today I recognize Alice and Edward ``Buzz'' Palmer for their service and dedication to Chicago's African- American community. The Palmers have worked for many years in a variety of capacities to build a strong, involved, and educated…

today, with the passage of the Paul Simon Water for the World Act, the Senate will take an important step in fighting poverty and saving the lives of the world's poor by increasing access to the most fundamental human need--clean water. I…

The DREAM Act is a legislative effort to solve a serious problem, and the problem is this: There are many young people who were brought to America by their undocumented parents. They came at the age of a few months old, 2 years, 3 years…

If you go to any State in America and ask those who own small businesses what their challenges are today, I will guarantee you that in the top one, two or three items, it is access to credit. This bill, this small business jobs bill, will…

I rise to speak about an issue that is timely and controversial; it is the issue of immigration. There has been a heated debate for over a year about the immigration law passed by the State of Arizona. This debate highlighted the need for…

I listened carefully when the Republican leader from Kentucky, Senator McConnell, came to the floor. This is the key time, before an election campaign, when parties announce their goals, their strategy, their message to the voters. So I…

first let me salute my colleague from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Mr. Specter. He will be leaving the Senate at the end of this year. He has done many things throughout his senatorial career, but I am glad he brought the attention of…

taxpayer money is being wasted on private-sector colleges.

lately it seems that there is nothing the Senate can agree on. We argue on partisan lines over every issue imaginable. But I know of at least one issue that would bring every Member of the Senate to the floor in agreement: Pell grants…

I come to the Floor today to discuss something very important to Illinois and so many others states FMAP. As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, we increased the Federal matching rate for Medicaid, FMAP. This is smart…

I rise to speak about S. 729, known as the DREAM Act. This is bipartisan immigration legislation that I have introduced with Republican Senator Dick Lugar of Indiana. Immigration is a controversial issue, but I hope there is one aspect of…

summer is ending and the school year is going to begin in a few weeks in many States. But as students prepare for the school year, many wonder what the school and classroom will look like. Parents are reading news reports about budget cuts…

I certainly concur with his conclusion. We serve on the Judiciary Committee together. We both heard the testimony of Elena Kagan as well as had a chance to ask her questions and listen to her responses to other Senators. She is an…

I say to those who will be critical of the remarks I am about to make, this is not from some French Socialist journal; this is not from some left-leaning magazine; this is a news story in the Wall Street Journal this morning which is…

I rise today to introduce the Family and Medical Leave Inclusion Act. This is a bill--previously introduced in the House of Representatives on a bipartisan basis--that would extend the important protections of the Family and Medical Leave…

So isn't it correct that right now we are trying to get to a point where we are providing credit to small businesses all across the United States through good sound banks, and that credit will help these small businesses survive and hire…

I see the Senator from Florida is here, but I wanted to ask a question through the Chair. Is it my understanding that we have been debating this small business bill, which has come out of the committee the Senator from Louisiana chairs…

Illinois, over the weekend, had torrential rains hit our State. They took a terrible toll on already strained water and flood control systems across Illinois. In a matter of hours, Chicago and northwestern Illinois were pounded by nearly…

She made reference to the fact that the Senator from Arkansas, Senator Lincoln, had asked for some agricultural disaster assistance which is now included in this bill, and she has represented in the Senate that this has bipartisan support?

She is a determined Senator, and the time came when she wanted to see a fund created to lend money to small businesses. So she took to that desk and grabbed her charts and stayed there all day until she got the job done. She got 60 votes…

If the Senator from Louisiana will yield for a question, the majority leader just said we are going to continue to work on this, but I remember yesterday, during the debate on the DISCLOSE Act, the Republican leader came to the floor and…

I thank the Senator from New York for his leadership on this legislation. We are here because the Supreme Court, across the street, decided, in a case called Citizens United, to change the way we campaign for office in America. They want…

good to see you again

I come to the floor to say thank you to someone who has, for more than 20 years, been my right hand on Capitol Hill. Tom Faletti is one of the most decent, honest, and caring persons I have ever known. Tom came to work for me 24 years ago…

If they will shoot us down in uniform as policemen, armed, they will kill anybody.