I thank Senators Menendez, Blumenthal, Brown, Hirono, Markey, Klobuchar, Van Hollen, Booker, Peters, Duckworth, and Carper for their help in regard to minority health and the resolution.

Well, first, to Senator Corker. There is a reason Members want to serve on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. We had a long list of Members who wanted to join our committee in this Congress. Quite frankly, I think the reason they want…

Mr. President, April was National Minority Health Month. I point that out because I have worked with many of my colleagues in order to advance minority health. We have done some very important things in recent years that I am very proud…

That review process will give Congress the right role to review executive actions so we are stronger, working together. It also gives the President a stronger hand in negotiating with Mr. Putin and Russia because Congress has said: You…

Mr. President, let me return the compliment to Senator Corker. Senator Corker announced in his opening remarks about the bipartisan vote in our committee on the Iran sanctions bill. In the last Congress, we were able to get a unanimous…

Mr. President, today I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall vote No. 144 on Senate amendment No. 232 to S. 722. Had I been present, I would have voted yes. ____________________

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the service of Special Counsel Carolyn Lerner. Ms. Lerner's term as the leader of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, OSC, has expired. By many accounts, she has been the most successful leader of…

Mr. President, as a Member of the Senate who supports efforts to build support for biomedical research and improved public health, I would like to pay tribute to a great public servant and the first woman and first librarian to lead the…

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. I rise only to express my real disappointment in the way that this bill has been brought to the floor. Had the majority not insisted on a closed rule, preventing the House from…

Mr. President, I just want to follow up briefly with Chairman Corker. The two of us became friends in 2007, when we were both elected to the U.S. Senate the same year and were part of the same class. But I think the two of us really became…

I really believe that we did accomplish what we set out to do where we had initially 10 Democrats and 10 Republican Senators who had joined together in this effort.

Did you change your view on that, or is this a matter that was just a political decision made by the administration?

I particularly want to acknowledge Senator Shaheen and Menendez who were very helpful in putting together this package.

We want to give you the authority you need to run your agency as efficiently as you possibly can.

But my concern is the train is leaving the station in regards to the appropriations bill and the authorization bill.

I would just urge you that in regards to the Pickering and the Rangel fellows, that is one of the avenues that have been a bright spot for diversity within the State Department.

This was a very challenging negotiation between the Banking leadership and the Senate Foreign Relations leadership.

I know this Friday the President is going to be laying out Cuba policy.