I am the son of an immigrant. Unfortunately, Mr. Norquist, I turned out to be both a lawyer and a senator.

I was here in 1986. I supported Ronald Reagan's immigration policy. At the time, we had 3 million illegals.

Madam President, I rise as a member of both the Senate Appropriations Committee on Transportation and as a member of the Senate Commerce Committee to discuss what I believe is a shocking display of mismanagement and incompetence by the…

Getting to the essential functions and providing for the common defense is the highest, in my view, the highest essential function that this country has to address.

We need to replace sequester with a long-term plan that puts us on the right direction toward fiscal health.

I continue to be concerned about the aviation passenger security fees.

We need to have that information to better evaluate how we go forward.

There is growing consensus, if not full consensus, that the current situation relative to our debt and deficit is such that we are reaching a tipping point.

I don't disagree with you.

It seems to me two results can happen from that. It is either four more years muddling through, four more years of tepid growth, less than satisfactory, high unemployment, more squeeze on discretionary spending; or we reach that tipping…

In these times of austerity, we cannot afford to play favorites here.