The Public Record
this Sunday, June 15, is Father's Day. It is a day of lovely chosen, if sometimes unstylish, ties; a day of lumpy clay bowls and golf tee puzzles; of handmade cards and big brunches. It is a day for family members to struggle over what to…
Tomorrow is Flag Day. Now, from time to time, I speak on events such as Flag Day, these national holidays--Independence Day, Father's Day, Mother's Day, Columbus Day, and so on. When I first came to the Congress, now over a half century…
With each passing day, the questions concerning and surrounding Iraq's missing weapons of mass destruction take on added urgency. Where are the massive stockpiles of VX, mustard, and other nerve agents that we were told Iraq was hoarding…
the Senate is considering legislation to raise the statutory debt limit by $1 trillion. This increase is the largest in the history of the Republic-- surpassing by a whopping $100 billion the record that was set by the first President Bush…
Mr. President, just weeks ago, our Armed Forces once again demonstrated--demonstrated--the overwhelming might of the United States military. Due to the sustained commitment of our country to invest a substantial proportion of our national…
in my 50 years as a Member of Congress, I have had the privilege to witness the defining rhetorical moments of a number of American Presidents. I have listened spellbound to the soaring oratory of John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. I have…
I thank him for his kind words. Future generations will not rise up to call us blessed.
After the contentious debates and harried schedules of past weeks on Capitol Hill, some Members may just relax and enjoy the beauty of spring. Spring, ah spring. Spring is such a gentle season. The air is soft, the earth is moist, the new…
With the final passage of the fiscal year 2004 budget resolution, I expect that many in Congress will congratulate themselves for a job well done. I expect a whole flurry of press releases to emanate from Washington about who is or is not…
the world is now well aware of the story surrounding PFC Jessica Lynch, the young soldier from Palestine, WV, who was taken prisoner by the Iraqi military on March 23. She is now recovering from her captivity at a military hospital in…
On Tuesday, April 1, Mary Jane Ogilvie, the beloved wife of the Rev. Dr. John Lloyd Ogilvie, passed away. A light has gone out in the lives of the many people who were touched by her love, her dedication, and her compassion. Rev. Dr. John…
I say that Congress has not only the right, it has the responsibility to state how those funds shall be spent. We should not turn over the whole kit and caboodle to some unelected somebody down there, who will be the Secretary of Homeland…
I do not support the policy that brought us where we are today in Iraq. I have no hesitancy in saying that. I can defend that position any time, anywhere. I am sure not everybody will agree with me, but I have reasons for my position. So…
ours has been a long friendship. It is going to continue. But I expect to be a partner in this fight. I expect to be told at least by the chairman that he anticipates calling up an amendment of this nature. A point of order would lie…
I must state my surprise at the distinguished chairman having offered an amendment that would provide for an open-ended increase in the national debt. I didn't even know this was going to happen. No one spoke to me about this. Yet this is…
Well, that is quite all right, but I would at least like to know in advance that it is being done, that is No. 1. No. 2, this is an open-ended increase in the debt ceiling.
time after time, coal has been there for this country. Coal has been and will continue to be an important part of America--its history, its economy, and its people. During World War I, when coal supplied the Nation's heat and powered our…
There is a Catskill eagle in some souls that can alike dive down into the blackest gorges and soar out of them again and become invisible in the sunny spaces. And even if he forever flies within the gorge, that gorge is in the mountains…
my amendment will strike the reconciliation instructions to the Finance Committee that would shield the President's $726 billion tax cut from a thorough debate in the Senate. To use reconciliation to increase the deficit is an abuse of the…
there may be men and women dying right now in the Arabian desert. Here we are talking about a budget resolution which is required by law to be passed by April 15. The administration has not added one penny in this budget for the war. They…
Springtime Mr. President, this is my 85th year, but it is my 86th coming of spring. I am 85 years old--85 years young--but this is my 86th first day of spring. So, Mr. President, at long last spring has arrived. How sweet it is. How sweet…
the budget resolution currently before the Senate cuts funding for Amtrak by almost 22 percent. There is no question that this funding level will put Amtrak into bankruptcy during the next fiscal year. We must not let that happen. The…
Months of uncertainty over the fate of Iraq ended with the first U.S. air strikes on Baghdad. Today, regardless of where any of us stand on the decision to go to war, we are all Americans, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the men and…
I believe in this great and beautiful country. I have studied its roots and gloried in the wisdom of its magnificent Constitution and its inimitable history. I have marveled at the wisdom of its Founders and Framers. Generation after…
Mr. President, I speak with reference to the Conrad amendment No. 264, which was voted on earlier today. I had hoped to speak prior to the vote on that amendment, but I was unable to do so. Mr. President, the amendment that was before the…
Politicians like Cord Byrd
