However, if these are not accompanied by economic advancements and social inclusion, democracy itself will be undermined.

U.S. leadership on these questions, United States leadership, American leadership, has mattered.

I respect you so much for that.

One cannot effectively tackle crime and improve the lives of citizens without addressing the root causes and putting in place government controls to prevent corruption and increase transparency.

when a former Prime Minister is imprisoned on the basis of a political--of a legal judgment against a decision she reached while in office, that raises questions about rule of law, and it raises the specter of the allegation of politically…

my friend and colleague from Utah Senator Hatch is going to give a speech in a moment. I would like to say before he speaks that after he has spoken, I am going to ask for a unanimous consent which renews an earlier request but expands it…

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on April 25, 2013, at 2 p.m., to hold a East Asia and Pacific Affairs subcommittee hearing entitled, ``Rebalance to Asia…

pending on the floor is S. 743. This is a bill which, in its simplest terms, will allow the States to ask Internet retailers, when they sell in the State, to collect sales tax. Currently, every State requires consumers to pay the sales…

I have reached out during the statement of the Senator from Kentucky to try and find the Senator from New Hampshire. I know she has a busy schedule, and I couldn't find her to ask her for her amendments to include on this list. I am going…

let me first thank my colleague from Massachusetts for an excellent statement in support of the legislation pending on the floor. Let me remind my colleagues that I am planning to make a unanimous consent request on several amendments. I…

I respect my colleagues from Oregon and Montana, but I respectfully disagree with the way they have described the situation. We are talking about asking Internet retailers around America, when they make a sale, to collect the sales tax on…

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on April 25, 2013, at 8:30 a.m. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Committee on Energy and Natural…

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on April 25, 2013, at 9:30 a.m. in SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct an executive business meeting…

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on April 25, 2013, at 10 a.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The PRESIDING OFFICER…

today, Senator Brown and I are introducing important legislation to extend tax relief to working families: The Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2013. This legislation will ensure that taxes do not increase on working families in the…

I rise today to introduce the Family and Medical Leave Inclusion Act. This bill, which I have also introduced in the previous two Congresses, would extend the important protections of the Family and Medical Leave Act to grandparents…

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate subcommittee hearing on April 25, 2013, at 2:30 p.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building…

I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on April 25, 2013, at 2:30 p.m. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Subcommittee on East Asia…

reserving the right to object, I appreciate I have to object, but I want the Senator from Oklahoma to please explain the amendment.

Whatever way the Senator from Oklahoma wishes to explain it. I will object at this point. I am sorry, I understand that can't be done.

I object. It is a good-faith objection. I hope the Senator understands. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection is heard.

The Senator from Oklahoma is my friend, and we have worked together on many occasions. I wish to state for the Record, because he knows it and I wish to put it on the Record, that we have what is called a blue-slip problem. There are no…

Just to restate, we are going through--I think the Senator has six or eight amendments. We are going through those in a good-faith effort to find those which would complement what we are doing and not create a problem substantively. My…

I would like to say I would vote for that in a second and I am not ruling out the possibility of agreeing to allow the Senator to offer this as an amendment to the bill. Please let us see if it raises a blue slip issue, which we mentioned…

I am not much of a gambler myself. I make a voluntary tax payment every once in a while and buy a lottery ticket, although I realize I will never win. Refresh my memory--and the Senator probably knows this--do I recall that the only…