Thank you, Senator Lee, and thank you Senator Cruz and a special thanks to this panel for your patience.

Ours is a democratic society where the rule of law prevails.

The President must exercise his authority as Commander in Chief within the framework established by the Constitution and the laws passed by Congress.

To suggest that somehow they are guilty, culpable, should pay a price for what they did wrong, it just defies basic compassion.

I hope that we can include it in this bill. I think it should be part of it.

These young people were brought to America, Gaby at the age of 8. It was not exactly her decision to come from Ecuador.

As a basic matter of justice and fairness, do you believe that these young people should be penalized for the wrongdoing of their parents?

do you believe that the passage of this immigration reform bill will make America safer and more secure?

That notion that immigrants are somehow negative or bad for America, that is not a fact at all.

If there is a job opening at Microsoft, the first responsibility of Microsoft is to hire an American?

It seems obvious to me that with that knowledge, we will be a safer nation.

if we could bring in the talent, even the talent we are educating in America, and keep them here to grow our businesses and grow our jobs, it is in the best interests of the country.

I think this notion of more homegrown American talent is something we all should applaud.

I will not dwell on the border aspects of the bill.

If you can equalize everything else in life, then the job should go to an American.

America will be a stronger Nation when we acknowledge who we are.

I have been at this for 12 years. I have met hundreds, maybe thousands of these young people.

There is a better way for us to do it. This bill, this compromise, offers us a path to get to that kind of a more rational and sane and humane resolution on this.

The DREAM Act is where it is today because of the courage of young people like yourself.

I want to draw attention to the major flooding going on in Illinois at this moment, particularly in Chicago and its suburbs but not exclusively. It is affecting downstate as well. Hundreds of families have been evacuated from their homes…

I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Flooding in Illinois

fifty years ago, when Bob Butler was sworn in as mayor of Marion, IL, the town was literally on fire. Just outside city hall, one of the largest fires in the city's history was raging. It may not have been, as Mayor Butler has described…

I rise today to introduce America's Red Rock Wilderness Act of 2013. This legislation continues our commitment to preserve natural resources in this country. America's Red Rock Wilderness Act will designate as wilderness some of our…

I announce that the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Cowan), the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Lautenberg), and the Senator from Massachusetts (Ms. Warren) are necessarily absent. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the…

I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. Boxer), the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Cowan), the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Lautenberg), and the Senator from Massachusetts ( Ms. Warren) are necessarily absent.