Mr. President, I join with my colleague and friend. Senator Ron Wyden, to introduce legislation which we have sponsored since 2004 to ensure the sound fiscal management of the Medicare prescription drug benefit. Unquestionably, this new…

Mr. President, if I could pose a further question to the majority leader through the Chair, I understand what the majority leader is saying, but as he discussed his plan with me, he would, in fact, allow 15 amendments--10 to be offered on…

Mr. President, I rise today to express my profound appreciation for the Take a Veteran to School Day program in my home State of Maine with ceremonies that took place on November 9 and 10 of this year, appropriately right before Veterans…

Mr. President, Alzheimer's is a devastating disease that takes a tremendous personal and economic toll on both the individual and the family. Today, an estimated 5.3 million Americans--including more than 25,000 Mainers--are living with…

Mr. President, it seems evident to me that, unfortunately, the majority leader is not pursuing the path we discussed, or at least that is my interpretation of what he is saying. I think that is so unfortunate. I want to vote to proceed to…

Mr. President, if I could ask the majority leader a question through the Chair. Unfortunately, I was not able to hear the majority leader's speech, for which I apologize. I was in a meeting, and as soon as I found out he was speaking, I…

I thank the gentleman from California for his remarks. Mr. Speaker, before I close, I would just say again that I think we have a difference of opinion on the semantics here. You want to argue that, if we don't continue tax cuts/tax breaks…

By direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1745 and ask for its immediate consideration. The Clerk read the resolution, as follows: H. Res. 1745 Resolved, That upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in order…

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce The U.S. Postal Service Improvements Act of 2010. This bill would help the U.S. Postal Service regain its financial footing as it adapts to the era of increasingly digital communications. The…

Before I yield time to one of my colleagues, I want to answer a couple of things that my good colleague from California mentioned. Soon his party will be in power, and I am confident he will be the chair of the Rules Committee and the…

Mr. President, today I wish to honor the spirit, determination, and life of Ivy Johnson. Ivy lost her long battle with cancer on Friday, November 19. Our thoughts and prayers remain with her parents, her brothers, and the rest of her…

Madam President, unless Congress acts, this new year will begin with the imposition of an onerous new tax burden for American families. They will face an automatic tax increase of nearly $2.7 trillion--one of the largest tax increases in…

I do appreciate that, and I am glad to know that dear Senator Tsongas' wife has corrected you on the appropriate way to use that quote. But either way, it was something that you brought to the floor to make the point that somehow you think…

For the purposes of debate only, I am pleased to yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier). All time yielded during consideration of this rule is for debate only. General Leave

Thank you for making that point. I think it is slightly different from the other point of saying that tax bills never were allowed to be amended in the last 12 years. But I look forward to modified open rules or open rules or whatever…

I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1745 provides a closed rule for consideration of the Senate amendment to H.R. 4853. The rule makes in order a motion offered by the chair of the Committee on Ways and…

In the remaining days of this Congress we have some choices to make, and those choices couldn't be more clear. Are we going to extend tax cuts for the rich, giving millionaires an average break of over $100,000, or are we going to continue…

Mr. President, I rise today, along with Senator Warner, to introduce pro-consumer wireless legislation, which will improve wireless coverage and go a long way toward preventing the annoying dropped phone calls that many of us frequently…