ms. mikulski: mr. president, i would like to commend the senator from new jersey for this amendment. i think it's common sense and i think it accomplishes so many objectives. number one, it helps people with real problems be able to get back on their feet, maintain homeownership and get our economy going and put people to work. i know that the gentleman from new jersey and others here support an infrastructure. we want to build roads and bridges. i'd like to take broadband to every part of america. we also need to look at home building. mine has come to a screeching halt, even in a robust community -- a robust state like maryland. and everybody i talk to in the maryland business community that says unless you crack the housing situation, you can't crack the economic situation. by having access to the american dream, which is now becoming an american nightmare, this american dream created jobs, whether the people who built them, the real estate developers who developed them, the people like senator isak

ms. mikulski: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senior senator from maryland. ms. mikulski: i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: quorum call: mr. cardin: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from maryland. mr. cardin: i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be dispensed with. officer without objection. mr. cardin: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the privileges of the floor be granted to the following member of the senator from oregon's staff, elizabeth heightsman, during the pendency. pending business. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cardin: mr. president, i've -- i know the senator from missouri is here i'm going to make a unanimous consent request that i anticipate he will object to. i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nomination, calendar number 11 2k-rbg that the fume nation be confidence, the motion to reconsider be laid on the

ms. mikulski: mr.president, i want to compliment all senators in the way they've worked cooperatively on the expeditious way of moving these three very important appropriations subcommittee. every senator who has had an amendment has worked with us constructively, either to modify them, to comply with what the leadership wanted to move the bill. i want to compliment the managers on the other side of the bill for also moving the bill, and i think it shows that we can govern ourselves. mr. president, this is the first time in a couple of years we're actually following a regular order on due deliberations of our appropriations bills. it's very important that we do this, not only to meet our fiscal responsibility of funding annual appropriations, that is actually putting money in the federal checkbook. we have followed a regular order by each subcommittee holding rigorous hearings, doing due diligence in terms of oversight, being quiet guardians of the purse and now if anyone watched us over the last coupl

ms. mikulski: mr. president, it's an interesting bill on the floor, it's three bills, ities agriculture appropriations, commerce, justice and science, and the transportation-housing bill. our colleague, senator herb kohl of wisconsin, spent a good part of yesterday managing the bill. he chairs the agricultural subcommittee, and i'm doing it today. senator kohl was tied up on other matters, and he asked me to ensure that his statements in opposition to the crapo amendment number 814 and the moran 815 were presented to the senate. and i said that i would. i ask unanimous consent that senator kohl's remarks be included in the record. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. mikulski: and he was adamant in his opposition to the moran amendment providing $8 million for the watershed rehab program. while he's not opposed to the watershed rehab program, he wanted to make it clear we had to make very difficult decisions. he does not support senator moran's amendment, as it would offset funding for the dep

ms. mikulski: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from maryland. ms. mikulski: i oppose the mccain amendment and oppose o.m.b.'s recommendations. the trade adjustment assistance is an effective and modest program. it's only $15.8 million. the average grant is $75,000. from 2006-2010, it's helped over 830 firms essentially creating or retaining about 50,000 jobs. i urge the defeat of the mccain amendment. the presiding officer: is there further debate? if not, the question is on the amendment. is there a sufficient second? there is. the clerk will call the roll. vote: vote: the presiding officer: any senators wishing to vote or change their vote? if not, on this, the ayes are 44, the nays are 55. the amendment is not agreed to. a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from wisconsin. mr. kohl: i ask unanimous consent the four amendments listed in the previous order and the following amendments of senator coburn, number 791 and number 792, be the only amendments in order to be offered this evening. the presiding officer: is there objec

ms. mikulski: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from maryland. ms. mikulski: mr. president, i'm pleased to repor present toe united states the fiscal year 2012 bill to fund the c.j.s. appropriations. that's the department of commerce, justice, and our science agencies. i want to thank leader reid and minority leader mcconnell for bringing the c.j.s. bill to the floor so that we senators have an opportunity to discuss and vote on this important legislation. the c.j.s. bill is the product of bipartisan cooperation. i stand here today with my ranking member, my colleague, my partner on this bill, senator kay bailey hutchison. at the outset, i want to thank her and her excellent staff for working hand in hand to advance the cause and the goals that we believe in: creating jobs, making sure that our streets and our neighborhoods are safe, a understand at the same time funding innovation and technology so that america continues to be an exceptional nation. we've worked together, and i'm going to thank her for her support and her cooperation. this fiscal year c.j.s. tota

ms. mikulski: i rise to comment on tax reform texas' amendment. -- the gentleman from texas' amendment. mr. chairman, i am the chair of the subcommittee on commerce, justice, and science and fund the bureau of alcohol and firearms. i'm going to comment on the amendment. before i comment on the amendment explicitly i'd like to compliment the gentleman from texas, one, raising the issue on the floor, second, his fierce defense of the border, our southwest border, and his devotion to federal law enforcement and always being concerned when we send them in harm's way and where we in any way could have contributed to either their injury or their death. so i think -- you know, i just compliment you on that. my ranking member, senator kay bailey hutchison, also from texas has spoken eloquently, diligently and unflinchingly about the need that we have to be serious about what's happening on the southwest border. i say this to you, that for those of us who are concerned about our country, we support the efforts to control our border and the growing violence that's occurring there. i believe that

ms. mikulski: thank you very much, mr. president.se a pend -- oppose a pending amendment, the amendment offered by the senator from arizona, senator mccain, that is amendment number 740. mr. president, this amendment would eliminate any funding under the economic development administration for trade adjustments assistance. trade adjustment assistance under the economic development administration is $15.8 million. this amendment would stop a.d.a. from implementing the t.a.a. for something called the firms program which was just reauthorized last week by the senate. the trade adjustment assistance for firms is the only program specifically designed to help small manufacturers hurt by import competition. let me emphasize, it's the little guys. it's the machine tool shop, it's the small to medium sized business that we go hoorah-hoorah for in the senate all of the time. but when it comes to helping them when they were hurt by trade imports or their intellectual property has been stolen, we're not going to give them help. i oppose this am

ms. mikulski: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from maryland. the senate is not in order. the senator from maryland. ms. mikulski: mr. president, i along with the chairman of the subcommittee on agriculture, we oppose this amendment -- excuse me. i oppose this amendment. and let me tell you why i oppose it. firs it's a budget buster. to enforce this will take enormous amounts of resources. you cannot be sure that that drug coming from canada is not a counterfeit, lethal death drug. you don't have any enforcement procedures in here, you don't have the money to enforce it. and we have a history of phony drugs coming in through rogue web sites, through counterfeit countries. if you want-to-a drug that's been made in a country that we view as predators towards the united states, when you take your coumadin, when you want your wife to take her breast cancer drug, when your daughter make take that birth control bill, then you want the vitter amendment. but if you want safety, defeat the amen