Lisa Murkowski

Genuine improvement efforts will take 3-5 years to become habits.

I believe there must be both rigorous academic standards and expectations in each State, and an accountability system that is reasonably related to achieving those standards.

We are just about ready to begin our votes. Again, it was a very productive day processing amendments yesterday, and we have some good provisions included in the bill. We were able to adopt by voice the provision of the Senator from Maine…

Senator Cantwell and I have logged a few hours standing up in the chamber trying to move the Keystone bill through.

I appreciate our Committee members coming a little bit earlier.

I want to recognize them, congratulate them and their co-sponsors.

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 9:10 p.m., adjourned until Wednesday, January 28, 2015, at 9:30…

It has been a long day and we are at the end, but as Members can see, we have a path forward tomorrow, and I think that is good. ____________________

The federal government has ignored this responsibility for too long.

We're not here to hear excuses of inaction of the federal agencies, but to hear the aspirations of tribes.

The legislation would also have updated and improved upon existing law which has allowed tribes to integrate their employment related funding and maximum program efficiency for the past 20 years.

We continue to talk to Members on both sides of the aisle to set up a path toward passage on this bill that will include some amendment votes on pending amendments and others that are waiting in the queue. We will look to set some of those…

I know our colleague from Delaware is wishing to speak. If I may just proceed to do the closeout and he would be able to speak after that. ____________________

I do know the Senator from Washington and I were hoping to get a plan and a proposal for colleagues so that they would better understand how we might proceed tomorrow. And because we haven't had that opportunity to do that as of yet, I…

Point of inquiry: Do I understand that the Senator from Rhode Island wishes to make his amendment pending or just speak to the amendment?

Again, I am trying to understand. If Members just want to speak to their amendments, there is not a problem with what the Senator has suggested. It is just the question of whether we are getting amendments pending, because we have been…

Again, I am seeking clarification here, because up until this point in time, what we have done, in order to get amendments pending, is the ranking member and I have kind of worked back and forth in terms of what it was that would come up…

I am seeking clarification. Is the Senator from California asking that these respective Members have an opportunity to speak to amendments or to get their amendments pending?

I do believe it is inherent for the Federal Government to provide States guidance in this area.

I believe that States, school districts, and the educators working directly with students know best what their students need, thus I'd lean with more State control.

Children are not ready to learn when their families are struggling.

I think the Federal Government has an important role to play in providing support to districts and States to make innovative changes in the ways we manage our most critical resource, our effective teachers and leaders.

The Federal Government should focus on providing resources to support and retain high quality teachers.

This work is not optional; it is essential.

The Federal Government should not undermine this important work.