Madam President, I would object to any further proceedings with respect to these measures en bloc. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection is heard. The bills will be placed on the calendar under rule XIV. ____________________

Following leader remarks the Senate will be in a period of morning business for debate only until 2 p.m., with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each. ____________________

There are two measures at the desk due for a second reading. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will read the bills by title for the second time. The legislative clerk read as follows: A bill (S. 1569) to ensure the complete and…

Reserving the right to object, would my friend agree that we have just learned that the President said he would solve this in the next hour. Would my friend be willing to wait until 4 o'clock today and renew his request at that time if it…

Mr. President, I move to instruct the Sergeant at Arms to request the presence of absent Senators, and I ask for the yeas and nays. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there a sufficient second? There is a sufficient second. The question is on…

Madam President, it is very hard to find, on occasion, common ground in Washington. Of late, it has been hard all the time. There is one thing on which Republicans and Democrats should be able to agree: there is no more important issue…

I think on this issue it would be the best way to proceed; that we can do something together, and hopefully the White House will be in on what we are trying to do. So I ask my friend to renew this at 4 o'clock. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The…

OK. So following Senator McConnell, I will call upon Senator Durbin. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Republican leader. Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I appreciate the comments of my good friend, the majority leader. I might say, however, that…

Madam President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it adjourn under the previous order. There being no objection, the Senate, at 6:55 p.m., adjourned until Wednesday, October 9, 2013…

Mr. President, I am happy to sit down and talk to the Senator--his office or my office. The point we have right here today is that we need the government open. With all due respect to my friend, the junior Senator from Texas--I want to say…

Mr. President, following leader remarks the Senate will be in a period of morning business for debate only until 12:30 today. During that period of time Senators will be permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. The Senate will then…

Yes. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct. Is there objection to the modified request?

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to a period of morning business with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each during that period of time. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered…

Mr. President, we are now entering the second week of a Republican government shutdown. The Speaker of the House of Representatives is still sitting on the one bill that can reopen the government. Speaker Boehner insists the Senate-passed…

I would be happy to yield to my friend, the distinguished President pro tempore.

Mr. President, through the Chair to my friend, the senior Senator from Vermont: We have a law in place. The Presiding Officer voted for it when he was a Member of the House of Representatives. We voted for it. There is a law that set…

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: S. 1569 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of…

Mr. President, I note the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll to ascertain the presence of a quorum. The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll and the following Senators entered the Chamber…