And I might say, if our friend Senator Kennedy was here, he would be able to say it without using a microphone.

am I correct that we are on the Violence Against Women Act? The PRESIDING OFFICER. That is correct.

I suggest the absence of a quorum and ask unanimous consent that the time be equally divided. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk will call the roll. The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.

I hope all Senators will join in adopting the trafficking victims protection amendment that is before us today. This is crucial to reauthorizing the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. We can make real progress in helping victims of human…

I ask unanimous consent to yield back all time on both sides. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The question is on agreeing to Coburn amendment No. 13.

I ask unanimous consent that at 5:30 p.m., the Senate proceed to a vote in relation to the Coburn amendment No. 13; further, that upon disposition of the amendment, the Senate proceed to a period of morning business, with Senators…

any one of us can only imagine what it would be like to be wrongly arrested, tried, convicted, and sentenced to death for a crime we did not commit. And whatever we imagined would pale by comparison to reality. Kirk Nobel Bloodsworth, who…

I suggest the absence of a quorum. The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.

the yeas and nays have not been requested, have they? The PRESIDING OFFICER. They have not.

I thank the distinguished Presiding Officer. Amendment No. 13 Madam President, I join Chairwoman Cantwell, the chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and the senior Senator from Alaska, Senator Murkowski, in opposing Senator…

The bottom line is this: While we have made great strides in reducing domestic and sexual violence, there is more to be done and it is incumbent upon us to act now. The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act has been carefully…

I suggest the absence of a quorum, and I ask unanimous consent that the time during the quorum be equally divided. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk will call the roll. The bill clerk proceeded to call…

under the unanimous consent request agreement, am I correct the Grassley substitute is to be voted on in about 30 seconds? The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct.

I have spoken on this earlier, but I would just tell my colleagues why I will oppose this substitute which will be voted on in a few minutes. The substitute does not meet the needs of victims of domestic violence or dating violence or…

I ask unanimous consent that the following amendments be the only first-degree amendments in order to the bill: Grassley substitute amendment No. 14, Leahy amendment No. 21, Portman amendment No. 10, Murkowski amendment No. 11, Coburn…

the Republican substitute bill being offered by the Senator from Iowa does not meet the needs of victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Respectfully, I must say it is a poor substitute for the…

I thank Senators Murray, Shaheen, Begich, Udall of New Mexico, Klobuchar, Murkowski, Hagan and Franken for their statements today in support of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act. I also note that the ranking Republican member…

I know the senior Senator from New Hampshire is about to speak regarding the Violence Against Women Act. I would like to take a moment to thank her for all the work she has done in her State and in the Senate to help advance this…

I wonder if the distinguished Senator from New Hampshire would yield to me for a moment.

I suggest the absence of a quorum and ask unanimous consent the time be equally divided. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk will call the roll. The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.

I ask unanimous consent the letters from advocates and faith-based organizations in support of S. 47, the Violence Against Women Act, be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record…

I thank the Senator for her words. The Senator from Washington State has been a consistent and clear supporter of the Violence Against Women Act. I especially applaud what she said: It should apply to all victims. I have said so many times…

first, I wish to applaud the distinguished leader Senator Reid for his statement. He has helped us over and over again to get this bill to the floor. The reason it is here is because of the action of the distinguished majority leader in…

there was a lot of attention recently on the French military's operation to repel Islamic extremists and Tuareg nationalist rebels who had terrorized the local population of northern Mali, including in the ancient city of Timbuktu. That…

normally I would call it up, but I understand Senator Grassley is almost here. As a matter of courtesy, I will not call it up; but if there is going to be a delay, because people are expecting this 4 o'clock vote--