Listen to women about the ways in which mens actions affect them. The moment was long overdue. I was excited for that conversation and hopeful that it would result in real change that made life better for women all across the country and in every part of our society. Then the conversation turned to me. Over the last few weeks, a number of women have come forward to talk about how they felt my actions had affected them. I was shocked. I was upset. But, in responding to their claims, i also wanted to be respectful of that broader conversation because all Women Deserve to be heard and their experiences taken seriously. I think that was the right thing to do. I also think it gave some people the false impression that i was admitting to doing things that, in fact, i havent done. Some of the allegations against me are simply not true. Others, i remember very differently. I say that the outset, that the Ethics Committee was the right venue for these allegations to be heard and investigated and evaluated on their merits. That i was prepared to cooperate fully and that i was confident in the outcome. You know, an important part of the conversation we have been having the last few months has been about how men abuse their power and privilege to hurt women. I am proud that during my time in the senate, i have used my power to be a champion of women. I have earned the reputation as someone who respects the women i work alongside every day. I know theres been a very different picture of me painted over the last few weeks, but i know who i really am. Serving in the United States senate has been a great honor of my life. I know, in my heart, that nothing i have done as a senator, nothing, has brought this honor on this institution. And, i am confident that the Ethics Committee would agree. Nevertheless, today, i am announcing that in the coming weeks, i will be resigning as member of the United States senate. I, of all people, am aware there is some irony in the fact that i am leaving, while a man who bragged on tape about his history of Sexual Assault sits in the oval office and a man who repeatedly preyed on young girls campaigns for the senate with the full support of his party. This decision is not about me. Its about the people of minnesota. Its become clear that i cant both pursue the Ethics Committee process and at the same time remain an effective senator for them. Let me be clear, i may be resigning my seat, but i am not giving up my voice. I will continue to standup to the things i believe in as a citizen and as an activist. People in minnesota deserve a senator who can focus with all her energy on addressing the challenges they face every day. There is a big part of me that will always regret having to walk away from this job with so much work left to be done. I have faith that the work will continue because i have faith in the people who have helped me do it. I have faith in the dedicated, funny, selfless, brilliant, young men and women on my staff. They have so much more to contribute to our country. I hope that as disappointed as they may feel today, everyone whose worked for me knows how much i admire and respect them. I have faith in my colleagues, especially my senior senator, amy klobuchar. I would not have been able to do this job without her guidance and wisdom. I have faith, or at least hope, that members of this senate will find the political courage necessary to keep asking the tough questions, hold this administration accountable, standup for the truth. I have faith in the activists who organize to help me win my First Campaign and who have kept on organizing to help fight for the people who needed us, kids facing bullying. Seniors worried about the price of prescription drugs, native americans who have been overlooked for far too long. Working people who have been taking it on the chin for a generation. Everyone in the middle class and everyone aspiring to join them. I have faith in the proud legacy of Progressive Advocacy that i have had the privilege to be a part of. I think i have probably repeated these words 10,000 times over the years. Pauls famous quote, the future belongs to those who are passionate and work hard. Its still true. It will always be true. Most of all, i have faith in minnesota. A big part of this job is going around the state and listening to what people need from washington. More often than not, when im home, i am blown away by how much minnesota has to offer the entire country and the entire world. The people i have had the honor of representing are brilliant, creative and hard working. Whoever holds this seat next will inherit the challenge i have enjoyed for the last 8 1 2 years, being as good as it hthe people you serve. This has been a tough few weeks for me. But, i am a very, very lucky man. I have a beautiful, Healthy Family that i love and that loves me very much. Im going to be just fine. I just like to end with one last thing. I did not grow up wanting to be a politician. I came to this relatively late in life. I had to learn a lot on the fly. It wasnt easy and wasnt always fun. Im not just talking about today. This is a hard thing to do with your life. There are a lot of long hours and late nights and hard lessons and there is no guarantee that all your work and sacrifice will ever pay off. I won my first election by 312 votes. Could have easily gone the other way. Even when you win progress is far from inevitable. Paul spent his whole life working for Mental Health parody and it didnt pass until six years after paul died. This year, a lot of people who didnt grow up imagining that they would ever get involved in politics have done just that. They have gone to their first protest march or made their first call to a member of congress. Or maybe even taken the leap and put their names on a boll lallo the first time. It can be such a rush. To look around a room full of people ready to fight alongside you. You feel that energy. Imagine Better Things are possible. You, too, will experience setbacks, defeats and disappointments. There will be days when you will wonder whether its worth it. What i want you to know is that even today, even on the worst day of my political life, i feel like its all been worth it. Politics, we were told, is about the improvement of peoples lives. I know that the work i have been able to do has improved peoples lives. I would do it all over again in a heart beat. For a decade now, every time i would get tired, discouraged or frustrated, i would think about the people i was doing this for and would get me back up on my feet. I know the same will be true for everyone who decides to pursue politics that is about improving peoples lives. And i hope you know that i will be fighting alongside you every step of the way. With that, mr. President , i yield the floor. Minnesota senator, al franken, earlier today announcing his decision to resign due to Sexual Misconduct allegations, well show you his comments later, and testimony from epa administrator scott pruett on environmental policy and the future mission of his agency. And on cspan 3, the discussion of medical innovation. Sunday, on cspan 2, discussing the book, Digital World war, and the fight for supremacy. Content is king, distribution is queen and she wears the pants in the family. If you think about that, the way i like to think about isis and others, were in a content war. Then at 8 00, former msnbc news anchor, greta van susteren, about her book. In social media, everybody can get together and join together and do incredible things. There are stories in the book about what others have done with social media. And social media, its not really new. All that is new are these delivery platforms. Think about it. We had the smoke signals. That is sort of social media. Anybody can see the smoke signals, that is social media. The party