I think all of us have an interest in the Defense authorization bill. Senator McCain and I have been working on this bill with members of the committee for about a year. This is a bill that has a lot of provisions critically important to…

There is a major difference between what happened then and what is being proposed by Senator Kyl now. That side agreement... would absolutely derail this New START agreement. Second, that was a political agreement, that side agreement that…

I support the continuing resolution. One of the many reasons is that the Navy's urgent request for authority for the littoral combat ship, (LCS),--program is included. The original LCS acquisition plan in 2005 would have had the Navy…

the amendment of Senator Thune would amend the treaty by changing one of the elements of the treaty, which is the number of deployed strategic forces that we have. Under the treaty, the limit, of course, is 700. But the critically…

the Risch amendment states a concern which is a legitimate concern. I think probably everybody would agree to that. This concern was there in the START I treaty and it was there in the Moscow Treaty just a few years ago, that we need to…

I am not here for partisan reasons; I am here because men and women wearing the uniform of the United States who are gay and lesbian have died for this country because gay and lesbian men and women wear the uniform of this country and have…

let me just say that General Chilton, who is the commander of our U.S. Strategic Command, told the Armed Services Committee on July 20: As the combatant command also responsible for synchronizing global defense plans, operations, and…

The Armed Services Committee held two excellent hearings to consider the final report of the working group that reviewed the issues associated with the repeal of don't ask, don't tell. That report concluded that allowing gay and lesbian…

I thank the Senator from Oregon for his powerful statement and powerful presence. We look forward to 110 percent of that power being back with us in the days ahead.

the greatness of our Nation depends not just on our economic or military might or the drive of our people. We are great in part because we seek not just our own prosperity and security but peace and security for all peoples, and because we…

the missile defense program is not covered or limited by the New START treaty. That is about as simple a statement as I can make, and there has been an awful lot of debate about the missile defense program and allegations that it is…

What we are about to do here today is extraordinary, and the impact will be felt by our kids and grandkids for the next 30 years. With one vote, we are going to increase the already projected record deficit for this year of $1.3 trillion…

Mr. Chair, I rise today in opposition to the Senate amendment to the Middle Class Tax Relief Act of 2010. This bill has good parts to it for the poor and the middle class, but it gives away $120 billion to the superrich, $120 billion the…

The Democratic majority in the House has made it crystal clear that we stand on the side of middle income families, of unemployed workers, of small businesses struggling in this difficult economy. The compromise before us clearly requires…

occasionally in the career of a U.S. Senator, one is given the opportunity to shape legislation that will bring historic change to our Nation. The Senators who have seized such opportunities stand among the Senate giants of our lifetime…

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Omnibus Trade Act of 2010. Mr. Speaker, you know that when the AFL-CIO and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are energetically in favor of the same bill, that's a pretty good day and probably a pretty…

when the Senate invoked cloture on this bill yesterday evening, and adopted the procedure used after cloture, those of us who oppose portions of this bill lost any opportunity to address the problems we see and seek to repair them. I voted…

My amendment would restore the estate tax exemption level and top estate tax rates to their 2009 levels of $3.5 million and 45 percent, respectively. Raising the estate tax exemption level to $5 million and lowering the rate to 35 percent…

I have been honored for the past 18-plus years to serve alongside Senator Byron Dorgan, who is preparing to leave the Senate after three distinguished terms. Senator Dorgan has been one of the most plain-spoken, energetic, and formidable…

This is really a vital bill. I bring it to the floor in a bipartisan spirit to move and to make sure that all of the important pieces of this vital legislation, all of them, become law. This bill continues the essential trade adjustment…

The bill before us right now makes important changes to the tax law rules that relate, as Mr. Neal and Mr. Tiberi said, to regulated investment companies, more commonly known as mutual funds. They were described 80 years ago in testimony…

through three terms in this chamber, Senator Judd Gregg has been a consistent, principled voice for responsible stewardship of the taxpayers' hard-earned money. Though he and I have not always agreed on the roles and responsibilities of…

today we are involved in one of the most important functions of the U.S. Senate, and one of the most rare. Only 11 impeachment trials have been completed over the 221-year history of the Senate. Article II of the U.S. Constitution gives…

I believe that before this Congress adjourns we must extend unemployment benefits that are so vital to the economic survival of many American families and to our economic recovery. I also believe we must ensure that working families are…

for five terms, longer than anyone in his State's proud history, Arlen Specter has represented the State of Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate. Over that time, he distinguished himself greatly, from his commendable work on the Judiciary…