I hope you will understand that spending in the Tax Code is very much spending

this amendment increases the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy of the Department of Energy by $50 million. This is essentially what we know as ARPA-E. This is the most basic research to create breakthroughs in areas which range from…

under the American system of justice where Lady Justice is blindfolded, there should never be a prosecution- free zone. But that is what the Department of Justice announced there is on Tuesday, December 11 of last year. They said they…

I ask unanimous consent for 20 more seconds. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection?

in Oregon we don't like the sales tax, and that is why we don't have one. It is regressive and more expensive to collect. What we hate even more is some State telling us what we have to do. I have heard people on this floor talking about…

Thank you. Too-big-to-jail is wrong under our Constitution. It promises equality under the law. Let's send a strong message by supporting this. I thank my Republican sponsors, Senators Grassley, Heller, Cornyn, and Shelby; and Democrats…

I call up amendment No. 398. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the amendment. The assistant legislative clerk read as follows: The Senator from Oregon [Mr. Merkley] proposes an amendment numbered 398. The amendment is as…

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9 a.m. on Friday, March 22, 2013; that following the prayer and the pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be…

I ask unanimous consent that the Commerce Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 540 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk will report…

I move to reconsider the vote and to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 156 The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, there will be 2 minutes of debate equally divided in the…

I move to reconsider the vote, and I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio.

if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand adjourned under the previous order. There being no objection, the Senate, at 10:56 p.m., adjourned until Friday, March 22, 2013, at 9…

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to consideration of S. Res. 89, which was submitted earlier today. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title. The assistant bill clerk read as follows: A resolution…

I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection…

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to consideration of H. Con. Res. 18 which was received from the House and is at the desk. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the concurrent resolution by title. The assistant bill…

I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to; the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The concurrent…

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to consideration of H. Con. Res. 19 which was received from the House and is at the desk. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the concurrent resolution by title. The assistant bill…

I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, with no intervening action or debate. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The resolution (S. Res. 88) was…

There will be six votes at 11 a.m., and the budget vote- arama is expected to begin at approximately 3 p.m. ____________________

I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to; the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The concurrent…

I understand that S. 649, introduced earlier today by Senator Reid, is at the desk, and I ask for its first reading. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will read the bill by title for the first time. The assistant bill clerk read as follows…

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to consideration of S. Res. 88, which was submitted earlier today. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title. The assistant bill clerk read as follows: A resolution…

I further ask that the bill be read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The…

I now ask for its second reading and object to my own request. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection having been heard, the bill will be read for a second time on the next legislative day. ____________________

It is a commitment our Federal Government made to rural forest counties when it determined that it would put environmental overlays over large blocks of forest land that were dedicated to timber production with revenue then shared with…