we are on the Gulf of Mexico energy security bill, a bill that has been very carefully crafted in a bipartisan way. It has been our approach from the outset. One of the real challenges we have is taking a bill which is delicate, in the…

today the Senate continued consideration of S. 3711, the gulf coast Energy bill. This morning we filed cloture on the bill, and that cloture vote will occur at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. I encourage Senators to come to the floor on Friday to…

this cloture vote will occur on Monday. We have not set the specific timing, but I anticipate that vote would be at 5:30. We will set the exact time later today. This will be a very important vote, and it is critical that Senators be here…

while my distinguished colleague from Alabama is on the floor, I thank him for his leadership on this particular issue because it gives us that opportunity to act with meaningful solutions to problems everyone is feeling. So many things…

this past weekend I was in Tennessee--in Nashville, my hometown. The visit was an opportunity for me to catch up with constituents. Again and again, whether I was in Nashville or over in Carter County at a wonderful pig roast or over in…

I congratulate Chairman Ensign for managing this bill, an important bill that we have passed and that the House has passed, and now it is time for us to go to conference. I thank leadership and the managers on both sides because we were…

the objection is heard. And I will say that I am disappointed. This bill passed the House of Representatives on April 17, 2005, and just passed this body 65 to 34 expressing the will of the Senate. Routinely, we would go to conference with…

the bill that we just passed, S. 3728, to promote nuclear nonproliferation in North Korea was introduced by myself, Senator Biden, and others. As we all know, earlier this month, the North Korean regime defied the international community…

parliamentary inquiry: Last week the Foreign Relations Committee reported an original bill, S. 3709, which deals with the export of nuclear materials to India. When the committee reported out the bill, 17 Senators asked to be original…

tomorrow morning there will be the 2 final hours for debate on the Holmes nomination. If all time is used, that vote would occur shortly before noon on Tuesday. That vote could occur a little earlier if some debate time is yielded back…

8 years--that is how long it has been since two Capitol police officers gave their lives in the line of duty. On July 24, 1998, a lone gunman entered this building, the Nation's Capitol. He was wearing a green fedora with extra bullets in…

it was 8 years ago today that these two brave men gave their lives in defense of the United States Capitol. A plaque in this building commemorates their bravery. Their names have been etched indelibly upon the National Law Enforcement…

Let's consider that. I think over the next day or so we need to get together and go through all we do need to accomplish before we leave for that month for the August recess. Let's talk specifically about that bill as well.

this afternoon we have a 1-hour period of morning business before we proceed to executive session. At approximately 3 o'clock today we will be turning to consideration of Jerome Holmes to be a United States Circuit Court judge for the…

I was prepared to ask unanimous consent that it be in order to proceed to Calendar No. 529, S. 3711, the energy security legislation, but I understand there will be an objection. Therefore, I now move to proceed to S. 3711, and I send a…

I will turn to the Democratic leader and then I have a very brief comment on the events today. ____________________

8 years ago today, two brave men gave their lives in defense of the U.S. Capitol. A plaque in this building commemorates their bravery, their names have been etched indelibly upon the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial a mile from…

I am blessed today to have with me, although I haven't seen them yet--I will be with them here in about 3 or 4 minutes-- members of my own family. I say that in part because it is a real pleasure and honor for us to be here, occupying…

on Monday, we will turn to the nomination of Jerome Holmes to be a circuit court judge for the Tenth Circuit. Under the order, we will spend 2 hours of debate on Monday and then have an additional 2 hours of debate on Tuesday, to be…

I thank the pages who are here. I think we have almost 50 pages who are here for a part of the summer. The pages, I am talking to them most of the time in here on both sides of the aisle. I talked to them about an hour ago and had the…

we have had a productive week. I don't know if I could say an unusually productive week, as we always have good weeks, but a very strong week in terms of both the range of issues that we have debated on the floor as well as pieces of…

in walking over here just a few moments ago, I ran into my counterpart from the Australian Senate, and we were commenting--or he was commenting--he said: You had a productive day yesterday. And I said: Indeed, we had a very productive day…

I yield back all time on the judge nominations. The PRESIDING OFFICER. All time is yielded back. The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the nominations, en bloc? The nominations were confirmed, en bloc. The PRESIDING…

that particular bill is a bill that I hope we can address in the near future, a bill that will make available, once we address and pass it, a billion barrels of oil and over five trillion cubic feet of natural gas that this country does…

briefly, I want to propound a unanimous consent request which has been agreed to by the leadership on the other side. And then people will know the scheduling for today and tonight. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the vote on…