I rise today to bring to this body's attention and to the attention of all Americans what can best be characterized as a modern-day slave trade. It is an outrage that is hard to fathom but that still exists today. I was recently speaking…

Transporting freight efficiently and effectively is the linchpin of a prosperous economy.

Unfortunately, the President and his allies prioritize the trickle down shell game over building up the middle class through the proven economic engine of infrastructure investment, and this is, to me, a really disturbing trend.

the President and his allies did nothing to plan for infrastructure investment in their budgets; in fact, they cut infrastructure spending by almost $200 billion.

the President's budget, a roadmap of his policy priorities that cuts $150 billion from transportation spending, is misguided as it relates to infrastructure investment.

My concern is that the President has secured, now, a $1.5 trillion tax cut that is geared toward large corporations and the ultra-wealthy.

I thank the Senator from Illinois for all the work he does on behalf of Dreamers throughout the country. His leadership in this effort is absolutely inspiring. I am here to speak out in favor of passing a clean Dream Act to create a…

we must make improving the safety of nuclear power plants a national priority if we are to avoid disasters like Fukushima in the future.

When management and the work force have trust and confidence in each other, workers feel free to raise problems.

I think we can all agree that pinching pennies and saving on security inspections, for example, would not only endanger lives but also the future of the entire nuclear industry.

I do believe that nuclear power remains a vital tool in transitioning to a low carbon future.

So having a fully resourced Federal Government is essential to guarantee that state governments can fulfill their role in the permitting process, essentially is what you're saying?

I vehemently oppose the Administration's recent decision to make the largest ever reduction in public lands protection in American history at two national monuments.

By the way, wind power has added 100,000 jobs in Illinois over the last 10 years, so I am a big fan.

The Trump Administration has proposed draconian budget cuts across the Administration and has sought early retirements from our civil servants.

I commend the State of Washington which appears to have found a pathway forward on how to manage the workload associated with infrastructure permitting requirements.

the Trump administration has done everything it can to prevent the Executive Branch from even talking about climate change.

climate change is a national security issue that is exacerbating conflicts around the world.

I thank my colleague, the Senator from Rhode Island, and I join him in strong opposition to the nomination of Mr. Steven Bradbury to be the general counsel of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Mr. Bradbury is a deeply flawed nominee…

I thank my colleague from Maryland for his thoughtful words on North Korea. I come to the floor today to urge my colleagues to oppose the nomination of William Wehrum to lead the Office of Air and Radiation at the EPA. If confirmed, Mr…

the harm caused by these massive data breaches is incredibly far-reaching.

Will you commit to opposing any attempts of the Administration to not adhere to the RFS through 2022?

I am going to hold you to that.

As someone who relied on food stamps as a child and who represents thousands of farmers in my home State, I am deeply invested in ensuring access, affordability, and quality food is available to everyone in the country and around the world.

We agree that you were wrong on RFS.