The Kennedy name has been synonymous with public service for over a century.

I am proud to wholeheartedly support Caroline Kennedy's nomination to be the next Ambassador to Japan.

Thank you Mr. Chairman. It is my great privilege to introduce Mr. Richard Stengel, President Barack Obama's nominee to be the next Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.

We firmly oppose coercion whether it is military coercion or economic coercion and the threat and the use of force.

It is a career that leaves me no doubt she is well qualified to take on this great task that awaits her if she is confirmed as the next United States Ambassador to Japan.

I want to thank you, thank the Committee, and Freddie, congratulations on the nomination.

His ability to express strong convictions, yet find a way to reach across the aisle, was a compelling example of what good governance is all about.

I am proud to present her as President Barack Obama's nominee to be the next Ambassador to Japan.

She is an excellent candidate for the position of Assistant Secretary for Africa and I join my colleague and friend Bill Nelson in looking forward to supporting her nomination.

In September of 2011 this body debated and passed landmark patent legislation which was subsequently signed by the President and is now law. The America Invents Act--AIA--updated, for the first time in many years, the way patents are…

I rise in strong support of the proposal by our Democratic leader. We all know that sequestration was a blunt instrument, and now it is beginning to hurt. There is delay after delay at airports throughout the Nation. This is not only a…

The measure is accompanied by a bipartisan companion in the House.

Given that the $600 million we appropriated made such progress, can you tell us what kind of security impact we will have by appropriating more than ten times the amount in that bill?

It is amazing, if you use air and particularly drones, you can actually figure out where the people are going and force them, apprehend them, 20, 30, 40, 50 miles inland.

Thank you, Madam Secretary. First I want to thank you for the outstanding job that you are doing not only on this legislation but on so much else in terms of securing the border and all the other mandates that your position has.

It is more than that.

We want just to say this--I think I speak for the eight of us who helped put this together. We want a robust Committee process because last time we did not have a Committee process and the bill collapsed on the floor.

I would just reiterate, this bill is going to be available for everyone to read for three weeks from the day it was introduced which is actually six days, not five days since Wednesday at 2 a.m.

The American people are overwhelmingly in favor of immigration reform. That is what every poll says.

You are? You are against it?

And you saw that we do make provisions in there that they have to hire Americans first.

I cannot thank you enough for agreeing to consider the bill our little group filed last week.

If there are things that come up as a result of what happened in Boston that require improvement, let us add them to the bill.

Our immigration bill has received widespread support and praise among law enforcement, business groups, labor unions, religious leaders.

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 2 p.m. on Monday, April 22, 2013; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved…