Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Seante, on September 20, 2011, at 2:30 p.m., in room SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a…

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on September 20, 2011, at 10 a.m., in room 215 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled…

I announce that the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Bingaman) is necessarily absent. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber desiring to vote? The result was announced--yeas 99, nays 0, as follows: [Rollcall Vote…

Mr. President, first, let me extend my sympathy to my colleague, Jay Rockefeller from West Virginia, son-in-law of the late Senator Chuck Percy, and, of course, his wife, Senator Percy's daughter, Sharon. They are great friends, and I know…

I announce that the Senator from Missouri (Mrs. McCaskill), the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez), and the Senator from Michigan (Ms. Stabenow) are necessarily absent.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Reed). The clerk will call the roll. The assistant Daily Digest editor proceeded to call the roll.

Mr. President, how much time is remaining on the Democratic side? The PRESIDING OFFICER. There is 18\1/2\ minutes remaining on the Democratic side.

Mr. President, the report this week about the rate of poverty in America is an eye opener. The numbers that have been reported are stunning. The number of Americans living in poverty now stands at 46.2 million people. That is an increase…

I announce that the Senator from Wisconsin (Mr. Kohl) is necessarily absent. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber desiring to vote? The result was announced--yeas 62, nays 37, as follows: [Rollcall Vote No…

I announce that the Senator from Wisconsin (Mr. Kohl) is necessarily absent. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Klobuchar). Are there any other Senators in the Chamber desiring to vote? The result was announced--yeas 54, nays 45, as follows…

I see several of my Republican colleagues, and I would like to ask unanimous consent that they be allowed to use their morning business time and our 18\1/2\ minutes remaining be preserved until after their speeches. The PRESIDING OFFICER…

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