ms. landrieu: i'm sorry. isn't it your understanding that if the lee amendment gets adopted, which i don't believe that it will, but if it did, is it your opinion that the bill will be either killed or in serious danger of passing? ms. mikulski: i think it will be in very serious danger of passing because even -- even the impact of the cuts are significant, severe, and even armageddon. but it would send it back to the house for further negotiation and the house is out this week, then they kind come back. i think that this bill very likely will die in a conference when it cannot -- the economies and the lives of the people in our state and quite frankly i say back to the gentlelady, as we're looking at frugal, i know the gentlelady has had a history of really looking at how to have a more frugal and sensible government. but, you know, we funded two wars on the on on a credit cards part of reason we're in this mess. and now we have plenty of money, plenty of money, to rebuild iraq. now we're debating, nickle-an

ms. landrieu: thank you. came to the floor this afternoon to speak briefly about hurricane sandy and what the senate and the house could and should be doing to help the survivors of this catastrophic disaster that occurred now over three months ago on the northeast coast. we from louisiana are very familiar, unfortunately, with disasters. we've had quite a number, mr. president, as you know, over the last several years. unfortunately -- and i say this, i've become an expert on disasters. i don't want to be but i'm becoming one because of my role as chair of the homeland security committee and as a leader from louisiana, all of us, whether school board members, city council members, mayors, parish officials, governors in louisiana we're becoming experts because we're having a lot of them. i came to the floor to say just a few things this afternoon about hurricane sandy. first, i want to begin by saying that the people of the northeast don't need me to tell them this, but they have a wonderfully strong delegati

ms. landrieu: thank you, madam president. my colleague for her really extraordinary and robust and enthusiastic leadership for this important piece of legislation that will send hope and help to the northeast, to the dozens of counties throughout new york, new jersey and even in the state of maryland and other states that are waiting on pins and needles for our action. and, madam president, it has been too long, we have sent too many different signals out from this capitol. the people following this deba debate, the mayors, the country commissioners, the school board members, the citizens, the pastors of churches, the principals of schools need to hear today a big "yes" from congress and a "yes" from the president that help is on the waway. believe me, as a senator from louisiana, unfortunately i have become an expert on disasters and disaster recovery, and i can tell you from personal witness and testimony the importance of every action we take regarding this recovery so that the private sector -- and i want my colleagues on

ms. landrieu: thank you. madam president, i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: quorum call: quorum call: quorum call: quorum call: quorum call: quorum call: mr. durbin: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from illinois. mr. durbin: i ask unanimous consent the quorum call be suspended. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. durbin: sciewns the senate proceed to a period of morning business with senators permit permit -- permitted permitted. i ask unanimous consent that the proceedings of the inaugural ceremony be printed in the record. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. durbin: i understand there are two bills at the desk. i ask for their first reading en bloc. the presiding officer: the clerk will read the titles of the bills en bloc. the clerk: s. 47, a bill to reauthorize the violence against women act of 1994. h.r. 152, an act making supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending september 30, 2013, to improve and streamline disast