Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on behalf of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. During our Special Order hour, we want to talk specifically about the need for unemployment insurance but, more broadly, about what we need to do to make sure…

Thank you, Representative Jeffries, and thank you for articulating, I guess, what I have been feeling also for the last year, my lack of hostage-taking skills. I certainly learned some in the last 12 months serving in this body. It is now…

I applaud the efforts of my colleagues Senator Flake and McCain in working in a bipartisan fashion with the White House to fill these vacancies.

I look forward to the Senate's swift action on the President's nominations.

I urge the Committee and the full Senate to consider and confirm his nomination without undue delay.

I am proud to have worked together with Senator Johnson to find common ground on this important issue for Wisconsin.

The filling of judicial vacancies has been a top priority for me since even before I was sworn in to the U.S. Senator a year ago.

Jim Peterson will make an outstanding Federal judge, and his nomination marks an important step forward in fulfilling a judgeship that has been vacant for nearly 6 years.

I applaud the President's nomination of James Peterson to serve.

I think it is incredibly important that we restore the credibility of that agency.

I truly believe that that type of behavior puts at risk not only people's lives, but our national security.

I do, and this is something that I have had conversations with a number of Inspectors General about, because that is the fundamental challenge of a position like this.

I think your background is going to suit you well for the challenge ahead.

I have to do the job that I believe that I was hired to do by the American people.

You are aware of the problems within the IG's Office, and I see the Chairman of my Subcommittee on Financial and Contracting Oversight has just joined us here.

There are always more cases than there are resources in the Department of Justice, so it is second nature to have to prioritize things.

Madam President, like the Senator from South Dakota, our office continues to get emails and phone calls and contacts from our constituents. Tonight I would like to read an email received from David and Shannon McKichan. They write: I am…

I want to know exactly what the FTC wants to do in terms of, what is your fix? What is transparency to you?