I find the timetable just a little--well, I have a great deal of concern about the time that we are talking about.

I have been telling the veterans in Illinois, oh, yes, we are improving our claims processing, things are improving, things are getting better.

For the past 2 years, this country has been held in the grip of an unprecedented economic crisis. The housing market collapsed, the bottom dropped out of Wall Street, and for the first time in generations many Americans felt their…

So if I have got a bad knee and I am living in Chicago or even Carpenter, Illinois, and I got $20 a month in Chicago and $20 a month in Carpenter, that is what you are saying.

Our veterans, especially in Illinois, are having all kinds of problems and I am concerned about the history that was there.

Mr. President, I rise this evening in strong support of Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman, a proud resident of my home State of Illinois and of course a fellow Chicago south-sider. We are very proud of which side she comes from in Chicago, west…

As a public servant, I have long been a strong advocate for American small businesses--especially disadvantaged and minority-owned businesses. And even before I sought elected office, when I was a banker, I worked hard every day to spur…

a few months ago, my colleagues and I passed a landmark health insurance reform bill. President Obama signed it into law, and together we ushered in a new era of transparency, accountability, and cost savings for the American people. Now…

As a lawyer, as a former attorney general for the State of Illinois, I consider it a great privilege to evaluate and confirm nominees to the bench. The constitutional power of advise and consent is one this Senate must exercise with…

early this morning, our country lost an icon and a national treasure. Our friend and colleague, Senator Robert C. Byrd, became a legend in his own time. And in many ways, he came to embody the institution of the Senate. As a leader, and as…

near the end of May, we learned that the unemployment rate in my home State of Illinois had fallen to about 10.8 percent, down from 11.2 percent in March. That is the first time the unemployment rate has gone down since 2006, when it stood…

Secretary Gottemoeller, why are the other 35 sites, previously inspected under START I, now off limits?

Does it appear the Russian Parliament will ratify the New START?

President Obama has indicated that the New START is only a first step and is meant to set the stage for further cuts.

Can you describe why these reductions are in our best interest?

What verification changes have been made from past agreements to ensure both parties meet their obligations?

on a hot day in the summer of 1776, delegates from across the American Colonies gathered in Philadelphia to cast off the yoke of tyranny and assert the fundamental right of self-government. At that moment, when our Republic was born, our…

I support our President in that speech and every effort he has made in trying to get direction and a solution to the problems we are experiencing down on our gulf coast. I find it disheartening and disappointing all these commentators who…

Secretary Clinton, where is Russia in the ratification process at this point?

Last night, and well into this morning, the sounds of celebration rang through the streets of Chicago. Throughout the city, a proud anthem was sung, an anthem which begins: Here come the Hawks--the mighty Blackhawks. Many consider the…

we have to get control and command, and get somebody in charge down there.

We must make sure that we treat this as a national crisis.

Somebody has got to take charge. I do not know what authority we have to try to order somebody.

This wave of violent crime continued into Tuesday afternoon, when three more Chicagoans were shot and killed in broad daylight. These incidents came right on the heels of another shocking murder. Last week, a police officer and Iraq War…

I come before this august body with a very heavy heart this afternoon. Last Friday night, just a few blocks from my home in Chicago, a terrible act of violence claimed the life of a young police officer. Thomas Wortham IV was a…