During his campaign for re-election, the President called for a balanced approach to solve the fiscal cliff crisis. Unfortunately, the plan his administration submitted to Congress does not include the spending cuts necessary to address…

I thank the gentlelady for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, when the so-called supercommittee failed last year to overcome the obstruction of the Tea Party Republicans and their leader, Grover Norquist, to achieve a fair and balanced…

On Sunday, the President and House Speaker Boehner met to discuss the impending fiscal cliff. The next day, the President jetted off to Michigan to campaign for tax increases, instead of staying in Washington to work on a possible plan…

Madam President, I wanted to be recognized for 10 minutes to talk about the decision by Senator DeMint to leave the Senate next year. But I wish to say to my friend from North Dakota, all of us have in our prayers the loss of our soldiers…

I would like to first thank Chairman Lamar Smith. This may be my last opportunity to thank him for his service as chairman of the Judiciary Committee, not just for this bill but for the work he's done in the full 2 years. He has done a…

Yesterday, Speaker Boehner sent a letter to the President in response to his unreasonable proposal suggesting how Congress can avert the fiscal cliff. Shortly after the election, the House Republican leadership presented the President with…

Over the next 29 days, the President has a huge responsibility to work together with Congress and find a solution to avert the fiscal cliff. With over $16 trillion in debt, our Nation is at a crossroads. We must rein in our out-of-control…

In last Wednesday's The Post and Courier, a retired Foreign Service officer wrote a letter with questions regarding the terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya. Retired Foreign Service Officer William Boudreau worked in the State Department…

I will read another quote from Hamdi. There is no bar to this Nation's holding one of its own citizens as an enemy combatant. Hamdi's detention could last for the rest of his life because the law of war detention can last for the duration…

Mr. President, I would like to inform the body that I think Senator Levin's understanding and reasoning is incredibly sound. We have actually been talking about this for a couple of days. And in light of the Hamdi decision and just plain…

So if our military is authorized to use force, they do not have to call the FBI or the Virginia State Police to shoot. They can shoot against an enemy themselves coming at them in America.

Mr. President, I appreciate the opportunity. This is a good debate. It is a fascinating discussion. I guess the way I look at this issue--and we will talk with Senator Levin in a bit--I have been a military lawyer for about 30 years, and…

I want to build on that just to make sure we understand about a potential attack on a Navy base here at home. No one is suggesting the military could not use force against an al-Qaida attack here at home. The Hamdi case was an American…

Mr. President, long story short, the American people believe that the military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, isolated from the American population, that is being well run by our military and monitored by all kinds of organizations, is a…

We thought there was 20 minutes on each side. Apparently, it is close enough. Just a few minutes? But I want Senator Ayotte to wrap this up.

And our military can fire the shots because of the use of force to defend the homeland and to defend themselves here at home. And the Supreme Court says that once you authorize the ability to use force, it just follows, as night follows…

Right. Because we are not fighting a crime. We don't have to disarm our military and call the local cops and say: Would you please shoot these people before they get here? No. Our guys are going to shoot you. If you are an American citizen…

The politicians set the policies, and others carry those policies out. At least that's the way it happens in this country. It hasn't always been like that. Political leaders of yesterday also led the armies and navies. But in this country…