Mr. President, I wish to associate myself with the comments of the senior Senator from Maine. I, too, am proud to commend the Aroostook Aspirations Initiative, AAI, and the Gauvin County Scholarship Fund for their efforts to increase…

Madam President, there is an ominous tide rising in this country. It is not water. It is not oil. It is not any kind of substance. It is dollars. It is cash. It is a tide of dark money that is flowing in and threatens to dominate our…

Madam President, I wish to comment on the vote we took earlier today on whether to proceed to a bill that would increase the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. It has been several years since we increased the minimum wage, and I support an…

Madam President, I am very pleased to join my colleague from Maine, Senator King, in supporting the nomination of Justice Jon Levy to the U.S. District Court for the State of Maine. As Senator King has pointed out, Justice Levy has had a…

Mr. President, I rise today to take a few moments to talk about Jon David Levy, who is a nominee for the Federal district court in Maine who will be voted on this afternoon. Senator Collins and I have come to the floor together to talk…

I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Levy Nomination

Mr. President, I am delighted to be joined today by my colleagues, Mike Johanns and Sherrod Brown, in introducing the Insurance Capital Standards Clarification Act of 2014. We are pleased to be joined by Senators Kirk and Tester as…

Mr. President, on May 30, H. Sawin Millett will step down as commissioner of the Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services, one of many positions he has held during a remarkable career of more than 55 years of dedicated…

Mr. President, I am pleased today to join my friend from North Dakota, Senator Heitkamp, in introducing the School Food Modernization Act to assist schools in providing healthier meals to students throughout the country. School meals play…

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Braylin Cathey, a fellow in my office, be granted floor privileges for the remainder of the Congress. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Madam President, I appreciate the comments of the Senator from Virginia. I think they were timely and important. I wanted to add one note. The Senator and I were in a hearing yesterday in the Budget Committee with three eminent…

I think this is such an important idea, and in my comments I outlined how we get here. We start with a vision or a plan which the bill entails, and we start with partnerships, which is truly the essence of the bill, but there are two more…

I like the Senator's suggestion of a hub in Maine involving composites. Could we write that in the bill? I wouldn't object to that amendment.

I thank my colleague from Delaware for his leadership on this issue. He has been indefatigable. He has been very strong on this issue. I think it is one of the most important issues that faces us. I am not an economist; I am a country…

Mr. President, the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary, the Aurora movie theater, and the Washington Navy Yard served as wake-up calls to our Nation that action must be taken to provide better care and support for Americans living…

Mr. President, if there is no business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it adjourn following the remarks of the Senator from Alaska, Ms. Murkowski. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The…

Mr. President, there will be at least two rollcall votes on Monday at 5:30 p.m. ____________________

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 2 p.m., Monday, March 31, 2014; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings…