I announce that the Senator from Alaska (Mr. Begich) and the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Byrd) are necessarily absent.

Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote, and I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.

I announce that the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Byrd) and the Senator from Maryland (Ms. Mikulski) are necessarily absent.

I want to thank the chairman for yielding. I note that the State of Illinois has received $4.853 billion in bonds up through January of this year. Many of those have gone to communities that are represented by individuals who certainly are…

Mr. President, I thank Senator Warner. I compliment him for his leadership in getting the freshmen engaged and involved in making sure we are getting the message out to the American people. This piece of legislation, which was signed…

In January, President Obama stood in this Chamber and made an important request. He called on Congress to ``continue down the path of earmark reform'' as an important way to spend smarter and rebuild the public's trust. We simply cannot…

I thank the gentleman for yielding. During the markup on this bill, Mr. Rangel of New York was very magnanimous in his concern for our emotional well-being on our side of the aisle. And he said that no matter how sincere they are in their…

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Stewart L. Udall

Mr. President, when we reflect on the great families in American politics--we have had our fair share--we certainly think of John Adams and John Quincy Adams and what they gave to America. In our time one thinks of the Kennedy family and…

I announce that the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Byrd), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from New Mexico, (Mr. Udall) are necessarily absent. I further announce that, if present and voting, the Senator from New…

Mr. President, FAA authorization expired in Octobeer of 2007. For more than 2 years, we have been operating on short-term extensions. I thank Chairman Rockefeller and Senators Hutchison, Dorgan and DeMint for working together to bring this…

You know, you wouldn't think it but, yes, as a matter of fact. Gee, I would hate to be in a situation especially at my age and not have health insurance and preexisting conditions be a factor in whether or not I could get a policy. I mean…

Thank you very much, Donna, and I want to thank you for the tremendous leadership that you have shown the whole time that we have been together in Congress. As a matter of fact, we came in at the same time, and you've been engaged in…

As I was growing up, our parents always taught us that right was right if nobody was right and that wrong was wrong if everybody was wrong. Well, I can tell you it would be wrong to deny 32 million additional Americans the right to health…

I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, just because it's historic doesn't mean it's good. I think we've got to be reminded of that. I think back to history for something that actually was good, and that was when Alexander…

Tonight I want to express my profound thanks to the people of Illinois' Ninth Congressional District, the place where I was born and lived nearly all my life, for the privilege of being here tonight to cast my vote for this historic health…

I thank the gentleman for yielding. I just want to reflect back for a minute and think about a couple of football seasons ago. Remember when the New England Patriots were having just an unbelievable season, just unbelievable, winning game…

It is a crushing thought, actually. Here is the misfortune of this; that there is, in this time in our country, really an understanding that health care does cost too much, and everybody who needs access doesn't have access, and…