I rise in strong support of the nomination of Judge Robert L. Wilkins to be a circuit judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. I was pleased to introduce Judge Wilkins to the Judiciary Committee in…

If I understand correctly, we are on the nomination of judge Robert Wilkins? The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct.

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on January 9, 2014, at 10:15 a.m., to hold a hearing entitled ``The Situation in Sudan.'' The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without…

I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on January 9, 2014, at 2 p.m. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on January 9, 2014, at 9:30 a.m., in SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct an executive business meeting…

I have taken the floor of the Senate--and when I was a Member of the House, the floor of the House--to talk about circumstances that are occurring somewhere in the world where people are being killed, displaced; people are being uprooted…

If the United States does not make this the priority issue it will not be a priority issue.

I think we all know what that means, but there are two ways you can do it.

This crisis was neither inevitable nor ethnically motivated. It is a political crisis precipitated by the failure of President Salva Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar to settle their political differences without resort to…

The United States has deep relationships with the protagonists, an unparalleled degree of influence, and the responsibility to use that influence to broker a return to nonviolent political competition.

The United States has unique influence and a deep reservoir of good will in South Sudan that gives it an indispensable role in overcoming the current crisis.

The United States should move to invoke the President's authorities to institute travel bans and asset freezes on senior leadership on both sides.

I think one of the problems that we have is that those who perpetrate ethnic cleansing do not believe the international community will ever hold them accountable for their crimes against humanity.

Unless we hold people accountable and make sure that there can be no peace without accountability, it will happen again.

staff turnover is part of life in the Senate, just as it is in any other institution. But some departures are particularly bittersweet. Today is the last day Helen Eleanor Freeman will be working in my office; she is retiring after more…

let me first comment about the National Defense Authorization Act. It is an important bill for us to pass, and I wish to thank Senator Levin and Senator Inhofe for the manner in which they worked on this legislation, bringing it together…

I ask unanimous consent that Elise Mellinger, a State Department Foreign Service officer currently serving as a Pearson fellow in my office, be granted the privilege of the floor for the duration of Senate consideration of H.R. 3304, the…

Economic engagement is a critical part of the rebalance program. It is critical to stability, it is critical to prosperity.

I am all for having different types of savings incentives for college, for medical emergencies, but retirement is retirement, and I think we should have an easier way to protect retirement income for retirement income flow through a…

I find it hard to believe that you are not engaged in the impact of currency manipulation for market access for American companies.

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on December 17, 2013, at 2:30 p.m., in room SD-406 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The PRESIDING…

If they do not bring women into the work force, it is going to be impossible for them to grow and thrive as a country going forward.

There are other countries in Asia, other than China, that are also involved in currency manipulation.

I have been a big supporter and supportive of it both from an economic standpoint and a geopolitical standpoint.

It is in our interest, it is in the interest of the region, it is in the interest of China that they move ahead with these reforms.