Sen. Jeff Bingaman [D-NM]

U.S. Senator, New Mexico

Speeches

Speeches on the House and Senate floors in 2009-2010 (the 111th Congress):

Jan 25, 2010: Increasing the Statutory Limit on The Public Debt: RENOMINATION OF CHAIRMAN BERNANKE

“Mr. President, I want to speak for a few minutes about the upcoming confirmation vote on Chairman Bernanke of the Federal Reserve Board. I should begin by stating very clearly that there is no way to overestimate the severity of the economic downturn that began in this country in 2007. To date, our Nation has lost 7.2 million jobs. In my home...”

Jan 20, 2010: Notices of Hearings: COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES

“Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on Thursday, January 21, 2010, at 10 a.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of the hearing is to...”

Jan 20, 2010: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 2941. A bill to provide supplemental ex gratia compensation to the Republic of the Marshall Islands for impacts of the nuclear testing program of the United States, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

“[Introducing S. 2941] Mr. President. Today, I join the Ranking Member of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Senator MURKOWSKI, in reintroducing, the Republic of the Marshall Islands Supplemental Nuclear Compensation Act at the request of the President of the Marshall Islands, the Honorable Jurelang Zedkaia. This legislation is...”

Dec 22, 2009: Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act of 2009: MEMO FOR THE MOVEMENT

“Madam President, over the past few weeks we have heard a lot of heated debate about this health care proposal. Much of it has concentrated on a few key issues: whether there should be a public option, whether there should not be. Of course, much of that debate was on the Democratic side among Members with strongly held views on both sides of...”

Dec 16, 2009: Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act of 2009: UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--H.R. 4154

“Mr. President, let me speak in support of what Senator Baucus, the Senator from Montana, attempted to do just now--to get a short-term extension of current law with regard to the estate tax, so we would have a $3.5 million exemption from the estate tax into next year for a short period, while we actually settle on what type of permanent change...”

Dec 4, 2009: Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act of 2009

“As this chart demonstrates, according to the Congressional Budget Office, if we don't act to deal with the growth in health care costs, Federal spending on Medicare and Medicaid combined will grow from 5 percent of GDP today to almost 10 percent by 2035. By 2080, the government would be spending almost as much as a share of the economy on just...”

Dec 3, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 2830. A bill to amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to clarify that uncertified States and Indian tribes have the authority to use certain payments for certain noncoal reclamation projects; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources., Introducing S. 2832. A bill to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to require a lifetime income disclosure; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

“[Introducing S. 2832] Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Lifetime Income Disclosure Act, to help Americans ensure they do not outlive their retirement savings. I am pleased to be joined by my colleague on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Senator ISAKSON, and the Chairman of the Aging Committee, Senator KOHL, in...”

Nov 20, 2009: Notices of Hearings: COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES

“Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Subcommittee on National Parks. The hearing will be held on Thursday, December 3, 2009, at 2:30 p.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of the hearing is to receive...”

Nov 20, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 2811. A bill to amend the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to provide for penalties and enforcement for intentionally taking protected avian species, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

“[Introducing S. 2811] Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Nuclear Power 2021 Act, which is cosponsored by Senator Murkowski and Senator Udall from Colorado. This bill, along with Senator Udall's bill S. 2052 are designed to give the Department of Energy a set of specific programmatic authorities to help address ways to lower the up-...”

Nov 20, 2009: Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act of 2009--Motion to Proceed

“Mr. President, I rise to speak for a few minutes about the health care legislation that has now been proposed by the majority leader and that we will be hopefully proceeding to for serious discussion, deliberation, and opportunity for amendment. Let me talk first about where we are today without health care legislation. What are the...”

Nov 18, 2009: Tribute to Governor Bruce King

“Madam President, this week, New Mexicans of all political persuasions have been recalling the life of a legendary figure of our State, Bruce King, who served as Governor during three different decades and who taught by example that public service is an honorable calling. Governor King died last Friday at the age of 85. He used to tell the...”

Nov 6, 2009: Additional Cosponsors: Introducing S. 2747. A bill to amend the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 to provide consistent and reliable authority for, and for the funding of, the land and water conservation fund to maximize the effectiveness of the fund for future generations, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

“[Introducing S. 2747] Mr. President, today I am introducing the Land and Water Conservation Authorization and Funding Act of 2009. I am pleased that Senator Baucus has joined me as an original cosponsor. The legislation I am introducing today will provide consistent funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, LWCF, program at a time...”

Nov 4, 2009: Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009: JOB CREATION, HEALTH CARE REFORM

“Mr. President, I wish to speak about the need for additional policies to create jobs in our country and about how energy legislation can help to accomplish that goal. First, let me make a point I made last week on the Senate floor; that is, despite the recent positive economic news, Congress needs to take additional steps if we are going to ...”

Oct 28, 2009: Notices of Hearings: COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES

“Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on Tuesday, November 10, 2009, at 10 a.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of this hearing is to...”

Oct 28, 2009: Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009--Motion to Proceed: HEALTH CARE REFORM

“Madam President, I wish to speak about jobs and unemployment. I know we are in this period postcloture on the effort to extend unemployment benefits. Frankly, I have great difficulty understanding why we should have to be going through this kind of procedural obstacle in order to extend unemployment benefits to the many Americans who need those ...”

Oct 22, 2009: Notices of Hearings: COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES

“Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, November 4, 2009, at 2:30 p.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The...”

Oct 22, 2009: Extension of Unemployment Benefits

“Mr. President, I rise to speak in favor of the Reid-Baucus- Shaheen amendment to H.R. 3548, which is the unemployment benefits extension bill. I very much regret that the majority leader has had to file a cloture motion on a motion to proceed to even consider that issue. To my mind, this should not be a partisan issue. There ought to be...”

Oct 15, 2009: Notices of Hearings: COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES

“Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Subcommittee on National Parks. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, October 28, 2009, at 2:30 p.m. in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of the hearing is to receive...”

Sep 24, 2009: Notice of Hearing: COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES

“Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests. The hearing will be held on Thursday, October 8, 2009, at 2:30 p.m. in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of the hearing is to receive ...”

Sep 23, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 1698. A bill to provide grants to the States to improve high schools and raise graduation rates while ensuring rigorous standards, to develop and implement effective school models for struggling students and dropouts, and to improve State policies to raise graduation rates, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

“[Introducing S. 1698] Mr. President, I rise today, along with Senators Reid, Dodd, Murray, Reed, Brown, Casey, Merkley, and Franken, to introduce the Graduation Promise Act of 2009, or GPA. This bill would create Federal-State-local partnerships to improve this nation's graduation rates, and to help transform our lowest-performing high schools. ...”

Sep 21, 2009: Interior Appropriations

“Mr. President, I realize we are not on the Interior appropriations bill at this point; we are in morning business, but I wanted to speak briefly about three amendments I plan to offer, when we do go on the Interior appropriations bill, and to alert colleagues about those amendments and, hopefully, persuade them that they are meritorious....”

Sep 17, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 1689. A bill to designate certain land as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System and the National Landscape Conservation System in the State of New Mexico, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

“[Introducing S. 1689] Mr. President, I am pleased to rise today with my colleague Senator TOM UDALL to introduce the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks Wilderness Act. This legislation will designate approximately 259,000 acres of wilderness in Doña Ana County, including the iconic Organ Mountains that overlook the City of Las Cruces. The...”

Sep 10, 2009: Remembering Senator Edward M. Kennedy

“Mr. President, first, let me thank my colleague from Massachusetts for his eloquent statement which I have had the privilege to hear. Let me make a short statement myself about my friend and colleague, Ted Kennedy. I came to the Senate in January of 1983, and my first real opportunity to work with Ted came in the Armed Services Committee...”

Jul 14, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 1453. A bill to amend Public Law 106-392 to maintain annual base funding for the Bureau of Reclamation for the Upper Colorado River and San Juan fish recovery programs through fiscal year 2023; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

“[Introducing S. 1453] Mr. President, today I am pleased to introduce the Bureau of Reclamation Fish Recovery Programs Reauthorization Act of 2009 with my colleagues Senator Udall of New Mexico, Senator Udall of Colorado, Senator Bennet, Senator Bennett, and Senator Hatch. This bill will extend the Bureau of Reclamation's authorization to...”

Jul 7, 2009: Notices of Hearings: COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES

“Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, July 15, 2009, at 2:30 p.m. in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose...”

Jun 17, 2009: Unanimous-Consent Request--Executive Calendar

“Mr. President, let me comment briefly. I regret objection has been raised again. This nomination was reported out of our Energy and Natural Resources Committee on April 30. Of course, we are now at June 17. There was no testimony at our committee hearing or no suggestion made by anybody that Ms. Tompkins was not qualified for this position....”

Jun 11, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 1239. A bill to amend section 340B of the Public Health Service Act to revise and expand the drug discount program under that section to improve the provision of discounts on drug purchases for certain safety net providers; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

“[Introducing S. 1239] Mr. President, I rise today with my colleague from South Dakota, Sen. Thune, to introduce the 340B Program Improvement and Integrity Act of 2009. This legislation is designed to address the growing burden faced by our Nation's health care safety net institutions in being able to provide adequate pharmaceutical care to the...”

Jun 10, 2009: Nomination of Hillary Tompkins

“Those concerns have been resolved. I am not clear as to what the continued problem is, why we cannot get this nomination cleared. I raise it at this point. I put people on notice, or the Senate on notice, if we are not able to get it cleared I will once again come to the floor and ask unanimous consent later this week for us to proceed to...”

Jun 4, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 1186. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to eliminate the in the home restriction for Medicare coverage of mobility devices for individuals with expected long-term needs; to the Committee on Finance., Introducing S. 1185. A bill to amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to ensure that Low-income beneficiaries have improved access to health care under the Medicare and Medicaid programs; to the Committee on Finance.

“[Introducing S. 1186] Mr. President, I rise today along with Senators Collins, Lieberman and Harkin to introduce the Medicare Independent Living Act of 2009. This legislation would eliminate Medicare's "in the home" restriction for the coverage of mobility devices, including wheelchairs and scooters, for those with disabilities and expected...”

Jun 2, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 1161. A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize programs to increase the number of nurse faculty and to increase the domestic nursing and physical therapy workforce, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

“[Introducing S. 1161] Mr. President, I rise today with my colleague Senator Lincoln to introduce the Nurse Faculty and Physical Therapist Education Act of 2009. This legislation will help to address the critical shortage of nurse faculty and physical therapists that is facing our Nation. The nationwide nursing shortage is growing rapidly...”

Jun 2, 2009: Unanimous-Consent Request--Executive Calendar

“Mr. President, let me briefly describe the circumstances that caused me to make this unanimous-consent request. I am obviously disappointed there has been an objection raised to the confirmation of Ms. Tompkins. I am advised that one or more Republican Members have placed an anonymous hold on her nomination. The Solicitor of the Department...”

May 20, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 1105. A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation, to develop water infrastructure in the Rio Grande Basin, and to approve the settlement of the water rights claims of the Pueblos of Nambe, Pojoaque, San lldefonso, and Tesuque; to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

“[Introducing S. 1105] Mr. President, today Senator UDALL and I are introducing a bill that will help end a contentious dispute over water rights claims in the Rio Pojoaque general stream adjudication in New Mexico. This is accomplished by authorizing an Indian water rights settlement of the claims being pursued by the Nambe, Pojoaque, San...”

May 18, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 1060. A bill to comprehensively prevent, treat, and decrease overweight and obesity in our Nation's populations; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

“[Introducing S. 1060] Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Obesity Prevention, Treatment and Research Act of 2009. This legislation would develop a national strategy to organize our efforts to combat childhood and adult obesity. It would help foster unprecedented collaborations and collective actions across agencies, and among private...”

May 13, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 1028. A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to improve the Nation's surveillance and reporting for diseases and conditions, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

“[Introducing S. 1028] Mr. President, I am introducing legislation today entitled the Strengthening America's Public Health System Act of 2009. The ongoing swine flu pandemic makes clear the necessity for a robust public health system in the U.S. This legislation is designed to strengthen epidemiology and laboratory capacity in State and...”

May 13, 2009: Executive Session: GENERAL POLICY

“Mr. President, David Hayes is a superbly qualified individual who has been nominated by the President to be the Deputy Secretary of the Interior. We know for a fact that he is superbly qualified because the Senate has already confirmed him for that exact office once before. That was 9 years ago. He served in that office with great distinction...”

May 12, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions on May 7, 2009: Introducing S. 1013. A bill to authorize the Secretary of Energy to carry out a program to demonstrate the commercial application of integrated systems for long-term geological storage of carbon dioxide, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

“[Introducing S. 1013] Mr. President, I am pleased to have been able to introduce the Department of Energy Carbon Capture and Sequestration Program Amendments Act of 2009, S. 1013, along with Sens. Barasso, Dorgan, Tester, Udall, Bayh, Landrieu, Casey, and Voinovich. It is critical that we work towards reducing our greenhouse gas footprint while ...”

May 7, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 999. A bill to increase the number of well-trained mental health service professionals (including those based in schools) providing clinical mental health care to children and adolescents, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

“[Introducing S. 999] Mr. President, I am introducing legislation today with Ms. Collins and Ms. Stabenow entitled Child Health Care Crisis Relief Act of 2009. This important legislation will address the national shortage of children's mental health professionals, including school-based professionals, by encouraging more individuals to enter ...”

May 4, 2009: Additional Cosponsors: Introducing S. 966. A bill to improve the Federal infrastructure for health care quality improvement in the United States; to the Committee on Finance., Introducing S. 965. A bill to approve the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

“Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce The Strategic Petroleum Reserve Modernization Act of 2009. This bill will ensure that the Strategic Petroleum Reserve will continue to fulfill the goal that its creators envisioned for it in 1975, which is to protect Americans from the economic consequences of oil supply disruptions. This bill...”

Apr 30, 2009: Executive Session: NOMINATION OF THOMAS L. STRICKLAND TO BE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE

“Mr. President, the Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks is one of the principal offices in the Department of the Interior. He is responsible for overseeing both the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service. The Fish and Wildlife Service manages 550 national wildlife refuges, encompassing more than 150 million acres ...”

Apr 23, 2009: Additional Cosponsors: Introducing S. 884. A bill to amend title 23, United States Code, to remove privatized highway miles as a factor in apportioning highway funding; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works., Introducing S. 874. A bill to establish El Rio Grande Del Norte National Conservation Area in the State of New Mexico, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources., Introducing S. 885. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide special depreciation and amortization rules for highway and related property subject to long-term leases, and for other purposes; to the Committee of Finance.

“[Introducing S. 885] Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD”

Apr 20, 2009: Notices of Hearings: COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES

“Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, April 22, 2009, at 10:00 a.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of the hearing is to...”

Apr 2, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 796. A bill to modify the requirements applicable to locatable minerals on public domain land, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources., Introducing S. 801. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to waive charges for humanitarian care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs to family members accompanying veterans severely injured after September 11, 2001, as they receive medical care from the Department and to provide assistance to family caregivers, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs., Introducing S. 790. A bill to improve access to health care services in rural, frontier, and urban underserved areas in the United States by addressing the supply of health professionals and the distribution of health professionals to areas of need; to the Committee on Finance.

“Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the School Day Factor Act of 2009. This bill would encourage States to provide students with the time they need to master knowledge and skills they will need to succeed in the 21st century, and to provide teachers with sufficient time to deliver effective instruction. Twenty-first century...”

Apr 1, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 759. A bill to amend the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century to reauthorize a provision relating to additional contract authority for States with Indian reservations; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

“[Introducing S. 759] Mr. President, I rise today with my distinguished colleagues Senators Bennett, Udall, Kyl, and Hatch to introduce the Indian School Bus Route Safety Reauthorization Act of 2009. This bill continues an important Federal program begun in 1998 that addresses a unique problem with the roads in and around the nation's single...”

Mar 26, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 725. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow self-employed individuals to deduct health insurance costs in computing self-employment taxes; to the Committee on Finance.

“[Introducing S. 725] Mr. President, I rise today along with Senator Hatch to reintroduce the Equity for Our Nation's Self-Employed Act of 2009. This important legislation corrects an inequity that currently exists in our tax code that forces the self-employed to pay payroll taxes on the funds used to purchase their health insurance while larger ...”

Mar 26, 2009: Credit For Investment In Advanced Energy Facilities

“I thank the Senator. At the outset, I note that this credit is a product of the Senate; it was not included in the preconference legislation that was passed by the House. Overall, we intend the credit to promote the manufacture of property that, until recently, has not been widely deployed in the United States. In particular, the credit is...”

Mar 26, 2009: National Service Reauthorization Act: ROOSEVELT SCHOLARS

“I appreciate the remarks of my colleague and look to my colleague from the State of Massachusetts, Mr. Kennedy, for some assurance that he regards government service as public service, as I do, and that the HELP Committee on which we both serve will pursue the Roosevelt Scholars Act as one way to enable more Americans to answer the call to...”

Mar 25, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 700. A bill to amend title II of the Social Security Act to phase out the 24-month waiting period for disabled individuals to become eligible for Medicare benefits, to eliminate the waiting period for individuals with life-threatening conditions, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Finance.

“[Introducing S. 700] Mr. President, I rise today along with my colleagues, Senators Brown and Collins, to introduce bipartisan legislation entitled Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act of 2009. This legislation would phase out the current 2-year waiting period that people with disabilities must endure after qualifying for Social...”

Mar 19, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 661. A bill to strengthen American manufacturing through improved industrial energy efficiency, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources., Introducing S. 648. a bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a prospective payment system instead of the reasonable cost-based reimbursement method for Medicare-covered services provided by Federally qualified health centers and to expand the scope of such covered services to account for expansions in the scope of services provided by Federally qualified health centers since the inclusion of such services for coverage under the Medicare program; to the Committee on Finance.

“[Introducing S. 661] Mr. President, today I am introducing a bill, with Senators Susan Collins, Debbie Stabenow, Olympia Snowe, Evan Bayh, Sherrod Brown, and Mark Pryor that would enable the retooling and transformation of our industrial sector by using less energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and producing the technologies that will...”

Mar 19, 2009: Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Battlefield Protection Act: TITLE XV--SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION FACILITIES AUTHORIZATION, NOT VOTING--2

“Madam President, today the Senate has passed H.R. 146, the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009. As I said during the debate, H.R. 146 includes over 160 bills from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and reflects many years of hard work. This achievement would not have been possible without the hard work of our outstanding...”

Mar 18, 2009: REVOLUTIONARY WAR AND WAR OF 1812 BATTLEFIELD PROTECTION ACT--Continued: NOT VOTING--1

“Mr. President, I move to table the amendment and ask for the yeas and nays.”

Mar 18, 2009: Legislative Session: COBURN AMENDMENTS

“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.”

Mar 16, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 598. A bill to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to improve appliance standards, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

“[Introducing S. 598] Mr. President, today I join with my colleague and the ranking member of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Senator MURKOWSKI, in introducing S. 598, which is entitled the "Appliance Standards Improvement Act of 2009." This legislation would enhance our economic and energy security, it would save consumers...”

Mar 16, 2009: Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Battlefield Protection Act--Motion to Proceed: THE BUDGET, NOT VOTING--5

“I suggest the absence of a quorum.”

Mar 9, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 547. A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to reduce the costs of prescription drugs for enrollees of Medicaid managed care organizations by extending the discounts offered under fee-for-service Medicaid to such organizations; to the Commmittee on Finance.

“[Introducing S. 547] Mr. President, I am introducing legislation today with Senators CASEY, STABENOW, and WHITEHOUSE entitled the Drug Rebate Equalization Act of 2009. The Medicaid drug rebate ensures that State Medicaid programs receive the best price for prescription drugs for their beneficiaries. Unfortunately, health plans that serve...”

Mar 5, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 531. A bill to provide for the conduct of an in-depth analysis of the impact of energy development and production on the water resources of the United States, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

“[Introducing S. 531] Mr. President, today I am introducing a bill, with Senator Murkowski's support, that will improve our understanding of the interdependence of energy and water and begin integrating decision-making for both resources. The relationship between energy and water is an often overlooked but serious issue that is growing in...”

Feb 24, 2009: Notices of Hearings: COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES

“Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate, that the hearing scheduled before Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, for Thursday, February 26, 2009, will begin at 2:30 p.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of the hearing is to provide recommendations for reducing...”

Feb 12, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 432. A bill to amend the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental and Native American Public Policy Act of 1992 to honor the legacy of Stewart L. Udall, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

“[Introducing S. 432] Mr. President, I am pleased to join with Senator McCain in introducing a bill to amend the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Act, both to enhance the Udall Foundation and to honor one of the foremost environmental visionaries of American history, Stewart L. Udall. The Morris K....”

Feb 6, 2009: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

“Mr. President, I intended to offer an amendment to this bill to appropriate $1 billion to the Department of Energy Federal Energy Management Program, FEMP. The funds would have been used to expand the scope of energy savings performance contracts, ESPCs, and utility energy savings contracts, UESCs. In the last 10 years, 195 ESPCs and UESCs have ...”

Feb 3, 2009: AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT OF 2009--Continued: CONCLUDING PERSPECTIVES

“Mr. President, part of this discussion has been what message does this amendment send. I will tell you what message it would send to me if we adopt this amendment. It sends a message to all corporations that do business overseas that they are never going to have to pay the regular corporate tax in this country on any earnings overseas. They are ...”

Jan 29, 2009: Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009

“Mr. President, there are about 6 million children in the country who are eligible for Medicaid or CHIP who are not enrolled. In many of these cases, these are children who are also eligible for and enrolled in other Federal programs that have similar or even more severe requirements for eligibility. To fix this problem, we put a provision in...”

Jan 28, 2009: Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009

“Madam President, I thank my colleague from Montana and congratulate him for his leadership on this very important piece of legislation. I come to the floor to offer my strong support for the Children's Health Insurance Program reauthorization. This is legislation that has come out of the Finance Committee which Senator Baucus chairs. It...”

Jan 26, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 319. A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide grants to promote positive health behaviors in women and children; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

“[Introducing S. 319] Mr. President, the legislation I am introducing today, entitled the Community Health Workers Act of 2009, will help improve access to health education and outreach services to women and children in medically underserved areas, including the U.S. border region along New Mexico. Lack of access to adequate health care and...”

Jan 21, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 295. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the quality and efficiency of the Medicare program through measurement of readmission rates and resource use and to develop a pilot program to provide episodic payments to organized groups of multispecialty and multilevel providers of services and suppliers for hospitalization episodes associated with select, high cost diagnoses; to the Committee on Finance.

“[Introducing S. 295] Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Medicare Quality and Payment Reform Act of 2009. This legislation will help improve the quality and efficiency of the Medicare program by analyzing readmission and resource use and adjusting Medicare payments accordingly. In addition, the legislation develops a large scale pilot...”

Jan 16, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 279. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the limitations on the deduction of interest by financial institutions which hold tax-exempt bonds, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Finance.

“[Introducing S. 279] Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Municipal Bond Market Support Act of 2009. This bill is similar to one that Senator Crapo and I introduced in the 110th Congress, and I am grateful for Senator Crapo's continued leadership on this issue, as well as the cosponsorship of Senators Kerry, Snowe, and Schumer. One...”

Jan 15, 2009: Authority For Committees to Meet: COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS, COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES, COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR, AND PENSIONS, COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY, COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES, COMMITTEE ON FINANCE, COMMITTEE ON BANKING, HOUSING, AND URBAN AFFAIRS, COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS

“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, to conduct a hearing on the nomination of Eric H. Holder, Jr., to be Attorney General of the United States on Thursday, January 15, 2009, at 9:30 a.m., in room SR-325 of the Russell Senate Office Building.”

Jan 15, 2009: Designating Certain Land As Components of The National Wilderness Preservation System: ORDER OF PROCEDURE, ALVA B. ADAMS TUNNEL AND GRAND RIVER DITCH, COLORADO RIVER BASIN

“Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays.”

Jan 14, 2009: Designating Certain Land Components of The National Wilderness Preservation System

“Mr. President, the time of 10:30 is about to arrive. I yield my time. The yeas and nays have already been ordered or are they mandatory?”

Jan 13, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 228. A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to permit States, at their option, to require certain individuals to present satisfactory documentary evidence of proof of citizenship or nationality for purposes of eligibility for Medicaid, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Finance.

“[Introducing S. 228] Mr. President I rise today with my colleague Senator AKAKA to introduce legislation today designed to make several very important changes to current law to ensure that U.S. citizens receive the Medicaid to which they are entitled. Since July 1, 2006, most U.S. citizens and nationals applying for or renewing their...”

Jan 13, 2009: DESIGNATING CERTAIN LAND AS COMPONENTS OF THE NATIONAL WILDERNESS PRESERVATION SYSTEM--Continued: ISRAEL AND GAZA

“Last week, the Senate responded to the hostilities by passing S. Res. 10, a resolution that I do not support. While I agree with some parts of the resolution, I believe it left out important provisions. The resolution called for Hamas to end the rocket and mortar attacks but it did not call on Israel to stop its airstrikes and ground assault....”

Jan 12, 2009: Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: Introducing S. 213. A bill to amend title 49, United States Code, to ensure air passengers have access to necessary services while on a grounded air carrier, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation., Introducing S. 205. A bill to authorize additional resources to identify and eliminate illicit sources of firearms smuggled into Mexico for use by violent drug trafficking organizations, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

“Mr. President, I rise with co-sponsors Senators Leahy, Lieberman, and Cardin to introduce and ask your support for the Children's Health Equity and Technical Amendment Act. Since the passage of the Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, in 1997, a group of States that expanded coverage to children in Medicaid prior to the enactment...”

Jan 11, 2009: Designating Certain Land Components of The National Wilderness Preservation System--Motion to Proceed: OBAMA RECOVERY PLAN

“Mr. President, I know Senator Crapo had asked for 4 minutes. Let me yield the remaining 11 minutes to my colleague, Senator Murkowski from Alaska, and she can divide that among the other Members as she chooses.”

Jan 9, 2009: Designating Certain Land Components of The National Wilderness Preservation System--Motion to Proceed: EROSION OF SENATE TRADITIONS

“Mr. President, I wish to speak a few minutes in support of the motion to proceed to S. 22, the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act. S. 22, which I introduced earlier this week, is a collection of over 160 bills. Primarily, they are bills that came out of our Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The question before us is whether the...”

Jan 7, 2009: Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 Rule Xliv Compliance

“Mr. President, pursuant to rule XLIV of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 does not contain any limited tax benefits, limited tariff benefits, or congressionally directed spending items, as those terms are defined in rule XLIV. Rule...”

Jan 6, 2009: Notices of Hearings: COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES

“Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on Thursday, January 8, 2009, at 9:30 a.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of the hearing is to...”