Here we are again, facing the possibility of a government shutdown. It is one of the most foolish acts possible. What we have seen in the past when this occurs where there are some people who decide they want to force the government to…

Mr. President, our Constitution starts out with three beautiful words: ``We the people.'' This was the whole mission statement for the development of our form of government--not a government that would deliver benefits by and for the…

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Reviewing Last Year's Senate Agenda

Mr. President, I believe the American people should be deeply concerned about the vote the Senate took yesterday to invoke cloture; in effect, ending real debate and preventing the Senate from considering any amendments to the Foreign…

Thank you, Mr. President. Despite yesterday's vote, I regret to have to say I am going to have to oppose this legislation's final passage. My view is, if this bill does not go forward now, it is possible to get Democrats and Republicans…

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that my law clerk, Jeff Gary, be granted floor privileges for the remainder of this Congress. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for up to 2 minutes. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. President, I thank my colleagues. I will be very brief. Colleagues, what we are debating is whether the Senate will be the Senate. If you vote in favor of this, you are voting for cloture, there will be no amendments then. We would…

Mr. President, I want to thank Chairman Leahy for his excellent remarks. Let me simply say, to move forward without amendments surrenders the constitutional obligations Senators have to the American people. This issue is important, it is…

I am a Member of Congress, but I am also a mom. And as a mom, I am puzzled and, frankly, dismayed because Congress has not found a bipartisan way to provide long-term funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program. More than 9 million…

Congress has sometimes made the difficult job of the intelligence community harder by not providing adequate controls and oversight. We have created a vast Department of Homeland Security, a vast security sprawling intelligence network…

One of the phrases one often hears is, ``I hate to say I told you so.'' And it is delivered with a feigned sincerity, but usually people actually like to say, ``I told you so.'' I must confess that I have some of those feelings myself, as…

Mr. President, here we are at the start of a new year. Last year, the Republican majority decided to dedicate the year to government by and for the powerful and the privileged, but how about this year, 2018? We pay attention to our…

Friday, the Trump administration declared war on State legalization of marijuana as they come out on the wrong side of history and the American public. The Obama administration recognized that the vast voter-driven movement to legalize…

Mr. President, I come to the floor this afternoon to mark a milestone no Senator can be proud of and a milestone every Senator should regret. That milestone is, it has now been 100 days since the Congress failed to extend full funding for…

Mr. President, 100 days is a significant period of time--significant, particularly, because it involves the health of our children, which has been neglected over the last 3 months plus. How is it that this Chamber managed to go more than 3…

Madam President, back in 2007 and 2008, a group of us who had never run for Congress or for the Senate jumped into campaigns against incumbent Members of this body, hoping to fight for a vision of government of, by, and for the people. Al…

We are well past the time in which we should have had this done. The Energy and Commerce Committee has acted. The U.S. House of Representatives has acted. The Senate Finance Committee has acted. But the full Senate has yet to do so. I know…