I had the pleasure of listening to the Republican leader's speech a few minutes ago. I understand he has two- thirds of his caucus who voted against the budget agreement and he has to kind of play to his audience. I think the words he used…

I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Getting the Business of the Country Done

the true test of leadership is whether one leaves behind the conviction that others will carry on. Yesterday Wade Henderson, one of the fathers of the civil rights movement, announced that he will retire from the position as president and…

ObamaCare is working, as the New York Times indicated in a strong column this week showing how dramatically the rates of uninsurance have dropped since this bill passed. The initial posting of premiums doesn't tell the whole story. The law…

the new mandatory minimum sentences this bill would create would have a crippling financial effect--that is an understatement--with no evidence that they would actually deter future violations of law. This legislation would require about…

over the last several months, the Koch brothers have been on a public relations campaign. This Koch propaganda campaign has accelerated over the past few weeks. Charles and David Koch have been going to great lengths to convince the…

yesterday the Republican leader once again filed a motion to invoke cloture on the Department of Defense appropriations bill. This is another example of the Republican leader wasting the Senate's time on repeated cloture votes that he…

here is just a brief word on the Republican attack on the Clean Water Act. The bottom line is that the administration's clean water regulation will protect 117 million people. The cries about this legislation fly in the face of facts. As I…

this week the Senate will vote on two pieces of legislation that will nullify drinking water protections for 117 million Americans. The Obama administration's clean water rule will restore important safeguards to protect American water…

over the weekend, the people of Tennessee lost a member of their family. Senator Fred Thompson, whom my friend the Republican leader has talked about, died after a recurring battle with lymphoma. Those of us who served with him remember…

every year in the Senate we are sent to this distinguished body for one reason: to represent the people of our State and the people of this country. Our constituents expect us to legislate. They expect us to be here on the Senate floor…

for many decades the American people have heard that their elected officials and political hopefuls taught family values, but right now we need more than talk. We need Members of Congress to step up to the plate to help working families…

yesterday the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families released a stunning report detailing the sharp increase in the number of Nevada children who have health insurance. At one time, we were the most underinsured State in…

earlier this year we recognized Equal Pay Day--a day that highlights the disparaging wage gap between women and men in the United States. Equal Pay Day marks the day when women's wages finally catch up with men's wages from the previous…

last night the House of Representatives passed the bipartisan budget agreement that will keep our Government open, funded, and free from default. Now, 100 percent of the Democrats in the House of Representatives voted for this, and 68…

our goals regarding the budget agreement were to make sure that we got rid of sequestration--we did that for 2 years--and that we had a treatment in this legislation where defense, which is so important to our country, is treated no better…

it was 3 years ago this month that then- Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta warned the United States of a potential ``cyber Pearl Harbor.'' A cyber Pearl Harbor would be crippling, and it would be a cyber attack on our Nation's banks, power…

today my friend and colleague Pat Leahy has reached another milestone in an extraordinary career. He just cast his 15,000th vote. That is remarkable. He is only the sixth Senator in the history of this great body to have done that. In 226…

I would ask that my remarks be under leader time. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Congratulating Senator Leahy on Casting His 15,000th Vote

Democrats have long called for bipartisan action to stop these devastating sequester cuts because they hurt our middle class and our military. With this agreement the Republican leader just mentioned, we have done just that. Democrats and…

as the Republican leader mentioned, we continue to work toward a budget agreement. Negotiations are ongoing. I hope Democrats and Republicans will come to a resolution that is good for our economy and our country. It is imperative that we…

the day before yesterday I surprised some by saying nice things about Congressman Paul Ryan, and they said nice things about him. Since then, a handful of people have demanded to know why we would ever say nice things about a man who has…

Congressional Republicans continue to govern destructively during this 114th Congress. After nearly a year in control of the Senate, what do Republicans have to show for it? Shutdown threats, lapsed laws, vital programs expired, and an…

today the Senate turns its attention to the cybersecurity bill. It is way overdue. The bill, which is OK, is better than nothing--let's put it that way. The ranking member of the Intelligence Committee, Senator Feinstein, and the chairman…

I suggest the absence of a quorum. I withdraw that. The reason we were going to have a quorum call--I know other people want to have a chance to speak, but Senator McConnell is on his way. ____________________