Cord Byrd

I ask for a vote. I hope we can vote for this amendment. I ask for the yeas and nays. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the amendment. The legislative clerk read as follows: The Senator from West Virginia [Mr. Byrd], for…

what is the order of the Senate business? The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Democrats have 8 minutes 48 seconds; the majority has 1 minute 26 seconds. ____________________

I am getting young again, I am told. The Senate ought to go on the record once again in favor of fiscal responsibility. With the cost of the war in Iraq escalating beyond $320 billion, it is time to bring some sanity to the budget process…

just over 3 years ago the Armed Forces of the United States were sent to fight a new war in Iraq. I was against the entry of our country into that war. At that time, many representations were made that this war would be quick and that it…

I thank the very able Senator. Last month, the Senate began debate on immigration and border security legislation, part of which would authorize a whole host of items intended to secure our borders. The legislation would authorize the…

I thank the truly distinguished and able chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Mr. Cochran, for all of his hard work on this bill. He is so diligent, so fair, so honorable. I am proud to serve with him. Mississippi is so well…

an oft-repeated metaphor compares the U.S. Senate to a saucer in which a hot liquid is poured to cool. The earliest known written version of this story appears in an 1871 letter from constitutional law professor Francis Lieber to Ohio…

this Sunday, April 9, is Palm Sunday, thank God. It marks the beginning of the Christian holy week and Easter. The Senate will recess today so that Members might celebrate this holy week in the home churches, among their families, friends…

today, I speak on the Specter-Leahy substitute to S. 2454, the Frist border security bill. At the present time, the Frist bill contains no amnesty for illegal aliens. However, if the Specter-Leahy substitute is adopted, it would…

Monday, March 20, marks the vernal equinox and the first day of spring. On Monday, night and day are equal in length, marking the midpoint of our climb out of the dark winter into the glorious long days of spring. Lovely, lovely spring. It…

one of the greatest orations ever uttered was the oration on the Crown. And it can be said that the theme of that oration was a question: Who least serves the State? Demosthenes answered that question: He who does not say what he thinks…

I ask to speak not to exceed 3 minutes. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

once again the White House has proposed a level of funding for Amtrak that will result in bankruptcy for the company, endangering rail service in every region of the Nation. Two amendments have been offered to increase Amtrak's funding to…

the Snowe-Wyden amendment purports to create a reserve fund within the budget that could be used to allow the Federal Government to improve its negotiating position with respect to lowering the price of prescription drugs. I will vote in…

this amendment adds $550 million to the fiscal year 2007 budget for Amtrak. All aboard for Amtrak. Amtrak. The Bush administration's budget for the coming year assumes that Amtrak will be handed a funding cut of almost $400 million--a…

on March 15, West Virginia State University will dedicate its new research institute in honor of the commissioner of the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, the legendary Mr. Gus R. Douglass. This is a wonderful and fitting tribute to…

historian and author Henry Adams wrote that ``practical politics consists in ignoring facts.'' Here is a fact. Without offsets, we cannot afford to continue to cram hundreds of billions of dollars of new tax cuts into the federal budget…

how long am I recognized for? The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Vitter). The Senator from West Virginia is recognized for up to 35 minutes.

I yield my time to Senator Leahy. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator has that right. The Senator from Washington.

I should first propound an inquiry of the Chair: What is the situation? What is the order of business? The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senate is in a period of morning business, and Senators may speak for up to 10 minutes each. The Senator has…

in his radio address on December 17, 2005, President Bush disclosed that after September 11, 2001, he authorized the National Security Agency, NSA, to undertake wiretapping of American citizens to try to prevent terrorist attacks. The…

as the Senate considers legislation to reauthorize the PATRIOT Act, I am concerned that these efforts fall far short in protecting the constitutional rights of American citizens. Last December, a bipartisan group of Senators, including…

I have waited many hours here many times. I never make a fuss about it. I will just leave the floor and----

I shall quote Alexander Pope in saying to my distinguished friend, Senator Specter: Thou art my guide, philosopher, and friend. I thank the distinguished Senator. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to proceed for not to exceed 3…

today, together with Senator Rockefeller and the West Virginia delegation in the House, I have submitted a resolution honoring the 16 coal miners who perished this year in the State of West Virginia. They are: Tom Anderson, Alva Bennett…