Finally, Mr. President, on the issue of taxes, with the passage of the Republican Senate bill last Friday, the Republican Party has shrugged off its history as the party of tax cuts and become the party of tax hikes on the middle class…

Finally, Mr. President, let me say a word about the Dream Act. Earlier this week, my friend, the senior Senator from Illinois, came to the floor to update the Senate on the progress he is making in his negotiations with Senate Republicans…

instead of rushing a bad tax bill through the conference, the Senate should focus on the bevy of year-end issues confronting us. First and foremost, we must reach a spending bill that would have us meet our commitments to support the…

even as my Republican friends move to reconcile their two tax bills in a conference committee, their problems are far from over. At the heart of their bill is a toxically unpopular idea--giant tax breaks on big corporations and the very…

in the early hours of Saturday morning, under the cover of darkness, the Republican majority rushed through one of the worst, most hastily considered pieces of major legislation I have seen in my time in the Senate. The bill will cause one…

in just a short time, we will proceed to a final vote on the Republican tax bill. We understand they have the votes to pass their bill, despite a process and a product that no one can be proud of, and everyone should be ashamed of…

I yield back. The PRESIDING OFFICER. All time is yielded back. The question is on agreeing to the amendment. The amendment (No. 1618), as amended, was agreed to. The amendment was ordered to be engrossed and the bill to be read a third…

I ask unanimous consent that he be given a minute. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is so ordered.

before I address the issue of taxes, let me address the matter of the government funding bill. We are now only a week away from a government shutdown, which, to remind my colleagues, could cost our economy thousands of jobs and billions of…

I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Recognition of the Minority Leader The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic leader is recognized.

later tonight or in the early hours of tomorrow morning, we will vote on final passage of the Republican tax bill. I would like to make two main points about the Republican tax bill in my speech this morning, first on process and second on…

first, before I get to my main issue of taxes, I just heard the majority leader talk about taking away the blue slip. We hear the other side professing they want to work in a bipartisan way, but every step they take takes away…

we have a long to-do list before the end of the year, and time is running short. We had hoped to make progress with the administration on these issues in a meeting this afternoon. Unfortunately, this morning, instead of leading, the…

I want to thank my friend, former roommate, and colleague in leadership for, as usual, his articulate and on-the-money remarks about the tax bill. ____________________

Finally and briefly, Mr. President, because I know my colleagues are waiting, on the Katsas nomination, the DC Circuit is often called the second most powerful court in the Nation because it adjudicates so many highly charged political…

On the Republican tax bill, we are only a few days away from a final vote, but from all reports, the Republicans are still debating significant changes to the text of the bill. Some are angling for a change to the passthrough provisions…

I welcome you and the Senator from Texas, and all of our colleagues, back after our Thanksgiving break. I had my parents, 94 and 89, at our Thanksgiving dinner with all of their children and grandchildren and cousins and ``thises and…

as the Senate Finance Committee continues to mark up the Senate Republican tax bill, the House will take a vote this afternoon on their version of the bill. There are plenty of reasons for House Republicans to vote against this bill. For…

the Republican tax plan, even before yesterday, would exacerbate income inequality at a time when it is already spiraling out of control, helping the rich get richer and big corporations get bigger while the middle class is left stuck in…

first, let me thank my dear friend and colleague from Illinois. As I have always maintained, he is one of the most articulate and eloquent Members of this Senate, on either side of the aisle, and it is a joy to listen to him--not the…

I am going to spend the bulk of my time this afternoon focusing on the tax plan, but first I must address President Trump's trip to Asia. Without exaggeration, the President's trip to Asia has been one of the most embarrassing foreign…

I rise today to highlight the importance of the Gateway Project and express my continued frustration with the administration's approach to infrastructure and this critical project. The current Hudson River tunnels were built in 1908 and…

later today the Senate Republicans will release their version of the tax bill. The bill will not include a single idea of Democrats in the Senate. Not a single Democrat has had any input into this bill. It was constructed entirely behind…

over the past decade, the American economy has generated enormous wealth for wealth holders but, painfully, less work and less pay--fewer good-paying jobs--for workers. Average folks are having a harder time keeping up with the ever-rising…

later this week, the House will begin marking up the Republican tax plan in record speed, with no hearings, no real discussion. Unfortunately, Senate Republicans are mimicking the House in trying to rush through their bill as well. It is…