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…

I acknowledge that the Senator is correct that this modification of a mortgage on a primary residence would be a change in bankruptcy law. I ask the Senator from Texas, is he aware that in the 1980s we created chapter 12 bankruptcy for…

I wish to also ask the Senator from Pennsylvania, through the Chair: Is it true that the Senator limits the application of his modification of mortgages by the Bankruptcy Court to families earning less than 150 percent of State median…

The purpose here is not to send people to bankruptcy court, it is the opposite. Going to bankruptcy court these days is not a trip to Disney World. It is a problem. You have to go through credit counseling, you have to gather all of your…

I direct my question through the Chair to the Senator and thank him for offering the amendment and say to the Senator from Vermont that over a year ago, while making a phone call to someone in a financial institution in New York on an…

Yesterday I introduced a bipartisan bill with Senator Snowe, Senator Lincoln, and Senator Coleman to make health coverage more accessible and affordable for small businesses and the self-employed. In Illinois and across the Nation…

I have been a Senator for a number of years and have visited Iraq and Afghanistan on three separate occasions. I try my best to meet with as many of our soldiers as possible--but, of course, focus on those from Illinois--to sit and eat…

Through the Chair, I am happy to be a cosponsor of the Senator's amendment. The last point she made is the one I found almost nothing short of amazing: that the largest banks that are involved in the mortgage business, and the realtors who…

I ask the Senator, through the Chair, if he is aware of the fact that this only applies to mortgages, subprime mortgages on a primary residence that had been entered into as of the date of the enactment of legislation, not to any future…

At the end of the day, let's be honest. No one has read all of those forms. No one understands all those forms, particularly those who are borrowing money. But the fine print in those forms is going to dictate their lives, and they do not…

my amendment gives to the bankruptcy court the authority to modify the mortgage. But under your amendment, or your approach, the ultimate decision on whether a mortgage is going to be modified still has to be approved by the lending…

That is why I wish to make this point. Because we said that when it came to the so-called cramdown or modification of mortgages, we would make an exception and the exception would apply to the homes of farmers and their farm property. We…

Today I rise to support this resolution honoring the 40th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act and the 20th anniversary of the Fair Housing Amendments Act. But first I want to honor a man whose work helped pave the way for this landmark…

It is an attempt to come up with a bipartisan bill to deal with the housing crisis in America. We hope this is going to be successful. We are anxious for this bill to come to the floor. It is needed-- desperately needed. We felt at least…

this Senate is an institution which was central to the decision to become a Nation. I have been watching this John Adams documentary on HBO--I recommend it to everybody--talking about the earliest days of America. This great Constitution…

I am pleased to support the Biden/Lugar amendment that restores the full amount of the President's request for the international affairs budget. While American military engagement overseas is at an all time high, the strength of our ideas…

I am proud to support the Democratic budget that Chairman Conrad and the Budget Committee have so ably put together. This budget lowers taxes, and it creates or maintains nearly a half million good-paying jobs here at home. In contrast…

It is my understanding the proposal by the Senator from Arizona is to further enlarge the exemption of those who pay this tax, so that even fewer than 7,000 will actually pay. Is that correct?

So for those who are so-called fiscal conservatives, we are going to cut taxes for the wealthiest people in America, and add debt for everyone else in America, an added debt we are going to borrow from overseas and ask our children to pay…

The Senator inadvertently misstated my position. I know it was an accident. We are good friends. He is probably not aware I do support the H-1B. But is the Senator aware that out of the top 10 companies that secured H-1B visas, 6 of those…

Does the Senator feel the option of job vacancies that may be filled by H-1B visa holders should first be offered to Americans to fill those jobs before an H-1B visa is given to a person coming from another country?

The pending amendment by the Senator from Arizona is not paid for, which means he has not suggested increasing some other tax to set it off or cutting spending to offset it; it is simply added to the debt of America. And if that debt the…