Think about how many -- how few days we're going to be in session this year. And name me a year we have more problems facing the country.

It seems to me it's designed to avoid debating energy policy, designed to avoid pointing out that we have not met the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission and Homeland Security.

Make no mistake about it. Traditional marriage is under assault.

It is this administration's way of avoiding the tough, the real problems American citizens are confronted with each and every day.

Things that happen like this are always harmful, and as far as public opinion is concerned, and disappointing to many Americans.

It seems to me that they ought to be able to part with at least some of them for some of the housing crisis problems we have in Indian country.

It seems to me that FEMA ought to be more creative, ought to be more innovative, ought to be thinking outside of their own little jurisdictional box.

I think serious mistakes were made from the beginning, by not having enough troops here. I think that's pretty well acknowledged by most experts now. And that caused us significantly greater problems.

Apparently it's true. We don't know the details. It saddens you enormously. It reemphasizes the absolute requirement for discipline in the military.

There is an election in November, and our leadership position as Republicans is on the line. And I think that will weigh heavily in the conference.

There is an election in November, and our leadership position as Republicans is on the line.

I'm hopeful that the House will save us from this bill.

I think it's fair to say that the leadership's message to the president has been we don't believe that one bill is necessarily the best way to do this and it just may take two steps.

I can tell you exactly how they're going to react. That Congress is protecting itself. That Congress is hiding something. I think that is enormously destructive.

We as Democrats are declaring our commitment to change.

And for those who have argued where's your agenda, where's your agenda, it's being rolled out on a daily basis.

Our present system of energy is weakening our national security, hurting our pocketbooks, violating our common values, and threatening our children's future.

There's something real fishy here.