mr. chairman. i want to echo the comments senator feinstein has made. we worked very hard in the senate to come up with a bipartisan bill that would have produced real environmental benefits, helped consumers, and given a boost to the automobile industry. it was a win-win from every perspective. unfortunately, thee version of cash for clunkers that has been included in the conference report does not begin to achieve the environmental benefits of the bill that senator feinstein and i have been advocating. as she's indicated, our version would save 38% more oil than the version that is in this conference report. it would make a real difference in helping to reduce our depend -- our dependence on foreign oil. it would get older, polluting vehicles off the road. unfortunately, the version that is in the conference report seems to be aimed at simply stimulating automobile sales. now that's a goal that i share as well, but this bill first and foremost was supposed to be an environmental measure. and i think it's unfortunate that taxpayer dollars would be give

mr. attorney general, you had exchanges with senator graham and feinstein and koh will the issue of prolonged detention and i chaired a hearing on this topic last week and would simply urge you and the department to consider the various legal and policy concerns that are involved. any system of indefinite detention raises those kind of issues. i would say even with the kind of due process protections that you discussed. i do think this done a -- could be a very big mistake, especially because of how such a system could be perceived around the wormed, frankly after some of the progress that the administration is making to the president's good work in our relationships around the world. another topic, i wrote to the president on monday about my continued concern that the administration has not formally withdrawn legal opinions, including the january, 2006, white paper that provided legal justifications for the bush administration's warrantless wiretapping program. and the letter was prompted in part by a recent speech that i'm sure you're aware of by the director of national intelligence. and w

mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from minnesota. cloib cloi i want to -- ms. klobuchar: i want to thank the senator from kansas, and i know that senators feinstein, boxer, and murray will speak -- may have already and will in the next few weeks on this nominee as will many of my colleagues, but i really appreciate this, mr. president. we're very excited for this upcoming hearing and we're glad to be here as ambassadors of truth. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from kansas. a senator: thank you very much. i believe under a previous agreement i have time allotted at the present time. is that correct, if i could inquire of the chair? the presiding officer: the senator may be recognized under cloture. mr. brownback: thank you very much, mr. president. mr. president, i rise today to discuss the nomination of judge sonia sotomayor to the united states supreme court. i've had the opportunity to meet with judge sotomayor two weeks ago. i was in the senate when she was previously before this body on the second circuit court nomination. i appreciate the chance to meet with her recen

mr. latourette: people had been coming up to the barricades and said i've been invited by senator feinstein, speaker pelosi, majority leader hoyer and minority leader boehner to attend the inaugurations. so what do you mean i can't get in? of course, these are not invitations. i ask the gentlelady to look at the joint subcommittee on inaugural ceremonies and perhaps we can do better and have a peaceful inauguration in 2013. i thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from florida is recognized. ms. wasserman schultz: thank you, madam speaker. at this time i yield three minutes to my colleague and friend, the gentleman from florida. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from florida for three minutes. mr. hastings: thank you, madam chair. i thank my friend, good friend from florida, especially. and my capacity as co-chairman of the commission on security and cooperation in europe, i'd like to engage in a colloquy with you, ms. wasserman schultz, regarding chronic problem faced bythe commission and that's access to appropriate space for public

senator children, feinstein, mikulski, locks her and very well be speaking or may have already in the next few weeks on this nominee as will many of my colleagues but all i appreciate this, mr. president and we are excited for this upcoming hearing and glad we are able to be here as ambassadors of truth. thank you, high-yield the floor. >>> the senate continues work on a health care bill. this is the sixth day the senate health committee has led to mark up its legislation. they are one of a number of congressional -- [inaudible conversations] >> the committee will come to order. >> i thank my colleagues for being here. let me turn to senator enzi for offering the first amendment. >> mr. chairman, i call amendment 55 and this amendment strikes section 421 which modifies the student loan rates -- you still can't hear me? i thought they fixed that while we were on break. is that better? i called amendment 55 which strikes section 421 which modifiers student loan rates for medical profession guidelines and the purpose of this amendment is to -- there are changes being suggested that are in the bill, the current wall we operate under has a fixed interest rate of 5% and it would

mrs. feinstein: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from california. mrs. feinstein: i ask unanimous consent the call of the quorum be dispensed. .the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mrs. feinstein: i ask to speak in morning business. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mrs. feinstein: thank you very much. madam president, i came to the floor to offer a few comments on the family smoking prevention and tobacco control act. the bill that we will be shortly voting to grant cloture on, i hope. i want to begin by, really, paying tribute and thanking senator kennedy. i've had occasion to discuss this subject with him more than once and no one has been more dedicated, worked harder or longer to see this day on the floor than senator ted kennedy and i wt to thank him for it. i hope once this bill gains cloture we will pass it swiftly and it will become the law of the land. and it will, in fact, save lives. i'd like to make three main points. the first is, the tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death in this country. the