Floor Statements

I ask unanimous consent that at 2:15 p.m. the Senate be in a period of morning business until 2:30 p.m., with the time controlled by Senator Udall of Colorado and Senator Bennet; further, that at 2:30 p.m. the Senate resume consideration of S. 1392.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on September 17, 2013, at 9:30 a.m., in room SD- 366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on September 17, 2013.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on September 17, 2013.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on September 17, 2013, at 2:15 pm.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on September 17, 2013, at 2:45 p.m., to hold a briefing entitled, ``Update on Syria''.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on September 17, 2013, at 2:30 p.m.

I would welcome an exchange for the Record.

I thank the Senator from Alabama for his question. In an effort to encourage energy efficiency compliance, reduce regulatory burdens, and save taxpayer dollars, the Sessions-Pryor amendment would require the Department of Energy to recognize voluntary certification programs for air conditioning, furnace, boiler, heat pump, and water heater products. Federal law requires these heating, cooling, and water heater products to comply with a complex set of Federal energy conservation and efficiency standards. Similar specifications apply to participants in the Energy Star program. The Energy Department currently spends millions of taxpayer dollars annually to conduct verification testing of these covered products. At the same time, U.S. manufacturers of these covered products spend millions of dollars themselves to participate in comprehensive voluntary certification programs that use independent, third-party laboratories to ensure compliance with applicable standards. Our amendment would require the Energy Department, when conducting routine testing to verify product ratings, to rely on data submitted through voluntary, independent certification programs that meet the robust list of criteria set forth in the amendment. To qualify, the voluntary certification program must be (among other things) nationally-recognized, maintain a publicly available list of certified models, and conduct verification testing on at least 20 percent of the product families using an ``independent third-party test laboratory.'' The amendment would require the Energy Department to reduce regulatory burdens for manufacturers participating in a voluntary certification program, as well as require testing of products that are not covered by a voluntary program.

So, I greatly appreciate the leadership of my colleague Senator Sessions on this amendment. I would ask him: what are some of the policy reasons for supporting our amendment?

I thank the Senator from Alabama for his remarks. I would answer his question by noting that a broad coalition of industry, energy efficiency, and environmental stakeholders are supportive of our amendment. As you referenced, employers in the State of Arkansas, your State of Alabama, and around the country are supportive. We are also pleased to have the support of the leadership of the Senate Energy Committee, Chairman Wyden and Ranking Member Murkowski. I am pleased that we have been able to work together on this amendment.

Yes, I would agree with that characterization.

Madam President, it is with pleasure that I rise today to honor

the 50th Annual Arkansas State Championship Horse Show. In 1963, three horse show associations in Arkansas joined efforts to hold a State equestrian championship. This championship show originated when the Hillbilly Horse Show Association, the Central Arkansas Horse Show Association, and the Northeast Central Arkansas Horse Show Association joined together to host a championship competition. Over the years, this partnership has expanded to include 12 horse show associations from across the great State of Arkansas. For the past 50 years, the top 5 contenders from each association compete to earn the honor of being named the Champion Rider of Arkansas.

Arkansans have long enjoyed riding horses for sport and pleasure. Horse shows across the State attract fans seeking to witness the athleticism and agility of the sportsmen and the horses. While these riders make it look easy, horse riding requires a great deal of balance, coordination, and physical strength. Each rider must also exemplify self-discipline, responsibility, and patience with their horse. Horse riding is important to the people of my State, and I support keeping this heritage strong.

At the 50th Annual Arkansas State Championship Horse Show later this summer, competitors will again showcase their talent by riding different breeds in a variety of equestrian disciplines. They will compete with great sportsmanship and at the end of the show one rider will be named as the best in Arkansas. The competitive events will include the talents of Arkansans of all ages and hailing from each corner of the State.

I ask my colleagues to join me today in congratulating the Arkansas State Championship Horse Show on its 50th anniversary and in wishing its competitors and fans a wonderful day of celebration.

Mr. President, if it is in order, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, I rise today to speak in favor of the THUD appropriations bill that is on the floor this week. I know all of us have listened to the speeches and the commentators, and we hear a lot of people around Washington say: Cut, cut, cut.

Well, I am for cutting our spending, and I think we need to tighten our belt, but we need to do it in a smart way, and we need to do things such as cut programs that do not work. We need to also make smart and targeted investments in our future. The question is, how do we do that?

Well, one of the ways we do that is by supporting this legislation today. By

working together and investing in our future, we can do great things for this country, and that is what the THUD bill is about.

Yesterday, the FAA announced seven airports in our State would receive a total of $4.8 million from the FAA for infrastructure upgrades. That is part of what the bill is about. Some of these are runway rehabilitations, some are new lighting systems, some may be drainage improvements. These not only promote safety--and certainly they make air travel safer in this country, and that is extremely important--but also they are a way to spur economic activity. It is a great way to reinvest Federal tax dollars into my State and into the other 49 States to create jobs. Let me give Arkansas as an example of this.

In Arkansas--and I know we are only about 1 percent of the population, so you can kind of do the math here--commercial and general aviation airports actually support 29,000 jobs and contribute $2.5 billion every year in economic activity.

Our airports are important, but it is only actually a piece of the puzzle. We need to remember that we have other great infrastructure we need to invest in, such as waterways and ports and highways, and rural communities--we have to make sure they are not left behind--such as rural housing, but also rural broadband.

So there are a lot of ways we can invest to make this country stronger. That is why I believe it is very important to support this THUD appropriations bill.

The bill passed in committee on a bipartisan vote 22 to 8. I was proud to vote for it. I was glad to see it get such a large bipartisan vote in the Senate subcommittee. I certainly hope my colleagues will do this again on the floor in a very bipartisan way.

This bill includes things such as the Federal-Aid Highway Program. This is a program that helps support interstate maintenance, bridge repairs, highway safety. After all, how many reports do we have to read that talk about the distressed infrastructure of our highways? So if we want to replace these bridges that are beyond their lifespan, this is the way to do it.

Every $1 billion in Federal highway and transit investment supports 13,000 American jobs.

This bill also includes popular programs that have been put to good use, such as TIGER. I could go through several of the TIGER grants my State has received, but one of those I am proud of is the TIGER grant for West Memphis, AR, to develop their port. It is an intermodal facility on the Mississippi River, right across from Memphis, which is crowded. West Memphis has all the same attributes that Memphis has, it just happens to be on the Arkansas side of the river, and that investment there is going to explode development and do great things up and down the Mississippi River.

The Airport Improvement Program is also part of this, the Contract Tower Program, the Community Development Block Grants. Every mayor, every elected official in the counties, the Governors--they all know how important the CDBG money is.

The other great thing about supporting this legislation is that it is one step in the right direction headed back to what we call regular order, trying to get things done in the Senate the way they ought to be done, with us working together, going through the committee process, coming to the floor with a bill, having amendments, having debate, sometimes fussing and fighting with one another, but nonetheless getting it done, and this is a great way to do that.

I believe moving our country forward with new jobs and a stronger economy is something we all should be able to agree on. All of us should be able to agree on this, maybe with a little difference here and there. But I hope a big number of Senators will support this legislation.

Lastly, let me say a few words about Chairwoman Mikulski and her ranking member Senator Shelby. Senator Mikulski has been amazing in her leadership of the Appropriations Committee. Everybody on the committee knows she is a breath of fresh air. She is so energetic and so knowledgeable and so good at what she does. We are so excited to have her there as chair of that committee. She is going to go down in history as one of the all-time greats. We are so proud she is pushing so hard to get these bills out of the committee and get them to the Senate floor and, hopefully, get them done on the Senate floor, so we can send them over to the House and get them conferenced.

Also, I have to say thank you to Senator Murray, who is the chair of this subcommittee, and also Senator Collins. I think Senator Collins is a great legislator. She knows how to get it done. She knows how all the bits and pieces work around here. She knows the process. She has great relations on both sides of the aisle. One thing I like about Susan Collins is a lot of times she will take on the hard items. She gets the hard work done. We need more Senators like her around here.

Certainly Senator Murray is incredible. She does so much good in the Senate and for the country and for her State.

With that, I encourage my colleagues to look at this bill. I know we are going to have some amendments, we are going to have some more debate. That is part of it. That is great. But let's get up-or-down votes and let's get this through the system.

With that, I yield the floor.

Madam President, I also rise in support of Penny Pritzker for Secretary of Commerce. I think she will do an excellent job.

I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business for 3 or 4 minutes.

Madam President, I rise today to honor Ken Duke of Hope, AR. Ken is an incredible athlete who has a great story and is actually here with us today.

Years ago, as a teenager, Ken was diagnosed with scoliosis and he was forced for years to wear a back brace. There were times when he had to wear that back brace for 23 hours a day. He underwent surgery and numerous treatments. Eventually they put a metal rod in his spine and the rod is still there today.

Despite all of those tough circumstances, he persevered. He went on to win his high school district golf tournament. He was wearing the back brace, no less.

In recent years, Ken became a strong advocate for those suffering from spinal problems. He now hosts an annual charity golf tournament called ``A Day with Duke.''

Anyway, after playing golf for Henderson State University--and might I say, Go Reddies--he turned professional. As do many professional golfers, he had his good days and bad days, his ups and downs. It is a tough life. He has been out there plugging away week in and week out. But this past Sunday Ken had one of his best days of golf he has ever had in his career. At the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, CT, Duke faced a tense playoff with Chris Stroud. After Stroud had chipped in on the 18th hole, the men were neck and neck, both at 12 under par. But Ken pushed ahead, making a 2\1/2\ foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to clinch his first PGA tour victory. This was not only a great shot and a great round of golf, but it is also a great American story.

Arkansas is very proud of Ken, and we hope there are many wins in his future. I wanted to say ``congratulations.''

Madam President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I don't want to interrupt the flow of the proceedings, but I ask that my statement be made as if in morning business.

Mr. President, in the next few short days, on July 1, the interest rate for subsidized Stafford loans are set to double. The problem is that with the subsidized Stafford loans, we are talking about students who tend to be lower income. Many of these students are first-generation college students, and they tend to be people who work the hardest to get what they have. They tend to not have very much money or resources and not very many connections. They don't have a lot of advantages.

We have had several people from around the State of Arkansas e-mail or write my office. One of those who wrote to me is Donovan. He is a father who works construction to support his kids. He has two kids in college, one in the Marines, and one about to graduate from high school. He cannot afford to pay his living expenses for himself and his family and their education without the help of student loans.

Kim is another. She is a first-generation college graduate who is working to pay off $85,000 in student loan debts. As she is paying that down, she doesn't have the money to save for her own children's education.

Brandon is another story. Brandon goes to Southern Arkansas University. He is working hard to afford his education and pay for it, but he is struggling with the high cost of tuition, room and board, and books. He is worried he is not going to be able to afford college if the interest rate goes up.

Last year the Senate and the Congress generally passed a provision to keep the interest rate of the subsidized Stafford loan at 3.4 percent. I think that is the right policy. I think we want Americans to further their education. I think it obviously helps their personal enrichment, it helps their family, their community, and helps our country to keep us competitive in this global economy.

Again, we are about to see a jump to 6.8 percent. The reason I am so concerned about it is that in my small State of Arkansas, there are 68,000 low-income and middle-income Arkansas students who rely on these loans.

Unfortunately, what has happened in the Congress and in the Senate is that we had two votes a couple weeks ago, both of which failed. What we see now is a lot of finger-pointing, a lot of press releases and press conferences. But this is an area where we should find a bipartisan solution. This is a classic case that if we work together, we can work it out. In the last few weeks, I have seen Senators come together and work out difficult problems. Surely we can work through this and work it out.

The House says it has a permanent fix. I disagree with that being a permanent fix. If we look at it, it doesn't compare well to the plan we voted down in the Senate a couple weeks ago. The Democratic plan in the Senate has a 3.4-percent flat interest rate. Their interest rate is market based, and it rides the 10-year Treasury. We have to go through the calculation on how they do it, but basically we all know that interest rates are not going down. Interest rates are not staying the same. Interest rates are going up, and everybody knows that.

When we start tying these things to interest rates--did we not learn anything in the housing crisis? If we get people on the adjustable rate mortgages, what happens? It sounds good on the front end, but then they can't pay. The same thing will happen with student loans. They would get them on the lower rate on the front end, and that will go up over time.

The House Republican plan actually lets a borrower change that rate on that loan every year. So they don't lock in once for 10 or 20 years, they would lock in one year at a time and then ride that interest rate annually. It is very problematic.

By the way, I disagree with President Obama. I think he happens to be wrong, and I think we need to find a bipartisan solution.

I have a couple of charts where we talk about this. This is the House Republican plan and these are the costs. The House Republican plan goes up. Basically, the interest rate payments will be almost $8,500. If we extend the current rate, it is $3,500-ish. If they don't do anything and double the current rate, it is $7,400, and that is real money. The difference here is that this is real money for folks who tend to start out with a lower income and don't have a lot of opportunity.

We can see what the so-called permanent fix does. It basically fixes it for higher payments over time, which means we are going to have fewer people who can plan to go to college as

well as fewer people who are able to go to college. We are going to have a higher default rate, which means more people don't pay back, which just creates more problems as we go. It will also hurt their spending power and again our competitiveness.

I supported the Democratic plan, but again I think there is merit in some of what the Republicans offered. I just hope this is a time when we can find a long-term solution, where we can come together and work it out. Students shouldn't be punished because of Congress's inability to work together.

Now is the time to come together. We need to come together for Donovan, Kim, Brandon--the three Arkansans I talked about--and for millions of students across the country. I know we can fix this.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, this is amendment No. 1298. It is the Pryor-Johanns amendment. I think the good news here is we have agreed to a voice vote. But basically what this amendment does is it requires the Department of Homeland Security, as they are doing their hiring to beef up the border, to hire veterans of our Armed Services.

This is a win-win all the way around. Our vets have, as we know, a higher unemployment rate, but also they happen

to be the best trained, the most disciplined. They have that can-do spirit. They are familiar with the equipment and they make great employees, as many of us know who hire veterans. We also know our veterans know how to complete a mission.

So with that, Mr. President, I wish to yield the floor to Senator Johanns.

Mr. President, I understand we are able to dispose of this amendment with a voice vote, so I ask unanimous consent that the 60- affirmative-vote threshold be waived on the Pryor amendment.

Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Madam President, I understand I am not supposed to call up my amendment. But I would like to discuss amendment No. 1298. If it were appropriate, I would ask to make it pending. But, again, I understand we are not quite ready for that.

I am offering this amendment, when the time is right, because I think it is crucial that we have the strongest possible border protection system in place if this bill, in fact, does someday go into law. To that end, I would like to ensure that we have the best trained personnel securing our borders and overseeing the activity that contributes to the safety of our Nation every day.

Therefore, I am proposing an amendment to require the Department of Homeland Security to set up a program to recruit highly qualified veterans of the Armed Forces as well as members of the Reserves to fill crucial positions within Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The security provided by these agents depends on the line watch agents who identify and apprehend undocumented aliens, smugglers, and terrorists. It depends on the agriculture and trade specialists, aircraft pilots, and mission support staff. It also depends on the intelligence research specialists, report officers, and systems engineers. Although the role and responsibilities within ICE and CBP are varied, each plays a critical role in protecting the border. The ability of these agencies to protect the border depends on the skills, training, and judgment of its employees.

The men and women who have served our Nation in the Armed Forces, as well as those who have served in the Reserves, have a broad range of capabilities that make them well suited to work in these important agencies. These men and women embody endurance and adaptability. Many of them have the human intelligence skills that ICE and CBP agents and officers need to detect illegal border crossers and respond to other nefarious activities. They are familiar with the security equipment and technologies that these agencies rely upon.

They have experience responding to leads provided by electronic sensor systems and aircraft sightings, as well as interpreting and following tracks and other physical evidence. They are trained in target assessment and have experience in disseminating the intelligence needed to make informed operational strategies.

These men and women, in short, have the physical skills, operational experience, and decisionmaking abilities needed by ICE and CBP to ensure that our borders are stronger than ever.

Let me say this is one of these amendments that is a no-brainer. This makes sense, and it helps our veterans in a couple of different ways. It helps with the unemployment rate, but it also helps them continue to serve our country. The bottom line is it helps our country to have the best, the brightest, most capable, and most experienced personnel we can possibly have on the border.

This is a bipartisan amendment. Senator Johanns is my partner, and I am honored to be joined by him. Certainly, I would like to have broad- based bipartisan support as we proceed when the time is right.

I hope to have this amendment included in the bill. Again, when the time is right, I would ask that my colleagues consider supporting this amendment.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, Members of the Senate often come to the floor and talk about our men and women in uniform and their incredible bravery and the sacrifice they make for our country, and that is true. We certainly honor them and appreciate them for all they do for our country as they serve us overseas. However, there are other men and women in uniform who also serve our country by serving our citizens in our communities, and those are our policemen and policewomen and others in law enforcement as well as first responders and others who wear a uniform as well.

I rise today to honor two heroes from Arkansas. Last week we lost a sheriff and a game warden who were trying to help victims of a flood in our State. These two first responders answered the call when there was an emergency, a dire situation. They jumped in their vehicles and headed to the danger. They got into a boat, and they went to a home of some victims who were stranded and very much in danger by the floodwaters. Unfortunately, all four lost their lives in this terrible incident in Arkansas.

Arkansas game and fish wildlife officer Joel Campora and sheriff Cody Carpenter of Scott County both drowned while assisting victims in this overnight flash flood near Y City, AR. In times of distress such as these, we should come together to help others, which is exactly what they were doing as they sacrificed their lives for others. They put others' needs ahead of their own because of their sense of duty and honor and their belief in helping their fellow man.

In closing, I wish to commend these men and offer condolences to their families for their sacrifice.

I yield to my colleague from Arkansas.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize and congratulate Arkansas's native son, Col. Keith Klemmer, for attaining to the rank of Brigadier General. On June 1 of this year, Col. Klemmer will receive this well-deserved promotion to the rank of Brigadier General at a ceremony in Arkansas.

Colonel Klemmer has served in a variety of positions in the 39th Infantry Brigade, 142nd Fires Brigade, and 87th Troop Command including Battery Commander, Battalion S3, Battalion XO, Battalion Commander, Brigade FSO, Brigade XO, and Brigade Commander. He is a veteran of both Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Colonel Klemmer entered Title 32 Active Guard/Reserve service as a full-time soldier in March 1994. His full-time assignments have included Battalion Training Officer, Battalion and Brigade Administrative Officer, Recruiting and Retention Executive Officer, Recruiting and Retention Manager, Deputy Property and Fiscal Officer for Arkansas, State Training Officer, and Chief of Staff for the Arkansas Army National Guard.

Since October of 2011, Colonel Klemmer has served as the Chief of Staff for the Arkansas Joint Force Headquarters, where he is responsible for synchronizing efforts of unit readiness, force structure, and the sustainment of the National Guard for mobilization and domestic missions, a position which he has commanded with distinction.

Colonel Klemmer is a graduate of Arkansas State University and received a master's degree from the United States Army War College in 2007. He has received numerous awards and decorations for his service to our country, which include two Bronze Star Medals, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Arkansas Commendation Medal, and the Ancient Order of Saint Barbara. His career has been so impressive that he was inducted into the Arkansas Recruiting and Retention Hall of Fame in 2003.

In addition to his excellent military career, Colonel Klemmer is also an assistant scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts, serves as a deacon at his church in Russellville, AK, and is often a featured speaker for numerous local Memorial Day and Veteran's Day events. He and his wife, Sandra, have raised two wonderful children, Rachel and Gunner. Rachel graduated Summa Cum Laude from Harding University in 2010 and served as an intern in my Washington, D.C. office, while Gunner is currently a Trustee Scholar at Harding University.

Colonel Klemmer is a valued servant to the people of Arkansas and the United States of America. Our State and Nation have been fortunate to have Colonel Klemmer's 30 years of service, and I can only hope he can serve another 30 years. I thank him again for his dedication and commitment to keeping our Nation and State safe.

Madam President, it is with the greatest pleasure that I wish to pay tribute to Professor Joseph Carter Corbin, founder and first president of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

Joseph Carter Corbin, an African-American educator, was born in 1833 in the town of Chillicothe, OH, to free parents, William and Susan Corbin. After earning two master's degrees from Ohio University, Joseph Corbin moved his family to Little Rock, AR in 1872, where he worked as a reporter for the Arkansas Republican.

Corbin quickly became a leader and strong advocate for public education in Arkansas. Within a year of moving to Little Rock, he was elected State superintendent of public instruction, becoming the highest elected African-American official in Arkansas during Reconstruction. As State superintendent, he signed the contract for construction of University Hall, which would become the first building at the University of Arkansas and known today as Old Main.

Joseph Corbin was instrumental in the adoption of legislation in the Arkansas State Assembly to establish Branch Normal College, the first African-American institution of higher education in Arkansas. He was appointed the first president of Branch Normal College in 1875, a position he would hold until his retirement in 1902.

Professor Corbin died on January 11, 1911, in Pine Bluff, AR. His dedication to improving education standards and higher learning in Arkansas continues to have a positive impact on our State. The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff currently enrolls more than 3,100 students in undergraduate and postgraduate programs and continues to be one of Arkansas's premiere colleges. Arkansas has been fortunate to have had an educator of the caliber of Joseph Carter Corbin.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent there be a period for debate only until 5:30 p.m.

Mr. President, I thank my colleague and friend from Oklahoma. He was doing such a good job of explaining the amendment, I didn't want to interrupt him. But I thank him so much for yielding.

Later this week, all farms in the United States will have to comply with the EPA's spill prevention, control and countermeasures rule known as SPCC. That takes effect on May 10. But farms are not like other regulated entities in the SPCC realm. Farms are unlike other SPCC entities the agency has dealt with since 1973. They do not have, by and large, environmental manager personnel ready to follow through on these regs and to make sure they are in compliance with all the EPA stuff; whereas, other businesses with larger financial resources tend to have more resources and more people devoted to making sure they comply with all the EPA regulations.

Agriculture actually has a very good track record on fuel spills. Row crop farms, ranches, livestock operations, farmer cooperatives and other agribusinesses pose a very low risk for spills when we look at the statistics. Many of these tanks are seasonal, and they stay empty for large parts of the year. But they allow farmers to manage the high fuel costs they have to endure. In my State, it is mostly diesel--and probably mostly diesel in most parts of the country. In fact, when we look at the data, spills on farms are almost nonexistent.

This is a commonsense amendment, and I want to thank Senators Inhofe, Fisher, and Landrieu for joining me in this effort and taking this burden off of farmers and ranchers in implementing the SPCC rule.

Let me cite specifically what the amendment will do. It will provide realistic threshold sizes for tank regulation at the farm level and allow more farms to self-certify, thus saving time and money that would otherwise be spent in hiring professional engineers to develop and sign SPCC plans.

EPA's unusual 1,320 gallon regulatory threshold under the SPCC rule is not a normal tank size for agriculture. That may be normal in other contexts but not in agriculture. A 1,000-gallon size is much more common, and raising the threshold to 10,000 gallons in aggregate is a much more reasonable level for farmers and ranchers all over the country. So my amendment would allow most Arkansas farms--most farms in Oklahoma, and, in fact, most farms throughout the country--to use the aggregate storage capacity between 10,000 and 42,000 gallons to self- certify rather than going through the expense and time of hiring a professional engineer.

I look forward to working with the bill managers on this amendment.

I also have another amendment. I know these amendments would be objected to right now if we brought up the amendments--this is amendment No. 801--but at the appropriate time I would like to ask that it be made pending.

I thank the Senator from Oklahoma for pointing that out. I think he is exactly right. I am unaware of any real opposition to this amendment. There may be a little bit of opposition, but I am not aware of it. But I know we do have at least one Senator--maybe more--who is, temporarily at least, objecting to all amendments until his or a group of them can be agreed to or made pending.

I don't think any objection right now would be specific to this amendment. I also have another technical amendment that I want to call up at the appropriate time. It is not the right time now, but at the appropriate time I do have another technical amendment.

I thank my colleague from Oklahoma for his leadership and thank him for his effort, along with Senators Fischer and Landrieu. This has been a team effort. It was bipartisan. We want to help American farmers. Again, the risk of spill on farms and ranches is just minuscule, almost nonexistent. If we look at the track record, there is a very good track record.

This is a good amendment, something we have been working on for a long time.

I yield the floor.