Mr. President, I listened to the comments made by the Republican leader about how he believed President Obama is trying to change the topic and not talk about the economy and, rather, talk about ethical standards in the U.S. Congress. I…

Mr. President, many years ago when I graduated from Georgetown Law School, I was offered a job by the Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, Paul Simon. He asked if I would join his staff in Springfield, IL, in the State capital and if I would…

Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate Knox College in Galesburg, IL, on the 175th anniversary of its founding. On February 15, 1837, the Illinois Legislature granted a charter to Knox Manual Labor College. Its founder, the Reverend…

I announce that the Senator from Louisiana (Ms. Landrieu) and the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez) are necessarily absent.

Mr. President, I wish to thank my colleague from Alaska and tell her that this week on National Public Radio there was a feature about Cordova and all the snow they have had to deal with there. I am sure this is perhaps commonplace in her…

Mr. President, I thank the chairman of the Finance Committee and my friend from Utah, the ranking member of the committee. Senator Coburn of Oklahoma, who just spoke, and I probably see so many things differently, but yet we see many…

Mr. President, I would like to ask the chairman if I could have 8 minutes or 10 minutes to speak.

Is there time remaining on the other side? The PRESIDING OFFICER. There is no remaining time on the other side.

Mr. President, how much time is remaining on each side? The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic side has 18 minutes remaining.

Mr. President, each of us takes on an agenda in Congress, things that are important to us personally, and sometimes one or two of those issues become very personal and very important to us. The one that has become very personal to me…

Mr. President, I listened to the speech just given by the Republican leader of the Senate. He expresses a sentiment Americans share; that it is time for us to work together in the Senate and the House, across the board in Washington, and…

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll. The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Georgia.