We need more flexibility in the system so that tribes can address the needs of their students in a way that is relevant to them, to their culture, to their community, while still meeting or exceeding national standards.

If I could focus on one area of ESEA. I am going to ask your help in trying to figure out how this area impacts Indian Country and schools in Indian Country, and that is turnaround policy.

Can you guarantee this Committee, either one of you, that no employee will lose their job as a result of this merger?

We need to get this right. We need to keep our promise, meet our trust responsibilities.

I've never seen a merger that--and I've been in this business 35 years--where people haven't lost their jobs.

This is something that the VA is really going to have to help us with, because we are putting money out there.

I rise today in support of an alternative approach to the extenders legislation. The Thune amendment is a very simple, if not a novel idea in Washington these days. The novel idea is that it would actually pay for the spending proposed in…

I applaud that. I am very interested in hearing about the progress we have made in the past year.

I want to express, if I could, how much I appreciate the opportunity for the purpose of this hearing to act as Ranking Member.

I think we would all agree it would be great to have a cardiologist and a psychiatrist and an oncologist in every area of our States.

Our goal here is to have VA deliver timely, quality health care services to our veterans.

I think we all agree that greater use of technology is essential.

Providing health care to rural veterans is critical, especially in States that are rural, like Montana, like Nebraska, Alaska.

let me, if I might, start out and say how much I appreciated the comments by the Senator from South Dakota. Many months ago I did a roundtable with a great company in Nebraska, Nucor Steel. Nucor Steel is one of those companies you hope…

I rise to speak a little bit about the health care plan that was passed now a few months ago. Of course, there was a lot of buildup to that plan. One of the things that was said over and over again by President Obama was: "If you like your…

I rise today to talk about why cloture should not be invoked on this so-called financial reform bill. The events that transpired in the fall of 2008 and into 2009 are times that no one wants to repeat. That time was marked with extreme…

It is my understanding that title X of the bill would give the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection the power to regulate not only businesses that provide financial products and services to consumers but also companies that provide…

I rise to support the Chambliss-Shelby derivative substitute, and I am very pleased to indicate that I am a cosponsor of that amendment. There is no doubt, when you are talking about derivatives, you are talking about contractual…

Like most Americans, I grew up with a tremendous amount of admiration for Neil Armstrong.

I rise today to discuss the consumer protection piece of the financial reform bill we have been debating. Let me start by expressing my appreciation for the good work of Chairman Dodd and the good work of Ranking Member Shelby and others…

I would like to stand to take a moment to voice my support for the Tester-Hutchison amendment. This amendment will ensure that banks of all sizes pay their fair share by broadening the assessment base that is used by the FDIC. The FDIC…

I rise for a few minutes to talk about S. 3217, the financial regulatory reform bill. I focus, if I could, my comments today on why the cloture vote on financial reform is such an important key vote. My colleagues from the other side have…

MIKE JOHANNS, Nebraska

I think this is an opportunity for us to maybe open up an avenue of economic development that has been untapped.

I had the most remarkable experience. I walked in here and everything you were saying, Senator Franken, I think I agree with.