mr. mcconnell: madam president? the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: mr. mcconnell: madam president? the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that further proceedings on the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: as the debate over spending gears up ahead of the president's budget next week, i thought it important that we just step back this morning and note one thing, and that's the fact that this debate has completely and totally changed. two years ago, the president and the democrats running congress weren't debating whether to cut spending. they were debating how much to spend. you recall that a lot of them were disappointed that the stimulus wasn't even bigger and that it ended up bigger than it ended up being, and some actually still are concerned that the stimulus wasn't big enough. so we have seen a welcome shift. today, the only debate is how

mr. mcconnell: mr. president, i ask for the yeas and nays. the presiding officer: is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the question is on the motion to waive. the yeas and nays have been ordered. the clerk will call the roll. vote: vote: the presiding officer: are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or change their vote? if not, on this vote, the yeas are 47, the flais 51. i was there of the senators duel -- three-fifths of the senators duly chosen and sworn not having voted in the afirmive, the motion is not agreed to. the point of order is success staining and the amendment falls falls. ms. collins: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator maine. ms. collins: thank you, mr. president. i rise this evening to introduce the federal employees compensation reform act of 2011. this bill would preserve the essential purpose of the federal workers' compensation program, which is to ensure income for injured federal and postal workers while at the same time it would protect the program from fraud and abuse. mr. p

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: mr. president, it's no secret that most americans oppose the health care bill that democrats swammed through congress last -- jammed through congress last march. it's also no secret that democrats would like to move past it. but the fact is, the more americans learn about this bill, the less they like it and the more urgent it becomes for those to repeal and replace it to follow through. opposition to the bill continues to build and when two federal courts in a row rule that this bill is unconstitutional, and we learn every day of some other way it's not only making health care worse, but also hurting jobs and the economy, it's no wonder more americans support repeal than oppose it. and that the percentage of those who say they support full repeal is higher now than ever. americans are outraged that the promises they were made -- that were made about this bill have turned out to be empty. court rulings like the one out of florida only add to the urgency of scrapping this bill and starting

mr. mcconnell: madam president? the presiding officer: republican leader. mr. mcconnell: are we in a quorum call? the presiding officer: no, we are not. mr. mcconnell: as the debate over government spending comes into focus this week, i think it's worth noting once again how this debate has shifted in recent weeks. after two years of bailouts and stimulus bills, we're finally talking about how much government should cut instead of how much it should spend. obviously the details matter, and we'll be working those out in the weeks ahead. but the fact that this debate has shifted is a testament to the millions of americans who insisted that their voices be heard on this issue. they've made a difference. it's important that we acknowledge all of that. now the question shifts to whether those in power will actually follow through in a serious way. will democrat leaders in washington really do something to rein in a government we can no longer afford, or will they just pretend to and hope that the american people focus on their words instead of their actions? unfortun

mr. mcconnell: mr. president, i thank the senator from texas very much for letting me make a brief statement about the amendment i'm about to offer. i apologize for interrupting her comments. mr. president, what we have today is an opportunity, an opportunity for the majority to reevaluate what it has done on the issue of health care and take another path. it's no secret the american people don't like the health care bill that was passed last year. and if you talk with doctors or nurses or anybody else involved with health care over the last year, most of them will tell you they don't like it either. employers big and small have been desperately trying to get the message across of how damaging this bill will be to their ability to create jobs. they tell us the impact of the bill is severe. higher taxes, penalties for hiring workers, new regulations that already to more than 6,000 pages, mountains of new paperwork; all this at a time when businesses want to create jobs and millions of americans are looki

mr. mcconnell: madam president. the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: later today, as i noted yesterday, the senate will have a rare opportunity -- later today as i noted yesterday, the senate will have a rare opportunity for those who supported the health spending bill in the past, it's an opportunity to revisit your first vote. to listen to those who have desperately trying to get your attention to say yes, maybe my vote for this bill was a mistake, maybe we can do better. to listen to the small business owners who have been contacting our offices every single day and telling us that this bill keeps them from creating the jobs that we need. to show that you've actually noticed that most persons don't want this bill. to show that you're aware more people want it repealed than don't. to show that you've noticed the town halls in your states. to show that you've noticed the opposition to this bill continues to grow. t

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. mcconnell: mr. president, earlier today the president spoke to the chamber of commerce in what some have described as an effort to make nice with the business community. i'll leave others to analyze what that speech means politically. the first concern of every american is what will it mean for the economy. as i said before, what the president says matters a lot less than what he does. so we'll just have to wait and see whether the president's actions support his rhetoric. and it's in that spirit that i'd like to suggest one thing the president could do immediately with republican support to show he's serious about jobs and the economy. he could work with us to pass free trade agreements with colombia and panama that have been languishing for years. we welcome the president's support for the south korea free trade agreement which has earned strong

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. cconnell: first, let me congratulate the senator from georgia for his excellent presentation of george washington's farewell address. it has been an important senate tradition for many years, and i thank him for his reading that for all of us on this important occasion. mr. president, on another matter, i want to start by welcoming everyone back from the recess. it's good to be back. time away from washington is an opportunity to step back and to measure the priorities of party against those of people who sent us here to make sure that they are properly aligned. as the two parties re-engage this week in a debate about our nation's finances, it's vital that we focus not on the mere partisan advantage but on what's right for the nation. when it comes to the two choices before us of either maintaining an unsustainable status quo on spending or to begin to start cutting spending, the choice could not be more clear. this morning's news brought word that a 47-member panel of some of the nati

mr. mcconnell: if i may, mr. president, i believe this is the first opportunity the new senator from missouri has had to address the senate and his colleagues, and he's certainly chosen the most important topic to begin his career in the senate. i want to just express my admiration not only for the comments that he just made on what many of us believe is right near the top of the list of america's priorities, but also his extraordinary service in the house of representatives over the last 14 years, and welcome the senator from missouri to the senate. as i indicated, he certainly picked an appropriate topic to make his maiden speech to the united states senate. mr. president, i yield the floor. mr. brown: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from ohio. mr. brown: i appreciate senator blunt's maiden speech too and having the honor of listening to it. of course i disagree with his comments. i've heard all this before, mr. president. i've heard republicans say this is a bad law that we've got to deal wit

mr. mcconnell and john boehner? hamas we do not need to let just anyone specifically, because they represent communities across the country. they have got to hear from us. it is a little bit lame for us to hear that they have got tough choices to make. you would be a mayor for a day and i will tell you about tough trusses. this is about priorities and the priorities need to be at about the economy. if they cut cdbg they have lost their sense of priority. >>, and the chair of the democratic mayors, and we stand side by side on these issues, and we can while the halls of congress together on that, because this is something about the children, programs that was started by a republican president. this has been a program that allowed us can take you and put your hands right on the result of these programs. we stand together on this. we may talk about other issues, but paulson did not have a d or r on it. is about the people of this great country, and we stand together on this. >> you mentioned what the house has done, bu

the mcconnell amendment takes that away. mr. president, i want to briefly mention the destructive impacts the mcconnell amendment would have on my state of iowa. one, it would raise taxes on more than 260,000 iowans by taking away tax credits to help them purchase health care coverage. more than 8,300 young adults in iowa would lose their insurance coverage through their parents' health plans. tens of thousands of eye qua with a seniors would face higher prescription drug prices and once again would have to pay a co-pay for preventive services. such as colonoscopies and mammograms, which now they can get without a co-pay. and of course, the 1.9 million iowans with private coverage would once again be vulnerable to a whole range of abuses and discriminatory practices by the health insurance industry. like cutting you off if you get breast cancer. or putting a lifetime cap on it, or an annual cap. in addition, mr. president, i want to mention that the new health reform law remedies the discrimination against iowa -- my state -- and

mr. mcconnell: mr.ident, earlier today, president obama showed the american people just how he intends to spend their tax dollars and how much more he intends to borrow to fund his vision of the future, and it's a huge disappointment to those in both parties who were hoping the president would take this opportunity to address the grave and imminent fiscal crisis that we face. the president's budget is the clearest sign yet that he simply does not take our fiscal problems seriously. it's a patronizing plan that says to the american people that their concerns are not his concerns. it's a plan that says fulfilling the president's vision of a future of trains and windmills is more important than a balanced checkbook. it's a plan that asks our children to pay for an imaginary vision of the future that may or may not come about by adding trillions to a debt that will be very real to them, indeed. the president's budget comes in at close to a thousand pages. the people who voted for a new direction in november

mr. president. i rise in strong support. mcconnell amendment 13 that would completely repeal president obama's, in my view, unconstitutional health care bill. of course i was an active participant in the debate in the last congress about obamacare and fought that tooth and nail. the day after it passed into law, i introduced a freestanding measure to repeal it completely. the first day of thisew congress that i could file bills, i reintroduced that measure. and of course, for all those reasons, certainly support this amendment that accomplishes that important goal. let me begin by responding to my distinguished colleague from vermont's suggestion. everybody who wants to repeal this law, including me, weon't want to do away with the idea that you shouldn't be shoved off insurance because of preexisting conditions. you shouldn't have portability. you shouldn't be able to meet those obligations. we don't think that at all. we are, however, for complete repeal for a very simple reason. what's wrong with this bill, what's wrong with obamac

mr. president, i rise in strong i support of the mcconnell amendment number four team thatuld would completely repeal president obama's in my viewll. of unconstitutional health care bill. of course i was an activeate in participant in the tv to in the last congress about obamacare and soft that to faint mail the day after it passed into law on the interstate freestanding measure to repeal it completely. the first day of the new congress like a final bills i for reintroduced that measure and of course for all those reasonst certainly support this amendment that accomplishes that important r es goal. let me begin by responding to myleague distinguished colleagues fromeal vermont suggestion.ding everybody who wants to repeal will wall including me we don't sdn 't want to do away with the idea off that you shouldn't be shoved off insurance because ofyou shoun't pre-existing conditions. you shouldn't be able to meet those obligations.nk tha we don't think that at all. we are however for complete v repeal for a very simple reason. b what's wrong with this bill what's wrong with obamacare one isn't o

i urgely colleagues to support senator mcconnell's legislation. i yield the floor. >> mr.president? >> senator from vermont. >> mr. president, it is very hard for me to understand how anyone could be voting to repeal the entire health care bill because when you do that, among other things, what you are saying is that we will continue the odious practice of denying health care by insurance companies to people

mr. president, show us. we don't believe you. you go first. the senate is a different animal and the republican leaders in the senate, especially mitch mcconnell, republican leader who had a private lunch with the president the other week, i think wants to do a deal. >> about the senate, there's now the gang of six senators who are meeting who want to put forward legislation about entitlement reform. >> and they want to do their work with less attention. you're talking about democrats and republicans. these are people who are respected for what they know. you've got a kent conrad, who was on the commission not seeking re-election. that gives him some freedom. have you a tom coburn, a republican of oklahoma who's willing to grind the senate to a halt to get something done. they've got some credibility with their peers and they're looking at four areas from the tax code to entitlements, really killers of medicare and medicaid. those are the budget-busters and social security. but they're looking at things like triggering tax increases if congress does not hold itself to cutting back the debt. so it's a system to try to get everybody to do what t

mr. president, we're going to have one more vote tonight. senator mcconnell and i have spoken earlier today. we'll have one or two votes in the morning that will terminate before 11:00. so we have to have a vote around 10:00, 10:15 in the morning, maybe two. on the f.a.a. bill. mr. leahy: mr. president? the presiding officer: the question -- the senator from vermont. [inaudible] mr. leahy: i request two minutes equally divided on the arkansas vote and i'd yield my time to the distinguished senator from arkansas. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection, so ordered. mr. pryor: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from arkansas. mr. pryor: mr. president? mr. president, i rise today to support the nomination of paul holmes. in arkansas we call him p.k. holmes. he's -- a senator: may we have order. a senator: order. the presiding officer: the senate will be in order. mr. pryor: mr. president, i rise today in support of paul holmes, or as we call him in arkansas, p.k. holmes, for the district courtship in western arkansas. a lot of

mr. president. i rise in strong support. mcconnell amendment 13 that would completely repeal president obama's, in my view, unconstitutional health care bill. of course i was an active participant in the debate in the last congress about obamacare and fought that tooth and nail. the day after it passed into law, i introduced a freestanding measure to repeal it completely. the first day of this new congress that i could file bills, i reintroduced that measure. and of course, for all those reasons, certainly support this amendment that accomplishes that important goal. let me begin by responding to my distinguished colleague from vermont's suggestion. everybody who wants to repeal this law, including me, we don't want to do away with the idea that you shouldn't be shoved off insurance because of preexisting conditions. you shouldn't have portability. you shouldn't be able to meet those obligations. we don't think that at all. we are, however, for complete repeal for a very simple reason. what's wrong with this bill, what's wrong with ob

mr. speaker, it went other to the senate where they said, well, it could never pass over here and it's simply, it's a symbolic vote. well, the republican leader, mitch mcconnel did force a vote and -- forced a vote on the repeal of obamacare and it would have taken 60 votes to break the filibuster urn those rules. every republican in the united states senate voted to repeal obamacare. we're in the situation today, mr. speaker, where if you look in the house and in the senate, with far larger republican numbers than we've had in past years, every republican in the house an senate voted to repeal opaw macare, every single one. and they're serious. and they want to get the job done. and their constituents insist that we get the job done as well. and so now that we have taken this position that we are all of us for repealing obamacare, consistent with 2/3 of the american people, if we voted to repeal it, it would be completely inconsistent for us to vote then to fund obamacare. if the c.r. has language in it that allows for funding of obamacare, then a vote in support of the continuing resolution is a vote that funds the very thing that we voted to repeal. which

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? mr. president. the presiding officer.the presie republican leader. mr. mcconnell: let me just say briefly. can we have order. the presiding officer: please, order. the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: we're making good progress on this bill. this bill is being handled like we've been accustomed in the old days to handling the senate. i want to commend the majority leader for that. we're going to be able to work our way through it with amendments related to the subject from here on in and wrap up it, as he suggests, the week of the 14th. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion to table the amendment from the senator from kentucky. the yeas and nays have been ordered. the clerk will call the roll. vote: vote: vote: the presiding officer: are there any senators in the chamber who wish to vote or to change a vote? if not, on this vote the ayes are 55, the nays are 42. and the motion to table is agreed to. mr. inhofe: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from oklahoma is recognized. mr. inhofe: mr. president, i ask for the regular or

mr. mcconnell: and, mr. president, i yield the floor. i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: ms. cantwell: mr. president, i ask that the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. under the previous order, the senate will resume consideration of s. 223, which the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar number 5, s. 223, a bill to modernize the air traffic control system and so forth and for other purposes. the presiding officer: the senator from washington is recognized. ms. cantwell: i ask that the time be equally divided in the quorum call. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. ms. cantwell: i ask that a quorum call -- i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: quorum call: quorum call: mr. rockefeller: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from west virginia recognized. mr. rockefeller: i ask that the order of the quorum call be reunders

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the republican leader's recognized. mr. celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of ronald reagan, our nation's 40 td president. he was -- 40th president. he was born above a tavern in a small town, tampeko, illinois, on february 26, 1911, the values he learned there would carry him through a long and momentous life, a hollywood sound stage and union leader's negotiating table to the governor's mansion, the white house, and the world. 100 years after his birth, 30 years after his inauguration as president, and only seven years after his passing, it's already widely acknowledged by both sides of the aisle that ronald reagan was a great man and a great president. his role in ending the cold war with american victories and the forces of marksism and lennonism as he put it on the ash heap of history has been assured. you could almost say we're all reaganites now. but, oh, how so much has changed. for when ronald reagan was still in force, actively shaping history and not yet a part of it, he had many fewer friends. one opin

mr. president, yesterday along with senators hutchison and mcconnell, we introduce add resolution of disapproval that if adopted will overturn the f.c.c.'s attempt to regulate the internet through the recent open internet order. in december the f.c.c. defined congress and the judiciary announced an order that will give it sweeping new authority to regulate content on and access to the internet. mr. ensign: particularly in today's economy, the internet and associated applications should be able to evolve without unnecessary government interference that could stifle innovation and stifle job creation. the last thing government needs to do is once again burden the private sector with additional burdensome regulatory red tape. while the f.c.c.'s action is certainly concerning, it should come as no surprise considering this administration's history of usurping the private sector role in our economy and replacing it with a more heavy-handed federal regulation. as we've learned, such regulation only serves to micromanage private businesses and it limits their ability of companies to grow. on the contra

mcconnell legislation, and i thank the president. i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the senator from arizona. mr. kyl: mr. president, i want to agree with the comments made by our colleague from california, the chairman of the intelligence committee, and urge all of our colleagues in the time that will exist between nowed and the time that we are able to take this matter up again to accept her invitation to be briefed and to appreciate some of the things that our intelligence community goes through in order to try to protect the american citizens. the points she made are all value lid. from my service on the intelligence committee, i'm aware of what she's been talking about. i would like to repeat three things. i won't bother to go into all of detail because she made the points very, very we will. -- very, very well. but roving wiretaps. the name doesn't sound very good but roving wiretaps are the recreation in addition that today autograph lot of throw-away cell phones. you used to have one phone, usually hanging up in the kitchen someplace. so when the police got a warrant to tap your phone, that was th