I join my colleagues in thanking Senator Heidi Heitkamp for her service to her State and our Nation. I remember one of the first conversations Senator Heitkamp and I had after she joined the Senate. I told her: ``I would really like your…

I want to join my colleagues in thanking our friend, Senator Joe Donnelly, for his service to his State and our Nation. When he was about 30 years old, while he was practicing law in South Bend, Joe Donnelly sought the Democratic…

I announce that the Senator from Missouri (Mrs. McCaskill) is necessarily absent. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Lankford). Are there any other Senators in the Chamber desiring to vote? The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 55, nays 43, as follows…

on November 28, Quincy, IL, lost a legend in Coach John ``Jack'' Butler Mackenzie at the age of 77. Jack was the architect of an amazing soccer program at Quincy University. He led the Franciscan school's soccer program to nine National…

on Saturday, at least 29 tornadoes reportedly touched down in Illinois in Cass, Christian, DeWitt, Fulton, Macon, Macoupin, Mason, McDonough, McLean, Montgomery, Pike, Schuyler, and Tazewell Counties in central Illinois. The National…

in 1830, a family of dirt-poor farmers moved to Illinois. In the previous 14 years, this family had moved from Kentucky to Indiana, always eking out a bare subsistence. In Illinois, they hoped their luck might finally improve. After…

several years ago, after his 3-year-old daughter Robin passed away from leukemia, George Herbert Walker Bush wrote to his mother about how much he loved and missed his little girl. It is a beautiful, almost heartbreaking letter. Near the…

one of our most preeminent oral historians of our time turns 100 on December 7. Timuel Black was born near the end of World War I and has been the keeper of the soul of the south side of Chicago to this very day. World War I was supposed…

when we encourage our students to be active and play school sports, it's because we want to promote healthy habits and team-building skills. Yet every year, more than 140,000 student athletes sustain a concussion--and that's just the…

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: S. 3671 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of…

there was a classified briefing this morning that Members of the Senate were invited to on a bipartisan basis, Democrats and Republicans. It is rare. We don't do it very often. We do it when there is an important issue of national security…

if I came to the Senate floor each day and told the story of another victim of gun violence in the city of Chicago, it would be a full-time job. Trend lines are improving ever so slightly, but the deaths from gun violence in that great…

I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Saudi Arabia Briefing

Ron Chernow is well known as a historian and prolific writer who has written biographies of some of the most amazing people who have lived in our country. One, of course, is on the Founding Father, George Washington, and another which…

I announce that the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders) is necessarily absent. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Lankford). Are there any other Senators in the Chamber desiring to vote? The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 49, nays 45, as follows…

I announce that the Senator from Connecticut (Mr. Murphy) and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Nelson) are necessarily absent. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Perdue). Are there any other Senators in the Chamber desiring to vote? The result was…

I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Sasse). Without objection, it is so ordered. Criminal Justice Reform

I announce that the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Coons) and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Nelson) are necessarily absent. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Sasse). Are there any other Senators in the Chamber desiring to vote? The result was…

I would like to share with the Senate and those following this debate a story about a man named Alton Mills. Alton Mills was a young African American in the city of Chicago. He was an above-average high school student. It looked like he…

Steve Magruder has devoted his life to helping working families. For more than 40 years, Steve faithfully served as a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers International Local 176. Last week, Steve retired as the…

I announce that the Senator from Florida (Mr. Nelson) is necessarily absent. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Toomey). Are there any other Senators in the Chamber desiring to vote? The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 63, nays 36, as follows…

I announce that the Senator from Missouri (Mrs. McCaskill) is necessarily absent. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Rubio). Are there any other Senators in the Chamber desiring to vote? The result was announced--yeas 93, nays 5, as follows…

I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein), the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Heinrich), the Senator from North Dakota (Ms. Heitkamp), and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Nelson) are necessarily absent. The PRESIDING…

I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein), the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Heinrich), the Senator from North Dakota (Ms. Heitkamp), and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Nelson) are necessarily absent. The PRESIDING…

I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein), the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Heinrich), the Senator from North Dakota (Ms. Heitkamp), and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Nelson) are necessarily absent. The PRESIDING OFFICER…