I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 645; that the Senate proceed to vote without intervening action or debate on the nomination; that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid…

I ask unanimous consent that the Foreign Relations Committee be discharged from further consideration of the following Foreign Service nominations and the Senate proceed to their consideration en bloc: Presidential Nomination 1878, Gary T…

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations: Calendar Nos. 870, 871, 878, 879, 911, 912, 913, 914, 915, 916, 917, 918, 919, 920, 932, 933, 934, 935, 941, 942, 943, 944, 945…

I did watch the presentation of my friend and I appreciate his tenacity and his thoroughness. ____________________

I am told H.R. 459 is at the desk and due for a second reading. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the bill by title for the second time. The legislative clerk read as follows: A bill (H.R. 459) to require a full audit…

in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I object to any further proceedings. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection having been heard, the bill will be placed on the calendar.

I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to 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 ordered…

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to H. Con. Res. 147. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the concurrent resolution by title. The assistant legislative clerk read as follows: A concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res…

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to consider the following nominations under the Privileged section of the Executive Calendar: PN 2068, 1566, 1934, 1939, 1945, 1796, 1926, 1927; that the nominations be confirmed, the motions…

After leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business, with Senators allowed to speak for up to 10 minutes each. We are awaiting the House to do something on the cliff, we hope. We have Sandy to deal with, and we are…

If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand adjourned under the previous order. There being no objection, the Senate, at 5:58 p.m., adjourned until Wednesday, January 2, 2013, at…

I ask unanimous consent that the period of morning business for debate only be extended until 1:35 a.m. today, with Senator Harkin being the person who will be speaking. When he finishes his speech, I ask that I then be recognized. The…

the Committee on Armed Services has received a request from the Secretary of the Air Force seeking access to records of the Committee relating to the Committee's consideration of the 1972 nomination of MG John D. Lavelle to retire at the…

discussions continue on a plan to protect middle-class families from a tax increase tomorrow. There are a number of issues on which the two sides are still apart, but negotiations are continuing as I speak. We are running out of time…

following leader remarks, we will be in a period of morning business with Senators permitted to speak up to 10 minutes each. ____________________

we don't expect any more votes today, no more votes today. We want to wait and see what the House does on Sandy, and I think whatever we do on Sandy will have to be done by unanimous consent anyway, so I wouldn't expect any votes until we…

I ask for the yeas and nays. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there a sufficient second? There appears to be a sufficient second. The bill having been read the third time, the question is, Shall the bill pass. The clerk will call the roll…

the vote will start immediately, and people should get here as quickly as they can. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, amendment No. 3448 is agreed to. The text of the amendment is printed in today's Record under (``Text…

very quickly, we have worked really hard this week. We Senators had to be here and are happy to be here, but there are four individuals who didn't have to work this week, but they volunteered to do so. These four pages have kept this place…

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of H.R. 8; that the substitute amendment, the text of which is at the desk, be agreed to; that there be 10 minutes of debate equally divided between the two leaders…

we have been negotiating now for 36 hours or thereabouts. We did have conversations last night that ended late in the evening between the staffs. This morning we have been trying to come up with some counteroffer to my friend's proposal…

we are going to come in at 11 a.m. tomorrow morning. We will have further announcements, perhaps, at 11 o'clock in the morning. I certainly hope so. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The senior Senator from Connecticut is recognized…

I was gratified to hear the Republicans taking their demand for Social Security cuts off the table. The truth is that they should never have been on the table to begin with. There is still a significant difference between the two sides but…

I ask unanimous consent the Senate recess subject to the call of the Chair. There being no objection, the Senate, at 3:05 p.m., recessed subject to the call of the chair and reassembled when called to order by the Presiding Officer (Mr…

we had a brief colloquy, the Republican leader and I, before the vote. Now that everyone is on the floor, I will elaborate a little bit. We have one more vote today. Then we are both going to have our respective caucuses. We hope there…