I listened carefully to the statement made by the Republican Senate leader. He is a member of the loyal opposition and it is no surprise that he is critical of the policies of President Barack Obama. That is the nature of the debate, the…

In November of last year I wrote to then Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Julius Genachowski on the importance of transparency as we conduct the first ever voluntary incentive auction.

An important step to ensuring a successful auction is the completion of coordination with Canada in markets such as Chicago.

I rise today to discuss the situation in Syria and the historic choice facing this Congress and America. I have been deeply concerned about the situation in Syria since March of 2011, when thousands of Syrians from all backgrounds…

I voted for the war in Afghanistan, believing that it was a clear response to 9/11.

I take it very seriously that the language be as precise as possible when it comes to this whole question of expanding this mission.

What has been the response of the Arab and Muslim world to this?

I salute the President for respecting the Constitution and giving us that responsibility.

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 33, H. Con. Res. 25; that the amendment which is at the desk, the text of S. Con. Res. 8, the budget resolution passed by the Senate, be inserted in lieu…

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. 1425 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of…

yesterday, I introduced the Smarter Sentencing Act, bipartisan legislation that would reform our drug sentencing laws to make Federal sentencing policy smarter, fairer, and more fiscally responsible. This bill, which is cosponsored by…

over the years I have come to the floor to raise the plight of political prisoners being held around the globe. These have included journalists, activists, bloggers, musicians, and opposition candidates who all had the misfortune of…

I am sorry we are ending this session and going home for August with this. This is an attempt to go to a conference committee with the House of Representatives to agree on how much money we as a government will spend next year. Each…

I rise to speak about a Federal court ruling handed down yesterday that represents a tremendous victory for consumers and Main Street businesses across America. This ruling has to do with debit card swipe fees. Yesterday, a Federal judge…

I would like to thank Dr. Glenn Poshard for all he has done for Southern Illinois University and for his 40 years of public service to Illinois. After more than 7 years as president of Southern Illinois University, Dr. Poshard will be…

I object. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection to the modification has been heard. Is there objection to the original request?

I announce that the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Harkin) and the Senator from Louisiana (Ms. Landrieu) are necessarily absent.

I announce that the Senator from North Dakota (Ms. Heitkamp) is necessarily absent. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber desiring to vote? The result was announced--yeas 86, nays 13, as follows: [Rollcall Vote…

last week, I introduced the Clean Cruise Ship Act to limit the dumping of wastewater by cruise ships. Cruise ships generate millions of gallons of wastewater every day, and currently these ships can dump their waste directly into the…

we've made a lot of progress over the past couple weeks helping our Nation's students borrow at reasonable costs for their higher education needs. This year alone, students are projected to borrow $21 million in federal student loans…

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. 1410 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of…

I am honored today to pay tribute to my friend David Vite on his retirement from the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, IRMA. He spent 35 years with the Illinois retailers, helping businesses across the State of Illinois engage with…

Jennifer Kerr was a single mom who wanted to improve her family's future. In 2009, she signed up at Vatterott College. She thought that was the best way to improve her skills and training and do a better job for her family. She went to the…

Last month, the AMA adopted a policy supporting a ban on the marketing of energy drinks to adolescents under the age of 18.

I have joined with Senators Blumenthal and Markey to urge energy drink makers to adopt policies prohibiting marketing to adolescents up to the age of 18.