Through the Chair I say to my friend from Illinois, during all this prioritization that they are doing, this agency and that agency, the government is closed, isn't it? The government is closed.

Mr. President, it appears the Republicans understand finally that the government is shut down, but now they are focusing on trying to cherry-pick some of the few parts of government they like. They do not like it all, but they like a few…

Mr. President, I thank my friend. We served together in the House. ____________________

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate disagree in the House amendment and the Senate insist on its amendment, request a conference with the House on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses, and the Chair be authorized to…

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to S. Res. 264. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title. The legislative clerk read as follows: A resolution (S. Res. 264) to authorize…

Would my friend, the distinguished Senator from Florida, yield for a unanimous consent request?

Madam President, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives holds the key to reopen the Federal Government. It is an easy key to use. In fact, it is very simple. The key is to allow 435 Members of the House of…

Mr. President, I move to table the motion from the House, and I ask for the yeas and nays on my motion. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there a sufficient second? There is a sufficient second. The question is on agreeing to the motion. The…

Mr. President, my friend the Republican leader spoke as if George Orwell wrote his speech. This is ``1984,'' where up is down, down is up, east is west. All one needs to do is look at the press. We have a situation where we have a good day…

Mr. President, we expect to receive the House message momentarily. I will move to table this motion when it arrives. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Chair lays before the Senate the following message from the House of Representatives, which…

Mr. President, I ask that the Chair lay before the Senate a message from the House with respect to H.R. 2642. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair lays before the Senate the following message from the House, which the clerk will report. The…

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 6:33 p.m., adjourned until Wednesday, October 2, 2013, at 10:30 a.m.

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, October 2, 2013; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be…

I actually enjoy coming to this committee because it's actually the one time when we get have a little bit of substantive debate.

oil and gas has a whole lot of exemptions and loopholes that have been built into those subsidies over the 90 years.

if we are going to look at things apple-to-apple comparison, then it should lay out some of the unique exemptions that that industry has enjoyed.

We need to be careful. It seems that the distractors of the wind industry are asking the government to pick winners and losers.

the oil and gas industry is much more profitable than any of these other sectors