Madam President, I wish to make a few very brief comments, and the first is this: In the budget agreement that was hammered out right before we left for the holidays, a provision was inserted by Congressman Ryan that changed the COLA…

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights, be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on January 7, 2014, at 2:30 p.m., in room…

Madam President, my voice is a little weaker than usual thanks to a winter cold, but I nevertheless come to the floor today because there is an issue on which it is important not to remain silent; that is, just a few days from today more…

Madam President, I know we are closing down this body, according to the unanimous consent agreement. I am thankful for the opportunity to address this important issue, about the fact that it is wrong to put lumps of coal into stockings of…

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate recess from 12:45 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. and that the time in recess count postcloture; further, that the time from 2:15 p.m. until 2:35 p.m. be controlled by the majority leader or…

Mr. President, I appreciate the comments of my colleague from New York. He has been a tireless champion for the terrific, dedicated, self-sacrificing firefighters of New York City. Tonight we are on the floor addressing the question of…

Mr. President, I rise today to talk about an issue that is extremely important to the Central Oregon economy. For over 40 years, an agreement has been out of reach in the Crooked River Basin in central Oregon on how to allocate water from…

I say to my colleague from New Mexico, I would say that it has been very disturbing to see these very capable women whom you have mentioned not be able to get an up-or-down vote. Indeed, our chair of the Judiciary Committee Senator Leahy…

I thank the Senator for expanding on that picture of the core elements necessary to exercise our constitutional responsibilities. I keep thinking about how polarization in our society has come to bear on this issue. I believe there are…

Mr. President, I rise today along with my colleague from New Mexico to protest the paralysis that has kept the Senate from confirming well-qualified nominees to do their jobs. The U.S. Senate provides the opportunity for all of us to weigh…

I thank my colleague from New Mexico for his leadership in trying to restore the Senate so that it will work--work on legislation, work on executive nominations, work on judicial nominations. The country has a low opinion of the function…

I thank my colleague from Louisiana for her tireless efforts in this regard. We can tell from the commentaries that have just been put forward from the Senator from Massachusetts, the Senator from Mississippi, the Senator from North…