I too hope we can resolve the issue my colleagues were just discussing. It is an important one for the country. We are very blessed in Louisiana to have a relatively low unemployment rate because our economy is doing so well, in large…

I want to actually talk a few minutes this evening about a very important bill the House just passed by an extraordinary vote of 346 to 1. My colleague, Congressman Boustany in the House, was the lead sponsor, and I want to really…

I regret having missed two votes on November 18, 2013. The two votes that I missed are as follows: motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Robert L. Wilkins to be a U.S. circuit judge for the DC Circuit and motion to invoke cloture…

This is the hope and vision that we fought for. It is still worth fighting for now.

It is the law of the land; and in my view, it deserves to be fixed, not repealed.

Ensuring that these marketplaces work the way they were intended when we passed the Act is vital to helping the businesses in our country.

I thank the Senator so much. Senator Hoeven has joined us, and he has been particularly forceful on the issue of basements in a State that doesn't have an ocean anywhere around it but has some serious flooding challenges. I would hope the…

Making the ACA work the way it was intended is what I intend to try to do.

I hope that you could support it or a version of it, you could keep the plan that you want.

And if your bill passes, the only large employer that will not be able to get insurance would be you and your staff.

I really appreciate the courtesies of the manager of the bill on the floor, Senator Reed. I really appreciate his courtesies because those of us who have come to the floor today to speak about this issue are extremely concerned about this…

I have come to the floor today to moderate a colloquy between my colleagues for the next 20 minutes or so regarding a very important amendment that has been filed to the Defense authorization bill we are considering. The colloquy will be…

That is a choice I do not think Americans should be making and I do not want anyone in Louisiana to make that choice or have to make that choice.

Our time has come to an end. In conclusion, I thank the Senator from Oregon again, the subcommittee chair, for his leadership. I also particularly thank Senator Menendez and Senator Isakson, the two lead sponsors of this bill, who have…

What is the Senator hearing at home from the people of Massachusetts about this, and how important does she think it is for us to have the support of the realtors and the homebuilders and other national organizations that understand the…

His bill which I voted against and many Democrats did not keep the promise. It gutted in the bill.

I thank the distinguished Senator from Mississippi. I appreciate his hard work as well as the staff. It has been a real team effort and without him we wouldn't be where we are today. The Senator from Massachusetts is scheduled next in this…

today I wish to ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing one of Louisiana's courageous civil rights leaders, the Reverend Theodore Judson ``T.J.'' Jemison, who passed on November 15, 2013, at the age of 95 in Baton Rouge, LA. Reverend…

There is no price that you can put, in my view, on peace of mind.

We are having this hearing to make sure we are doing everything possible to make sure that this Act works for small business owners and their employees.

I thank the Senator from Florida. The Senator is correct about urgency. As the Presiding Officer knows, in her own home State, we are hearing from people who are stuck literally between a rock and a hard place because they can't get their…

we have all been extremely helpful, of course, as a team in bringing this issue forward and crafting a bill, but literally we would not be here if it were not for the leadership of the subcommittee chairman who has jurisdiction over this…

I thank the Senator from Mississippi for his comments and engaging in this exchange on the floor this morning. The Senator from Florida has been particularly concerned because Florida has a very robust population as one of our largest…

I believe this is wrong.

But thank goodness there are bright examples throughout the United States where the ACA's vision is working.