Heidi Alexander: “I ask consent to speak as in morning business. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Internet…”

The Government considers that the development covered by the Heathrow expansion NPS is critical to national growth and therefore plans to designate expansion at Heathrow as critical national growth infrastructure.

This is a signal of the importance the government places on the need for expansion and will be an important additional factor in the planning balance.

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session and be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Today, our committee--the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee--had its last hearing of the year, and it was my last hearing as chairman of the committee. While we are on the theme of education, one of the interesting--and I am…