Merry Christmas to the Presiding Officer and to all those who might be watching C-SPAN. We are getting close to the big holiday, and it is a time when I come to the well to pay tribute to a great newsman in Georgia who is retiring after 40…

I ask unanimous consent to address the Senate as in morning business. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Tribute to Paul Yates

Mr. President, I am pleased to join Senator Chambliss in this sense-of-the-Senate resolution. It is absolutely important that we not disproportionately burden those who have served us and who have saved us, and our veterans have done both…

I wish to thank the Senator from Washington for all of her hard work as chairman of the Budget Committee and on this bipartisan compromise on the Budget Act. I want to thank my colleague, Senator Chambliss of Georgia, for joining me to…

I thank the Chair. (The remarks of Senators Chambliss and Isakson pertaining to the submission of S. Res. 323 are located in today's Record under ``Submission of Concurrent and Senate Resolutions.'')

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The Senator from Georgia is recognized.

Madam President, I am pleased to join Chairman Murray and Senator Isakson regarding our concern about the military retirement pay provisions in this budget proposal. As I mentioned yesterday on this floor, any pursuit of debt reduction…

Mr. President, I rise today to address the dire national security situation and the responsibility of this body to pass a national defense authorization bill this year. Congress has passed this legislation for each of the last 51 years…

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that MAJ Bobby J. Cox, my defense fellow, be granted the privilege of the floor for the remainder of the week. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. President, I rise today to submit a sense of the Senate resolution to address the issue of military retirement pay in this budget proposal. It is the responsibility of Congress to get our fiscal house in order and that all government…

Mr. President, I rise today to speak on the bipartisan budget deal that is currently before the Senate. Chairman Ryan and Chairman Murray have shown us true leadership on divisive and complex budget issues. The legislation we have before…

I think there are challenges with raising the age, and I think one of the challenges is, clearly, it is going to become very difficult to ask a coal miner to go down in that mine when he is 68 or 69 or 70.

Mr. President, last Friday I left this Chamber with a folder containing most of the information from the Ryan-Murray comprehensive agreement on the budget. I left with the ringing of suggestions in my ear from some colleagues on the floor…

The solutions are not easy, but Senator Toomey's comments about preserving the tax benefits and incentives of government policy to direct people toward more private savings are absolutely essential.

In 1983, when Reagan and O'Neill, Tip O'Neill, changed the Social Security rules, I was 39 years old.

I just want to thank the chairman for calling this hearing. There is probably no more important subject for us to be talking about.

Mr. President, I see the distinguished Senator from Washington on the floor who I assume wishes to speak; if not, I ask to be recognized for up to 5 minutes and then I will yield to the distinguished Senator from Washington. The PRESIDING…

Mr. Speaker, I just want to close up here by thanking both the gentleman from Virginia, Congressman Scott, and Congresswoman Jackson Lee from Texas for their passion and for working hard on this. This is a good way for our Judiciary…