Senator Schumer yesterday on the floor talked about what the House is doing, and he described it as ``Alice in Wonderland.'' I don't know if that is an apt description. Maybe it is beyond that. Here is where we are. The House has passed a…

there are two bills at the desk due for a second reading. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will read the bills by title for a second time. The bill clerk read as follows: A bill (H.R. 3230) making continuing appropriations during a…

if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it adjourn under the previous order. There being no objection, the Senate, at 5:03 p.m., adjourned until Monday, October 7, 2013, at 2 p.m.

still reserving my right to object, my friend from Texas--and I have developed a relationship with him--talks about a meeting that he did not attend. I was there. I was one of five people, the President, Speaker Boehner, Leader McConnell…

my question is that I was under the assumption that my friend would offer the consent requests, as we do here with brief responses in the competing consent requests, and then the Senator would speak for 20 minutes. My only concern is this…

every day Members of Congress come to work at the U.S. Capitol. I said some of this yesterday afternoon, but because of the melee, the death and destruction outside the Capitol, the sound system did not work, so I want to make sure that…

we have not had a harder working Senator in the past 9 months than the Presiding Officer. You have worked so hard doing so many different things, not the least of which is presiding over the Senate. You have presided over the Senate in the…

I understand there are two bills at the desk due for their first reading. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will read the titles of the bill for the first time. The legislative clerk read as follows: A bill (H.R. 3230) making continuing…

it has been 7 days since we passed a piece of legislation to fund the government. I wonder how many days it will be that the Speaker makes the American people wait to open the government. How long is he going to make them wait before the…

I ask unanimous consent that the period for morning business be extended until 5 p.m., and that all the provisions under the previous order remain in effect. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

to my friend, the most senior Member of the Senate, in today's newspapers and in commentary on television and radio, even Republicans, prominent Republicans, former chairs--I have in my mind, which I read today, two former chairs of the…

I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 266. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title. The legislative clerk read as follows: A resolution (S. Res. 266) designating the week of…

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 12 p.m., on Saturday, October 5; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved…

prior to my responding to my friend, I would use just a few minutes of leader time--I will be very brief--with permission. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

following my remarks and those of the Republican leader, the Senate will be in a period of morning business for debate only until 2 p.m. with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. ____________________

if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it adjourn under the previous order. There being no objection, the Senate, at 4:53 p.m., adjourned until Saturday, October 5, 2013, at 12 noon.

following the suggestion in the prayer of Admiral Black, I want to take a few minutes to talk about Senate decorum, Senate procedure. This is constructive criticism for the entire Senate and self-criticism for me. I think we have all here…

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 3095, which is at the desk. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title. The legislative clerk read as follows: A bill (H.R. 3095) to…

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

I want to remind everyone listening that yesterday and today, the Capitol remains closed to most business. The Federal Government remains closed. In the newspaper today, it lists all of the layoffs. Today it has a graph of those in the…

I further ask that the bill be read three times and passed and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The bill…

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

If my friend would yield, following his statement of 20 minutes, I ask unanimous consent that the following Senators be recognized: Mikulski already has 15 minutes; Murray, I ask unanimous consent that she follow Mikulski for 10 minutes…

Here is what I am going to say. Mr. President, we have heard this back-and-forth stuff about veterans. But in addition to what the Senator from Washington said, let me read one paragraph from the Record of yesterday: I would note also that…

Further, Mr. President, I propound a unanimous consent request, and the request is: When the Senator from Texas finishes his consent that he is asking--and there is one more, as I understand it-- then I ask permission that the next…