I say to my colleague from Alabama, who is the ranking member on the Budget Committee, I got on the Budget Committee in this session of Congress and have been on it now for 2 years. We have not written a budget either year. So it sort of…

If the Senator will yield for a minute, I assume in Alabama and Missouri and I know in South Dakota our States pass budgets. It can be done. You can balance your budget. It would be nice if we had a requirement in the Constitution that…

Social Security is the single largest category of the Federal budget, and the Social Security trustees recently released their annual report on the financial status of the program.

Mr. President, today I wish to mark the 70th anniversary of Ellsworth Air Force Base. For the past seven decades, my home State of South Dakota has had the distinct honor of being home to Ellsworth Air Force Base. This weekend, I will…

Madam President, I urge all Senators to support final passage of the Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act. Passing this bill today will make sure American exporters will not be put at a disadvantage to their foreign competitors, that…

I rise today in support of H.R. 2072, the Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012. After too much delay, it is time for the Senate to pass this bill. The Export-Import Bank supports nearly 290,000 jobs a year, assists thousands of…

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize American agricultural producers on the 150th anniversary of President Lincoln signing legislation establishing the U.S. Department of Agriculture on May 15, 1862. As President Lincoln said in his…

Stopping the reforms, I think, would be counterproductive, inconsistent with fiscal responsibility, and unfair to unserved Americans who would benefit from us moving forward, including in South Dakota.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Today I rise in support of my legislation, H.R. 3874, the Black Hills Cemetery Act. This bill is of great importance to many communities in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The Black Hills…

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Student Loans

Mr. President, in just 2 weeks, similar to many proud parents, I will be watching as my youngest daughter walks across the graduation stage. For some students, this important milestone marks the end of their college days and the beginning…

Mr. President, I rise in support of H.R. 2072, the Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012. I believe this jobs legislation will help provide U.S. exporters and workers with an important tool to compete in the global marketplace…

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered. Emissions Trading

Madam President, in 2005 the European Union began their emissions trading scheme, which attempts to cap emissions of carbon dioxide from stationary sources within the EU. Starting in 2012, civil aviation operators departing from or landing…

This is the problem. This is a huge problem. It is one that is being ignored because we simply refuse to address it. This body refuses to pass a budget to lay out a plan to fix it; to stabilize one of our primary metrics, a key one--that…

Mr. President, I wish to commend the Senator from Wyoming for his great work on the subject. As Americans know firsthand, we continue to struggle with an economy that is not performing well or meeting the needs of workers. The unemployment…

there are places in the country where that's not true.

The technology is remarkable. The innovation is amazing, and, you know, we here in Congress are just trying to keep up with what's going on out there.