I thank the Senator from Kentucky. As we spoke on the floor, another example is President Johnson and Everett Dirksen on civil rights. That would not have happened if the government hadn't been divided, and it wouldn't have been as easily…

last Friday a three-judge Federal appellate court made an important decision. It said that the President of the United States, President Obama, on January 4, 2012, made some recess appointments when the Senate wasn't in recess. In other…

It seems lately that I come to the floor when the Republican leader is making especially reasonable, sensible proposals. I heard him say the same thing last week, and I agree with him. I saw a number of my Democratic friends this weekend…

I yield to the Senator. Mr. McCONNELL. As we have discussed before, and I think it is worth repeating, divided government is actually the best time to do difficult things. We have had four excellent examples in the last 25 years: Ronald…

The Senate works best when committee-approved bills move to the floor in an orderly way and Senators are freely able to debate and amend and vote upon the legislation. Unfortunately, under the current Democratic majority, committee work…

I strongly agree with the understanding of my friend, the senior Senator from Arizona. I, too, would oppose cloture on a matter if the majority abused the motion to proceed set out in the order by using that procedure as the high-water…

I wish to thank Senator Levin for his leadership, as well as Senator McCain, Senators Schumer, Cardin, Pryor, and Senator Kyl--who has now retired from the Senate--and Senator Barrasso. We are hopeful the leaders will be able to recommend…

I wonder if I might pose one more question to the Republican leader after making a short statement. I came to this body as a young lawyer-legislative aide to Senator Howard Baker a long time ago, in 1967. I remember very well Senator…

I want to congratulate the Republican leader for his remarks. Here is my question. We have arrived at a time when we have a newly elected President who has had a fine inaugural day. He has an agenda that he wants to follow which he…

Patti Page died on New Year's Day this year. She was 85 years old. The Senate has not been in session for most of the time since then. I wanted to come to the floor to pay a Tennessean's tribute to Patti Page. Patti Page is best known for…

I wonder if I might pose a question to the Republican leader, if he would retake the floor. Mr. McCONNELL. I would be happy to respond.

I thank the Senator from Kentucky for extending his time on the floor. On my own I wish to continue that line of thinking a little bit. It is traditional that when we have a new President, a newly inaugurated President, that he has a…

I am here to join the Senator from Indiana, and I think I can presumptively speak for everybody in this body. We want to help the people in New York, New Jersey, and other Northeastern States that were hurt by Sandy. We have had some…

Senator Inouye told me a story which I wish to repeat for our colleagues. In 1973, George Gallup, the pollster, asked to come see him. This was at the height of the Watergate hearings. Back then, these investigations into President Nixon's…

I have two items I would like to briefly mention. The Nation is consumed by the fiscal cliff. From all I can tell, the Presidential limousine is moving very rapidly toward the fiscal cliff with the President's foot on the accelerator. I am…

I ask unanimous consent to speak as if in morning business. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

while the Senator from California is still on the Senate floor, I want to thank her for her comments on the Senate rules. I would agree this is something we should be able to talk amongst ourselves and work out. Some of us who have been…

I want to speak this afternoon about the Senate as an institution; about its majority leader, Senator Reid, who is my friend; about various conversations we have been having in the Senate and discussions about what the majority leader has…

I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business for 20 minutes. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll. The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from…

Will the Chair please let me know when 5 minutes remains? The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Certainly. The Senator is recognized. The Filibuster

For example, during the Panama Canal debate, they would table a lot and vote a lot. They would stay up on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights. Pretty soon Senators would be thinking about going home or seeing their…

I see the Senator from Louisiana. I know she expects to speak about 5:30. I want to say to her through the Chair I will be finished by then. Fungal Meningitis I see the Senator from Connecticut I believe is still here. I compliment him on…

I ask unanimous consent that the following article from the Wall Street Journal on September 18, 2012, on the cost to taxpayers for the wind production tax credit be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the material was ordered…

some say the reason for a do-nothing Senate--or the cure for it--is that we need to change the rules. I say we need a change in behavior, and I wish to offer a single example. We have a big spending and borrowing problem: 42 cents out of…