Madam President, I wanted to come to the floor while the Senator from Massachusetts was giving her remarks and was still here to say a few things about the bipartisan student loan proposal. There are a couple of things I want to point out…

I announce that the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Rockefeller) is necessarily absent. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Brown). Are there any other Senators in the Chamber desiring to vote? The result was announced--yeas 82, nays 17, as…

Madam President, I first thank the Senator for his leadership. He has been the singular force in the Senate to have us reassess the rules of the Senate to make certain they are serving the needs of our Nation. I thank Senator Merkley for…

Mr. President, the majority leader will be on the floor very briefly, but at this point I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll. The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.

I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez) and the Senator from New Hampshire (Mrs. Shaheen) are necessarily absent.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Madam President, I have great respect for the Senator from Tennessee. He is my friend. We have worked together successfully and I hope we will in the future, but I would take exception to his conclusions about the current status of the…

I announce that the Senator from Washington (Ms. Cantwell), the Senator from North Dakota (Ms. Heitkamp), and the Senator from Maine (Mr. King) are necessarily absent.

Mr. President, I rise to discuss President Obama's trip to Africa that began yesterday. There is no shortage of important issues to address on the continent, from continued instability in eastern Congo, Mali, and Somalia, to autocratic…

Mr. President, I rise today to once again voice publicly my concern with actions the Government of Bangladesh has taken and is poised to take with respect to Grameen Bank and the Grameen family of companies. Grameen Bank has for decades…

Mr. President, last week, the Senate unanimously adopted a resolution honoring the 50th Anniversary of Congressman John Lewis's leadership of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. In the…

Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Rhode Island, and I thank the Presiding Officer. I wish to join my colleague, Senator Schumer, first thanking him for his leadership and bringing us together. With Senator McCain, they led the…