My thanks to my colleagues from Massachusetts and Michigan for bringing to our attention the struggle this economy presents to many families across the United States. You would almost find it hard to imagine that this Senate could meet…

Health care is a priority for the Nation. Americans deserve access to affordable health insurance.

if you sat down this morning to design a system that would offer American workers the most secure retirement possible, where would you start? If you are starting from scratch, what principles would guide you? Here are a few I think you…

I greatly respect the Senator from Iowa. I know he may have to leave, but I do have to tell him I disagree with several things he said. First, the point he raised: Why wasn't I in the Finance Committee stating my position? I am not a…

I respect the Senator who is the chairman of the Finance Committee. It is one of the toughest assignments on Capitol Hill. He has adequately described what I think is the challenge of pension plans--how to make sure companies put the money…

when the Senate considers the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act, I will offer a bipartisan amendment to strike section 808 of the substitute to this bill. The section I wish to strike would impose a significant competitive…

It is understandable because this is an economic issue which hits you right between the eyes every time you drive down the street and hits you right in the pocketbook when you go to pay for gasoline. You know what is happening with the…

so much of the debate here in the Senate is consumed by the seemingly endless war in Iraq. I just left a hearing of the Democratic policy conference. It was the 13th hearing relative to the waste and abuse that took place during the course…

April 24 is Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day, which is a great opportunity for people who are in a position to do so to give their kids a better idea of what they do for a living. In my office, we had a short social time this…

the world is facing a global food crisis, and it is growing worse by the day. Each morning, we see a new front-page headline reminding us of the urgency of the situation. It threatens not only the health and survival of millions of poor…

I thank Senator Kennedy, Senator Mikulski, and many others for bringing this measure before the Senate. You remember when we debated Supreme Court Justices, and do you recall their testimony; you saw it on television. I can recall Justice…

I am glad Senator Akaka from Hawaii is on the Senate floor. As chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, he has done terrific work on this bill. S. 1315 was reported out of committee 9 months ago--9 months ago. Senator Akaka has worked…

Earth Day has been celebrated on April 22 every year since 1970. Much has changed since then. Americans have grown increasingly aware of importance of environmental stewardship for the wellbeing of our country. New challenges have emerged…

I ask a few minutes of the Senate's time to tell you about four men and a little boy. Last Friday, Stanko Bojanovic decided to take advantage of a warm, breezy spring afternoon to enjoy a walk with his 2-year-old grandson along Lake…

the Veterans' Benefits Enhancement Act passed out of the committee 9 months ago, and 6 months ago I came to the floor and asked that we consider it. I could not imagine there would be any delay in wanting to bring critical help to our…

We had to burn off 4 or 5 days of doing nothing because of another Republican filibuster. So far in this Congress the Republicans have initiated now 67 filibusters. The record in the Congress before this Republican minority was 57…

What is included in this bill? A long list of important changes in the law, changes which will give to our veterans, especially those returning now disabled from combat, benefits they absolutely need: housing, education. In addition, there…

I fear we are on the brink of a major humanitarian crisis around the world. Food prices are rising beyond the reach of people in countries as disparate and far apart as Haiti, Egypt, and Thailand. Food prices and their increase have led to…

if I said there was an industry that generates millions of gallons of wastewater every day and that can dump that waste with virtually no oversight, you might think that I was recalling the days before the Clean Water Act. The truth is…

Today the Senate had a historic moment. We passed a bill that has been long awaited across America--one that was read about and heard about. It finally passed this afternoon. It was a bill called the technical corrections bill. It was a…

under cloture, what it means of course is we are doing nothing--good speeches on important topics, but we are not considering legislation. We are not debating a bill. We are killing time, which turns out to be the major occupation of the…

A filibuster is a way to stop the Senate from acting. A filibuster is an effort to make sure the Senate does nothing. You saw the movie with Jimmy Stewart, ``Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.'' He took to the floor as a freshman Senator and…

as the Senate considers the Consolidated Natural Resources Act, I would like to highlight two provisions that are important for Illinois: the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area and the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Extension…

But a special praise to Pat Summitt and the Lady Vols from Tennessee. We had a special interest in the team because of Candace Parker. She is an extraordinary young woman, and watching her play with that physical challenge of her…

the country is consumed with the appearance this week of General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker from Iraq. This is our annual report. Companies make annual reports. People like Warren Buffett call in to Omaha, NE, to shareholders of…