Improving K-12 education continues to be such an important priority at the federal, state, and local levels.

Every child - regardless of where they come from or how much money their parents make - should receive an excellent education.

I cannot tell you that I feel like it is necessarily any better on the rule of law on human rights, stretching from religious freedoms to reproductive freedoms to many of the other issues that we have discussed in here.

I can assure you, Mr. Smith, we are raising this, we are talking about these issues.

I think it is important to--as this Commission, maybe one of the last bastions in the Congress of trying to stand on human rights as a whole and talk about the importance of our policies.

Mr. Speaker, small businesses are critical to job creation and sustainable economic growth in America. In my home State of Minnesota, 1.2 million workers--nearly half of our State's private workforce--is employed by a small business. When…

Mr. President, I came to the Senate floor earlier this month to talk about the importance of moving forward on the nominations of the Ambassadors to two important allies to the United States of America, and that is Norway and Sweden. These…

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Ambassador Nominations to Norway and Sweden

There are just a few quotes from people who are not in politics at all. ``There's a crisis in a relationship between our two countries,'' said Bruce Karstadt, president and CEO of the Minneapolis-based American Swedish Institute. ``I don't…

Mr. President, I rise to honor the outgoing Canadian Ambassador to the United States, Gary Doer. Soon Ambassador Doer will return home to Manitoba, but, lucky for us, he will be a frequent visitor to Washington, DC, as the new cochair of…

Mr. President, I rise today to honor U.S. Air Force Maj. Adrianna Vorderbruggen, who was tragically killed in the line of duty 4 days before Christmas when a Taliban suicide bomber rammed his motorcycle carrying explosives into a joint…

Previous to the CSA system, freight brokers were generally not held liable for accidents and damages motor carriers incurred.

Thank you very much.

OK. Very good.

Mr. President, I am proud to rise in support of Justice Wilhelmina Wright's confirmation as a district court judge for the District of Minnesota. Justice Wright, as the members of the Judiciary Committee learned during her fine hearing, is…

Mr. President, I rise today to speak about the Adoptee Citizenship Act, legislation that will secure citizenship for adopted children. I wish to thank Senator Coats for cosponsoring the bill with me, along with Senator Merkley, and Senator…

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that my detailee, Michael Kades, be granted floor privileges through March 21, 2016, while detailed to the U.S. Senate. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

I just hope we can clarify it as soon as possible.