today, the Departments of Homeland Security and Commerce announced a proposed rule change that would extend employment authorizations to spouses of certain H-1B workers. The rule says that spouses who have already begun the process of…

I think basically I agree with you but let us go down that narrow lane then that you are talking about.

Tonight we will be voting on the nomination of Justice Moritz, a nominee for the Tenth Circuit. During her legal career, Justice Moritz handled a wide variety of cases both in the private sector and while serving as an assistant U.S…

I ask for the yeas and nays, and I yield back any remaining time. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, all time is yielded back. Is there a sufficient second? There appears to be a sufficient second. The question is, Will the Senate…

I am going to talk for a few minutes on one of the nominations we have today, the nomination of Theodore Chuang to be district judge for Maryland. This nomination was voted out of committee on a 10-to-8 vote. I opposed the nomination in…

If State enforcement efforts are not sufficiently robust to protect against the harms set forth above, the Federal Government may seek to challenge the regulatory structure itself.

It is hardly surprising that a senior DEA official recently told the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control that what was happening in these States--meaning Washington and Colorado and maybe also, I think, by implication where…

I hope to discuss the legislation that Senator Feinstein and I introduced last year called 'Saving Kids From Dangerous Drugs Act,' that we can get something done to deter this kind of marketing.

what was happening in these States--meaning Washington or States where there has been recreational marijuana or even medicinal marijuana--is 'reckless and irresponsible.'

Now, on that latter point, you have seen some of that very much advertised on recent news reports about 4th graders selling marijuana for $11 as an example.

I do not want to remove that cornerstone.

These are penalties for dealers, not users. In the midst of the heroin epidemic, as I said to you, I think that this makes no sense.

Maybe as a matter of a summary, would you say that the trends are moving in the right direction or the wrong direction?

I am glad to yield. I think that is very basic economics: Increase supply and reduce price. The other matter is it makes us more energy independent. We spend hundreds of millions of dollars every day to import oil. There is no sense doing…

the system of penalties in place now is a critical tool for them to be able to dismantle drug-trafficking networks to keep our communities safe.

I think the sentencing bill that the administration supports does just the opposite.

It is a jobs bill, it is an energy bill, it is a national security issue, and it sends the message around the world that we are not going to be dependent upon the rest of the world for our energy. It is all those things and probably a lot…

Reserving the right to object, and I will object, but to remind everybody, when the majority leader says that nothing is being done on judges, we have confirmed 233 judges and only disapproved the 2; so don't ever try to sell the American…

Reserving the right to object, and I would offer an alternative; but before I do that, I wish to say to my colleagues in the U.S. Senate that, first of all, there is controversy about this nominee. Let's make that clear. And second, the…

25 years ago today the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 was signed into law. To mark that anniversary, I come to the floor to discuss some of the history that led to that legislation, the lessons learned over the past 25 years, and the…

I want to know if the database will make clear to the readers what specifically a provider accepts is reportable.

I would like to take a few minutes to speak on the bill being considered today, the Paycheck Fairness Act. The proponents of the Paycheck Fairness Act argue that many women continue to earn significantly less pay than men for equal work. I…

I want to say to you, Madam Secretary, that with the release of the rule regarding qualified health plans in the anti-kickback statute, it is very unclear to me what the Federal policy is regarding the anti-fraud provisions available in…

there are reports that after we return from either this break or the next, the Senate may take up the so- called Fair Sentencing Act, so I rise today to start discussing this bill with my colleagues, particularly those who do not serve…

If the merger is approved, Comcast-Time Warner Cable would become the largest cable television and IT service provider in our country.