I was pleased to join the Senator from Michigan, Senator Levin, in submitting a resolution on the Juneteenth Independence Day. I have heard people ask, ``Why celebrate Juneteenth?'' We have so many holidays and remembrances already--why…

I am proud to join Senators Frist and Clinton in introducing the Health Technology to Enhance Quality Act of 2005. Our national health care system is in crisis. Forty-five million Americans are uninsured, and this number continues to rise…

I thank the Chair. I rise today to speak on the nomination of California Justice Janice Rogers Brown to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Let me begin by saying that the last thing I would like to be spending my time on right now is…

I thank the Chair. I do not think that because Justice Brown is an African-American woman she has to adhere to a particular political orthodoxy, something that has been suggested by the other side of the aisle. Just as it would be cynical…

decide each case on the facts and the merits alone. That is what our Founders intended. Judicial decisions ultimately have to be based on evidence and on facts. They have to be based on precedent and on law.

Now the test for a qualified judicial nominee is not simply whether they are intelligent.

let me begin my statement today by outlining what I think this debate is not about. I do not believe this debate is about Mr. Bolton being rude on occasion. This debate is not about Mr. Bolton being blunt. The debate is not about Mr…

we have been spending a considerable amount of time in this body debating the so-called nuclear option. Today I want to spend a little bit of time talking about an issue that poses a more significant threat to our Republic. Throughout the…

today I am introducing the Attacking Viral Influenza Across Nations Act of 2005, or the AVIAN Act. The Nation is becoming increasingly aware of the very serious threat we face from avian flu. This virus is found primarily in chickens…

we have all heard from folks back home about the high price of gasoline. When you pull into a gas station to fill up your tank, you're now paying some of the highest prices of all time. And when you turn on the news, you see that our…

I also know that USAID has already formulated a rapid response plan to use this $25 million, if it is ultimately appropriated.

I see that the distinguished ranking member of the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, Senator Leahy is here on the Senate floor. I am wondering it he would take just a moment to discuss with me the critical issue of the avian flu…

Just for the record, the $100 million figure is important for our purposes here today. Before the Appropriations Committee put together the supplemental, we discussed the importance of immediately addressing the avian flu before the…

Recently, USA Today reported that many of our injured soldiers are returning from Iraq with a condition known as traumatic brain injury, or TBI. Even though new technology and better body armor are helping soldiers survive bomb and rocket…

I call up amendment No. 390 and ask for its immediate consideration. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to setting aside the pending amendments? Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk will report. The assistant legislative…

Yes, I do. DOD currently charges soldiers $8.30 per day for meals at the nondiscounted rate. So if all the eligible soldiers ate all of their meals at military facilities through the end of this fiscal year, the amendment would cost about…

Today I wish to commend Congressman Bobby Rush and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus for their work on behalf of Afro-Colombians. The consistent advocacy of the CBC on this human rights issue has been critical to increasing…

The central point is, what kind of message does it send when we tell hard-working, middle-class Americans, you have to be more responsible with your finances than the companies you work for? They are allowed to be irresponsible with their…

That is an accurate statement by the distinguished Senator from Massachusetts. He characterizes it correctly. I add that all the statistics I have seen indicate one of the fastest growing segments engaged in bankruptcy is senior citizens…

This issue forces us to face a fundamental question about who we are as a country, how we progress as a society, where our values lie as a people, how do we treat our fellow Americans who have fallen on hard times, and what is our…

I rise today to discuss the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005. As both a lawyer and a citizen, I am a strong believer in class actions as a way for ordinary people who have been wronged by a corporation to band together and seek justice…

a few days ago, the world watched as the seeds of democracy began to take root in Iraq. As a result of the sheer courage of the Iraqi people and the untold sacrifices of American soldiers, the success of the elections showed just how far…

I think it is to move forward. The concern that many of my constituents in Illinois express is that we went into Iraq, at least in their minds, because of a very specific threat of terror, not tyranny but terror.

I would urge that there is a clear signal by the administration in its budgeting process this time out that we are moving forward on this.

I think part of the reason you were hesitant to talk about the torture issue yesterday had to do with the fact that you don't want to define 'torture' too much, because you want a little bit of wiggle room.