today I wish to recognize the 100th anniversary of the founding of the York Fire Department in the town of York, ME. It is an honor to congratulate the dedicated firefighters, past and present, for their skill and courage in protecting…

today I wish to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the town of Moscow, ME. Lying at the foothills of Maine's Western Mountains and on the banks of the mighty Kennebec River, Moscow was built with a spirit of determination and resilience…

I thank the chairman. Our great State of Maine has the oldest average age in the country. Like thousands of fellow Mainers, I help care for my special 86- and 88-year-old parents. Now, it is scary to realize that our vulnerable seniors…

today I wish to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the town of Guilford, ME. Located in the heart of the beautiful Maine Highlands on the banks of the mighty Piscataquis River, Guilford was built with a spirit of determination and…

Donald Trump was not my second choice. He was not my third choice. And I'm going to see what happens at the convention. It is going to be very important to me whom Donald Trump chooses as his running mate. And that is arguably the most…

Senator Alexander and Senator Murray, who are the authors of this rewrite of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, are still here. They know what their intent is.

earlier today the Senate held a cloture vote on the conference report to accompany H.R. 2577, a bill that would fund military construction and veterans programs in fiscal year 2017 and provide $1.1 billion to respond to the Zika public…

I started off by pointing out that I was Collins, I am Collins, I'm still around, and I know what my intent is.

This pilot will allow States to create their own assessments that can be imbedded with instruction and assess deeper knowledge.

During the reauthorization process, I worked with the junior Senator from Vermont and others to develop and improve an innovative assessment pilot program.

To me it's obvious in the law what is required, so I hope you'll take a look.

I'm very supportive of this concept, as a general principle.

But, by writing them in and requiring that they be established, isn't that almost a contradiction in terms?

I think that may be what we're talking about here, is, if you have a structure that is overly bureaucratic and rigid, the policy will be slow, cumbersome, and itself not responsive to immediate problems.

I ask unanimous consent that Amanda Bennett, an intern in my office, be granted the privileges of the floor for today. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

I first want to begin by reading a note I got this morning at 7 o'clock from a member of my staff in Maine. I think it speaks to the issues we are discussing today in this body and should be discussing in the other body. My regional…

this is a national security measure. It is a national security measure. It is about protecting our country. The preamble of the United States Constitution--which establishes the reason this country was founded, the reason the Constitution…

I rise to call up amendment No. 4858. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The amendment is pending.