I ask unanimous consent to rescind the quorum call. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

the Senator from Texas is on his way to the floor to talk about Meriam Ibrahim. He has been regularly joined by other Senators, including Senators Ayotte, Rubio, Inhofe, Shaheen, and Coons and many others who share my deep concern…

let me see if I can say something that contributes to progress, especially while the Senator from Maryland, the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, is on the floor. She has really done a terrific job in working with the Republican…

I am on the Senate floor, but I should have had the opportunity today to be at an Appropriations Committee meeting. We were scheduled this morning to mark up--that means to consider and vote on--the labor, health and human services bill…

I heard the majority leader's comments about the importance of moving on to the veterans bill, so I have a suggestion: Why don't we send this political stunt on student loans to the Senate education committee, where the Senator from Iowa…

I thank the Chair. I will reserve 1 minute and I will do it in this way: Vote no. A ``no'' vote means no to a week-long political stunt, no to debt and taxes, and yes to moving today to a bipartisan solution to the problem of veterans…

how much time do we have remaining? The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator has 2 minutes remaining.

The question before the Senate is, Shall we spend the next week on a political stunt that gives some students $1 a day to pay off a student loan or shall we move to a bipartisan solution for veterans who are lined up at clinics and…

could the Chair please let me know when I have 3 minutes remaining on my time. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Chair will do so.

Thank you, Madam President. Higher Education Act Last year something happened in Washington, DC, that most of us in the Senate and most Americans would like to see more of. The President and the Republican House of Representatives and a…

I am delighted to be on the floor to hear the distinguished Senator from Indiana, and former Ambassador to Germany, tell the story of Germany, which has gotten itself into what can only be described as an energy mess. He summed it up…

the question is not whether but how best to make early childhood education available to the largest number of children. The approach that I am offering is quite different than the Democratic proposal. Last year this time around, the Senate…

Well, the Senator from Arizona is from the West and I, of course, am from the East. In the Eastern United States, the wind turbines really only work well on ridgetops. I live near ridgetops around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park…

I thank the Senator for his leadership. And when we talk about a 1-year or 2-year extension, it is important to note that we are talking about the next 10 years. Let's say I qualify for the production tax credit--I am a wind developer this…

No, I do not. I guess, in summary, after nearly 22 years, it is time for wind production to step out on its own in the marketplace. Let's save $13 billion, and let's stop distorting the marketplace and undercutting nuclear plants as well…

the so-called tax extenders bill is the subject of discussion--55 provisions in the Tax Code to be extended that have expired or are expiring. The wind production tax credit is one of those. I hope the majority leader will do what the…

I thank the Senator from Arizona for his leadership over the years and for pointing out the flaws in this proposal. It wastes money, it undercuts reliable electricity--like coal and nuclear electricity--and, in my view, it destroys rather…

Yes, and I thank the Senator from Arizona. The United States uses almost 20 percent of all the electricity in the world, and we need electricity that we can rely on. We don't want to flip the switch and have the lights not come on. We…

I would say to the Senator from Arizona, just to be specific about this--negative pricing, as we call it--the opportunity for a wind developer at, say, 3 o'clock in the morning in Chicago to literally pay the utility to take the wind…

I thank the Senator from Tennessee. Harlan was known for working quietly, and being modest. The service was only about 40 or 45 minutes to reflect that. He would have been a terrific Senator if he had been here for 25 years because of what…

I thank the Senator from Massachusetts for his courtesy. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Massachusetts.

Thank you, Mr. President. Remembering Harlan Mathews Mr. President, a few days ago we lost a prominent Tennessean, Harlan Mathews. He was 87 years old, and he lived a long and distinguished life. Harlan Mathews served in the Senate seat in…

does the Senator from Massachusetts wish to address the Senate at this time?

I thank the Senator from Massachusetts. I ask unanimous consent that the junior Senator from Tennessee and I be permitted to engage in a colloquy, and I ask for the attention of the Senate. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is…

I am here to support the introduction of a bill I am cosponsoring, the Expanding Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Act. Charter schools are about freedom for teachers, choices for parents, and more and better opportunities for…