On June 27, 2012, Congress presented the Congressional Gold Medal to the first African Americans to serve in the United States Marine Corps, the Montford Point Marines. More recently, the personal story of three of those marines from…

I will be brief. I thank the Senator from Alabama, my friend, for yielding the floor. He asks an important question: Why has Congress not passed a budget resolution in a number of years? But he knows the answer. The answer is because we…

simply because people have tattoos or listen to certain music or even gather in certain places and say certain things is not evidence of criminal intent.

Things move pretty slowly at the Federal level, and the request has been there for more than 2 years.

America is strongest when we lead by example.

Thank you very much.

I hope we can get in your distribution chain. I would like to see it.

So do you oppose enhanced penalties for terrorism?

I think in light of the terrible incident in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, that this would be a good thing for us to do as expeditiously as possible.

Well, I would just say that I would question whether or not you are consistent in allowing for enhanced penalties for terrorism but not for hate crimes.

Well, it turns out that when we wrote our terrorism laws, we thought it did.

the militia that was investigated in Michigan had a larger arsenal of weapons than all of the terrorists who had been arrested since 9/11 in the United States.

Thank you. I want to thank this panel.

I now ask for a second reading, and in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I object to my own request. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard. The bill will be read for the second time on the next…

I ask unanimous consent when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 2 p.m. on Monday, September 17, 2012, for a pro forma session only, with no business conducted; that following the pro forma session, the Senate adjourn…

If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it adjourn under the previous order. There being no objection, the Senate, at 8:03 p.m., adjourned until Monday, September 17, 2012, at 2 p.m…

The Senate will be in pro forma session on Monday and out of session on Tuesday in order to accommodate Rosh Hashanah. The next rollcall vote will be at noon on Wednesday. There will also be a cloture vote on the motion to proceed to the…

this past Sunday, the closing ceremonies of the 2012 summer Paralympic games were held in London. More than 4,200 athletes seated in the arena were joined by 80,000 cheering spectators to celebrate the culmination of 11 days of athletic…

I understand there is a bill at the desk. I ask for its first reading. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will read the bill by title for the first time. The bill clerk read as follows: A bill (H.R. 5949) to extend the FISA Amendments Act of…

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S.J. Res. 44. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the joint resolution by title. The bill clerk read as follows: A joint resolution (S.J. Res. 44)…

I ask unanimous consent that the joint resolution be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements related to the joint resolution be printed in the…

I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. 3552, introduced earlier today. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title. The bill clerk read as follows: A bill (S. 3552) to reauthorize the…

I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to Calendar No. 386, S. Res. No. 401. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report. The bill clerk read as follows: A resolution (S. Res. 401) expressing appreciation for Foreign Service and Civil…

I would like to take a moment to thank a man who has been a good friend to me and a strong advocate for working people in our home State of Illinois, across America and beyond. Congressman Jerry Costello has represented the 12th…

the statues and busts in the U.S. Capitol depicting distinguished Americans number more than 120. However, among the collection are only two African Americans, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Sojourner Truth. This disparity fails to…