reserving the right to object, I want to thank my friend Senator Manchin. He and I serve on the VA Committee. I know he is absolutely committed to trying to do the best we possibly can for our veterans. We may have a disagreement on what…

there are a million reasons why I love North Carolina, but one of them is, it is a State of 10 million people. Half those people live in urban areas. The other half live in rural areas. One in ten people in the State are veterans--a State…

this is my third occasion on a speech that I wish that I didn't have to give on the floor of the U.S. Senate, but I promise that I am going to give a speech on this subject every week that the Senate is open for as long as I am a U.S…

I appreciate you all continuing to be independent on that scale. I think that is a very vital role that you play.

I saw President Erdogan from Turkey on Bloomberg this morning who was talking about he needs to be the ultimate person deciding some monetary policy or interest rates in Turkey.

I cannot imagine that half the community banks in North Carolina would be gone purely because they were good acquisition targets.

We are not talking about going to no regulation. We are talking about really taking a look at the nature of the business activities in these institutions.

I have 3 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority leaders. Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following…

with that approval, I will pass it over and thank Senator Lankford for his hard work--he has been aware of this issue from day one--and collaboration on it.

I thank Senator Lankford. I went to Turkey when I was speaker of the house in North Carolina and led a delegation there about 7 years ago, spent 9 days, met with business leaders, and met with President Erdogan. I came away with a great…

a couple of weeks ago, I started the first of what will be a weekly speech to bring attention to what I think is a travesty of justice occurring in Turkey. I wish to speak about a pastor, a Presbyterian minister from North Carolina, who…

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 2758, which is at the desk. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title. The bill clerk read as follows: A bill (S. 2758) to amend…

I further ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without…

I have come here for the first time in what will be a weekly speech that I will give as long as we have somebody, in my opinion, who is improperly and unjustly being held in a Turkish prison. As a matter of fact, this man, Pastor Andrew…

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 363, S. Res. 429. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title. The bill clerk read as follows: A resolution (S. Res…

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following Senate resolutions, which were submitted earlier today: S. Res. 483, S. Res. 484, and S. Res. 485. There being no objection, the Senate…

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m., Thursday, April 26; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be…

I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 401 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk will…

I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection…

if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order, following the remarks of Senator Blumenthal. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered…

I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII, at 12 noon on Thursday, April 26, there be 4 minutes of debate, equally divided; that following the use or yielding back of that time, the Senate vote on the motion…

I further ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so…

One of the real victims that we do not talk about with all this regulatory overreach are the people who are not getting loans, who are not getting capital.

If I could come out with this enormous, this horrible story about how you have destroyed a business or somebody else's personal life back in my State, you would just tell me to pound sand if that is something you wanted to do, right?

I do not necessarily think that the Federal Government needs to weigh into it.