I thank Senator Nelson and Senator Collins for holding this hearing.

We are grateful for the bipartisan support of members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

Let me thank all three of our nominees for their continuation of public service. It is a sacrifice, we know that, and it is a family sacrifice.

What commitment can you make to us that you will ensure equal access to all citizens to the Tax Court?

No law enforcement agency is going to be effective at reducing crime or protecting people if they do not have the trust of the people whom they serve.

Mr. President, I rise in strong support of the nomination of Judge Robert L. Wilkins to be a circuit judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. I was pleased to introduce Judge Wilkins to the Judiciary…

If I understand correctly, we are on the nomination of judge Robert Wilkins? The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct.

I thank the gentleman. And in conclusion, let me simply say, Mr. Leader, that we welcome moving ahead on the omnibus. We think that is very critical. We hope that we can address the unemployment insurance issue, not as a substitute for…

Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend, Mr. Cantor, for the purpose of inquiring of the majority leader the schedule for the week to come.

I thank the gentleman for that information. I note that he indicates that we probably will not be able to accomplish the omnibus by the end of next week and, therefore, a CR may be required. I know that all of us feel that that needs to be…

I hope that was not a Freudian slip of our confidence in the ability to get that done as quickly as we would like. In any event, I think that is appropriate, and I am hopeful that we can, in fact, accomplish that. I want to tell the…

I thank the gentleman for his comments. First, I would say, there is nothing to disagree with in what the gentleman has said. We do want to focus on jobs. We do want to focus on creating jobs. We do want to focus on growing the economy…

I thank the leader for his comments. Certainly we are not proponents of ``my way or the highway,'' and I am glad, I do believe, that hopefully the majority leader is not either. Briefly, on the SKILLS Act, we have legislation, of course…

And she told us this herself. Her draft memo did not take into account mitigation strategies put in place in the days that followed. Importantly, she also told the committee that she is satisfied with the security testing being conducted…

Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey for yielding. I would like to make two very, very simple points. First, the Affordable Care Act is working. Hello. It is working. It went into full effect, if you didn't…

That is why George W. Bush extended unemployment. That is why we ought to do it. And we can do it. We have the ability to do it. Vote ``no'' on the previous question. It is a substantive vote on whether or not you want to help the…

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I appreciate this opportunity to comment not only upon this rule which provides, of course, for mostly closed rules--no amendments, no ability to change or modify, particularly two bills…

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on January 9, 2014, at 9:30 a.m., in SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct an executive…