Thomas R. Carper: “Our job is to serve the people of this country.”

You and our colleagues have heard me invoke in this room more times than I can count the Golden Rule: Treat other people the way I want to be treated.

I think that's really disgraceful, and it's unacceptable that the local DC courts have vacancies that last years because the Senate fails to act in a timely way.

Not really. I have just come from the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, which is having a hearing on the Key Bridge, the bridge in Baltimore that was badly damaged.

Public engagement can build trust, it can increase public buy-in, can help resolve issues, can help prevent litigation, and ultimately it can save time and money.