We have focused on other issues to the detriment of our children.

I'd like to thank Chairman Harkin and Senators Murkowski, Brown, Casey, and Bennet for their leadership on efforts to improve the nutritional content of school meals provided by the Federal school lunch program.

Yesterday's failed procedural vote on Chairman Schumer's campaign finance legislation is the perfect example, in my view, of the abuse of Senate rules.

We need substantial bipartisan support to update the Senate's rules, so let us put together a package.

The pervasiveness of the filibuster deployed every day for multiple purposes in this body has started to cause the Senate to descend into complete dysfunction.

the filibuster has been abused more and more in recent Congresses, and it is time for the Senate to consider what to do about it.

If we don't get at that core issue in this legislation somehow, if we don't get at that, we really haven't accomplished much.

I would argue strongly for at the national level, since Federal spending is only 10 percent of K-12, to invest in more competitive funding for school systems.

I think you have to pick your spots about what you require.

I would urge you to think carefully about the levers that are available in the legislation to push for this finally.

We are still getting really horrible outcomes for poor kids.