I rise to express my gratitude to Scott Brown, with whom I have enjoyed the privilege of serving for the past 3 years. During that time, Senator Brown and I served together on the Homeland Security and Government Services Committee, which…

I have come to the floor to express my own sense of encouragement about the statements made this afternoon by President Obama and Senator McConnell which indicate that the negotiations to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff are making…

I thank the Chair. In a short while the Senate will vote on two nominees for service in the executive branch of our government. I rise today to speak in support of one of those two, which is William Baer, who has been nominated to serve as…

I guess the good news is that I am rising today not to speak about the fiscal cliff. What I am speaking about is not good news because it deals with the tragic event that occurred in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11, when terrorists took…

this is probably the last opportunity I will have to do this, to thank the ranking member again for the extraordinary partnership we have had for more than a decade now on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. It is…

I rise in honor of the innocent lives that were lost in Newtown, CT, on December 14, when a madman murdered 26 students, teachers, and administrators, as well as his own mother. The terrible act of violence that occurred that day has left…

I rise today to honor the nearly quarter of a century of public service of my friend and the staff director of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Michael L. Alexander. Mike will be leaving his position when this…

I rise to introduce the New Columbia Admissions Act that will create a 51st State from the populated portions of Washington, D.C., giving these more than 600,000 disenfranchised Americans the voice they deserve in our national government…

I thank the Chair. I also wish to thank my dear friend and colleague from California for her words of support and comfort and resolve. We appear to be in one of those periods of time where we are walking too often through the valley of the…

I thank my friend, the chair of the Finance Committee. I thank him for yielding me 10 minutes. While I am expressing gratitude, may I express gratitude to the Senator from Maryland. Talk about moral clarity, which is a term he just used…

I rise to express my strong support for the nomination of Michael Shea to serve as the next Federal district court judge for the District of Connecticut. As the Presiding Officer heard--and I did as well--Chairman Leahy and Senator…

We're the United States; we come together... We are a community and we know what has to be done.

It's obvious that the people of New York and New Jersey suffered more than the people of Connecticut from Hurricane Sandy.

Invest now or pay later.

I am honored to rise to support this amendment and just to make a few points. The first is to assure all of our colleagues that this is just an amendment that asks the Pentagon to conduct a study. It is nothing more than that. I want to…

Hurricane Sandy, talking about Hurricane Katrina, by the estimates I've seen is the second costliest storm in American history.

We strongly urge that Connecticut be made eligible for this funding because it is so important.

I want to say, Chairman Landrieu, that honestly I can't think of a better person to lead this effort than you.

Going to Connecticut, we suffered an estimated $600 million in damage as well.

I appreciate it. Thanks, Chairman Landrieu and Ranking Member Coats, for holding this hearing and giving those of us who represent States and people hard-hit by Hurricane Sandy a chance to describe our States' needs in the supplemental…

I rise to speak on a broadly bipartisan amendment that I have filed, and that I hope and believe will be called up at some point. Obviously, I would like it to be adopted by unanimous consent but, if not, it merits a rollcall vote, and I…

I rise to speak in support of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013. Congress has passed the Defense Authorization every year for the past 5 decades and it remains one of the most bipartisan pieces of legislation we…

I thank my friend from Rhode Island. I thank my friend for his interest in the area of cyber security and for his leadership. I have not talked about that yet--and I will right now--which is to say, following the advice of most of the…

in the remaining time, I appreciate what my friend from Arizona said. I not only join him in that request, but I am confident because I have talked to Senator Reid about this--he said that if we invoke cloture tonight, he will allow a…

I want to begin by thanking the majority leader, Senator Reid, for being as steadfast as he has been in pursuit of a law that will protect America from what I think most security experts would say today, surprisingly, is the most serious…