I would inquire as to the remaining time. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota has 13 minutes and the Senator from Louisiana has 3 minutes.

We know you feel our pain, we just want you to do something about it.

If we, the powerful government of the United States, cannot protect the poorest, most disenfranchised and most vulnerable of all people, then we are not worthy of the seats we are sitting in.

I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.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 North Dakota.

I would respond to the question of the Senator from Louisiana. My understanding is we were targeting to maybe have the vote at 5:30. I would be certainly pleased to work through that with the Senator and Senator Boxer, finishing up, maybe…

I would inquire of the Senator from Louisiana if she would like to use her 3 minutes in addition to the agreement for the final 8? Would the Senator from Louisiana like to use her 3 minutes at this time?

I have 2 minutes remaining to start the final portion of the debate prior to the vote. So without objection---- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Today we vote on S. 2280, introduced by myself and Senator Landrieu. There are actually 54 sponsors on the legislation with us. So we have a total of 56 sponsors of this bipartisan bill. That is the same bill that has been passed in the…

Would the Senator from Louisiana like to do that now? Then she would still have 2 minutes to use after I finish as well. I am trying to find out how the Senator would like to use her remaining time.

Sure. That is fine. Madam President, I am going to go through a series of charts here. They are actually getting a little worn because I have used them now for a number of years. I am very hopeful that after today, or certainly after the…

So I turn to my colleague from California and my colleague from Louisiana. The time has come to vote. We have had the vigorous debate. I would go back to what I said on this floor repeatedly and will continue to say until we get this…

Thank you, Mr. President. I want to thank my very good friend Mary Landrieu for everything she has done for our country, for her State, for her tenacity, and for her willingness to shepherd this through at a very critical time. We talked…

I wish to thank the minority leader, but I ask him to repeat his question. Mr. McCONNELL. As the Senator from North Dakota was engaged in conversation, I was talking about his leadership role in this endeavor the last 6 years and the…

I thank the chairman for yielding. It seems it should be so unnecessary to have something that makes so much common sense become so historic, and yet, here, we find ourselves at a historic moment. After years of debate and accommodation…

I wish to respond to the minority leader. That has been the case, that we have worked for some time to get a vote on this important issue. We actually had passed a measure back in 2012 attached to a payroll tax holiday. At that time the…

there have been a whole range of numbers offered. But I think to cut through to a number that people should be able to accept and to agree on is to take the number the State Department has put forward in the environmental impact statement…

I would like to thank the minority leader. I would like to thank all the Members of our caucus for joining on this bipartisan legislation. You know, we are continuing to work across the aisle to get 60 votes. At the end of the day, you…

I stand with my great colleague and a great champion of this energy renaissance--probably the greatest champion of the energy renaissance here in the Senate, the Senator from Louisiana. I wish to speak first about the election. I think all…