Herb Kohl

Mr. KOHL

Mr. KOHL. I send to the desk a second-degree amendment to amendment No. 2246.

Mr. KOHL. I ask unanimous consent that amendment No. 2248 be pending.

Mr. KOHL. I send to the desk a second-degree amendment to amendment No. 2248.

Mr. KOHL. Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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 I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. KOHL. I ask unanimous consent to set aside the pending amendment, and I send to the desk an amendment and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. KOHL. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. KOHL. I ask for its adoption.

Mr. KOHL. Madam President, I move to reconsider that vote.

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 I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. KOHL. I ask unanimous consent to set aside the pending amendment and call up the following amendment, which is at the desk, and ask for its immediate consideration: Landrieu amendment No. 2259, as modified.

Mr. KOHL. I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. KOHL. This amendment has been approved by both sides, and I ask for its adoption.

Mr. KOHL. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. KOHL. Madam President, this bill includes the programs the amendment would strike. The Senator from Alaska has spoken eloquently and I believe correctly. So I do oppose the amendment.

Mr. KOHL. Madam President, I move to reconsider the vote, and I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. KOHL

Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Monday, August 3, 2009, in the Reception Room immediately off the Senate Floor after today's vote at 5:30 p.m.

Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife of the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Monday, August 3, 2009, at 2 p.m. in room 406 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs' Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security and Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Monday, August 3, 2009, at 3 p.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Eliminating Wasteful Contractor Bonuses.''

Mr. KOHL

Mr. KOHL. I ask unanimous consent that Honor Keeler from Senator Bingaman's office be granted the privileges of the floor for the pendency of H.R. 2997 and all amendments thereto.

Mr. KOHL

Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, as we wait for Members to come forward with amendments, I wish to talk about something that is happening down at the USDA right now. This morning, Secretary Vilsack is announcing changes to the Dairy Product Price Support Program. I wish to commend him for his diligence and his willingness to keep pushing on this. Wisconsin is home to more dairy farms than any other State in the Union. We produce 2.1 billion pounds of milk each month. About half the State's $51 billion agriculture economy is directly tied to dairy. So when the dairy sector hurts, Wisconsin hurts. And I will say in no uncertain terms that the pain in dairy across America is very acute right now. From January through April, the price of milk paid to dairy farmers has been about $4.80 per hundredweight below the cost of production. Dairy producers have lost $3.9 billion in equity in 5 months. At risk is the long-term stability of the industry, the Nation's milk production infrastructure, and thousands of rural communities. With Senator Leahy and a number of our colleagues, we have pushed to confront these challenges. In the last farm bill, we extended the basic safety net for dairy producers, and we strengthened it with something called a ``feed cost adjuster.'' In the economic recovery bill we added credit to help producers survive. At the same time, the Secretary has worked to boost exports and provide more dairy products for nutrition programs. All of these are critical steps. Together they reflect, literally, a billion-dollar effort to address a crisis that has hurt dairy producers in every corner of the country. But over the past several weeks, in hearings and letters--and personal consultations I have been a part of--there is a growing appreciation that more needs to be done. Today the Secretary is taking the next step. For August through October, he is adjusting the Dairy Product Price Support Program in a way that will yield an estimated $243 million in revenue increases for dairy producers. I commend our Secretary of Agriculture for working with intensity and persistence. I commend our President for appointing a Secretary of Agriculture who works with intensity and persistence. And I want to reassure dairy farmers all across America that, although we do not have all the answers, we are committed to pressing forward on their behalf. I yield the floor.

Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, as we said before this morning, we intend to complete action on this bill Monday. We are here today to work with Senators if they have amendments. We need to move this bill along so we can complete all our work as we know we wish to do before the August recess. So if any Senators have amendments to the bill, they should come to the floor so they can be offered, debated, and considered. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to set aside the pending amendment to call up the following amendments which are at the desk: Leahy No. 2234, Murray No. 2225, and Bill Nelson of Florida No. 2226.

Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendments be dispensed with.