Floor Statements

If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it recess under the previous order.

Madam President, we expect to have the necessary papers to complete the consent agreement within the next 15 minutes. It is 1:15 now, so we hope by 1:30. Sometimes Senate time is not exactly right, but we are getting very close to being able to do this consent agreement. It has been typed. We are waiting for the papers to come from the Hart Building.

We want everyone to be patient. We know how anxious everyone is to complete the business of this Congress. Just everyone understand it should be not much longer.

Madam President, we cannot end this historic session of Congress without taking one more important step to protect the national security of the United States. It is time for the Senate to ratify the New START treaty.

This treaty will secure nuclear stockpiles. It will take nearly 1,500 American and Russian nuclear weapons out of commission. These are weapons that, as we speak, are trained on cities like Washington and Moscow, St. Louis and St. Petersburg.

More than a year has passed since American inspectors were on the ground monitoring the Russian nuclear weapons arsenal. The sooner we ratify this treaty, the sooner we can re-open the window into exactly what the Russians are, or are not, doing.

START will also preserve a strong American nuclear arsenal. Our military leaders have analyzed the treaty and determined the number of nuclear weapons we need to retain in order to keep us safe here at home. The director of the Missile Defense Agency has said the treaty will not restrain or limit our missile-defense capacity.

America and Russia control more than 90 percent of the world's nuclear weapons. The transparency this treaty

will provide is critical not just to our two countries but the entire planet.

By ratifying the START treaty, we will also increase our ability to work with other countries to reduce nuclear weapons around the world, and to make sure that those weapons are kept safe and secure. We need to work together with Russia to stop the most dangerous nuclear threats, including those from Iran and North Korea.

One of the greatest and gravest threats we face is the specter of a terrorist getting his hands on a nuclear weapon. We have faced nuclear threats before--but such a threat from a superpower is much different than one from a terrorist.

A nuclear-armed terrorist would not be constrained by doctrines of deterrence or mutually assured destruction. Instead, rogue groups could attack and destroy one of our cities--and millions of our people-- without warning. By ratifying the New START treaty, we can help make sure this kind of unprecedented tragedy never happens

We have had a positive, bipartisan process up to this point. That should continue today.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee overwhelmingly approved the treaty with a bipartisan vote of 14-4.

Our Nation's military leadership unanimously supports it. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ADM Michael Mullen testified before the Senate and urged us to ratify it.

Secretaries of State from the last five Republican Presidents support the treaty because they know--in their words--``The world is safer today because of the decades-long effort to reduce its supply of nuclear weapons.''

And an all-star team of Republican and Democratic national security leaders support the treaty, including former President George H.W. Bush, Colin Powell, Madeleine Albright, Brent Scowcroft, James Schlesinger, Stephen Hadley, Senator Sam Nunn, and Senator John Warner.

Republicans have been included and instrumental from the beginning. At Senator Kerry's urging, the resolution was crafted by Senator Lugar to reflect the views of our Republican colleagues. The Foreign Relations Committee then adopted additional Republican amendments in its mark-up. And we have adopted four additional amendments on the floor.

Senator Kyl raised legitimate concerns about the state of our nuclear weapons complex, and the White House responded with an $85 billion commitment to upgrade it over the next 10 years.

We have spent 8 days debating this treaty on the floor--that is longer than we spent on the original START--in a bipartisan and productive debate. I want to thank Chairman Kerry and Senator Lugar for their tireless leadership on this treaty and thank Senators on both side of the aisle who have worked hard to get this treaty completed.

For many Nevadans, the sights and sounds of a nuclear attack are familiar. Deep in our desert sits the Nevada National Security Site, which until this summer was called the Nevada Test Site.

Today the site is the center of our fight against terrorism and nuclear smuggling. It is on the front lines of our intelligence, arms control and nonproliferation efforts.

But the site was once a critical battlefield of the Cold War, and for decades it served as our Nation's nuclear proving ground. A lot of Nevadans grew up with mushroom clouds in our backyard. We want to make sure the tests that took place in the Nevada desert are the closest we come to a nuclear explosion.

Today we can do that. We can continue our institution's long history of bipartisan support for arms control. We can take 1,500 nuclear weapons off their launch pads. And we can make the future far safer for America and the world.

This is not just a narrow Senate debate. It isn't just a local issue. And it isn't something that can wait another day. The whole world is watching and waiting for us to act.

Mr. President, as in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 641, H.R. 847, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010; further, that the Gillibrand-Schumer substitute amendment, which is at the desk, be agreed to, the Senate proceed to a vote on the bill immediately, as amended, with no intervening action or debate, further, that if the bill is passed, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, and any statements relating to this matter be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, the horror of September 11 was unforgettable, and so much about that day was unimaginable.

But imagine you had the courage to run into the disaster everyone else was running away from. And because of the toxic fumes and smoke you breathed in while you were working there, you got terribly sick.

And almost a decade later, you are still suffering. You have trouble breathing, or maybe a tumor, or some other lung or heart disease. You knew you would be risking your life, but you probably didn't know it would--like this.

Now imagine the help you need--the health care and compensation you deserve--is within reach. But your Senator is keeping it from you.

That is exactly what is happening right now. The courageous first responders and rescue workers who were the first on the scene at Ground Zero need our help.

It is all so hard to imagine. It is hard to imagine we would have the courage to do what they did that day--and that is why we revere these first responders. And it is hard to imagine their leaders would abandon them like this.

We should all be embarrassed we are still here, at this late date, talking about this bill. This is not controversial--it is common sense. We should never, ever waste a minute before rushing to help the heroes of 9/11. We should never, ever waste a minute before rushing to help the victims of that day. These first responders are both--and this delay is simply inexcusable.

This new program will make sure we do our jobs just as they did theirs. It sets up a program that will monitor the health and treatment of the thousands of rescue workers and survivors of 9/11 and makes sure they get the care they need.

The authors of this bill have written protections into it to ensure the quality of the medical treatment it delivers and to protect it from fraud.

As far as legislation and leadership go, this one is a no-brainer. But opponents have tried every excuse to stand in the way. On each count, they're wrong.

It's not a new entitlement--in fact, it's fiscally responsible and its funding is capped. Checks and balances are in place to make sure all claims are legitimate. And when this program is established, it will be used only as a last resort--only if it's needed after private health insurance and workers' compensation aren't sufficient or fast enough.

None of these men and women thought twice before trying to save the lives of their fellow Americans. Neither should we.

We all know the Capitol might not be standing without the courage of men and women who became heroes that day. How can we stand in this building and vote against helping their fellow heroes--people who were the first to respond when the unimaginable happened?

I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that there be no other amendments, motions, or points of order in order in relation to the treaty or the resolution of ratification; that the Senate immediately proceed with no intervening action or debate to a vote on the Resolution of Advise and Consent to Ratification, as amended, to the New START Treaty, Treaty Document No. 111-5; that if the resolution is adopted, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table and the President of the United States be immediately notified of the Senate's action; that upon disposition of the New START treaty, the Senate proceed to a vote on confirmation of the nomination of Calendar No. 1089, Mary Helen Murguia, of Arizona, to be a U.S. circuit judge for the Ninth Circuit; that if the nomination is confirmed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; that following the vote on the Murguia nomination, the Senate immediately proceed to a vote on Calendar No. 934, Scott M. Matheson, Jr., of Utah, to be a U.S. circuit judge for the Tenth Circuit; that if the nomination is confirmed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; further, that upon disposition of the Matheson nomination, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of the following judicial nominations en bloc: Calendar Nos. 1119, 1120, and 1139, that is, Kathleen M. O'Malley, Beryl Alaine Howell, and Robert Leon Wilkins; that the nominations be confirmed en bloc, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table en bloc, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate then resume legislative session.

Has my friend completed his statement?

I say to the Senator, please complete your statement.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to H. Con. Res. 336, which is at the desk.

Mr. President, I ask for a vote on this at this time.

I have a few brief words, so I would appreciate everyone's patience.

Through early mornings and late nights, weekdays and weekends, dedicated Senate pages often work as hard as do Senators and staffs. Their job is fast-paced. We ask a lot of these young men and women. They have significant responsibilities and much is expected of them. Sometimes, like this past week, those responsibilities and expectations are tremendous.

This past week has been one of those times. Thirty pages began working in September for this semester, and by now most of them have gone home to their families all across America--all but two of them, Rachel Bailey and Jarrod Nagurka. Rachel is from Maryland and Jarrod is from Virginia.

This past week has been very hectic. Through last weekend and during this week, historic legislation has been debated and passed right here on the Senate floor. The Senate floor cloakrooms have been extremely busy. Many amendments have been filed and called up. There has been an unusual situation where we have been in executive session with one of the rare treaties that are debated in this body. Senators have been heavily engaged trying to finish the work of the 111th Congress.

Without a single complaint, Rachel and Jarrod, these two pages, have been carrying the load of all 30 Democratic and Republican pages. These two fine young pages have worked both cloakrooms. They haven't had any days off and have regularly worked up to 13 to 14 hours each day. That is a lot for anyone, and it is certainly a lot for a 16-year-old who is a student besides.

The Senate greatly appreciates Rachel and Jarrod's commitment and calmness while the Senate's work has been so hectic. They have made our work much easier. They have been exceedingly professional, and I thank them.

I want every one of their family members to know that in the minds of the Senate, these are two legislative heroes.

Madam President, every working body needs a strong heart to function. This legislative body, the Senate, is no different. For many years--as long as I have been in the Senate, and that is a while--Lula Davis has been the heart of the Senate.

In 1997, when we elected her as assistant Democratic secretary, she was the first woman to hold that position. Before the 111th Congress, we elected her to be the secretary of the majority--the first African American in that role. Over the last 2 years, she has expertly tackled one of the toughest jobs anywhere in politics.

More importantly, the last 2 years have also seen the debate and passage of some of the most historic legislation in the entire history of the country--laws to protect Americans from health insurance companies, from Wall Street banks, from credit card companies, from tobacco companies, from mortgage fraudsters, from unsafe food, from discrimination, from inequality, and so, so much more.

Any one of these bills by itself would define a session of Congress. We did all of them in just the last 2 years, and we could not have done any of it without Lula Davis's leadership.

Lula has come a long way since her days as a teacher and guidance counselor, and even further from her time in rural Louisiana. She started her Senate career as a legislative aide to her home State Senator, the legendary Russell Long, and went on to serve in almost every position on the floor staff: office assistant, floor assistant, chief floor assistant, assistant secretary, and secretary.

Anyone who has watched the Senate knows it is not always an easy place to understand, and I am an expert on how hard it is to understand it. Anyone who has studied this institution, its idiosyncrasies and intricacies knows it can be extremely baffling. But Lula knows this place inside and out like no one else. She is fluent in the rhythms of the Senate. She knows and respects its complex rules, both formal and informal. Her counsel, as a result, has always been thoughtful and reliable to every one of us.

She is loyal to the Senate and to its Senators, and she respects the traditions that make this body great--which is why, in return, this body has great respect for her and her hard work.

Lula has spent her Senate career behind the scenes not just helping Senators do our jobs but also quietly helping young people, the hungry, and those in need. As tough and hard as Lula must be here on the Senate floor, she has a heart of gold.

She founded and runs a nonprofit called Leadership Cares, which each year helps children in our community provide quality meals to more than 650 families. She has encouraged many of her fellow Senate staffers to join her family and friends and volunteer to help. She has never asked for any recognition for this work or any of her work because that is the kind of person she is. But Lula deserves our praise and thanks for so much more.

Senator Landrieu of Louisiana likes to tell a story about how much a part of the Senate Lula really is, how great an institution our outgoing secretary of the majority is. Senator Landrieu once asked a group of Senate pages if they had had a chance to meet the Senate leaders. They said: Yes. They had met Lula.

Lula Davis has been the heart of the Senate, and our appreciation for her is heartfelt. I speak for each Senator, Democrats and Republicans.

For me, personally, Lula has been strong, resolute, and very wise. Words cannot describe how I will miss Lula Davis. She has been indispensable and she is irreplaceable.

On behalf of every Senator, I thank Lula for her years of service to our caucus and for her more than 25 years of service to the Senate and the United States of America.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Madam President, when we convened this Congress in January 2009, 750,000 Americans were losing their jobs every month. Soon after this Congress began, an auto industry nearly imploded, and within a year an oil well exploded. It was a tough 2 years for our Nation and for so many families. It was also a time of remarkable progress.

When this Congress began, insurance companies were free to deny health care to the sick for any excuse they could come up with. The doughnut hole that sent seniors' prescription drug costs through the roof was wide open. Wall Street firms had just crashed our economy, but they were still free to rip off investors while the Nation smoldered.

Cigarette companies could prey on children, credit card companies could prey on consumers, and con artists could prey on families' mortgages.

Employers were free to pay women less than men, the safety of our food supply was dangerously inadequate, and the definition of a hate crime was shamefully insufficient. Gay men and women who volunteered to defend and die for our country were asked to fight and die for values and principles they didn't have for themselves in America.

More than a year has passed since American inspectors were on the ground to monitor the Russian nuclear weapons arsenal.

We have turned each of these around. Because of what we did in this Congress, we brought the economy back from the brink of collapse, we cut taxes for 95 percent of Americans, we invested in important job- creating projects, and we will keep working until everyone who wants to work can find a job.

Because of what we did, families are safer from health insurance companies. Our economy and its investors are safer from big banks. Consumers are safer from credit card companies, homeowners are safer from mortgage fraud, and all of us are safer from corporate fraud.

Parents can know their children are safer from cigarette companies, thanks to legislation we passed that will save

lives. Our food safety protections will save countless more lives.

We also made historic strides for equality and justice. With a hate crimes bill that bears Emmitt Till's name, we stood up for those who are victims of violence because of their race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. With a fair pay bill in Lilly Ledbetter's name, we stood up for those who are targets of discrimination in the workplace because of their gender or background. And we made right a wrong done long ago to African Americans and American Indian farmers.

Because we repealed don't ask, don't tell, our military is stronger and we can still fulfill our Nation's promise. And because we ratified the START treaty today, America and the world are safer from nuclear devastation.

These are just the ones that got the biggest headlines. The 111th Congress did much more.

We cut taxes for the middle class and small business multiple times. We made it easier for families to buy their first home. We made it easier for students to afford to go to college, and strengthened our commitment to research, math and science education, technological innovation, and maintaining this country's competitive edge. We made sure children can afford to get the health care they need no matter how much money their parents make, and made sure even more schoolchildren who would otherwise go hungry can get healthier meals.

We extended unemployment insurance for millions still struggling to find a job and extended COBRA subsidies so those still struggling to find work can feed their families, fuel our economy and afford decent medical care. We strengthened Medicaid and made sure doctors can still afford to treat seniors on Medicare. We helped hundreds of thousands afford more fuel-efficient cars and trucks.

With a national service bill named for Senator Ted Kennedy, we made it easier for more Americans to serve their country, like our heroes of generations past. With one of the most important conservation bills in decades, we protected our public lands for generations to come. We cut waste and fraud in the way the Pentagon purchases military weapons. We made sure our troops have the equipment they need on the battlefield and that our veterans have the care they need when they come home. We gave everyone in the military a well-deserved pay raise.

We secured our borders with guards, fencing, and predator drones. We imposed sanctions on Iran to deter this regime from acquiring a nuclear weapon. We thawed our credit markets so Americans can get the loans they need to buy a car, send a child to college, or even start a new business. We supported the travel and tourism industries, which will create tens of thousands of jobs and cut our deficit by hundreds of millions of dollars.

We confirmed many well-qualified nominees for positions in public service and on the bench, including the third and fourth women--and the first ever Latina--to serve on our Supreme Court.

We began this Congress with the challenge of keeping our economy from a second Great Depression. We are not all the way out of the ditch yet. We have come a long way since President Bush's Treasury Secretary sat down with us and warned us of the dire stakes of inaction.

In 2011, we have to do even more to put middle-class families first, to create jobs and cut taxes. We will continue to move America toward energy independence. We will continue to fight to fix our broken immigration system. And we will continue fighting for fairness-- including giving our first responders the same workplace rights everyone else has.

This was, by far, the most productive Congress in American history. And the lameduck session we are finishing was the most productive of its kind. Why? Because we heard the message the American people sent us last month. They do not want us to sit around and waste our time. They want us to work together and work for them. They want us to get things done.

We have been productive beyond any historical measure. But we cannot forget the context: We have had to do more with less--passing some of the most major pieces of legislation in history with the least bipartisan cooperation in history. I am sorry the minority party decided to sit on the sidelines. I know the history books will remember who was on the field.

I thank every Senator and every staffer who has worked so hard. They have worked so tirelessly over these past 2 years. The distance we took America from January 2009 to December 2010 is one of the most remarkable times in the history of the world and our country.

I am very proud of the work this Congress did, and I sincerely hope that, despite a divided Capitol, the 112th Congress will surpass only its record for significant legislation and not those for endless stalemates.

I want to express my appreciation to this wonderful staff we have here. They work so very, very hard. They are here before we arrive in the morning, they are here after we leave, and I am grateful for all they do.

The court reporters are here taking down every word that we say--very professional. The enrollment clerks. Everybody who is here. The Parliamentarians, whom we go to often to tell us the hole we are in and how to get out of it.

I am grateful for everyone here for putting up with me and the hours I feel we have to work with never a complaint. I wish I had the ability to convey what is in my heart--and I certainly don't have the ability to do that--but I want everyone here to know that I am very grateful for everyone here working in such a wonderful manner for our country.

I say to each one of you--I went through a long list of things we have been able to accomplish--we couldn't have done any of this without you. As much as I know about the rules, and I know quite a bit about the rules, I have to depend on the Parliamentarians to tell me--really, to get the real scoop. I admire what they do. They are very fine lawyers. This area of the law they know better than anyone else in the world.

Madam President, I haven't mentioned the police officers, the doorkeepers. These police officers, they are here right now as we speak. Most all in the Chamber, of course, without uniform. We have people every day without any exception wanting to do bad things to this beautiful Capitol Complex. These wonderful police officers keep this building and its inhabitants, the people who work in this building--it is not inhabitants, although I feel I live here sometimes--they keep the thousands of people who work in these Capitol buildings safe. They do such a wonderful job of taking care of us.

Chief Gainer, who is the Sergeant at Arms, is responsible for the police force. He does a wonderful job on this side of the Capitol.

Madam President, I wish you, the Presiding Officer, my dear friend, and everyone here a very happy holiday season. I wish it could have been a little longer, but it is better than a lot thought it would be.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, following leader remarks, Senator Alexander will be recognized to speak in morning business for up to 10 minutes. Following his remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of the House message with respect to H.R. 3082, the continuing resolution. There will be 10 minutes of debate for Senator Inouye and 15 minutes for Senator McCain prior to that vote. Therefore, Senators should expect a vote to begin about 10:15 on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to concur to the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 3082, with amendment No. 4885, which is the text of the continuing resolution that funds the government through March 4, 2011.

If cloture is invoked, I will work with the Republican leader on a time to complete action on the CR. It is important to send it over to the House very quickly so they have sufficient time to pass it before funding runs out this evening at midnight.

Upon disposition of the CR, the Senate will proceed to vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the New START treaty.

Last week, we were able to lock in a time agreement to consider two district judge nominations. It is my hope we will be able to debate and vote on those judges this afternoon.

Senators will be notified when any votes are scheduled.

Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Madam President, if I could have the attention of the Senators, I have had a number of conversations with the Republican leader today. The collective goal is to move forward with the schedule as we know what it is. Senator McCain has 15 minutes, Senator Inouye has 10 minutes, and the farewell speech of our friend Senator Specter is going to be this morning. We hope to have agreement that at around 2 o'clock today, we will vote on a couple of judges. We will vote on the motion to concur on the continuing resolution and vote on cloture on the treaty. We don't have that down in writing yet, but that is the goal, so everyone understands. We will have four to five votes this afternoon around 2 o'clock. That would point us toward the final surge on this most important treaty. I had conversations with Senator Kerry and Senator Kyl this morning. I think there is a way clear to complete this sometime tomorrow.

Mr. President, through the Chair to my friend from Alabama, would it be agreeable to the Senator that I do a UC request so we can find out what we are going to do?

Yes. I understand.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at 2 p.m. today, all postcloture time be considered expired and that the second- degree amendment be withdrawn; that no further amendments or motions be in order; that the Senate then proceed to vote on the Reid motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 3082 with amendment No. 4885; that upon disposition of the House message, the Senate proceed to executive session to consider Executive Calendar Nos. 703 and 813; that all time under the order governing consideration of the nominations be yielded back, except for 8 minutes to be divided 4 minutes on each nomination, equally divided and controlled between Senators Leahy and Sessions or their designees; that upon the use or yielding back of all time with respect to the two nominations, the Senate then proceed to vote on confirmation of the nominations in the order listed; that upon disposition of the nominations, the other provisions of the order remain in effect, except that the Senate remain in executive session and there then be 4 minutes of debate, equally divided and controlled between the leaders or their designees, prior to the vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the New START treaty; that upon the use of the time, the Senate then proceed to vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the treaty; that after the first vote in this sequence, the second and third votes be limited to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Members have until 1:30 p.m. today to file any germane second-degree amendments to the New START treaty.

Mr. President, I further ask unanimous consent that following Senator Sessions, Senator Harkin then be recognized, to be followed by Senator Voinovich for up to 20 minutes.

I say to my friend from Iowa, how much time--15 minutes.

Does that give us enough time to do all that? It appears it does. So Senator Harkin would be recognized for 15 minutes and then Senator Voinovich for 20 minutes.

Mr. President, I would say to my friend from Alabama, my friend from Alabama and I do not always agree on the substantive issues, but there is no one more of a gentleman and easier to work with than the Senator from Alabama, Mr. Sessions.

Mr. President, we are in a position now--we don't have the consent agreement completely fixed, but we know what we are going to do. We are going to have three votes, three different amendments. There would be a half hour debate on each amendment. So we likely will have a series of votes at 8:15 or thereabouts tonight. Senator Kerry will offer a consent agreement to this effect very shortly. In the meantime, we can start debating one of the amendments.

Mr. President, we are going to have one more vote tonight. Senators Kerry, Lugar, Kyl, and others are working on how we are going to work tomorrow morning. They will work this evening. Hopefully, we can come in at 9 in the morning with, hopefully, an hour of debate on an amendment, and then we will find out where we are after that. The reason I asked for the attention of the Senate was to announce that.

However, I ask unanimous consent that Senator Levin, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, and the ranking member, Senator McCain, each be recognized for 2 minutes to explain something they are working on on the Defense authorization bill.

Mr. President, following leader remarks, the Senate will proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the New START treaty. We have two amendments now pending to the treaty--the Thune amendment regarding delivery vehicles and the Inhofe amendment regarding inspections. We hope to vote in relation to the Thune amendment between 12 and 1 p.m. today and dispose of the Inhofe amendment later this afternoon.

At 1:30, the Senate will recess and reconvene at 2 p.m. in closed session in the Old Senate Chamber. Following the closed session, the Senate will reconvene in open session in the Senate Chamber. We are going to be out of session for that one-half hour period of time to allow the final sweeps to be completed.

As a reminder, last night cloture was filed on the continuing resolution and the START treaty. The cloture vote on the continuing resolution will occur at a time to be determined tomorrow morning. We need to act as quickly as possible; the current CR expires tomorrow at midnight. The filing deadline for first-degree amendments to the START treaty is 1 p.m. today. Senators will be notified if any votes are scheduled today.

Mr. President, I would also say that, to my friends on the other side of the aisle, we could advance these votes not necessarily on the START treaty, but we certainly could on the CR and get that out of the way later today. We have two issues we are going to have to vote on. One is the START treaty, we have to complete work on that, and we have to complete work on the 9/11 bill for the emergency workers who have been devastated with illnesses as a result of all the toxins they inhaled during the time they were working there. Some are really ill. So I hope we can get that done quickly.

I am working with the Republican leader on nominations. We have made a little progress on that. I hope to do better. I look forward to cooperation to finish this work. Last year, we were here at this time up until Christmas Eve. I hope we don't have to do that this year. It certainly wouldn't be to the liking of everyone here. We don't need to be. I hope everyone will cooperate and let us move forward.