We deeply regretted you were unable to appear before due to your illness, and I am thrilled to see you have made a full recovery.

You have met every challenge this country has faced and you have done it in every generation with such extraordinary bravery and skill.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have never, never, never in the history of America asked so much of a generation. And you have met it with incredible pride.

I'm proud to be president of the United States. But I'm prouder to be (INAUDIBLE).

I have no illusions about what we`re up against or how hard the task is in front of us, but I also have never seen the nation`s conscience so shaken by what happened in Sandy Hook. The world has changed and it`s demanding action.

I know we don't have absolute unanimity in this -- in this ballroom nor do we in any ballroom, but we all know, everyone acknowledges, we have to -- we have to do something. We have to act. And I hope we all agree there's a need to respond…

There is no silver bullet when it comes to pertaining gun violence, no seat belt you can put on.

There is a surprising -- so far, a surprising recurrence of suggestions that we have universal background checks. Not just close the gun show loophole, but total universal background checks, including private sales.

I have never quite heard as much talk about the need to do something about high-capacity magazines as I have heard spontaneously from every group that we have met with so far.

I have never quite heard as much talk about the need to do something about high-capacity magazines as I have heard spontaneously from every group that we have met with so far.

There is a surprising -- so far, a surprising recurrence of suggestions that we have universal background checks, not just closed the gun show loophole, but total universal background checks, including private sales.

The vice president has longstanding relationships that are always in use up here. But I think the White House is prepared to pivot very quickly into the next battle.

Mr. President, I rise for the purpose of entering into a colloquy with Senator Reed, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, regarding funding for the Department of the Interior included in the…

I thank the Senator. Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, as we debate the Hurricane Sandy Supplemental bill this week, it is critical that we ensure taxpayer dollars go to help those impacted by this devastating storm and not toward spending…

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak in general debate as to H.R. 5949 and that my time in so speaking be charged against Senator Wyden. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Madam President, in this dangerous world, we have an obligation to give our intelligence community the tools and the resources they need to keep us safe. But we also have a fundamental obligation--just as great, I believe--to protect the…

Mr. President, this week, the Senate passed the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Improvement Act of 2012, The IPERA Improvement Act or H.R. 4053. Earlier this month, the House passed the same legislation, which builds on the…

Mr. President, this has been a hard week in the Senate as we have said goodbye. As we have just seen in the remarks of the majority leader, retirements are very difficult. Parting with the company of honored and treasured colleagues in the…