ms. mikulski: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from maryland. ms. mikulski: madam president, i rise to speak on the postal reform bill and to offer constructive suggestions. i know senator collins was scheduled to speak. i'm going to take this time. she's in a meeting. it's concurrent -- it's agreeable to her that we follow this sequencing. there is no doubt that the postal service is in need of reform, and i support the concept of reform. and i want to salute the architects of the bill, senators lieberman and collins, on the framework that they proposed. i think it was thoughtful and robust and even ambitious. i would like to compliment them on the process that's the hallmark of this committee. and if i could have the senator's attention for a moment, from connecticut, senator lieberman, i just want to comment that we know you're about to retire, and we're going to miss you. because here we are having this civilized, rational, thoughtful, data-driven type of conversation, and i think it's the hallmark of the way he and senator collins have functione

ms. mikulski: mr. president, i rise to speak on the buffett rule. mr.president, how much time is allocated to me? the presiding officer: there are 18 minutes remaining on your side of the aisle. ms. mikulski: mr. president, i'll take five minutes, no more than five minutes. mr. president, i support the buffett rule because i do believe in fundamental fairness that if you live in the united states of america, that you benefit from the united states of america, both its national security and its public institutions and the public progress, because of that, like public education, land-grant colleges, that you need to pay your fair share. this is what america is all about: fairness and that we're all in it together. now, let's talk -- i've heard all afternoon about oh, this hardworking entrepreneur and oh, this hardworking small business. mr. president, nobody gets to be that hardworking entrepreneur without the united states of america. they've gone to public schools, they've enjoyed public transportation, i could go through a variety of public institution

ms. mikulski: mr. president, i rise to speak on the buffett rule. mr.president, how much time is allocated to me? the presiding officer: there are 18 minutes remaining on your side of the aisle. ms. mikulski: mr. president, i'll take five minutes, no more than five minutes. mr. president, i support the buffett rule because i do believe in fundamental fairness that if you live in the united states of america, that you benefit from the united states of america, both its national security and its public institutions and the public progress, because of that, like public education, land-grant colleges, that you need to pay your fair share. this is what america is all about: fairness and that we're all in it together. now, let's talk -- i've heard all afternoon about oh, this hardworking entrepreneur and oh, this hardworking small business. mr. president, nobody gets to be that hardworking entrepreneur without the united states of america. they've gone to public schools, they've enjoyed public transportation, i could go through a variety of public institution

ms. mikulski: mr. president, i rise to speak on the buffett rule. mr.president, how much time is allocated to me? the presiding officer: there are 18 minutes remaining on your side of the aisle. ms. mikulski: mr. president, i'll take five minutes, no more than five minutes. mr. president, i support the buffett rule because i do believe in fundamental fairness that if you live in the united states of america, that you benefit from the united states of america, both its national security and its public institutions and the public progress, because of that, like public education, land-grant colleges, that you need to pay your fair share. this is what america is all about: fairness and that we're all in it together. now, let's talk -- i've heard all afternoon about oh, this hardworking entrepreneur and oh, this hardworking small business. mr. president, nobody gets to be that hardworking entrepreneur without the united states of america. they've gone to public schools, they've enjoyed public transportation, i could go through a variety of public institution

ms. mikulski: mr. chairman, thank you. and i'm going to thank the gentlelady from minnesota for her ongoing advocacy on this issue. her advocacy was well known in minnesota. her work as a prosecutor brought her in contact with many of these women. and her steadfast standing up for them and making sure they got a fair shake in the system was really well known and well appreciated. i'm here to be a strong support for the violence against women act, and i hope that this bill passes, and i hope that this bill passes today. it is -- because senator leahy has worked on a bipartisan basis in his committee to bring this bill out. this bill was first passed in 1994 under the leadership of our vice president, then-senator joe biden, well known for a strong, muscular, robust approach to law enforcement. and what he saw was that so many of the victims of crime were women and that they were victims both in streets and neighborhoods. they were also terrible victims in their own home where they were battered and abused and then found tha