here we are on another evening, debating another Cabinet nominee, addressing the question that Hamilton put before us, which is whether an individual is of fit character to serve in a particular post. This effort, this advice and consent…

even now, more than 2 months after then President-Elect Trump nominated Steven Mnuchin to be Treasury Secretary, I still find it hard to believe. Month after month out on the campaign trail, President Trump attacked Wall Street. He said…

Just to clarify, if I could, therefore, the point is that something could be absolutely true, as, perhaps, a point that was made earlier--a statement can be true in a letter that is presented-- but even if it is true and accurate for a…

Parliamentary inquiry. Mr. SCHUMER addressed the Chair. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic leader.

I do not know if it was made a matter of record. My impression initially was that she had read this letter at the hearing, but I am not sure if it was presented in person or as a document submitted to the committee.

this morning and throughout the night, the Senate has been considering the nomination of Betsy DeVos to be the next Secretary of Education. My colleagues have come down here to the floor, and I appreciate my colleague, who just completed…

I am rising to speak this morning about the nomination of our colleague, Senator Jeff Sessions from Alabama, to become the 84th Attorney General of the United States. As the highest law enforcement officer in the land, it is the…

Well, the answer is that it does have a date, and that is Thursday, March 13, 1986.

If a Member of the Senate is being considered for nomination, and we are exercising our advice and consent power, and if there is factual conduct in that individual's background that is presented on the floor that is uncomplimentary, would…

That occasion was a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the potential appointment of the individual to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama.

I thank the Senator from Washington for her answer. So often I have heard speeches about accountability from across the aisle. This is a case where accountability matters a tremendous amount because it determines whether our children have…

just to make sure I understand that clearly, if we are considering a nominee who happens to be a Senator and we state factual elements of their background, for example, the conviction of a crime that is inappropriate conduct in the past…

I will be speaking later tonight, perhaps about 2 o'clock, possibly on through 4 o'clock, but I wanted to take a few moments now and share some of the letter that was discussed earlier and share it in a fashion that is appropriate under…

I appreciate your point and the belief that the son or daughter of a millwright, a mill worker as I was, should have the same opportunity as the son or daughter of a CEO in a big company. That is embedded in the notion of quality public…

I ask unanimous consent that my team member, Patrick Drupp, be granted privileges of the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________

yesterday I had the chance to come to the floor and talk about the changes I have seen in the streams and rivers in my home State of Oregon as we worked to clean them up, restore them for wildlife, restore them for swimming, restore them…

I appreciate my colleague from Hawaii, both on the substance of the issue and on the Congressional Review Act and how it is an unsuitable tool in a situation like this because of how it bars the door for a simple way to replace or modify a…

I appreciate the comments just delivered by my colleague from Washington State. Our two States are roughly the same size. They have similar amounts of coastline. We have citizens who share a lot of perspective on the country and that may…

I ask unanimous consent that my science fellow, Christy Veeder, be allowed the privileges of the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________

So just to be very clear, you are very comfortable with the notion of giving $50,000 on average to the richest Americans while slashing health care from 23 million Americans.

It is so easy to sit in your chair and talk about efficiencies when you have never worked with low-income incentives who are going hungry.

So why would there be a tax proposal completely contrary to the principle you asserted that this administration was not going to be about enriching the rich but helping the middle class?

OK. So we do not have time to go through all these pieces. I have listed them out, the essential damage that this budget does to rural America.

Well, can you pledge today that you will make sure that that tax reform proposal, in fact, does not give away the Treasury to the richest but strengthens the foundation for struggling and working families?

So to the five airports that have contract tower support to keep rural air service, which is essential, you are saying that they will still have that support in the budget?