today I wish to share a business success story from my home State of Vermont. For years Vermont has been branded as the State of milk, apples, and maple syrup. But along the ridgelines of the Green Mountains and in the valleys along the…

I see the distinguished senior Senator from California on the floor. I will yield, of course, to her. She has been indefatigable in her support of Judge Chen in the committee, in the Halls of the Senate, and in her steadfast work with the…

Now, if we are going to have acquisitions in this industry, they should provide similar consumer benefits.

I ask unanimous consent that the time be equally divided during the quorum call. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk will call the roll. The assistant editor of the Senate Daily Digest proceeded…

I would like to take a moment to congratulate Dr. Matthew Friedman, a finalist for the 2011 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals. Dr. Friedman is the executive director of the National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD…

I want to compliment Senator Murray on her legislation, which she is introducing today.

am I correct that we are now on the nomination of Ed Chen to the District Court for the Northern District of California? The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. That is correct.

today the Senate will finally consider the nomination of Judge Edward Chen to fill a judicial emergency vacancy on the District Court for the Northern District of California. Since 2001, Judge Chen has been a well-respected Federal…

I want assurances that if this merger goes through, AT&T is going to follow through on that kind of buildout.

if it had not been for the Guard, it would have been a total disaster.

Thank you, Chairman Kohl and Senator Lee.

I hope you will forgive me if I am a bit skeptical.

shouldn't we have special funding for such domestic disasters?

I want you to know that Senator Graham and I are determined to keep empowering the Guard.

We want to continue to do this. We pursued a separate funding for the Guard and Reserve components.

the 158th Fighter Wing is going to have three F-16s shifted into back-up inventory.

I expect the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission to conduct an exhaustive and careful analysis of this acquisition and its impact on competition.

I am particularly concerned about what this acquisition may mean in rural parts of the country or a State like mine, Vermont, that is primarily rural.

We cannot afford as a country to lose that capability, and we need to preserve the life of those airplanes.

I think one of the ongoing frustrations of my constituents, and of small businesses in general, is that they find themselves time and time again doing the time without really having done the crime.

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on May 9, 2011, at 5:30 p.m., in S-216 of the Capitol, to continue an executive business meeting. The PRESIDING OFFICER…

Among other things it would establish a national standard for notifying consumers about data breaches involving their personal information.

to make a parliamentary inquiry: Am I correct that time runs to 5:30? The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct.

the majority leader has been required to file cloture in this extraordinary case in an attempt to overcome a Republican filibuster on the nomination of Jim Cole to be Deputy Attorney General. This is a key national security position and…

I see the distinguished Senator from Texas is here, so I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.