Thanks to language I fought for in the Affordable Care Act, we have two States that are using the Basic Health model to make coverage more affordable for people earning under 200 percent of the Federal poverty level.

The broad support for the premium tax credits provided in the American Rescue Plan demonstrates the need for more affordable options for those who are seeking health insurance.

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…

I come to the floor because this week, hopefully, our House colleagues will be taking up legislation that they have named America COMPETES. My colleague was just here on the Senate floor talking about the legislation we passed last year…

But somehow, we needed a process that would have resolved that instead of continuing the development...

I feel like we should even be doing more.

The process failed us. The process did not resolve that issue.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for holding this important hearing, and to Vice Chair Murkowski...

So let's figure out a path to figure out what to do here.

I was out here a little while ago talking about why it is so important for us to move forward and vote on the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and to uphold the voting rights of American citizens, something I feel very strongly about. I have…

I care about the future of this institution, but right now, I care more about the future of our democracy. Our country has been the bedrock for democracies around the world. It has been the gold standard by which other countries wishing to…

I rise to speak in support of our next vote, the nominee to head the National Telecommunications and Information Administration at the Department of Commerce, Alan Davidson. My colleagues know now, in an information age, how important…

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

I ask unanimous consent that the scheduled vote occur immediately. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the Davidson nomination?

Reserving the right to object, my colleague is right-- he has been to the floor to talk about this issue, and I don't think, though, that he has all the facts right. We just had a major transportation hearing in the Commerce Committee…

my colleague knows very well that, just yesterday, the Deputy Secretaries of Commerce, Transportation, and Agriculture met with--and it may have been on a Zoom call or on the phone--Senators to talk about exactly what is going on to help…

these nominees we are talking about are nominees who are literally just the people who are going to help get these things done within the Agencies. The Senator is basically denying people the ability to have analysis, to talk about…

I think my colleague knows darn well the President of the United States has been doing something about this. That is why he used his leadership to make sure that we made major infrastructure investment so we could move products. That is…

I ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to Calendar No. 550, Max Veckich to be the Federal Maritime Commissioner for a term expiring June 30, 2026. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?

We are here on whatever today is--December 16. We are here, you know, as Congress careens toward trying to get some work done before we break for the holiday season. I am sure that my colleague knows very well where the administration is…

I think we have had a good discussion of exactly what these individuals--the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Transportation--have been doing. They have been making their deputies available for conversations about supply chains…

I come to the floor tonight because I want to remind our colleagues and the people of the United States of America that we did pass an infrastructure bill, and it was bipartisan. But we are here tonight because the very people that it…

my colleague from Montana is making some great points in this debate. I can't emphasize this enough to my colleague from Florida, a member of our committee. He knows how hard we have all worked on these. He knows how bipartisan this effort…

I know of no further debate. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate? Hearing none, and the bill having been read the third time, the question is, Shall the bill pass? The bill (S. 1543), as amended, was passed.

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations en bloc: Calendar Nos. 402, 587, 606; that the Senate vote on the nominations en bloc with no intervening action or debate; that the…