On the recordApril 13, 2016
countless veterans groups, consumer advocates, legal aid lawyers, and student organizations support a full ban on mandatory arbitration clauses in higher education. I hope the Department of Education responds to this. I hope they have the resolve and the political will to get this done. It is sad when students end up with a good diploma and a ton of debt. It is unforgiveable for us to be complicit when the students end up with a ton of debt and a worthless diploma from a for-profit college or university. Mr. President, the Federal Aviation Administration is now operating under its second extension. Like too many important issues, we just keep patching up the system. Last year, the Senate worked together to pass a 5-year transportation bill. Finally, after 30 patches of a national transportation program, both parties came together to pass the first long-term bill in over 10 years. This was an important step for the Nation and for my State of Illinois. Fixing and maintaining our infrastructure involves planning, and planning includes certainty. If we don't know we are going to be funded 6 months from now, it is very tough to plan a highway, a bridge, or how we are going to administer an airport. We have an opportunity to do the same for the Federal Aviation Administration. Senators Thune and Nelson--Republican and Democrat--put together the bipartisan bill that we are currently debating. I hope we can give this bill careful consideration.…
