Robert Byrd: “There's been a savings of 29,000 lives because Congress saw fit to act in 1969.”

Never, ever, ever get rid of the filibuster. It is the guardian of minority rights and an essential engine for consensus.

The path of wilderness legislation can be as rugged as the land itself.

The reconciliation process was designed to facilitate legislation to reduce deficits. Instead, the process has been used to enact multi-trillion-dollar tax cuts that led to record deficits over the last 8 years.

Let us also hope that this hearing will provide information on the Government and company officials who should be held accountable.