later this afternoon, the Senate will finally vote to confirm Carlos Muniz--a well-qualified nominee--to be general counsel at the U.S. Department of Education. I came to the floor last week to ask for this vote because I believe Mr. Muniz…

yesterday, our country lost a bright, caring, independent lady, and my wife, Honey, and I lost a good friend. Barbara Bush set a wonderful example as mom, wife, First Lady, and advocate for adult literacy. We express to the Bush family our…

today the Senate will vote on the confirmation of Patrick Pizzella to be the Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Labor, DOL. The Department of Labor is charged with enforcing laws to keep workers safe on the job, ensuring…

today the Senate will vote on the confirmation of John Ring to be a member of the National Labor Relations Board, NLRB. I am glad that we are voting on this nomination because, once Mr. Ring is confirmed, we will once again have a full…

I ask unanimous consent that at a time to be determined by the majority leader, in consultation with the Democratic leader, the Senate proceed to executive session for the consideration of the following nomination: Executive Calendar No…

I ask unanimous consent also to have printed in the Record a short summary of the three-part, bipartisan proposal that will produce the 40-percent rate decreases in the individual market, according to Oliver Wyman, and up to 20 percent…

I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the Oliver Wyman analysis entitled ``A Proposal to Lower ACA Premiums by More than 40% and Cover 3.2 Million More'' Americans. There being no objection, the material was ordered to be…

the Congressional Budget Office estimate looks at this proposal two different ways, but it says that if we base it on real spending--that is, as if Congress actually passed this bill--the Alexander-Murray-Collins-Nelson proposal that…

I want to thank the Senator from Maine for her lucid and heartfelt description of what is before us. She has been an exceptional leader, and she continues to be. She looks for ways to get results. She sees people--the plumber I talked…

I rise to say a word about my friend Thad Cochran, who is retiring from the U.S. Senate. In 1968, I had the job of recruiting State chairman for Citizens for Nixon-Agnew. I was a very young, wet-behind-the-ears former legislative assistant…

the Senator from Maine will arrive in just a moment, and I ask unanimous consent for up to an hour for us and Senator Graham and Senator Rounds to address the Senate within that hour--the four of us, and others who wish--to speak on the…

the Senator from Washington knows the deep respect I have for her, and we have worked together on some important legislation on our committee when we have had differences of opinion, including on the 21st Century Cures legislation and No…

I am here today to talk about the plumber making $60,000 whose health insurance is $20,000 and he pays for all of it and about the fact that the bill we are about to vote on today could have had in it bipartisan legislation--supported by…

I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Health Insurance

I want to talk for a moment about something that is on the minds of anybody in this country who is making $60,000, $70,000, $80,000, $90,000 too much to have a subsidy to pay for your healthcare insurance and maybe are paying $15,000…

Finally, I would ask the question, What if we don't do this? I am generally a very optimistic person. I am results-oriented, and you don't get results if you don't work across party lines and if you don't think you are going to succeed. So…

probably every single one of us in the Senate would agree that it is hard to get here, it is hard to stay here, and it is wonderful to be able to accomplish something worthwhile while you are here. That is why I am here today--because I…

Thank you, Madam President. (The remarks of Mr. Alexander pertaining to the introduction of S. 2509 are printed in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')

later this week Senators Blunt, Cassidy, Collins, Roberts, and Young will join me in introducing the School Safety and Mental Health Services Improvement Act. Three weeks ago, 14 high school students, a teacher, a coach, and an athletic…

16 years ago President George W. Bush announced that tariffs would be imposed on steel imports from several countries. The goal was to help protect the domestic steel industry. It was a good goal by a well-intentioned President whom I…

late this afternoon, Senator Thad Cochran, the senior Senator from Mississippi, announced he will be retiring from the Senate on April 1. He said his health had become an ongoing concern. I saw a steady stream of Senators visiting with…

I would like to note the presence on the floor of the junior Senator from Alabama, Mr. Jones, who has been waiting patiently. He and I were working together on something that I am about to speak about, a resolution that has to do with an…

if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order. There being no objection, the Senate, at 5:58 p.m., adjourned until Friday, February 16, 2018, at 12 noon…

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 3122 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The…

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The bill (H.R. 4533) was…