this past year and half of the Trump administration has been a constant, daily barrage of scandal, corruption, and chaotic incompetence. In this environment, the Senate now considers the President's controversial nomination of Brian…

If confirmed, I will work to ensure that the IRS operates in an impartial, nonbiased manner from top to bottom.

Should it be something the IRS looks into if there appears to be inconsistent reporting to determine whether the reporting to the IRS is truthful or not?

I actually look at the tax gap as somewhat of a roadmap to tax avoidance, tax evasion in this country.

The IRS has a history from bygone days of having been used as a political weapon.

One of the problems we talked about in my office is the problem of shell corporations. They are used for tax avoidance and evasion.

There is a collections gap between what taxpayers owe and what the IRS collects. It is estimated to be about $400 billion.

The IRS should never be used as a political tool, but it also does have an obligation to see that groups are not abusing the tax code and engaging in improper political activity.

And should it continue to do so?

We witnessed the administration leaning on both independent regulators and on agencies of government like DOJ that are supposed to be independent to try to impose their will.

as I rise for my 209th ``Time to Wake Up'' climate change speech, I return to a familiar subject: disgraced Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt. Not that long ago, I was here discussing the baker's dozen of ethical…

I think one can generally divide the pharmaceutical market into three categories.

I think in the area of de facto monopoly, it would be hard to identify an agency of government that actually has responsibility in that area.

My concern is that you get these companies that come in that buy up a drug manufacturer, add no value, invest in no research, but simply crank up the price for speculative purposes.

The concern that I have is that we are not seemingly addressing that problem.

This is important to us.

Submitted by Hon. Sheldon Whitehouse, a U.S. Senator From Rhode Island

first, let me say what a pleasure it has been to work with Senator Crapo on these issues. Our situation is pretty simple. We have a U.S. Navy that generates spent nuclear fuel through its operations; we have a U.S. industry of…

I am trying to get that information to us.

I would like to see what the economic projections are as to how that plays through.

first, let me thank the senior Senator from New Jersey for those remarks. It was a privilege and a pleasure to be here to hear them delivered. We had a hearing in the Judiciary Committee this morning with a representative of Homeland…

Thank you, Mr. President. Climate Change Mr. President, as 2010 dawned, in what now seems like another era of political time, the U.S. Congress was poised to tackle the problem of climate change. The House of Representatives had just…

trade wars are not good; they are very damaging. And for the State of Washington, they are very very damaging.

You are truly telling me that you are not going to answer this question, I should go knock on a different door in the same administration?

So I want to be able to call up your legislative staff later on and say, actually, the Secretary agreed to give us this in the hearing.