It's great to be with the gentlelady, and thank you so much for having me. Does the gentlelady yield here? I know we've got less formal procedures under way.

Okay. Well, great. This is the great American family room, if you will, where we're sitting around and having a family conversation, the people's conversation, about making life work. And I would absolutely agree, there are a lot of…

Well, you said so many things that really strike a chord with me. And I know, based on my consultations and visits with my constituents, they certainly do. One is the importance of funding the essential functions of government. I mean, we…

You know, my constituents, and yours too, they don't mind paying taxes if they get the sense that we're spending those taxes on the essential functions of government and we're spending absolutely no more than required. They also wouldn't…

Sorry for interrupting there, but you struck a chord when you said ``regulations.'' We know what the American people want. They want fewer hassles, fewer burdens, fewer mandates from on high. They want more flexibility, more walking around…

And how we can make life work for our regular American families, our American workers, and even our companies, because, after all, this is where most of my constituents are employed--sometimes large companies, sometimes small companies…

Mr. President, I find myself echoing the words of the previous speaker, my good friend from Ohio. I could have given his speech and he probably could give mine because we are both on the same track. This is an important day. The President…

Let's seize this opportunity. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Connecticut.

Madam President, I call up amendment No. 514. It is a bipartisan amendment with Senator Manchin. It clarifies that a Presidential exemption exists for utilities that despite their good- faith efforts have been unable to complete the…

Mr. President, I rise today as the senior Senate Republican of the Joint Economic Committee to discuss one of the most fundamental issues this body confronts on a year-to-year basis, or at least should confront on a year-to-year basis…

Today we're not talking about balancing a budget for the sake of balancing a budget. The goal is not to just check a box. What we're discussing today is about more than just this procedure of a budget. We're debating the kind of future…

Madam President, I was puzzled earlier today when the Senate majority leader came to the floor to propose a unanimous consent request that we move forward with this continuing resolution. He is right, we should move forward with this. But…

We are here today to discuss the positive reforms within the SKILLS Act. Our Nation's current job training system is broken. The SKILLS Act will give state and local governments more flexibility by consolidating 35 existing federal…

We spend a lot of time in this body talking about the need to be bipartisan. People rightly feel, I think, that things get too polarized around here. I think back to the mid-nineties when Republicans controlled the House. We had a Democrat…

Today, hardworking Hoosier families sit around their kitchen tables and make tough decisions to keep a balanced budget. The Federal Government should do the same thing. In the State of Indiana, we were able to balance our budget and get…

Madam President, when I go back to Indiana and meet with Hoosiers, they often ask why Washington seems to experience a crisis every few weeks. It is a debt limit battle. It is a threat of a government shutdown. It is the fiscal cliff on…

Mr. President, a few weeks ago, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, otherwise known as ICE, initiated an unexplainable order to take action to reduce the population of detained illegal aliens, and they said it was for budgetary…

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. King). Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________