María Elvira Salazar

I want to remind the ranking member that the individual who actually ran against me who was the Department of Natural Resources director, Greg Walcher, for Colorado was one of the ones who helped to implement this program in Colorado, a…

I would like to share with you and my esteemed colleagues the importance of the Upper Colorado River and San Juan River Basin Endangered Fish Recovery Program. This program is a premiere example of how to recover endangered fish species…

I would like to thank Chairman Gordon for this wonderful bill that will actually create jobs. My amendment adds training for energy auditors, field technicians, and building contractors to promote the use of energy retrofits and…

I thank my great friend the majority leader, Senator Reid, for his inspiration and for his leadership of this body and his love for this Nation. I think our journey together in many ways has been a similar journey because if you think…

There are so many of us here in this Chamber on both sides of the aisle who recognize that the fiscal house of America is in a disastrous condition, and how we move forward when we get a new President in 2009 is going to be very important…

Through the Chair, I ask of my friend from Illinois how important the extension of these energy tax credits is for renewable energy, given the fact that this is not pie-in-the-sky kind of technology we are talking about. As I understand…

The one thing we have always agreed on is that the goal of the Medicare Program is to provide affordable, high quality health care to our Nation's seniors. The Baucus bill is the only option that does that, with nearly $4 billion in…

I want to spend a few minutes, as we come to the end of our debate on global warming, to say how important this issue is for me. When I get up in the morning and I think of my job as a Senator, I think about the major issues we face around…

I rise today with the hope that this Chamber will soon find consensus in our efforts to find a new course and a new direction in Iraq. I am more convinced than ever that we must change our mission in Iraq from one of combat to one of…

this week is a very important week for the United States of America and for the Senate because we will begin our dialog about where we are in Iraq today and where we are going in Iraq in the future; where we are in Afghanistan today and…

Tonight is a night to celebrate what can be done when people come together and work for a common effort. It takes someone such as the Senator from Iowa who is the only U.S. Senator who still lives in the same house that he was born in, who…

I understand that this is a very important issue here in America today moving America forward towards an energy independent America. Madam Speaker, however, it is my understanding that my colleagues on the conference committee for the Food…

Ethanol is being blamed for the high cost of food prices. But what the news media forgets to tell you is that we've had the shortest wheat crop on record worldwide for many, many years. They also forget to tell you that because this…

I just wanted to remind the members on the other side of the aisle that the Future Gen project which was actually on track to be built in Illinois was actually pulled from being built because of its costly forecast. So I would remind our…

I believe that ethanol is a temporary fix to our energy independence in America. We need to start looking at new technologies such as cellulosic-based technology. We understand that relying on corn-based ethanol is only a short-term…

I wish today to strongly support the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which would clarify the laws against pay discrimination. I would like to thank Senator Kennedy, chairman of the Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Committee, for his…

By this order, President Roosevelt harnessed the men and women of the Philippines, who served in the Armed Forces and helped our forces during that great conflict, to be part of our warrior force that defended and preserved the freedoms of…

I come to speak in regard to three firefighters killed in the State of Colorado in the last day and a half. These three firefighters are part of the legion of first responders who make sure they are keeping us safe day in and day out. In…

The key difference between the Senator's amendment and mine is that his is not paid for. The reality is we in this Congress and in the Senate and in the White House need to understand we need to be fiscally responsible. That is a debate we…

I rise today to speak on a very important issue that is intended to protect Americans and to protect our children. Before I make my comments, I wish to give a shout out to Senator Mark Pryor, who has been leading this effort on behalf of…

this is a fine moment for the Senate because it is a group of Senators coming together and saying we need to jump-start the economy, we cannot delay, we need to move forward very quickly. Because of the action this Chamber will take later…

I wish to first comment on the Finance Committee and the way that committee works. First, we are on the floor of the Senate with a Finance Committee package in large part because we have two great Senators who have been a part of this…

when we looked back at the work of this Chamber at the end of 2007, we saw this Chamber coming together in a bipartisan way to garner what was 82 votes for the passage of the 2007 farm bill. It is an example of Republicans and Democrats…

The bill before us places some simple but highly effective safeguards on the Government's surveillance program. These safeguards will in no way impede our efforts to defeat the terrorist networks and prevent attacks on Americans. I want to…

I don't think any Member in this Chamber would argue the fact that we need to update and extend FISA. The technologies available, surveillance methods that are now being used, and the threats that we face have changed dramatically since…