I often say that South Dakota punches above its weight in service to the country.

We welcome an effective Chinese role in supporting an Afghan-led peace process.

We agree there is not a military solution to the conflict but rather the best avenue to achieve stability is through a negotiated political settlement.

this week Congress sent the President a tax reform bill that will translate into real relief for American families. I have spent a lot of time on the floor of the Senate talking about how this bill will benefit these families in South…

I rise to voice my strong support for the nomination of Ronald Batory to be the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration at the Department of Transportation and to express my deep frustration that this noncontroversial, highly…

we have had an immensely qualified leader, Ronald Batory, ready to lead an important safety agency for over 4 months. The time for playing political games with the leadership of this railroad safety agency should be over. It is long past…

I am kind of beyond words to explain why we are objecting to someone who was unanimously approved out of the committee, is highly qualified, noncontroversial, and would run an incredibly important safety agency in this country. I just…

relief for Americans is on the way. This evening, we will vote on the first comprehensive overhaul of our Tax Code since 1986. In 1986, I was a young Senate staffer. I watched as that tax bill passed on the floor of the U.S. Senate. I was…

for the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation I report favorably the following nomination lists which were printed in the Records on the dates indicated, and ask unanimous consent, to save the expense of reprinting on the…

today I recognize Lieutenant Commander Wendy Lewis of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps, who has served as a fellow to the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee for the past 3 years. I…

for more than two decades, under both Republican and Democratic Presidents and Republican and Democratic Congresses, the United States pursued a bipartisan light-touch approach to internet regulation. The internet as we know it today…

relief for American families is on the way. Last week, the Senate passed our version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a tax reform bill that will provide immediate, direct relief to hard-working Americans. Our legislation doubles the standard…

My recollection is like his, and, frankly, my recollection, when it comes to all the work that went into getting us to where we are dates back a long way. I joined the Senate Finance Committee in 2011. I am not sure when the Senator from…

how much time is left on our side? The PRESIDING OFFICER. There are 8\1/2\ minutes on the majority's side. There are 2\1/2\ minutes on the Democrats' side. The Senator from Colorado is recognized.

our country has always been about opportunity. The American dream is the hope that your kids and your grandkids and those who come after you will have a better life than you have had. One of the ways we do that is that we get a growing…

Senator Scott and I and the Senator from Pennsylvania were all there at what we call the markup.

I thank the Senator from Pennsylvania for outlining and highlighting what are, I should say, some of the many reforms that are included in this legislation. Now, what he talked about is critically important. If America is going to be…

let's keep in mind that the State and local tax, or SALT, deduction disproportionately benefits wealthy taxpayers in high tax States. More than 70 percent of American families currently take the standard deduction, so they will not even be…

I ask for the yeas and nays. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second? There appears to be a sufficient second. The clerk will call the roll. The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll. The result was announced--yeas…

we are about to embark upon a vote that I think will be historic, a once-in-a-generation opportunity, in my view. The last time we did major tax reform in this country was 1986, 31 years ago. Believe it or not, I happened to be a staffer…

I reserve the right to object, Mr. President. Let me just clarify. I think the ranking member of the Committee, who is managing the bill, also wanted some time. Is that correct?

a lot of our colleagues on the other side have come to the floor today and have talked about why they don't like our tax reform bill. Many of those arguments have been focused on who benefits from it. Of course, as is usually the case when…

that is based upon an assumption that the growth rate in the economy for the next decade is going to be 1.9 percent.

And, too, some of our colleagues--and I count myself, and I am sure the Senator from Ohio does as well, among those of us who consider ourselves fiscal conservatives--realize that in order to deal with debt and deficits, yes, we have to…

today I recognize the hard work of my Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee law clerk Lucy Kelly. Lucy hails from Seattle, WA, and is a second-year law student at American University. While clerking for the Commerce Committee…