I ask unanimous consent to enter into a colloquy with my Republican colleagues: Senators Kyl, Coburn, Isakson, and Heller for up to 30 minutes. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection? Without objection, it is so ordered. The…

I come to the floor today to commemorate the 150 year anniversary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. I am pleased that my colleagues in the Senate have agreed the occasion is worthy of a resolution honoring this milestone in our…

I ask unanimous consent that Maureen McLaughlin, a detailee to the Senate Finance Committee, be granted the privileges of the floor for the duration of the consideration of H.R. 2072. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it…

I thank the Senator. We look at those charts and reach the conclusion, inescapably, if we do not start doing oversight and start figuring this out, we are not going to solve this problem. My colleague's reputation as a watchdog of the…

Very clearly this body is saying, the Senate and the House of Representatives, when they vote on the President's budget, they are saying very clearly: The President's budget spends too much, it taxes too much, and it borrows too much. It…

Senator Kyl makes an excellent point. If I could call on my colleague, Senator Coburn, who, as much as any Member of the Senate, has been the watchdog when it comes to spending and programs that duplicate each other, he has been the person…

I rise to speak about the issue that is currently under debate; that is, student loan interest rates. For many students across this great country, the month of May marks the end of the school year and, for some, it means graduating after…

it is going to be very difficult for the people in the field to say, you have violated the rule or you have not violated the rule.

I think we are forcing more consolidation, not less.

I think they should be regulated to the point, including what we are talking about in derivatives and proprietary trading, that the risk of those institutions failing will be very remote.

It just occurs to me with the passage of Dodd-Frank, it incorporates the Volcker Rule and a whole host of other things.

I mean, we saw Montanans' funds used to hedge wiped away because of the lack of MF Global's ability to segregate funds and keep them segregated.

Did you come across any indication that the firm was actually using that approach in a way that you personally would regard or you would offer an opinion that that was deceptive, it was done in a way to deceive people who were supposed to…

I think this is the eighth large bankruptcy in U.S. history, and correct me if I am wrong, the first time segregated funds have gone missing, so to speak.

As I understand it, that would have been in the scope of $200 million at that point in time?

Thank you very much. That is very kind of you. I appreciate the courtesy.

I rise today to once again speak about a topic I have spoken to many times over the last 2 years; that is, the health care law. Today I would like to focus on a number of aspects of the health care law, but to start I would point out that…

The Senator raises a good point. I am mindful of our time limit. I am going to take a minute or two to wrap up. I do think Senator Alexander and Senator Hoeven both raised very good points. I look at the health care law and I often think…

Senator Alexander has raised some excellent points there because Governors only have so much revenue they can deal with; they cannot invent it, if you know what I am saying. So Governors have to figure out what the needs of the State are…

I thank Senator Hoeven for his comments. He mentioned that job one for every Governor is job creation. Before I turn to Senator Alexander, let me congratulate Senator Hoeven. Whatever he did in that capacity worked. He has the lowest…

the anniversary of any new law should be a time to celebrate accomplishments and new landmarks. But the almost constant flow of bad news, unfavorable reports, and broken promises makes the second anniversary of the health care law anything…

I ask unanimous consent to speak for up to 15 minutes. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Not only is it the competitive disadvantage we have placed the United States in at a time where our economy is struggling, but second, as a former Secretary, as a former cabinet member, there is a point at which these regulations become so…

I am now seeing evidence that folks are just deciding not to do business in the United States because of what is happening with Dodd-Frank.

I cannot even begin to describe how meaningless that last statement is to me, and here is why.