Cord Byrd

I commend him for producing a balanced bill. Given the constraints under which we are being forced to operate, he has done his best. I have no criticism of him whatsoever, but I would argue that $2 billion is not that large for the very…

I commend Senator McCain, Senator Hollings, and the rest of the conference committee for their hard work on this bipartisan authorization bill. This legislation provides an authorization of $8.168 billion for the Coast Guard's fiscal year…

I would hope to title my remarks at this point ``Homeland Insecurity.'' In a mere matter of days, we will officially kick off the 2004 Presidential election season, with the convening of the Democratic convention in Boston. The political…

Yesterday, the General Accounting Office released a shocking report about the state of funding for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Simply put, our troops are running out of money. But the White House denies that there is a problem. The…

there are only 22 legislative days left in this fiscal year. The Senate seems to be frittering away those precious days. To date, the Senate has only passed one appropriations bill, the Defense bill. Only four bills have been reported from…

today the Senate faces a cloture vote which we should never have faced. We have been put in this position by a majority leadership that is toying with the faith and the trust of people across this country. I share their faith, and I share…

I voted against the Frist-Daschle resolution on the Middle East. My constituents are entitled to an explanation. I opposed the resolution, and I know the leaders, and indeed all of the Members of this body, are genuinely committed to…

last year, the Senate passed a resolution imposing sanctions on the thug regime that has been running Burma for the last 25 years. It comes up for annual renewal, much like the most-favored-nation procedure we used to apply to China. This…

last year, the Senate overwhelmingly approved an amendment that I offered to urge the President to budget for ongoing military operations. Mr. President, 81 Senators agreed that the administration should include in its budget request…

First of all, he is my friend and nothing as far as I am concerned will ever mar that friendship, but I have to say that my blood boiled last Monday evening when I learned that the House Republican leadership, with the support of Senate…

our Nation launches a 6-year commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the French and Indian war. That commemoration is this year. As part of the celebration, Members of the Senate and their staffs are invited to a special viewing of a…

this amendment increases U.S. support for Plan Colombia. My amendment raises the cap on the number of U.S. military and civilian personnel who can participate in Plan Colombia. My amendment fully supports Colombia's war against drug…

Mr. President, it is no secret that America's military forces are stretched thin across the globe. The relentless fighting in Iraq has exacted a heavy toll on the U.S. military, forcing thousands of American troops to face extended tours…

as I mentioned a moment ago, Sunday will be June 20, and it will be West Virginia Day. West Virginia Day. On this day before West Virginia eve, there are so many things I would like to say about my great and proud and glorious State. I…

You know, the coal miner is a very special breed of man. He goes into the smokey, hot bowels of the Earth to seek comrades who may be still alive. He risks his life for them. I have a special bond with the distinguished Senator through…

as spring turns to summer, as the calendar rolls from Easter to Memorial Day to the Fourth of July, our workaday schedule is pleasantly interrupted by numerous holidays--days of remembrance, for the most part. We honor the death and the…

today the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission issued its second major annual report to the Congress, as mandated by the Congress in its enabling statute, P.L. 106-398, October 30, 2000, as amended by Division P of P.L. 108-7…

as we are considering the National Defense Authorization Act, I thank my colleagues, Senators Warner and Levin, the Chairman and ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee, for so graciously agreeing to accept an amendment that I and…

today, I voted in support of an amendment to the Department of Defense Authorization Act to establish that hate crimes based on race, color, religion, and national origin are prohibited at all times--not only when a person is involved in…

In August 1814, during the War of 1812, the British Navy bombarded Fort McHenry in Baltimore. A lawyer and amateur poet named Francis Scott Key from nearby Washington witnessed the attack from a British ship, where he had been attempting…

on May 12, 2004, the President sent to Congress an amendment to his fiscal year 2005 budget request that would add $25 billion for the cost of the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The President's request amounted to a blank check…

May 31 is Memorial Day, the day we set aside each year to remember and to honor those men and women who gave their lives in service to our Nation. Memorial Day used to be called Decoration Day in the old South--the day that we reminisce in…

it's difficult to imagine a subject that is more obscure and more arcane than the federal procurement process. At times, it seems as though an impenetrable fog hangs over government contractors, clouding the process by which taxpayer funds…

I thank the Senator. Among those giants who walked these halls, may I add one name: the name of the illustrious Richard Brevard Russell of Winder, GA, who was chairman of that committee when I first came to the Senate.

on another matter, a perfect storm has been brewing. Americans have already felt the leading edge of the approaching squalls. Today, we are more dependent upon imported oil than ever before. More than 54 percent of the oil that Americans…