first, I wish to take just a moment to praise the good work being done by the chairman and the ranking member of the HELP Committee. The senior Senator from Tennessee and the senior Senator from Washington have done a remarkably good job…

I ask unanimous consent that Amy Griffin, a fellow in Senator Franken's office, be granted floor privileges during the remainder of this Congress. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________

Nevada is one of the largest States in the country--the 7th largest, to be exact--but we have just 17 school districts. By contrast, California, has over 1,000 school districts. Among our 17 Nevada districts is the Clark County School…

we hear the phrase ``manufactured crisis'' used a lot here lately. Why? The Republican leader gives people plenty of reason to use the term. He has singlehandedly turned the entire appropriations process into a charade designed to…

finally, yesterday the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia affirmed what Native Americans have been saying for decades--the Washington football team name is disparaging. It is racist and morally objectionable, and it…

one of the legendary Senators who recently retired from the Senate after many years in the House and the Senate, Tom Harkin, if he were here, would be on the floor taking issue with what the Republican leader just said. Tom Harkin tried…

I appreciate the Republican leader for taking credit for passage of bills they filibustered. He led the filibusters on these the last 4 years. It is unfortunate, but any one of those, with rare exception, would have been passed had we not…

my friend from Tennessee is an expert in education. Not only was he the Governor of the great State of Tennessee, he was also the Secretary of Education. He knows education. And he has a good partner to work with, Patty Murray. The senior…

another glaring deficiency is we are certainly ready to help Republicans fulfill their constitutional obligations to give due consideration to President Obama's judicial nominations and other nominations. The Constitution gives the Senate…

all Americans face deadlines. Ask any student or any working professional, and they will tell you they have to meet deadlines to be successful. It is part of life. Senate Republicans, though, seem to reject the idea of finishing work on…

today I recognize the 30th anniversary of Miracle Flights for Kids. Since its founding in southern Nevada in 1985, Miracle Flights for Kids has been providing airline tickets for sick children in low-income families. These flights are…

today in this great country of ours the Affordable Care Act--ObamaCare--has survived the latest partisan attempt to deny health coverage to working families. Millions of working families won today. America won today. The Supreme Court…

I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll. The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll. Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The…

in less than 18 months, Americans all over the country will cast their ballots in the 2016 elections. This exercise fulfills one of the most basic promises of our constitutional democracy: that all citizens have the right to vote…

our great country faces yet another manufactured crisis. In just a few weeks from now, the end of July--and that is coming quickly--on July 31, the authority for the recent extension of the highway trust fund will expire. The U.S…

the senior Senator from Kentucky is certainly right that we need to move on cyber security. I have known that for many years, and we have tried. Why have we not done something on it? Because of filibusters by the Republicans. We had a bill…

our Nation's heart remains broken over the senseless tragedy last week in Charleston, SC. A young man full of hate took the lives of nine worshippers after they welcomed him into their Bible study. Once again, someone motivated by…

I rise today to recognize Ms. Senior Nevada, Inc., on the organization's 30th anniversary. Since it was founded in 1985, Ms. Senior Nevada, Inc., has honored the talents and accomplishments of senior women throughout the State of Nevada…

I rise today to recognize entrepreneur and philanthropist Wenliang Wang for his commitment and dedication to restoring one of the world's most impressive wetlands, the Dandong Yalu River Estuary Wetland in China. Mr. Wang is well-known in…

the Senate also faces another looming deadline manufactured by Republican leadership. At the end of July, Republican funding for the Federal highway program will expire. In 5 days, we will lose the Export-Import Bank. In just a few weeks…

over the past several years there has been a disturbing practice that has become commonplace in the Congress, and sadly it is with no regard for the average American. The Republicans have resolved to govern by staggering from one ludicrous…

I don't know another way to describe what I heard this morning in my morning briefing and then the news accounts of this sickening revelation of what took place in South Carolina last night. Think about this. The sanctity of a house of…

To respond to the majority leader, I have nothing to say until I hear what he has to say. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader. Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, America asks a lot of the men and women of its voluntary military force: to…

I know my friend gets the last word, and I am looking forward to his last word. However, the logic of my friend is illogical. We stand on our record, and we will continue in that fashion. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Pursuant to rule XXII, the…

the bill that just passed the Senate, the Defense authorization bill, has 52 Republicans voting to fix sequestration. Only 2 voted against it. We are all in favor of fixing the sequester. My friend, the Republican leader, is talking in a…