5 days ago I wondered why I came to the Senate. I had the same belief the American people had: This is a place which is no longer functioning, stuck in gridlock and not able to get anything done. Then an amazing thing happened. Under the…

I want to assure the witnesses, we understand that your time is valuable, but your stories are extraordinarily important.

I think it's going pretty well if the adults have taken over.

I wish to thank my esteemed colleague from Illinois and take this opportunity to offer some remarks on the debt ceiling and the continuing operations of the government. I come to the floor to make an appeal for action, action on opening…

I am struck because we are talking not only about the shutdown, but we are also talking about this uncertainty about the debt limit and what interest rates--how they all affect all of you.

I was presiding during the last exchange between the great Senators from Louisiana and Tennessee. I was struck because as a junior member of this body I get an opportunity to sit in the chair quite a bit. I would suggest to anyone, if they…

yesterday I came to the Senate floor to talk about how the government shutdown is affecting North Dakota ranchers and farmers, particularly my ranchers who were hit by last weekend's storm and lost a vast number of cattle, jeopardizing…

I thank the ranking member and my neighbor for yielding the time and for his leadership on this very important issue that supports the sugar farmers of the Red River Valley of the north, and I am very pleased to confirm that there is, in…

I thank the chairman for yielding the time and for his long-suffering and persistent leadership on this important issue. I rise to ask my colleagues to please oppose efforts in this House to punish success and vote ``no'' on the Ryan…

October 1 was a significant day. Two things happened to the constituents in my State. The first we talk a lot about here, and that is basically the shutdown of the government, the failure to pass a continuing resolution that would keep the…

When you are in a hole, stop digging.

Damages will be visited on every American if we do this.

The United States should honor its obligations and pay its bills in full and on time, period.

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 206, H.R. 3230, making continuing appropriations during a government shutdown to provide pay and allowances to members of the Reserve components…

Reserving the right to object, the good Senator is talking about a resolution that has already gone from the Senate to the House. That has already been done. Why do we keep going back to things we don't have agreement on, rather than…

If we default, if we continue to do this, we will reap the whirlwind of the consequences of that.

I can tell you that in North Dakota, where I was once a coal regulator, the Democrat and Republican members of our delegation are united as well, and all refer to it as a war on coal.

I don't know that it is so dishonest; well, personally, I think it is very honest to refer to it as a war on coal.