Democrats and Republicans have some serious differences when it comes to our policies and our values and our priorities. But one thing we should be able to agree on--the bare minimum expected of us in Congress--is that we should not…

Let me make it clear. The Senator from Washington does not believe we should be negotiating in the dark of night. The government should be open, public, and people should be able to see what we are doing. That is why our unanimous request…

I find it extremely ironic that we are here right now hearing that the House of Representatives is going to shut down the government and then send us a bill saying they want to talk in a conference committee. Let's remember why we are here…

I know many of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle are deeply frustrated this evening. Once again, with only a few hours left on the clock, House Republican brinkmanship has us struggling to avoid burdening our families and our…

I thank the Senator from Maryland for her tremendous leadership. She is absolutely correct--we are here in a manufactured crisis. This Senate and the House passed a budget last spring. For 6 months we have been trying to get those two…

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

I ask for 1 additional minute. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.

I would say to the chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, that is absolutely correct.

To do that, we have to be able to finish this bill, send it back to the House, and get our country back on the right course again. So voting to sustain this point of order isn't voting against a funding level or a policy vote. Voting to…

the families that I talk to in my home State of Washington are not interested in partisan back and forth that we see so much of here in Washington, DC. They are thinking about how they are going to get their bills paid. They are wondering…

I thank my colleague from California for accommodating all of us. I wish to join my colleagues who have spoken on the floor and express my deepest condolences to the families of those who lost someone in Monday's tragic shooting. I know…

I rise to discuss legislation that Senator Cantwell and I are introducing today to strengthen our maritime economy and protect American jobs. Over the past decade, we have seen increasing competition for the market share of U.S.-bound…

the Senate is not in order. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senate is not in order. The Senate will be in order. The majority leader.

we have spent the last 2 weeks here on the Senate floor talking about our bipartisan transportation and housing bill. This is a bill that is all about creating jobs, investing in our families and in our communities, and laying down a…

I would like to speak briefly about how the immigration reform bill affects access to health insurance coverage. In particular, I am pleased that the Senate-passed legislation preserves the ability for States to cover lawfully residing…

I am pleased to fund the Surface Transportation Board. I agree with my colleague from California that this agency needs funding in order to comply with its governing statute, which directs the Board to support the growth of rail in the…

This is a bill that is a compromise that reflect the deep cuts we have set in the spending levels of the Budget Control Act. It reflects the best ideas of both sides. So I urge my colleagues to move past the obstruction, get over the…

As my colleagues know, California has a grant agreement with the Department of Transportation, and California has spent funds consistent with that agreement. I was extremely careful to draft the Senate bill to ensure that California will…

I wish to echo what my good friend and partner on this bill Senator Collins just said. Similar to all of us, when I go home to my State of Washington, I do not hear a lot from my constituents about partisan politics. They do not ask me…

I ask unanimous consent the following amendments be made in order and the Senate proceed to their consideration en bloc: Flake amendment No. 1818, Flake amendment No. 1772, McCaskill-Blunt amendment No. 1800, Blumenthal amendment No. 1809…

We were pleased that, last Congress, then-Chairwoman Senator Patty Murray included many of our proposals in S. 2299, the 'Servicemembers Rights Enforcement Improvement Act.'

I thank the Senator. Senator Isakson has been absolutely great to work with. We have been spending a lot of time on this. Let me make a few remarks. Over the past several weeks and months, we have spent a lot of time in the Senate debating…

what is the pending business? The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the title of the bill. The assistant legislative clerk read as follows: A bill (S. 1243) making appropriations for the Departments of Transportation, and Housing…

I want to notify all of our colleagues that Senator Collins and I have been working together with many of our colleagues on amendments to the transportation and housing bill over the past week. I want to be very clear--that work is…

I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll. The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maine.