I congratulate you for your efforts. Because I know this is such a needed area not just of course for our military but across the country, we have a need for hundreds of thousands of people with STEM backgrounds.

I have been an advocate of this system and have discussed the importance of this program with past and present Air Force and National Guard Bureau leadership.

The OIB is currently work-loaded to meet requirements and positioned to surge in support of Contingency Operations.

If the Marine Corps are authorized to increase its end strength numbers, what steps will you take to ensure that the quality of marines recruited and the training they receive will maintain the Marine Corps standard when you grow the force…

while ensuring that every taxpayer dollar is used wisely and efficiently should always be a top priority for government decision makers

Fiscal uncertainty and lack of a demand signal that drove us to this poor supply availability makes it difficult to optimize our processes.

It's pretty hard to enable our people to do the jobs that they signed up for if we continue to rely on short-term CRs and we do not get rid of sequester, because those all impact readiness and modernization, all of those connected areas.

Thank you. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader. Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, we came together yesterday to confirm Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education so she could get to work improving our schools and putting students first. We…

constituents from every State who care about our public schools and our students in public schools have broken records calling us, their Senators, in opposition to Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary. In the past few weeks, I have heard…

I have served with Jeff Sessions throughout my time in the Senate and respect him very much as a colleague. I come to the floor of the Senate today not to decide whether Jeff Sessions is doing a good job as the Senator from Alabama, for…

I would like to resume my remarks. Mr. President, I want to read some excerpts from President Ronald Reagan's remarks in 1988, apologizing for the internment of Japanese Americans. More than 40 years ago, shortly after the bombing of Pearl…

I assume I will be able to resume my comments after the majority leader's statement? The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.