I thank the chairman for those remarks. He has been great to work with. His staff has been outstanding. I thank him for his commitment to working on the inclusion of H.R. 3524 and maintaining existing rates in law with regard to Alaska…

Congress established Alaska Native Settlement Trusts in 1988 to provide permanent health, education, and welfare benefits to Alaska Natives, who are among the most economically disadvantaged populations in the United States. Unfortunately…

Mr. President, I thank Senator Rounds, and I appreciate all my colleagues coming down to the floor. A lot of my colleagues are from the class of 2014. Mr. President, there has been a theme in this colloquy. We have been talking about…

Mr. President, as you know, I have been coming to the Senate floor pretty much every week for month after month to highlight someone in my State whom we call the Alaskan of the Week. It is someone who does something important, either for…

Mr. President, I have 5 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority leaders. Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the…

Mr. President, one of the privileges of being in the Senate is actually being able to preside, as the Presiding Officer is doing right now--to sit at the Chair and listen and watch my colleagues talk about issues that matter to them, and a…

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for an appropriate amount of time to finish my remarks. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Madam President, I wanted to reinforce and underscore some of the comments made by my colleague from Oklahoma, Senator Lankford, on what is happening in the Senate right now. It is actually really important for the American people to…

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a letter from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO, dated October 23, 2017, be printed in the Record. The letter provides notification that the 2016 Amendment to the Tongass Land and…

In part, Matthew states: As ANWR debates occur, the views of the Inupiat who call the area home are oftentimes left out. The wishes of the people who live in and around the refuge's coastal plain frequently are drowned out by people who…

Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to soundly reject this amendment. Those who support this amendment will deny us the opportunity to do something constructive in this country when it comes to our opportunities to produce energy, to…

Mr. President, before I speak on an amendment that is expected to be voted on later this afternoon, I wish to take just a brief moment and thank my colleagues, the Chairman of the HELP Committee and his ranking member, Senator Murray. The…

Mr. President, I know the Presiding Officer and all of our colleagues and those watching today know that we have been focused on the budget resolution. It is a very important document for the country, for the Senate, and for the Congress…

Mr. President, it is my hope that we will be able to come to agreement with regard to the nominees whom I have just asked for consideration. These are individuals who have been moved out of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee to be…

Mr. President, I wish to recognize an extraordinary individual in my State, along with his wife. I would like to take a few minutes today to recognize Reverend Dr. Alonzo B. Patterson, Jr., and Mrs. Shirley Patterson…

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following nominations: Executive Calendar Nos. 323, 324, 325; that the Senate vote on the nominations en bloc, with no intervening action or…

Mr. President, I want to acknowledge and thank the Senator from North Dakota. She has been a champion for the Native people, the indigenous people around the country, including in my State of Alaska. Whether it is working to address the…

Mr. President, nearly every week I have been coming down to the Senate floor to recognize someone in my State who has made a difference for Alaska and really has made a difference for all Americans. It is my favorite part of the week to…