ms. mikulski: mr. president? mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from maryland. ms. mikulski: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that our remarks regarding the passing of skwrer dean tper -- of geraldine ferraro appear at an appropriate place in the record. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. mikulski: mr. president, i also ask that the following senators be permitted to speak for five minutes each: senators -- on the subject of geraldine ferraro: senators boxer, hutchison, stabenow, shaheen. i don't know if the gentlelady from maine wishes to speak at this time or another time about -- would you like to speak at this time? let me reiterate the unanimous consent. the following senators be permitted to speak for five minutes each: boxer, hutchison, stabenow, shaheen, snowe. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. mikulski: thank you. mr. president, we come to the floor with

ms. mikulski: mr. president, i now yield to the gentlelady from new york, senator gillibrand, though our newest democratic senator, she's been a strong advocate. she's not new to being a strong advocate. i yield five minutes. mrs. gillibrand: thank you -- the presiding officer: senator from new york. mrs. gillibrand: thank you, mr. president. i rise today to join my colleagues and speak out about the failure that is taking place on the other side of capitol hill right now in this republican-controlled congress. the election last november was not a mandate for any one political party or extreme ideology. it was a mandate for action, for sliewses that will create -- solutions that will create jobs and get our economy moving again. rather than focusing on jobs and responsible budgeting, house republicans have engagedded in an all-out assault on the health and well being of women, children, and families in america. the american people voted overwhelmingly for debate on economic solutions that will create j

ms. mikulski: thank you very much, mr. president. i ask unanimous consent to speak up for -- speak up to for ten minutes. the presiding officer: without objection, the senator from maryland is recognized. ms. mikulski: thank you very much, mr. president. i wanted to address the senate about the consequences of where we are in the debate on appropriations and the really harsh and punitive consequences of h.r. 1. but i cannot let the comments that have been made during the last half an hour go uncommented on or unchallenged. first of all, i'd like to comment about the senator from oklahoma's comments about duplication in government. i so respect the senator from a oklahoma. we've worked on many fiscal reform issues. but he went over a list, a program by program by program by program of where he says we have duplication. i don't challenge his facts, but i do challenge his inertia. now, if these programs have been in existence that have been duplicative and denied value to the taxpayer, where has he been? the republicans have been in cha

ms. mikulski: the time is allocated as five minutes but i know you want to speak. you were a very dear friend and, please, proceed. mrs. hutchison:thank you. thank you, senator mikulski. thank you, senator without sena. thank you, mr. president. i do want to talk about this remarkable woman because i think that, as has been mentioned before, her loss is being felt throughout america for many different reasons. she was a trail blazer and she was one of the great female role models of her generation. i wrote a book in 2004 called "american heroines: the spirited women who shaped our country." and it was to profile the women who were the earliest trail blazers in different fields: education, sports, politics, journalism. mrs. hutchison: and then i interviewed contemporary women who were still breaking barriers in those fields. in the public service chapter, i profiled margaret chase smith because she was the longest-serving women elected to the senate in her own right at the time and she was a true trail blazer. i interviewed then sandra day coconnor, our first -- san