I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs' Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on December 7, 2011, at 2:00 p.m., to…

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on December 7, 2011, at 2:30 p.m. in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building. The Committee…

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on December 7, 2011, at 10 a.m., in room 215 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Drug…

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on December 7, 2011, at 9:30 a.m. to conduct a hearing entitled ``Homegrown Terrorism: The…

I rise to speak in support of the Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act of 2011, which I am introducing today with Senator Sessions, Senator Durbin, Senator Graham, Senator Leahy, Senator Feinstein, Senator Nelson of Florida…

I appreciate the courtesy of the Senator from New Hampshire. I will not speak long. I know she is here waiting to speak, as we go back and forth across the aisle in sequence. I want to begin by thanking Chairman Levin and his ranking…

I thank the chairman and the ranking member. Mr. McCAIN. Madam President, could I just add my words of appreciation, along with those of the chairman, for Senator Whitehouse's hard work on this very important issue. I yield the floor. The…

I thank the Senator. As my colleague knows, we have a very distinguished colleague from the Senate who has now gone on to be the Secretary of the Interior of the United States, Ken Salazar. I see former attorney general and now Senator…

We have just passed through a very significant landmark in this country which is that student debt, the burden of college loan debt Americans have to carry, broke through $1 trillion. That is $1 trillion in debt. And because of the laws…

I say to Senator Blumenthal, one of the things that has taken place is that the value to the individual student of the Pell grant has actually declined quite a lot over the years since it was first initiated. When the first Pell grants…

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 6:51 p.m., adjourned until Thursday, November 17, 2011…

I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table en bloc with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements related to the resolutions be…

Yes. That is a great point, I say to the Senator. One of the unfortunate aspects of the current condition we have in Washington, DC, is that a party that has long supported Pell grants--it has long enjoyed bipartisan support--has suddenly…

I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to; the Nelson amendment to the preamble, which is at the desk, be agreed to; the preamble, as amended, be agreed to; the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table with no…

I ask unanimous consent that the Armed Services Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 303 and that the Senate proceed to its consideration. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk will…

we expect to receive the conference report, which contains the continuing resolution, from the House tomorrow. Senators will be notified when votes are scheduled. ____________________

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, the Senate stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday, November 17, 2011; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the…

I ask unanimous consent that the Environment and Public Works Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 251 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so…

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration en bloc of the following resolutions which were submitted earlier today: S. Res. 326, S. Res. 327, S. Res. 328, S. Res. 329, and S. Res. 330. There being no…

I ask unanimous consent that Val Molaison, a fellow in Senator Tester's office, be granted floor privileges for the duration of today's session. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

I wish to ask unanimous consent that the Senator from Montana, Mr. Tester, the Senator from Louisiana, Ms. Landrieu, and the Senator from Connecticut, Mr. Blumenthal, and I have unanimous consent to engage during majority morning business…

I will yield the floor with appreciation to my colleagues, Senator Landrieu, Senator Tester, and Senator Blumenthal, for coming together to urge our colleagues to support the Pell grant. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from…

I am not going to speak very long tonight, and I am not going to speak very formally either. But I did want to come back to the Senate floor and make a point again that I have made repeatedly here on the Senate floor before; that is, there…

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 229, S. Res. 296. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title. The legislative clerk read as follows: A resolution (S. Res. 296)…

This is nobody's first rodeo here, and we have all certainly been involved in legislative matters in which the private sector has a very specific point of view.