccain and senator graham. here's where we are. we're in this position where, frankly, as senator mccain said, it's a charade. we're both -- both parties are acting out this play where we're going to have one vote on the democratic alternative that's

inhofe. >> thank you, mr. chairman.first of all, i would like to echo your remarks about secretary panetta and the work he has done. i don't see him here today, but i do recall that when he was first nominated, i was probably one of the first phone calls to him, and i have enjoyed working with him and a mccain, the same way, i continue to depend on his counsel. you and i have worked very well together in the past. mr. chairman, before i continue the opening statement, i would like to raise a concern about the sufficiency of the materials provided to this committee by our nominee. senator hagel was requested to provide the speeches he has delivered over the past five years. yet his initials the mission was -- initial submission was for only four speeches, even though, as was noticed by senator cruz, he had 12 speeches but submitted four speeches. well, we received some more, but only late last night i think it would have been a lot more helpful if we had received them before that. i hope we will be able to get that infor

senator inhofe. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i agree with the last part of your statement there. i hold both of our witnesses in highest regard. in the case of secretary panetta, i just whispered to my friend, senator mccain, that two of my favorite democrats in the house were mineta and panetta. that's always been the case. i rejoiced at the time that you received the positions in the appointments that you have had. it's long overdue that this committee is holding a hearing to examine the facts surrounding the terrorist attacks in benghazi on slept 11, 2012. that left four americans dead, deaths that i believe could have been prevented. but it's become clear over the last five months that the united states is willfully unprepared for what occurred in benghazi. what's also been clear is following the attack, the administration provided the american people inaccurate information about the true nature of the catastrophe and those events in benghazi. in my discussions with the most senior administrative officials, i've been told on

mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the final 20 minutes prior to the vote be equally divided and controlled between senators levin and inhofe i want to thank senator boxer for her k0789s on balancing the budget. one of the things we need to understand is that we can do this. it wasn't that long ago when president clinton was elected and he focused on balancing the budget, he made it a priority of his administration. he made it a democratic priority for the democratic party, and they passed the budget, the balanced budget act of 1993. it passed without one republican vote in this chamber and without one republican vote in the house chamber. but nonetheless it did pass, it probably cost some people some elections, a couple years later but nonetheless was the right thing to do, got us on course to fiscal stability. it took four years but we did balance the budget. but there's one -- one thing we also need to mention as we talk about that is one advantage that bill clinton had that we have not had in the last few years here is a robust, vibrant and growing economy. he had the longest economic expansion in u.s. history. that did

inhofe. >> thank you, mr. chairman. first of all, i would like to echo your remarks about secretary panetta and the work he has done. i don't see him here today, but i do recall that when he was first nominated, i was probably one of the first phone calls to him, and i have enjoyed working with him and a mccain, the same way, i continue to depend on his counsel. you and i have worked very well together in the past. mr. chairman, before i continue the opening statement, i would like to raise a concern about the sufficiency of the materials provided to this committee by our nominee. senator hagel was requested to provide the speeches he has delivered over the past five years. yet his initials the mission was -- initial submission was for only four speeches, even though, as was noticed by senator cruz, he had 12 speeches but submitted four speeches. well, we received some more, but only late last night i think it would have been a lot more helpful if we had received them before that. i hope we will be able to get that info

mr. chairman. >> thank you very much, senator inhofe. senator carter. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i'm going to be very brief because i think what you'd like to get to and would like to get to is the specifics of the impacts of these two budget circumstances that we face. first of all sequestration and second, possibility of a continuing resolution going on the entire year. i thank you for this hearing and i mean not from the bottom of my heart. we welcome an opportunity to describe the syntax. secretary panetta and i had of the situation. and as we do, will provide to this committee as complete information as we have, organized anyway you want. and today is a start in that regard. the problem comments into tears. the first is that sequestration, which is scheduled to kick in in just two weeks time requires us to subtract from our budget for the remainder of fiscal year 13, $46 billion. and as the chairman indicated, to do it in a way -- the worst way managerial econ and namely to take equal shares or proportionate share summation every part of the budget, which is obviously not wh

mr. chairman. >> thank you, senator inhofe. secretary carter? >> thank you, mr. chairman. senator inhofe, all of the members of the committee. i'm going to be brief. i think what you'd like to get to and we'd like to get to the specific of the impact of the two budget circumstances that we face. first of all, sequestration and the second the possibility of the continued resolution going on for the entire year. i thank you for this hearing, i mean that from the bottom of my heart. we welcome an opportunity to describe these impacts. secretary panetta and i have been using the word devastating for sixteen months now. and i testified last august to the consequences of sequestration if it was to occur. now it's at the door. you, who know us, who understand us, and know national security inside and out by virtue of your service on this committee are critical because i'm hoping when we describe what the consequences of these things are for national defense as we see and give you the information that you need that you can in communicate to your colleagues and the congress, than we

senator inhofe. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i agree with the last part of your statement there. i hold both of our witnesses in highest regard. in the case of secretary panetta, i just whispered to my friend, senator mccain, that two of my favorite democrats in the house were ma neta and panetta. that's always been the case. i rejoiced at the time that you received the positions in the appointments that you have had. it's long overdue that this committee is holding a hearing to examine the facts surrounding the terrorist attacks in benghazi on slept 11, 2012. that left two americans dead. -- four americans dead, deaths that i believe could have been prevented. but it's become clear over the last five months that the united states is willfully unprepared for what occurred in benghazi. what's also been clear is following the attack, the administration provided the american people inaccurate information about the true nature of the catastrophe and those events in benghazi. in my discussions with the most senior administrative offi

mr. chairman. >> thank you, senator inhofe. senator reed. >> thank you very much, mr. chairman. first, i'd ask unanimous consent that several letters of support, including one from 13 former secretaries of defense, secretaries of state, strongly endorse senator hagel's nomination be placed in the record. >> it will be placed in the record. >> i think the president chose wisely. there are very few people in the country with very few experience, as a combat infantryman, decorated and wounded, as a business leader, as the second leader of the veterans administration, as the united states senator, as someone who every day understands that the decisions we make will be carried out by young americans, has looked in the face of young americans, who have seen them suffer and die for this country. and i think that quality is if not unique extraordinarily part of the nominee before us. so again i think the president made a wise choice. senator inhofe's discussion about zero growth is an opportunity for a quote and let me quote. there is only one way safely and legitimately to reduce the c

senator inhofe. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i think the -- is about to arrive at the picnic but i'd like to share a couple of things. first of all clarify some things to make sure we all understand things that are incon proveritable facts. the national military command center, after receiving initial reports of the incident from the state department, notified the office of the secretary of defense and staff, and this information quickly passed on to the two of you. is that correct? >> correct. >> general hamm, i have a great deal respect for the general and his two predecessors after we develop africom, and of course africom, with the exception of egypt, has the continent, has the control of that. they would have operational control of the dod assets in the chance it would be. in now of pri come consistently faces resourcing shortfalls. i know you don't hear this cloud clear but we do. over pared of time you can't continue to expand into new areas as we did in africom. we didn't have any activity there, and you know this, prior

inhofe. >> thank you mr. mr. mr. chair i join you in weoming our witness.'ve had an opportunity to get to know them in the past personally and i'm very anxious to mo vaughn with this and i think -- thanks charlene and jenny for being here. you are the ones who work harder than they do so we appreciate your sacrifices if they are concerned. general austin will be in charge of overseeing arguably the most volatile region in the world and in the midst of the declining defense budget. just last week secretary panetta announced the indefinite array of a a deployment in the middle east in development that was a darkly welcomed by the regime in tehran and egypt despite all the best hopes of the arab spring president morsi and the muslim brotherhood government has shown hostility toward the opposition groups and have taken an increasing bellicose tone towards our ally in israel. these developments require us to think long and hard as we will be sharing with them the controversial f-16 transfers and ankly i didn't agree with that but it's a tough area and i think if

mr. mcconnell: i ask that the inhofe-toomey bill at the desk be considered as the bill that qualifies for introduction under the february 14 consent agreement. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i move to proceed to s. 16 and send a cloture motion to the desk. the clerk: motion to proceed to calendar number 19, a bill to provide for sequester replacement. cloture motion, we the undersigned senators in, -- mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that the reading of the names be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. the majority leader. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent that tomorrow, february 28 at a time to be determined by the majority leader after consulting with senator mcconnell, that the senate proceed to vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the mcconnell motion to proceed to calendar number 19, s. 16 that if cloture is not invoked the motion to proceed be withdrawn and the senate proceed to vote on the motion to upvoke cloture on the reid motion to proceed to calendar number 18, s. 388. further if cloture is invoked on the comoment motion,

inhofe. >> thank you mr. chair and i join you in welcoming the witnesses. i've had an opportunity to get to know them in the past and i'm very anxious to move on with this and i think charlene and jenny for being here. we appreciate your sacrifices. when confirm or if confirmed, general austin you'll be in charge of overseeing arguably the most volatile region of the world in the midst of the declining defense budget and just last week secretary panetta announced the indefinite delay of carrier stryker the deployment in the middle east development of was undoubtedly welcome by the regime in tehran. in egypt despite the best hopes, the president morsi and the brotherhood have shown a trip and hostility towards the opposition groups and the minorities have taken an increasing tone to our ally israel and these developments require as to think long and hard over what assets we are going to be sharing with them, the controversy will f-16 transfers. but it's a tough area and i think if you look through that area, and general austin you know that iran maintains de

inhofe. >> thank you mr. mr. mr. chair i join you in welcoming our witnesses. i've had an opportunity to get to know them in the past personally and i'm very anxious to mo vaughn with this and i think -- thanks charlene and jenny for being here. you are the ones who work harder than they do so we appreciate your sacrifices if they are concerned. general austin will be in charge of overseeing arguably the most volatile region in the world and in the midst of the declining defense budget. just last week secretary panetta announced the indefinite array of a a deployment in the middle east in development that was a darkly welcomed by the regime in tehran and egypt despite all the best hopes of the arab spring president morsi and the muslim brotherhood government has shown hostility toward the opposition groups and have taken an increasing bellicose tone towards our ally in israel. these developments require us to think long and hard as we will be sharing with them the controversial f-16 transfers and frankly i didn't agree with that but it's a tough area and i thin

inhofe. >> thank you mr. mr. mr. chair i join you in welcoming our witnesses. i've had an opportunity to get to know them in the past personally and i'm very anxious to mo vaughn with this and i think -- thanks charlene and jenny for being here. you are the ones who work harder than they do so we appreciate your sacrifices if they are concerned. general austin will be in charge of overseeing arguably the most volatile region in the world and in the midst of the declining defense budget. just last week secretary panetta announced the indefinite array of a a deployment in the middle east in development that was a darkly welcomed by the regime in tehran and egypt despite all the best hopes of the arab spring president morsi and the muslim brotherhood government has shown hostility toward the opposition groups and have taken an increasing bellicose tone towards our ally in israel. these developments require us to think long and hard as we will be sharing with them the controversial f-16 transfers and frankly i didn't agree with that but it's a tough area and i thin

mr. president, i have talked to senator inhofe, the ranking member of the armed services committee. it's very clear that he and a number of republicans are not willing to enter into an agreement for consideration of the hagel nomination. therefore, i move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 10. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: nomination, department of defense, charles timothy hagel of nebraska to be secretary of defense. the presiding officer: without objection, the motion to proceed is agreed to. mr. reid: mr. president, i send a cloture motion to the desk anded ask the clerk -- and ask the clerk to report. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the cloture motion. the clerk: cloture motion, we the undersigned senators in accordance with the rules of 22 of the standing rules of the senate hereby move to bring to a close debate on nomination of charles timothy hagel of nebraska to be secretary of defense, signed by 17 senators as follows -- mr. reid: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from -- the majority leader i

mr. chairman. out to thank chairman ryan and chairman inhofe for this committee and thank you, dr. elmendorf. i've not heard heard from an economist or read of an economy city said we need to approach this serious economic challenge by reducing spending and generating new revenues. there's no question the articulation of that model is something we have to do. so we do it in the latest times, but also at the same time making investments to grow our economy. we have to reduce spending, so we have to make choices about what we invest in. i'm wondering if you would share thoughts in terms of getting the most bang for buck. what are the kinds of policies while they are engaged in spending, were likely to produce the greatest economic growth in the greatest help to our economy because not all spending is the same. in that regard in particular registry thoughts about infrastructure spending, rebuilding the crumbling infrastructure of our country in the old-fashioned wpa way bush leaves behind an asset that contributes to economic growth and the ability to compete in the global economy can at the sam

mr. inhofe: thank you very much. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. inhofe: the problem i had was really not with information that i had i didn't need any information. i didn't request any additional information. many pheplgs did. many -- many members did. many members on the republican side did not receive the information they asked for. that was the case with senator cruz. i had a different reason. mine is while i think so highly of senator hagel and the work he did while he was in the vietnam war, and he was in fact a hero, you look at these people and you say what is their philosophy. he was one of only two that voted against sanctions for iran, one of only four that votedgainst an effort to make the iran revolutionary guard a terrorist group, to designate that. and one of only four that refused to sign a letter of solidarity with israel. this global zero movement is a nuke-free world, that sounds so good and that's something that president obama has talked about. he whistfully looks at the day where we have a new free world. that sounded real good