I'm a father and small business owner. I began my business in 2009, decided to quit my day job. It's the best decision I ever made. I'm more successful today than I ever would have imagined. But no company would sell me health insurance.

I appreciate Senator Blunt yielding. I appreciate the opportunity to engage in this colloquy with the Senator from Missouri as well as the Senator from Delaware, both of whom have been leaders in manufacturing in Missouri and in Delaware…

Thank you very much. And to Senator Hatch and to especially the chairman, thanks for holding this hearing on this very important issue.

Far too many veterans submit claims for disability compensation themselves. The assistance they receive from a VA employee amounts, for the most part, to legal malfeasance if not malpractice.

S. 1295 would require the VA to notify veterans (or their representatives) that they may use a veteran service organization representative (VSO) for the claims process when filing an electronic claim.

This shameful fact led VA Secretary Shinseki to make ending homelessness amongst veterans by 2015 one of his highest priorities.

Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on behalf the National Association of State Veterans Homes (NASVH) in support of S. 1540.

VVA supports fully the passage of S. 1556 because it strikes out against indefensible bureaucratic curmudgeonliness, and for employee justice.

I wish to thank Senator Durbin, the assistant majority leader, for his speech. One of the privileges of this job, as the Senator from Connecticut knows, is the learning experience, if you will, of sitting in the Presiding Officer's chair…

we still remain hopeful as the hours, unfortunately, click down towards what could happen in this country if we do not pay our debts. It has never happened in American history. I know when we woke up this morning, when America woke up…

I am privileged to represent the State of Ohio, as I know the Presiding Officer is to represent Connecticut, and the previous speaker is to represent Nebraska. We are home to several large research facilities--medical research facilities…

We cannot risk a default.

We could be on the brink of another one, this one self-inflicted.

I appreciate Senator Heller saying that we need to do some of both, but first we need to pay our bills.

A choice that no one, absolutely no one should inflict upon our Government.

I would add, it is interesting: Three of the great NASA facilities are represented on the floor now by Senator Cornyn from Texas, Senator Nelson, and me. It is not just NASA employees at NASA Glenn in Cleveland.

It is another 1,300 contractors who are doing work paid by taxpayers. They are actually private companies, as the Senator knows. It is the same in Florida, the same in Texas. And their work is important too. I just think these kinds of…

I rise today with a pretty simple message for House leadership: You can end this Republican shutdown today. Just simply let the House vote. On issue after issue after issue, when the House has acted, the Senate has responded with a vote…

I think the Senator from Rhode Island had it exactly right calling it a tea party shutdown. It is unnecessary, it inflicts pain on far too many Rhode Islanders and people from Massachusetts and Ohioans. It is all so needless. It is so…

I urge leadership in the House of Representatives to simply schedule a vote on the Senate-passed bill. I understand a number of people in the majority party are going to vote no. I also believe that--and the Presiding Officer used to be in…

I would remind my colleagues, after hearing Senator Cornyn's speech and also the very articulate words of Senator King talking about a personal story--that this is full of personal stories of people who get preventive care or they don't…

I ask unanimous consent that after my 5 or 6 minutes, the Senator from New Hampshire be recognized. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

I ask unanimous consent to be able to speak for up to 10 minutes in morning business. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

today, the House of Representatives is voting on legislation dealing with the farm bill and food stamps. Recently--this week--the House of Representatives broke with 40 years of tradition, precedent, common sense, and perhaps human decency…

I thank the senior Senator from Minnesota for her words and especially work on this bill and the consumer issues. She has made a real name in this body for her work. I rise today to discuss the most significant reform of our Nation's…