On the recordMarch 13, 2014
if the Senator will yield, as we close into the final minutes of this bill, I just want to say that today will be a great victory for America's children because we will pass the child care and development block grant. I think it is a great victory for the Senate to show that we could govern ourselves with an open amendment process. We could do it diligently, we could do it deliberatively, and we could do it with courtesy and civility. This is the way the Senate should be. Within 2 days we have arrived at a great bill, with cooperation and civility on both sides of the aisle. I hope this becomes a model for the way the Senate will conduct itself for the rest of the session. I have been very proud to be part of this bill. I thank Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina, my Republican counterpart on the children's committee, with all of the due diligence we did for a year and a half. I also thank Senator Lamar Alexander for his steadfast leadership and input, and of course I thank Tom Harkin, our leader, who, as he wraps up his Senate career, will never wrap up his advocacy for America's children. I thank all of our staff for the great work they did in the 100 meetings with stakeholders and the 200 meetings with us. Madam President, I am ready for the vote and yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Carolina.
