ms. stabenow: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from michigan. ms. stabenow: thank you, madam president. we have heard a lot from colleagues over the last two days about just how important this farm bill is, and that's because there is so much more in this bill than what we would call a farm bill. really, 12 different pieces of legislation from farm to research to fruits and vegetables to energy across the board all put together in something we call the farm bill. this is most importantly a major bipartisan jobs bill that makes sure that 16 million people who work in agriculture from michigan to mississippi to oklahoma and everywhere in between have the support they need. this is an exports bill that will help expand opportunities for american agricultural exports. one of the few areas where our nation maintains a healthy, robust trade surplus. this is a research bill that will make a permanent long-term commitment through a new public-private foundation and other investments that will allow us to find solutions to pests and diseases and focus on inno

ms. stabenow: mr. president, i want to first as we begin the final debate and vote on the farm bill conference report, i want to thank our majority leader for supporting this effort every step of the way. every time i have gone to him and said mr. leader, we need to have time for some particular procedural vote or to move it along, he has been there, and i want to thank him very, very much for moving this conference report so quickly. i want to thank also senator cochran and our entire committee when senator cochran is here later today. i want to particularly speak more about the wonderful partnership that we have had. i know that the senior senator from north dakota will be speaking after me. i want to thank him, senator hoeven, for being an invaluable partner through this entire process. and it's been just a tremendous pleasure working with the senior senator, and he has made a real impact, and i am very, very appreciative. as my colleagues know, the last farm bill expired 490 days ago. 490 days ago.

ms. stabenow: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from michigan. ms. stabenow: mr. president, first i have 10 unanimous consent requests for committees to meet during today's session of the senate. they have the approval of the majority and the minority leaders. i would ask unanimous consent that these requests be agreed to and that these requests be printed in the record. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. stabenow: i would ask secondly unanimous consent that a further statement regarding issues in the nutrition title be submitted into the record on my behalf. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. stabenow: thank you. and i'd like very much to take just a moment, mr. president, as i know we'll be closing for lunch in just a moment, but there's some very important people that i need to thank today. and i want to take this moment before we have the final vote to do that. i know, listening to other colleagues as we come to major pieces of legislation and at the end, they talk about the importance of their staff. i have come to realize, mr. president

ms. stabenow: thank you. before the chairman of the veterans' affairs committee leaves the floor, i just want to say thank you to him for his passion and advocacy. the legislation he spoke of this morning is incredibly important. if i'm not yet on that bill, senator sanders, i need to be and will be. please sign me up. it's absolutely true that we need to do more than just make speeches. we need to put our commitment, our resources, keep our promises to our veterans. that's what this bill does. and we thank you very, very much. we also, mr. president, have a bill in front of us that is about our veterans. and this bill -- maybe some can come down and help me out on this. this bill is about our veterans. and the question is on a "yes" or "no" on this final bill: do we support our stphrepbs -- our veterans? you vote "yes." if we do not support our veterans, want to play political games with it, find some other excuse not to vote veterans, you vote "no." it's very simple. keep our promise, vote "yes." don't care

ms. stabenow: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from michigan. ms. stabenow: thank you, mr. president. first i want to thank the senator from connecticut for his advocacy for seniors, for children, for families, for small businesses to have access to affordable quality health insurance. a powerful voice. and also to congratulate his state of connecticut and the governor of connecticut who are working very, very hard, and i know are doing a great job on their insurance pool, the health care exchange that is providing more affordable health insurance for the citizens in connecticut. so i want to thank you for all of your leadership. i rise also today to talk about the fact that millions of american families today have access to more affordable health care. seniors, children, small businesses, others are getting the opportunity to have the health care that they are paying for and know that they can get the health care that they need even if they have a preexisting condition because of the affordable care act. i want to take a few moments as well today to

ms. stabenow: thank you, madam president. mr. thune: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from south dakota. mr. thune: madam president, i come to the floor today to discuss the stagnant obama economy and how obamacare is making it worse. this is the fifth anniversary of the day the president's signed his trillion-dollar stimulus bill into law. the remarks he paid gave that day the president stated that the legislation marked the beginning of the end of the nation's economic troubles. five years later, however, the end of the nation's economic strubles nowhere in sight. the headlines of the jobs report released friday say it all. the headline from the associated press said u.s. economy may be struck in slow lane for long run. "new york times" headline, weakness continues as 113,000 jobs are added in january. from cbs news, another month of weak job growth raises slowdown fears. from "the wall street journal," u.s. adds 113,000 jobs in latest worrying sign on growth. from reuters, u.s. employment fails to rebound strongly from winter chill