The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Arkansas (Mr. Cotton) and the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Isakson).

Mr. President, in 1906, two brothers named Nikolai and Matthew Gjelsvik arrived at Ellis Island from Norway. The only English they knew were the words ``apple pie'' and ``coffee,'' which evidently they learned on the boat on the way over…

I would say my view here is that the gentleman from Wyoming wants to explain his point of order. There is no objection to allowing him to do that.

Thank you. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there an objection? Without objection, it is so ordered. The PRESIDING OFFICER. I recognize the Senator from Mississippi.

Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to a longtime member of my staff, Nicolaas Budde, who is departing my office after 15 years of service. Nic has been my systems administrator, responsible for keeping all of the technology in my…

Mr. President, I appreciate that. I thank the Senator from Massachusetts. He and his staff were tremendous in working on this. As I said before, it is nice when we have an opportunity to work in a bipartisan way on something that is this…

I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Order of Procedure

Mr. President, I would ask unanimous consent that this be separate from the discussion that we are now having, but I would ask unanimous consent that at 12 p.m. today, postcloture time on the motion to concur in the House amendment to 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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.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. The Senator from South Dakota.

Mr. President, we are wrapping up the year in the Senate, and I am looking forward to getting home to South Dakota for Christmas. Before we leave, we will wrap up this year's spending bills, including the Defense funding bill. Yesterday we…

Madam Speaker, I am voting ``no.'' Impeachment is not in the best interest of this country. In fact, it has only deepened the partisan divide that truly plagues this country. When the Sun comes up tomorrow, I pray with all my heart that…

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the cloture motions on Executive Calendar Nos. 234 and 349 be withdrawn; further, that the confirmation votes on the nominations occur in the series of votes in the previous order, with all other…

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that following the first vote in the series, the votes be 10 minutes each.

Well stated. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the request? Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________

The following Senators are ncessarily absent: the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Isakson).

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding provisions of rule XXII, at 4 p.m. today, the Senate vote on the motions to invoke cloture filed on Monday's session of the Senate in the order filed. I further ask that if…

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Isakson) and the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Paul).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Missouri (Mr. Blunt), the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Isakson), the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Kennedy), and the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Paul).