let's put this in realistic terms. I have been here through eight Presidents. I am now in my 45th year. I have never seen anything like the Trump shutdown from the day it began 34 days ago until now. I hear from people every day about the…

I hope the country has heard what the distinguished senior Senator from Maryland said. He sees this every day. He sees it when he goes home to Baltimore. He sees it when he talks with his neighbors. He sees it when he is in the grocery…

let me tell you about the impact the Trump shutdown is having on one couple from my home State of Vermont. Kelly and Ricky Klein own Groennfell Meadery in Colchester, VT. In fact, this is Kelly with her very pretty little daughter, Nora…

--and I welcome the distinguished Presiding Officer, who has probably presided before, but this is the first time I have been on the floor and have seen him preside. I realize he cannot respond, but I welcome him to the Senate. Government…

it is interesting--we have entered the 24th day of the Trump shutdown. That means that for 24 days, hundreds of thousands of Federal workers have lived with the uncertainty of when they will get their next paycheck. Tens of thousands…

now, President Trump is right about one thing. There is a crisis in America, and I want the President to know I agree with him, but I would note it is not fictitious hordes of illegal immigrants crashing into our southern border. That is…

It is now day 19 of the Trump shutdown, 19 days that the Federal Government of the oldest democracy and the world's only superpower has been functioning on only half of its cylinders. I have spoken multiple times about the devastating…

I just note parenthetically that virtually every Republican and every Democrat in this body has voted for the bills that would open the government. Every single Democrat in this body is willing--if the Republican leader would bring those…

The President may not care about the impact the shutdown is having on millions of Americans, but the U.S. Senate--a body that should be the conscience of the Nation--should care. Stoking fear through misinformation in order to promote a…

the Appropriations Committee has worked extremely hard to get these bills through. We passed them almost unanimously. Every single bill to keep this government open has been passed by this Senate or the Senate Appropriations Committee and…

Today, 9 of our 15 Federal Departments and several dozen Agencies have shuttered their doors. By doing that, they denied vital services to millions of American citizens. Since midnight last night, just a few days before Christmas, more…

like so many Republicans and Democrats, I was stunned to hear that Secretary Mattis was going to be leaving. I understand his reasons. He has said he always felt a duty to uphold the interests and security of the United States and to…

like many Members of Congress who have long supported efforts to help build an independent judiciary and reduce public corruption and impunity in Guatemala, I have observed a pattern of alarming actions by President Morales's…

Senator Nelson is the only Member of this body to see the Earth from space. Perhaps that is why he has been a champion of our environment, our climate, clean air and water, both here in the United States, and for the entire planet. Senator…

I know that Senator Jeff Flake believes, as I do, that the Senate at its best can be the conscience of our Nation. Lately, I believe the Senate has been less than that. In the closing months of his tenure in the Senate, however, Senator…

as a President pro tempore emeritus, I would like to recognize the retirement of the Senate's current President pro tempore, Senator Orrin Hatch. Senator Hatch and I have both had the privilege of representing our constituents for more…

Senator McCaskill has left an indelible mark on the Senate. A former prosecutor in Missouri, she brought the fight to protect the most vulnerable in her State and across the country to her work here in the U.S. Senate. Her work to preserve…

Senator Dean Heller may have been a freshman Senator when he came to this body in 2011, but he was not short on experience. First elected as a Nevada assemblyman in 1990, Senator Heller has served in government ever since. During his…

Bob Corker is a businessman. He is a husband, a father, and a grandfather. He is a U.S. Senator. But at his heart, he is a Tennessean. Senator Corker's success in business has translated into a successful Senate career. In these uncertain…

I would like to take a moment to recognize the career and service of Senator Joe Donnelly. Senator Donnelly has spent more than a decade steadfastly representing the State of Indiana in both Chambers of Congress. He has resisted labels and…

Mr. Preident, you wouldn't guess it, but North Dakota and Vermont are more alike than they are different. Both depend on agriculture and small businesses to support rural communities. Likewise, Senator Heitkamp and I are not all that…

earlier this month, Marcelle and I, with Marcelle's brother, Claude Pomerleau, attended the Kennedy Center Honors Dinner at the State Department. We were moved by Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan's remarks, which touched on his…

small business are at the heart of many communities around the country, but in a small State like Vermont, local businesses and their owners truly bring people together. Lloyd Squires and his bustling Burlington bagel business, Myer's…

on November 6, millions of Americans, including thousands of Vermonters, headed to the polls to cast their votes in these midterm elections. Back home, Vermonters reelected our governor, Governor Phil Scott, a Republican, to another term…

today we will pass a third continuing resolution, CR, to keep the government operating through February 8. I support this CR because a government shutdown is never good for our country--in fact, it is a terrible idea--but this whole…