I thank the Senator from Texas for this dialog. First class health care. Let me tell you who has first-class health care. The Senator from Texas has first-class health care. The Senator from Illinois has first-class health care. You see…

I ask unanimous consent to speak, though the minority has this first half, and ask the 10 minutes I speak be taken off the majority time at the end of morning business. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered…

it is my understanding that under unanimous consent the Senator from Texas is to be recognized, but I ask if he would allow me 5 minutes to follow the Senator from Maryland and then yield the floor to him. I thank the Senator from Texas…

how much time is remaining? The PRESIDING OFFICER. There are 15 minutes remaining for the majority and no time remains for the minority.

I came to the floor several times while Senator Cruz was speaking and addressed questions to him about his position on ObamaCare. What I asked him about were specific provisions in ObamaCare and whether he thought he agreed with them. He…

I would like to enter into a dialog with the Senator from Texas without jeopardizing his control of the floor, if I could have consent for that purpose. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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. 1548 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of…

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. 1546 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of…

on Friday night in Illinois and all over the country thousands of high school students will take to the football field. They will put on helmets, they will put on pads, but unfortunately some of them will still get hurt. Almost half the…

I listened closely to the statement made by Senator McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican Senate leader. I applaud him and other Senators who have spoken out against the so- called filibuster that has been initiated by the Senator from…

I rise today to recognize volunteers doing extraordinary service to our country. Twenty years ago, on September 21, President Clinton signed the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993, establishing the Corporation for National…

the news out of Washington is not encouraging. It looks as though we are facing a government shutdown and the possibility of even a default on the debt. These are totally unnecessary. There is nothing that is forcing this, other than the…

are we in morning business at this time? The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. We are.

Does the majority have the control for an additional period of time? The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Yes.

How much time is remaining? The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. There is 20\1/2\ minutes.

In addition to being the Senator from California. I see on the floor the Senator from Wisconsin. I do not want to step in front of him. All right. Then I ask unanimous consent to be given 5 minutes to speak after the Senator from…

I ask for 3 additional minutes. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

I wish to salute my colleague from California Senator Boxer. The statement she made before I spoke summarized what we face: People say to me are we really going to shut down the Federal Government? Is that what we were elected to come here…

I rise to thank a good friend for his service to our Nation, America's soldiers, and their families. Tom Lamont of Springfield, IL, is retiring this week as Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, the Army's top…

I ask unanimous consent to speak as if in morning business. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Statement Correction

it is one thing for a politician to say he misspoke and another for most ordinary people to say they got it wrong. I made a statement on the floor of the Senate earlier this morning which turns out was not entirely accurate, and I would…

let's talk for a minute about the Vitter amendment that is on the floor. One-half of all Americans have a common experience. The experience is this: They get health insurance where they work--one-half of all Americans. For virtually all of…

flags across America are being flown at half-mast this morning because of the terrible tragedy which occurred out that door 1\1/2\ miles away yesterday. Men and women who worked for our Department of Defense to keep America safe reported…

I announce that the Senator from Montana (Mr. Baucus) is necessarily absent. I further announce that, if present and voting, the Senator from Montana (Mr. Baucus) would vote ``aye.'' The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Heitkamp). Are there any…

in a few moments we will recess to gather on the steps of the Capitol. It is an annual event that commemorates 9/ 11. The leaders have spoken to their memories of that day, and I associate myself with their remarks and the sadness we all…