the Senator from Kentucky is flat out wrong. There is no such language in the bill which denies the right to trial by jury. I think those are the same kinds of charges against last year's bill. We are trying to keep up with the false…

in a few days, the Senate will no longer benefit from the service of a member who has left an indelible mark on national security policy and on the Senate. Senator Joe Lieberman has been my colleague and friend for more than two decades…

for the Committee on Armed Services I report favorably the following nomination lists which were printed in the Records on the dates indicated, and ask unanimous consent, to save the expense of reprinting on the Executive Calendar that…

let me thank Senator Pryor for his tremendous contribution to this bill and to this body. The fight he is waging here is the correct fight. This was not done well by the Air Force, to put it mildly. We froze it. They amended it. We have…

I did not know that I would follow the distinguished majority leader. I just want to say, and I mostly want to talk about Plan C, but for him or anybody else to come on the floor and say that the President hasn't proposed spending cuts…

This is an important moment. These bills move the Nation dangerously closer to the cliff with only 11 days before our Nation would go over it. They make finding common ground far more difficult with only 11 days left to find it. These…

On that I demand the yeas and nays. The yeas and nays were ordered. The SPEAKER pro tempore. This will be a 5-minute vote. The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 215, nays 209, answered ``present'' 1, not voting 6…

there are many people in this town who say they are worried about the deficit. But all too often, those claiming the mantle of ``deficit hawk'' are pretty dovish about making the hard decisions required to reduce the budget deficit and…

Would the near-historic low water levels of the Great Lakes caused by drought and mild winters be considered a natural disaster?

In addition to response, recovery and mitigation related to Hurricane Sandy damage, I also understand this bill provides funds to help respond to other natural disasters. I would ask the manager of the bill, Senator Leahy, is that correct?

When 7-year-old Danny Inouye saw the Japanese planes over his Hawaii home on December 7, 1941, his first impulse was to help. So he ran to help. He had emergency medical training. He used that training to help bind the wounds of the…

I thank the Senator. I am pleased the bill includes $821 million to dredge federal navigation channels and repair damage to Corps projects nationwide related to natural disasters. Would federally-authorized Great Lakes harbors and channels…

I thank the Senator for his clarification. The Army Corps of Engineers estimates that $35 million could be utilized in operations and maintenance funding just to restore minimum operations in the Great Lakes system. I am hopeful that $35…

for the last 22 years, Daniel Akaka has represented the people of Hawaii in this body. They have been the better for his service, and I have greatly appreciated the wisdom, humility, and passion with which he has served here. One issue on…

over a half century ago, Rosa Parks sparked a revolution in American race relations when she decided that she would no longer tolerate the humiliation and demoralization of racial segregation on a bus. The strength and spirit of this…

I want to bring attention to a significant disaster situation in the Great Lakes region. As a result of a deadly combination of the Midwest drought and an unusually warm winter, the Great Lakes are at near record low water levels. The Army…

I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Whitehouse). Without objection, it is so ordered. Remembering Danny K. Inouye

Michigan and Texas have much in common, despite the fact they are North vs. South, cowboy boots vs. snowshoes, mesquite vs. pine. One of the things we have in common is water. Our States are, economically, historically, and culturally tied…

over his time in this body, Jeff Bingaman has worn many hats: champion of education, expert on energy policy, steward of our nation's nuclear arsenal, thoughtful voice on national security. He has approached each of these varied…

I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on December 11, 2012, at 2:30 p.m. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, December 11, 2012, at 10:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Streamlining and…

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on December 11, 2012, at 10 a.m., in room SD-215 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection…

let me first thank Senator Leahy and members of the Judiciary Committee for the hearing they held on Terry Berg's nomination for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. I know how hard Senator Leahy works to get these…

So I am glad, very glad, that finally, the Jackson-Vanik law is no longer going to apply to Russia. Not only does the bill under consideration grant Russia PNTR, it also contains enforcement provisions that my brother, Congressman Sander…

I want to join my colleagues in extending condolences to the family of Senator Warren Rudman, and add my voice to those saluting a distinguished, effective and principled member of this body. It has been hard in the last few months, for…