Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I rise today to express my strong support of expanded embryonic stem cell research and to thank President Obama for reversing the Federal limitations imposed on stem cell research by the previous administration. I also thank my colleagues Senators Harkin, Specter, Feinstein, Hatch, and Reid, for their ongoing leadership on this issue.

Research on human embryonic stem cells began in 1998 and is still only in its infancy. In this short time, researchers have made great strides in stem cell research, discovering the scientific potential of embryonic stem cells and their ability to treat and cure diseases that affect patients and families across our country. Unfortunately, however, the true potential of embryonic stem cell research has not yet been realized. For the past 8 years, Federal funding has been limited to the study of embryonic stem cell lines derived before August 9, 2001, significantly hampering the ability of researchers to effectively study the full potential of these cells. Political issues, funding considerations, and the limited pipeline of talented researchers specializing in this new field have slowed the development of a robust research community focused on stem cell investigation.

Stem cells could be a boon to medical research and treatment in a variety of ways: as replacement cells for those cells that have been lost or destroyed because of disease; as tools for studying early events in human development; as test systems for new drug therapies; and as vehicles to deliver genes that could correct defects. The more that is learned about embryonic stem cells, the better scientists can assess their full therapeutic potential and that of other stem cell types.

This research is so critical to the scientific understanding of diseases, therapies, and cures that impact millions of Americans. Embryonic stem cells could lead to treatments for diseases that afflict up to 100 million Americans, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, spinal cord injuries, and so many other debilitating conditions.

Now, I have always been a supporter of stem cell research and have long recognized the importance of this critical research to the scientific community. However, stem cell research became personal for me in 2007 when my oldest granddaughter Elle was diagnosed with diabetes. But my family is not alone in either struggling with the disease of juvenile diabetes or recognizing the importance of stem cell research to a potential cure for the disease. Mimi Silverman of Bedford, NH, speaks eloquently about what it is like to be the parent of a diabetic. Her daughter Abby, who is now 30, was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 7. Mimi knows about the toll that diabetes takes on the entire family and she talks about the psychological effects on her family, not knowing what each day will bring. She describes the disease as a ticking timebomb in which there is always uncertainty and underlying apprehension.

A few years ago, Abby, Mimi's daughter, was 2 weeks away from getting married. She was living alone in Minneapolis, 1,500 miles away from her fiance and her family. She was alone in her apartment and because of diabetes, she fell unconscious. Luckily, her fiance called. He realized that Abby was incoherent and he was able to contact the apartment manager to unlock the door and get her help. But had her fiance not called when he did, in all likelihood, Abby would not be alive today. Mimi is now a leading advocate in New Hampshire in support of stem cell research.

Laura Clark, from Antrim, NH, is 25 years old. Five years ago she was in the final year of her nursing studies at the University of New Hampshire. Unfortunately, she was in a tragic car accident on the way to the movies. As a result of the collision, Laura's neck was crushed and after two weeks in intensive care and 11 weeks in rehabilitation, Laura recovered but is now quadriplegic. While her spirit is strong, her life has changed dramatically. The accident not only affected Laura, but of course her family was affected as well. Her mother Kathy quit her job to stay home to take care of Laura, and her younger sister, who was in high school at the time, was not able to go on to college. Laura doesn't give up the hope that some day, as a result of stem cell research, a scientist will discover a way to help her regain her independence.

Stem cell research holds the potential to help Elle, to help Abby, and to help Laura, and so many others in New Hampshire and across this country. I thank President Obama for recognizing the importance of this issue and for providing an opportunity for us to reverse the stem cell policy that has slowed the pace of medical research and hindered the development of therapeutic treatments for medical conditions ranging from diabetes and spinal cord injuries to Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. I now look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate and the new administration to ensure continued support of stem cell research. Through increased funding and ensuring that moral and ethical guidelines for research are established in this growing field, I am hopeful that the scientific community will continue with crucial stem cell innovations that will positively affect the lives of those three young women whom I talked about and so many people across this country.

Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today in celebration of National Peace Corps Week and in honor of the thousands of Americans who serve throughout the world as Peace Corps volunteers.

Since the Peace Corps' founding in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, over 195,000 U.S. citizens have chosen to serve their country as Peace Corps volunteers. Today, nearly 8,000 Peace Corps volunteers serve abroad in 76 different countries.

In my own home State of New Hampshire, 54 volunteers have heard the call and are currently devoting their time, energy, and lives to fulfilling the vision of President Kennedy and serving their country abroad in the cause of peace. They are placed throughout the developing world--from Morocco, where one New Hampshire volunteer is educating community leaders on improving access to safe drinking water, to Macedonia, where another is teaching English to grade school children in a small rural village.

I would like to take a second and recognize each of these citizen ambassadors and the nearly 1,500 Peace Corps volunteers from New Hampshire that have served since 1961. In honor of their efforts, I will ask consent that the attached list of current New Hampshire volunteers be printed in the Congressional Record. New Hampshire is proud of your service, and we will continue to stand solidly behind you.

The Peace Corps was founded on the ideal that each of us has the responsibility to serve our country and leave our world in a better place than we found it. This dual commitment to U.S. interests and the global good is a testament to the fact that in today's interconnected world, American security and prosperity are inextricably linked to the security and prosperity of people residing in the far corners of our globe. Peace Corps volunteers understand better than anyone that we are truly all in this together.

Peace Corps volunteers work on the front lines in our battle for hearts and minds throughout the world. They serve as teachers, business professionals, health educators, management specialists, information technology advisors, mentors and friends to citizens across the globe. These unofficial ambassadors help develop trust and establish relationships that are critical to American influence and global stability. Upon the completion of their service abroad, these volunteers then return home to promote a better understanding here in America of the culture, language and viewpoint of those they have served.

These volunteers have all done their part to make the world a better place and, in turn, have contributed a great deal to U.S. national interests and global security. In our 21st century world, where the threats and challenges that confront America and the global community cannot be overcome by the might of our military alone, Peace Corps volunteers are laying the foundation for a more secure and prosperous world.

In honor of National Peace Corps Week and in celebration of the Peace Corps' 48th Anniversary on March 1, 2009, I would like to recognize those volunteers from New Hampshire, as well as all past and current Peace Corps volunteers, for their commitment to securing a better world for us and our children.

As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the chair of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs, I will work with our allies and friends throughout the world in the development of an American foreign policy that matches the passion and commitment to service of our Peace Corps volunteers abroad.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have the list of current New Hampshire volunteers to which I referred printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I rise today in support of the economic recovery package on which we will soon vote. We are in the midst of the most severe recession since the Great Depression. Families and small businesses across this country and in my home State of New Hampshire are hurting. As a former Governor and small business owner, I know it is business and not government that creates jobs and drives new ideas and innovation. But I believe government has a vital role to play in helping business create jobs, especially in these very difficult economic times.

These are very difficult economic times. New Hampshire is a small State. We have just over 1.3 million people. Yet, in December alone, nearly 73,000 weekly claims were filed for unemployment compensation. As you can see on this chart, that is more than double the number of unemployment claims of a year ago and almost triple what the unemployment claims were 2 years ago. Nationally, we lost almost 600,000

jobs in January alone. We are shedding jobs at an alarmingly fast rate in New Hampshire and across this country. That is why it is critical that we pass a robust economic recovery package and that we do it immediately.

The economic recovery bill we are going to vote on is not perfect. I would have preferred more investment for roads and bridges, for water treatment plants, for K-12 and higher education buildings. Over the past year in New Hampshire, we lost almost 10 percent of our construction jobs, and investing in infrastructure creates good-paying construction jobs now, with the money earned by these workers generating a multiplier effect of economic activity so that it strengthens our economy, not just now but in the future. If it were up to me alone, we would be investing more heavily in infrastructure. But, as President Obama said the other day, we cannot let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

This economic recovery bill is good. For example, with this bill, over $132 million in highway funding will come to New Hampshire for road and bridge construction. Monday, I toured the construction site for a long planned access road to our major airport in New Hampshire, the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. The highway funding in this economic recovery package will expedite the completion of that access road to our major airport in Manchester. It will create 1,000 construction jobs, and it will unleash the full potential of the Manchester Airport.

Almost $60 million will come to New Hampshire for water and wastewater treatment plants. That will create good construction jobs. It will enable cities and towns to move forward with long overdue projects.

The economic recovery package will also help small businesses obtain the financing they need to retain and create good jobs. This is critically important in New Hampshire, where 94 percent of our businesses have fewer than 100 employees, yet they employ half of the State's workforce.

The credit crunch has hit small businesses particularly hard. By temporarily waiving the Small Business Administration fees and increasing the loan guarantee cap, this economic recovery package is estimated to stimulate up to $20 billion in small business loans.

We may need to do more in the coming months to help small businesses access the working capital they need to survive during the recession. Too many small businesses today are relying on credit cards and they are paying exorbitant interest rates to obtain working capital. As a member of the Small Business Committee, I will be vigilant at monitoring whether the actions we are taking now in this economic package are sufficient to provide small businesses with access to financing.

This economic package will also put us on the path to energy independence by doubling our renewable energy-generating capacity over the next 3 years. By passing this legislation, we will make it possible for great projects across the country to get up and running.

I had the opportunity to talk to some people behind one of those projects in our capital city of Concord, NH. A company called Concord Steam has a fully permitted 20-megawatt biomass plant that is ready to go right now. Their challenge is getting the financing they need. If they are able to go forward, this combined heat and power plant will be built on a restored brownfields site. It will employ over 100 construction workers for the next year and a half, and it will create 25 permanent jobs at the plant. Because its fuel will be New Hampshire forest waste, this renewable powerplant will also create about 100 jobs in the timber industry. This project will benefit every single American because the steam heat and power that it produces will displace 12 million gallons of foreign oil each year.

We need to pass this economic recovery package, not only because it will put people back to work and lay a foundation for long-term economic growth but also because we need to restore confidence in our economy. The American people have always risen to meet every challenge. They need to see their Government is ready to meet this economic challenge as well.

I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for this economic recovery package and doing it as soon as possible.

I suggest the absence a quorum.

Mr. President, 3 minutes.

Mr. President and fellow Senators, I rise in support of amendment No. 528, which has been cosponsored by Senator Schumer and enjoys the support of many of the Nation's top education groups, including the American Council on Education, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the Association of American Universities, and many others.

America's institutions of higher education are vital to building a skilled workforce and to developing leaders who can compete in the global marketplace. Unfortunately, many of our colleges and universities are feeling the effects of the current economic crisis. As a former Governor, I understand that in these difficult times States are often forced to cut back on funding for critical programs such as education.

My amendment would provide an additional $2.5 billion to the Higher Education Modernization, Renovation, and Repair portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The additional funds will bring the total appropriation to $6 billion, the same amount as in the House bill. It will fund critical projects and instructional equipment at our colleges and universities across the country.

This amendment is estimated to create an additional 71,000 jobs. As we talk about this economic package, one of the things we have all been focused on is how do we create jobs. This amendment would do that.

According to the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, private colleges in 21 States report they have 572 projects ready to

go, totaling $4.5 billion. The funding in this amendment is targeted for those shovel-ready projects that will have an immediate impact and spur economic growth on the local level. In New Hampshire alone, it will provide an additional $10 million, money that can be spent on needed projects such as rebuilding an arts building at Colby-Sawyer College, renovating a college and innovation center at White Mountains College, general infrastructure repair at the University of New Hampshire, and a science building renovation at Franklin Pierce University. This additional funding will benefit students and colleges across the country and put many people to work.

I urge Members to join me in support of amendment No. 246.

I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record a letter from the American Council on Education that lists those groups in support of the amendment.

I ask unanimous consent to set aside the pending amendments and send my amendment to the desk to be considered.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I do not wish to speak to the amendments on the floor but to the underlying bill, and I rise today to express my strong support for H.R. 2, the Children's Health Insurance Program Improvements Act.

Providing children access to doctors and medicine is absolutely critical to a good start in life, but there are many children in New Hampshire and across this country whose families can't afford private health insurance but who are also not eligible to receive help such as Medicaid. It is the future of these children that we are considering this week on the floor of the Senate.

This is an issue that is near and dear to me. After children's health insurance was first passed--and I appreciate the efforts of so many people in this body to get that done--I was the Governor of New Hampshire, and I tried to start a children's health insurance program in New Hampshire, but the State legislature was unwilling to fund New Hampshire's share of the cost. I believed the program was important enough to keep working on it, and so we secured a waiver to allow private foundations to put up what would be the State's share. The program was successful and the State's share was funded in the next budget because there were so many families in New Hampshire who had received health insurance for their children, they came to the legislature and the legislature agreed to support it.

After enacting New Hampshire's children's health insurance program, tens

of thousands of New Hampshire children have obtained affordable coverage through this program. I have seen firsthand what a difference the program can make for middle-class working families.

Consider the case of Quint Stires from Keene, NH. I had the pleasure of meeting Quint on the campaign trail last year. Quint had advanced thyroid cancer, and he had to quit his job after becoming too sick to work. Then his wife also lost her job. Of course, they lost their health insurance. But, fortunately, in this instance, in the toughest of circumstances, Quint and his wife didn't have to worry about how they were going to provide health care for their two sons. They had New Hampshire's children's health insurance.

Unfortunately, Quint has since passed away, and my thoughts go out to his family. But I think it is important to share his story as we talk about this children's health insurance legislation on the floor of the Senate because sometimes we lose sight of the individuals the legislation we enact is really going to help. The Children's Health Insurance Program offered help to the Stires family when they needed it the most, and we have the opportunity to make sure other families have the same safety net available to them.

Due to the uncertain economy we face today, there are going to be many more parents and children in tough circumstances. Families and businesses are being forced to cut back on just about everything. People are losing their jobs, and employers are struggling to offer health care, leaving a rising number of Americans in need of affordable coverage options for their kids.

The legislation we are considering reauthorizes children's health insurance through September 2013 and provides enough funding to cover an additional 4 million uninsured children across the country. In New Hampshire, the estimate is that over two-thirds of our uninsured children are eligible for either Medicaid or children's health insurance, what we call New Hampshire Healthy Kids Silver. The Senate legislation increases funding for outreach so we can identify eligible children and enroll them, it streamlines the signup process, it provides incentives to States that achieve enrollment benchmarks, and it provides enough funding to cover every eligible child in New Hampshire.

For those who are as concerned about our mounting national debt as I am, the costs of this bill are fully offset through an increase in the Federal tobacco tax. Moreover, it is simply more cost-effective to get preventive health care for children than to have them treated in emergency rooms or to suffer from permanent conditions due to lack of care.

Today, more than 76,000 children in New Hampshire have health coverage, either through Medicaid or through our Children's Health Insurance Program. But I know we can do better because all children need regular checkups, all children need access to medicine, all children deserve a shot at preventing disease later in life, and all families need to know they can provide for their kids without going into insurmountable debt.

I am pleased that the Senate is considering this very important legislation so early in the 111th Congress. I believe it reflects our commitment to the children of this country. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I wish to thank Senator Mikulski for those very nice words.

I am proud to join Senator Mikulski and so many of the women in this body in support of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. Early in the 1980s, I served on New Hampshire's Commission on the Status of Women. At that time, I chaired a committee that investigated and then reported on the status of women's employment in New Hampshire. At that time, women made 59 cents for every dollar a man earned. That report, which I was proud to coauthor, pointed out that, ultimately, pay disparity affects not just women, it affects their families and it affects the entire ability of working families to earn a good living. Over the course of a woman's lifetime, that pay discrimination is estimated to cost women between $700,000 and $1 million.

As has been pointed out by the women who have spoken on this bill today, we have made some progress. Today, women make 77 cents for every dollar a man earns, but the conclusions our report made about the impact of this pay disparity for women are even truer today than they were in 1981, at the time of the report.

As Senator Klobuchar and Senator Mikulski have so eloquently pointed out, the inability of women to be treated with pay equity in the workplace has a huge impact today, as families are facing this recession and are looking at how to be able to make ends meet. I think the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is a very important step toward addressing the inequality that not just women but working families face in our country.

I wish to congratulate Senator Mikulski. As has been pointed out, she was the first woman elected to this body in her own right. We have made significant progress, much of it as a result of her leadership. I am delighted to be able to join as a cosponsor of this bill and look forward to voting with the majority of the Senate for final passage of this act.

I yield the floor.

I thank the Chair.

(The remarks of Mrs. Shaheen pertaining to the introduction of S. 239 are located in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I rise to announce that I am introducing the Veterans Health Equity Act of 2009. This legislation requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that every State has either a full-service veterans hospital or, in the alternative, that veterans in every State have access to instate hospital care and medical services comparable to the services provided in full-service hospitals.

New Hampshire is currently the only State that does not have a full- service veterans hospital or a military hospital that provides comparable care to veterans. This imposes a great burden on too many New Hampshire veterans who are forced to travel out of State for routine medical services. New Hampshire has over 130,000 veterans and this number is projected to grow over the next 10 years. It is unconscionable that New Hampshire veterans must board buses in order to be transported to Massachusetts to get necessary medical care. New Hampshire's entire congressional delegation, Senate and House, Republican and Democratic, is united in our commitment to end this unfair treatment of veterans. I am pleased the senior Senator from New Hampshire, Judd Gregg, has agreed to cosponsor this legislation with me.

Our bill is companion legislation to that introduced last week in the House by Representative Carol Shea-Porter and cosponsored by Representative Paul Hodes. I wish to take this opportunity to salute Representative Shea-Porter for the leadership she has shown on this issue.

Our goal is to ensure that New Hampshire veterans can get the care they need and deserve instate. Our legislation provides the Veterans' Administration with flexibility to achieve this end. If it is not feasible for the VA to construct a new full-service hospital in New Hampshire or to restore full services at the VA hospital in Manchester, this legislation simply requires the Veterans' Administration to contract for comparable instate care.

My father served in Europe during World War II, my husband is a Vietnam era vet from the Army, and my son-in-law Ryan recently served in the Air Force. I am proud of my family's service and the service of all the veterans of New Hampshire and across this country. Every freedom and right we enjoy today was paid for with the sacrifices of the men and women who have served in our Nation's Armed Forces.

Our veterans deserve first-rate medical care, regardless of where they live. There are full-service veterans hospitals in 47 States and veterans in Alaska and Hawaii are able to receive care at military hospitals. New Hampshire alone has neither. I am hopeful our colleagues will recognize this inequity and support our efforts to provide New Hampshire veterans with the same access to health care that veterans in every other State receive.

I look forward to working with New Hampshire's congressional delegation, with my Senate colleagues and with the new Obama administration to end this injustice.

Mr. President, I rise to announce that I am introducing the Veterans Health Equity Act of 2009. This legislation requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that every State has either a full-service veterans hospital or, in the alternative, that veterans in every State have access to instate hospital care and medical services comparable to the services provided in full-service hospitals.

New Hampshire is currently the only State that does not have a full- service veterans hospital or a military hospital that provides comparable care to veterans. This imposes a great burden on too many New Hampshire veterans who are forced to travel out of State for routine medical services. New Hampshire has over 130,000 veterans and this number is projected to grow over the next 10 years. It is unconscionable that New Hampshire veterans must board buses in order to be transported to Massachusetts to get necessary medical care. New Hampshire's entire congressional delegation, Senate and House, Republican and Democratic, is united in our commitment to end this unfair treatment of veterans. I am pleased the senior Senator from New Hampshire, Judd Gregg, has agreed to cosponsor this legislation with me.

Our bill is companion legislation to that introduced last week in the House by Representative Carol Shea-Porter and cosponsored by Representative Paul Hodes. I wish to take this opportunity to salute Representative Shea-Porter for the leadership she has shown on this issue.

Our goal is to ensure that New Hampshire veterans can get the care they need and deserve instate. Our legislation provides the Veterans' Administration with flexibility to achieve this end. If it is not feasible for the VA to construct a new full-service hospital in New Hampshire or to restore full services at the VA hospital in Manchester, this legislation simply requires the Veterans' Administration to contract for comparable instate care.

My father served in Europe during World War II, my husband is a Vietnam era vet from the Army, and my son-in-law Ryan recently served in the Air Force. I am proud of my family's service and the service of all the veterans of New Hampshire and across this country. Every freedom and right we enjoy today was paid for with the sacrifices of the men and women who have served in our Nation's Armed Forces.

Our veterans deserve first-rate medical care, regardless of where they live. There are full-service veterans hospitals in 47 States and veterans in Alaska and Hawaii are able to receive care at military hospitals. New Hampshire alone has neither. I am hopeful our colleagues will recognize this inequity and support our efforts to provide New Hampshire veterans with the same access to health care that veterans in every other State receive.

I look forward to working with New Hampshire's congressional delegation, with my Senate colleagues and with the new Obama administration to end this injustice.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I rise to discuss the urgent need to address our Nation's economic challenges and to suggest that a major part of our approach should be to invest in clean alternative energy and energy efficiency.

Before I get into my remarks, it has been a very exciting few days for me. Since being sworn in as the junior Senator from New Hampshire, and as this is my first speech on the Senate floor, I want to begin by thanking Majority Leader Reid, Minority Leader McConnell, our senior Senator from New

Hampshire Judd Gregg, and the entire Senate leadership for their warm welcome and support.

On November 4, voters in my State of New Hampshire went to the polls and demanded a new direction, just as voters did across the country. I am eager to work with my fellow Senators and with our next President, Barack Obama, to fulfill that promise of change. The challenges before us are great. For 11 months in a row, the number of jobs in our Nation has declined. More and more families across the country are losing their homes to foreclosure, and too many Americans watched their retirement savings evaporate last year.

It is no exaggeration to say that this 111th Congress and President- elect Obama will face some of the most difficult challenges in our country's history. These problems were created over many years, and they will not be solved quickly. But Americans have always united to meet great challenges, and I have no doubt that we will do so once more.

Our first task is to get our economy back on track by putting middle- class families first again and creating good jobs. As the recession continues, it has become clear that a bold economic recovery package is necessary. This package must focus investment in areas of the economy that will provide the recovery we need and lay the foundation for long- term economic growth.

Investing in our Nation's infrastructure will both create needed jobs in the short term and foster economic development in the long term. There are critical capital projects throughout the State of New Hampshire and the country--projects such as repairing and upgrading our roads and bridges, modernizing our public schools and higher education facilities, and replacing outdated water treatment plants, and other municipal projects. These investments will create jobs and lay the groundwork for sustained economic growth.

We also need a bold investment in energy efficiency and clean alternative energy. These investments in new energy will create millions of 21st century green-collar jobs, begin to reverse global warming, and start on the path to energy independence.

New Hampshire small businesses already are leaders in the new energy economy, making everything from wood pellets to ethanol, from forest byproducts to solar panels and biofuels. We have seen firsthand how investment in clean energy creates good jobs up and down the economic ladder--advanced manufacturing jobs, highly skilled construction jobs, jobs installing solar panels and energy-efficiency systems, jobs selling and delivering new fuels. These are good jobs. They are jobs that cannot be outsourced overseas. I am honored I will be joining the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources to work on these very issues as we develop a real energy policy for the future of this country.

These investments are necessary to get our economy moving again. But as we must invest, we also must develop a comprehensive plan to address the Nation's ballooning budget deficit and the enormous national debt we have inherited. Our Nation's financial strength tomorrow depends on our careful planning and prudent investments today.

In November, Americans cried out for a new way of doing business in Washington. I applaud President-elect Obama for leading the way with the most open and transparent transition process in our Nation's history and believe we must continue that transparency. We must recommit to accountability and oversight, and we must end the partisan gridlock that has stymied progress for too long. I am committed to working across the aisle to make Washington work again for middle-class American families.

Tuesday, when I took the oath of office as a Senator, I made a commitment to embrace the opportunities that lie ahead and to help lead our Nation in a new direction. I am eager to begin.

Thank you, Mr. President.

I yield the floor and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. REID addressed the Chair.

I say yes to the majority leader. I did not see the majority leader on the floor. I apologize for that. I withdraw my request.