Madam President, first let me thank the majority leader for his doggedness in making sure we could come to an agreement that sends a clear message to Iran before the P5+1 talks take place this week. His commitment made the difference. I…

On May 18, 2012, I missed several rollcall votes due to a longstanding commitment to give the commencement address at Passaic County Community College, in my district. Had I been present I would have voted: ``Aye''--Smith (WA)/Amash…

We have thought at various times that we would be on the Senate floor and have it passed, and there has always been an additional desire or objection. I just think what we have before us, especially in timing, doesn't mean we cannot…

Originally, when we sent a 100-to-0 vote out of here, they said: We are in trouble. But now they are saying to themselves: Well, buying time seems to succeed. We cannot allow the Iranians to believe, as they head into these negotiations…

Mr. President, I appreciate the comments of both my colleague from South Carolina and my colleague from Arizona. They are leaders in this regard in terms of the national defense. And if I ever had a case, I would want Senator Graham to…

Mr. President, I thank the leader for yielding. I want to applaud him for asking to bring the legislation that passed unanimously out of the Banking Committee to the floor because there is no one in this Chamber who has been stronger on…

Madam President, last year the Budget Control Act became the law of the land, and it set discretionary spending limits for security and nonsecurity spending for not just 1 year but for 2 years. It puts us on a path to reducing the deficit…

Mr. President, I ask for recognition from the Presiding Officer to move ahead with my statement. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota.

This bill takes steps backwards from offering full protections for women and children who suffer unspeakable abuse. I'm not questioning the intentions, Madam Speaker, of those on the other side; that's not my purpose here. But who are we…

Mr. President, one thing we know is that a budget isn't just a collection of numbers, it is an expression of principles and priorities and direction. While I have the floor, I will take a moment to say to our friend and colleague from…

Mr. President, I rise to join with my colleagues on this side to urge our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to move quickly to confirm highly qualified judicial nominees. They passed review by the Judiciary Committee. They passed…

Mr. President, I rise to speak about the Violence Against Women Act that the Senate passed, but we seem to have a challenge with our colleagues in the House of Representatives. In my view, violence against any woman is still violence…

I believe that our Vice President, Joe Biden was correct when he said, ``Don't tell me what you value, show me your budget, and I'll tell you what you value''. Well Mr. Speaker, we have seen the Tea Party budget, and we sure know what…

I thank the distinguished gentlelady, the chairwoman of our committee, for her great leadership on all things related to the Middle East, especially in the defense of Israel. I thank my good friend and colleague Mr. Berman. These two…

Mr. President, we arrive here at a moment when we once again have a chance to view the differences in thought and perspective which are exhibited at this moment in this institution. Today, we are talking about college education. We are…

Madam President, I cannot believe we have come to the floor of the Senate at a time of economic hardship and recovery for millions of families, a time where jobs are scarce, the need for a skilled workforce is critical, and student loans…

If we don't act within the next 53 days, what we are going to see is the student loan interest rate double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent for more than 7.5 million students. I understand that basically that means a student would rack up…

I must say, Chairman Wolf, you've always been a sensitive person--I don't say this to blow smoke; I really mean this-- and it's a tough decision when you have to make priorities. We come to the floor to fight for what we believe in, and I…