committee, which makes tom udall the counterpart for john micah, from florida. this is not really overall a fight about airports or subsidies for rural air service or whether the people of ely can ever get on a plane. this is not even a fight really about the faa and regulation of air travel in this country. this is very clearly a fight about union rights and the republican will in 2011 to strip union rights away at every opportunity. as long as senate democrats will not give in to republican demands to strip union rights here, as long as senate democrats stand up for those rights, republicans are telling them these are your choices, either the faa can shut down altogether or republicans start threatening american airports in bunches, and this is just for now. come september, we are back here again and we're going to have to get another dog because something will have already happened to this one if you know what i mean. is this too graphic a metaphor? yes, it is, but that is how republicans are trying to govern on the issue of union rights right now. i can't le

tom udall is among those arguing the case. thank you for joining me. you criticize president obama for not bringing back american troops fast enough from afghanistan. what would you like him to do? >> the thing we have to realize is the thing we went in with objectives. those objectives were displacing a government that was harboring terrorists. terrorist camps, al qaeda was hooked up with them, and osama bin laden was in the region. now we have an elected government, we have completely changed the landscape, we have trained approximately 400,000 afghans in terms of army and police. al qaeda is decreased to about 100 low-level fighters. we're talking about a sob and lot and being brought to justice. my basic position and there are a number of senators who signed a letter for a swifter and quicker withdrawal. it is a handoff, is what it is, to the afghans we have changed -- we have trained. what we would like to see done is move in the direction to hand this off. >> are you worried that the taliban is sitting in afghanistan, reading the "new york times"

tom udall is among those arguing the case. thank you for joining me. you criticize president obama for not bringing back american troops fast enough from afghanistan. what would you like him to do? >> the thing we have to realize is the thing we went in with objectives. those objectives were displacing a government that was harboring terrorists. terrorist camps, al qaeda was hooked up with them, and osama bin laden was in the region. now we have an elected government, we have completely changed the landscape, we have trained approximately 400,000 afghans in terms of army and police. al qaeda is decreased to about 100 low-level fighters. we're talking about a sob and lot and being brought to justice. my basic position and there are a number of senators who signed a letter for a swifter and quicker withdrawal. it is a handoff, is what it is, to the afghans we have changed -- we have trained. what we would like to see done is move in the direction to hand this off. >> are you worried that the taliban is sitting in afghanistan, reading the "new york times"

provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable tom udall, a senator from the state of new mexico, to perform the duties f the chair. signed: daniel k. inouye, president pro tempore. mr. reid: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader recognized. mr. reid: following leader remarks, the senate will be in a period of morning business for one hour. the majority will control the first half, the republicans will control the second half. following morning business, i will be recognized. mr. president, h.r. 1938 is due for a second reading i'm told. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: h.r. 1938, an act to direct the president to expedite the consideration and approval of the construction and operation of the keystone xl oil pipeline, and for other purposes. mr. reid: mr. president, i would object to any further proceedings at this time on this legislation. the presiding officer: objection having been heard, the bill will be placed on the calendar. mr. reid: i now ask unanimous consent on behalf of senator bingam

provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable tom udall, a senator from the state of new mexico, to perform the duties of the chair. signed: daniel k. inouye, president pro tempore. mr. reid: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader is recognized. mr. reid: following leader remarks, the senate will resume the motion to proceed to s. 1323, which is a bill to express the sense of the senate on shared sacrifice in the resulting budget deficit, with the time until 10:00 a.m. this morning equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees. at 10:00 a.m. there will be a vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to s. 1323. this could be the only vote of the day although there may be procedural matters that may arise. today the senate is calling on millionaires and billionaires to contribute to this country's effort to reduce our deficit. the poor, middle-class children and seniors have already been asked to make sacrifices to put our fiscal house in order. this legislation would reaffir

provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable tom udallico, to perform the duties of the chair. signed: daniel k. inouye, president pro tempore. the presiding officer: the majority leader is recognized. the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: mr. mcconnell: mr. president, are we in a quorum call? the presiding officer: yes. we are. the republican leader is recognized. mr. mcconnell: i kwurt that further proceed -- i request that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: the senate will begin debate today on cut, cap, and balance, the plan approved earlier this week in the house. this means that senators will now have the opportunity to go on record either in support of balancing our books or against it. this is an opportunity for everyone to take a stand. it's an opportunity to say that a government which borrows more than 40 cents of every dollar it spends is not sustainable and very much needs to change its ways. it's an opportunity to stand with those who bel

provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable tom udall, a senator from the state of new mexico, to perform the duties of the chair. signed: daniel k. inouye, president pro tempore. mr. reid: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader is recognized. mr. reid: following any leader remarks, the senate will be in a period of morning business until 3:30 this afternoon. following that morning business, the senate will resume consideration of of the military construction-veterans affairs and related agencies appropriation bill. at 5: p.m., the senate will vote -- i'm sorry, will go to executive session to consider the nomination of j. paul oetken and at 5:30 there there be a roll call vote on confirmation of that nomination. h.r. 2018 is at the desk ask due for a second reading, i'm told. the presiding officer: the clerk will read the title of the bill for the second time. the clerk: h.r. 2018, an act to amend the federal water pollution control act to preserve the authority of each state to make determinations relating to the sta