I rise to speak about TARP. The President has submitted the request for the second half of the funds. This is not an easy decision for Members of Congress. We have lots of questions about how the first $350 billion was spent. Questions…

I rise to introduce the Limitations on Interrogation Techniques Act of 2009. This bill is identical to one I introduced last summer, along with Senators Hatch, Chambliss, Burr, and Warner. Last week, my colleague and good friend on the…

Julian Bond at one point, we said, should younger people be passed the baton of leadership or have to snatch it? And he said, unabashedly, snatch it.

I thank our leaders for getting us on this very important bill. As we have discussed before, the failure to modernize and authorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act last summer has caused serious gaps in our intelligence…

I know this is morning business, but I need to get people's attention back on FISA, I hope. Let me clarify some things that have been said earlier today. From time to time, some have tried to rewrite the history on what happened 1 year ago…

I dispute his statement that there were 6 years of unlawful activity of the President. He said no court will be able to review the illegality; no independent officials have reviewed it. First, it is my understanding, although I was not one…

The bill we passed in the Senate with an overwhelming bipartisan majority protected civil liberties of American citizens much further than they have ever been protected even under existing criminal law, we provided more protection. The…

I thank the leaders of this effort, my good friends, Senators Dodd and Shelby, for their hard work and their efforts to address the housing crisis and the need to reform regulatory oversight of the government-sponsored enterprises, Fannie…

This final amendment limits the responsibility of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for housing entities that receive funding from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund created under the bill. The amendment prohibits the trust fund to be used for…

to begin, I think I should make some general comments about my concern and about my ability to work with the distinguished chairman of the committee on affordable housing programs. We have worked a long time on these programs together, and…

The next amendment I offer, No. 4987, was designed to protect potential home buyers with additional mortgage loan disclosure requirements. I explained and discussed this amendment with the two leaders of the Banking Committee when we had…

A couple of months ago, we passed a good bill to say we would authorize $10 million for State housing finance agencies to help refinance homes where the owners were facing foreclosure. A good approach. This is a disastrous approach. CBO…

Let me explain briefly that we added one sentence to a two-sentence amendment saying, in essence, that it will not affect the GSEs, existing affordable housing programs. Those are programs already in effect. There was some question about…

there is no doubt that right now American families are being squeezed on all sides. Gas prices are sky high and climbing. The cost of food is going up. So is the cost of college tuition and health care. So it is no surprise that ``change''…

as I have said before on this floor, I think it is time for us to get real about energy. It is time for us to get real about lowering gas prices. The American people, as we all know if we have listened to our folks when we go back home…

my thanks to the committee leaders for bringing forward the nominations to the Senate of Judge Greg Kays and Stephen Limbaugh to be Federal district court judges for the Western and Eastern District Courts of Missouri. Both Judge Kays and…

with some reluctance, I come to the floor today to continue the discussions that were begun this morning about the Intelligence Committee's report that comes out today, called phase II. I am somewhat embarrassed to have to highlight the…

Let's be clear as we begin this discussion. I, along with a vast majority of my colleagues, support cutting carbon emissions. We want to cut down on any kind of air pollution we have. We have done a great job over the years in improving…

If we can get a domestic manufacturing supply base for hybrid batteries to get the volume up and the prices down, that would be good. Right now we are all depending upon a Japanese battery manufacturer. We need to have those batteries…

We said 140 percent. There are various figures that would add $1.44 to $1.45. This one is from the National Association of Manufacturers. I believe the EPA figures say $1.40, $1.45. I can tell the Senator that we are looking at significant…

We have $6,852 on the average Missouri household. Our source for that is National Association of Manufacturers, March 13, 2008. Obviously, these costs are only estimates. When you realize that those States, such as Missouri, which depend…

It is time for us to get real about energy. It is time for us to get real about gas prices. Withholding from the American people new oil supplies needed to get gas prices down will only hurt our families and our workers more. American…

there is an issue that has been festering in our military ranks for quite some time that we must address now. America's warriors voluntarily leave the comfort of their homes and families to serve the greater good under very difficult…

I come to the floor today to note an anniversary. Although you may have noticed there has been no gift giving, no celebration, no remembrances of the day, the promise was made. That is because the people who made the promise failed to keep…

I know many people have been watching General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker reporting on what is going on in Iraq. Obviously, it is very important information, and I would hope we would heed what they are saying. Regrettably, I must say…