I have a cloture motion which is at the desk. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The cloture motion having been presented under rule XXII, the Chair directs the clerk to read the motion. The legislative clerk read as follows: Cloture Motion We, the…

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 258, H.R. 789, and Calendar No. 259, H.R. 2422. There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bills en bloc.

I ask unanimous consent that the Environment and Public Works Committee be discharged from consideration of S. 1710 and the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. 1710 and H.R. 1264, which is at the desk en bloc. The PRESIDING OFFICER…

I ask unanimous consent that the bills be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table on both of these matters, and any statements related to these measures be printed in the Record. The PRESIDING OFFICER…

in the Senate we work on an adversarial basis lots of times because that is the way the Founding Fathers set up our country. I am not going to give a long lecture on this because I know people have a lot to do. This little Constitution was…

just a brief comment on Keystone. I was the first elected official to write a letter opposing that. I know how I feel about this. I know how my friend, the Republican leader, feels about it. I was responsible for putting it in this bill…

I have an amendment at the desk. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the amendment. The legislative clerk read as follows: The Senator from Nevada [Mr. Reid], for himself and Mr. McConnell, proposes an amendment…

I ask for the yeas and nays. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there a sufficient second? There is a sufficient second. The clerk will call the roll. The assistant legislative clerk called the roll.

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to a period of morning business until 2 p.m. today, with Senators during that period of time being permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection…

For everyone's knowledge, Mr. President, that is John Gerrard to be a district judge for the District of Nebraska. ____________________

I ask unanimous consent the motion to concur in the House amendment to S. 278 be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements be printed in the Record. The PRESIDING…

We do not have a final score on the payroll tax matter. There is something dealing with SGR that is not quite right, so we want to make sure everything is totally paid for. We are going to get a score in just a few minutes, probably by 10…

This is a 6-day continuing resolution. The House is going to come back in Monday and then papers have to get to the President. It takes time. I ask unanimous consent the joint resolution be read three times and passed, the motion to…

As in executive session, I ask unanimous consent that the nominations received by the Senate during the 112th Congress, 1st session, remain as status quo notwithstanding rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, with the…

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations: Calendar Nos. 421, 503, 529, 530, 531, 532, 533, 534, 535, with the exception of COL Bradley D. Spacy; then 536, 537, 538, 539…

I ask for the yeas and nays. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there a sufficient second? There appears to be a sufficient second. The question is on passage of the bill. The clerk will call the roll. The legislative clerk called the…

Could I ask my friend to yield for a colloquy between the Republican leader and myself?

Following leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business. The majority will control the first 30 minutes and the Republicans will control the next 30 minutes. We expect to consider the omnibus spending bill within the…

Senators should expect a series of rollcall votes tomorrow morning beginning at 9 a.m. in relation to a 2-month extension of the payroll tax, unemployment insurance, the doc fix, disaster aid, and the omnibus appropriations conference…

I object to any further proceedings at this time. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection is heard. The bill will be placed on the calendar under rule XIV.

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 8:38 p.m., adjourned until Saturday, December 17, 2011…

I rise to recognize the extraordinary work of the Honorable Wilson ``Bill'' Livingood, who served with distinction for 17 years as the House of Representatives Sergeant at Arms, protecting and serving Members, staff and visitors to the…

Senator McConnell and I have just finished a meeting. We are making good progress on being able to handle the issues that everyone knows are outstanding. We are not there yet, but we are very close. There will be votes tomorrow. There…

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of H.J. Res. 94, which is a 24-hour continuing resolution, which was just received from the House and is at the desk. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the…

H.R. 3094 is at the desk and due for a second reading. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will read the bill by title for a second time. The assistant bill clerk read as follows: A bill (H.R. 3094) to amend the National Labor…