I see my colleague from Tennessee just left the floor, and I was listening to his comments. I know he is having a hard time--as many of our Senate colleagues are--understanding or justifying the actions of the Republicans in the House…

I rise to introduce the Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act. I am pleased to have Senators Boxer, Brown, Carper, Feinstein, Harkin, Heinrich, Hirono, Kaine, Leahy, Mikulski, Sanders, Schumer, Udall (NM), and Warner as original…

we have just a few hours, absent some last-minute agreements on the continuing resolution, to a government shutdown. This is a manufactured crisis that we are imposing upon our country. Make no mistake about it, it will cause harm. People…

the fatal shooting at the Washington Navy Yard last week is a senseless tragedy. I mourn the loss of life and offer my prayers to all who have been affected by this heinous act, especially the families of the victims. Our Navy and their…

We need a long-term reauthorization of our transportation programs.

We cannot afford to go through that situation again.

But politically, at the end of the day I think it will be rewarded when we give the communities the type of transportation they need.

first let me thank Senator Boxer for putting into the Record the history of how we fought for Medicare, how we went through a lot of the health care fights, and what we have stood for in protecting the American public for affordable…

Traffic congestion across the region hurts my State's economy, the quality of life of my constituents and the public's health.

Our first rate Nation should not have second rate infrastructure.

I want to thank all the witnesses that are here today to help us deal with the funding of our transportation priorities here at the Federal level.

I think the absolute no revenue pledge that has characterized the Republican position... is a mistake.

We are going to need 60 votes in the Senate to do anything, and we are going to get many things through a Republican-controlled House.

It is just unacceptable that it takes a couple of hours to get into the Nation's capital.

We couldn't get that, because we didn't have the revenue to deal with the longer term.

I want to thank Senator Menendez for allowing me to chair today's hearing as we consider four nominees for ambassadorships.

The best way to reduce long term congestion is by having fewer vehicles on the road.

By the way, it was not paid for. It was estimated to cost $400 billion, and there was no offset of cost. So we were worried it would have an impact on the affordability of the Federal Government to pay the bill. So we all voted against it…

What a difference. Instead, they are using the process of holding hostage the Federal Government from being in operation in order to advance their extreme agenda. It has been nearly 20 years ago when the Government shut down because the…

We are now into 3 years under the Affordable Care Act, and all we get from the Republicans is repeal after repeal after repeal--no effort to deal with legitimate problems of implementation that we would like to work together to do.

It was all private insurance. They did not pool the total purchasing power to reduce the cost of prescription drugs--another matter that we felt very strongly that we were overpaying. And we are overpaying for prescription drugs, as a…

And it became law. Senator Boxer is absolutely right: When that bill passed, we came together and said: Let's make it better. We lost the battle on the floor. It became the law. Let's try to make it work. And we did that, Democrats and…

I wish to commend Senator Shaheen and Senator Portman for their hard work in bringing a bipartisan bill to the floor that will boost energy efficiency in government, in industry, and in commercial and residential buildings. This bill will…

today--September 18--marks the Air Force's 66th birthday. For 66 years, our Nation has entrusted the Air Force with preserving peace and freedom, and defending our democracy. Since its beginnings on July 26, 1947, when President Harry…

But for the process, and we slowed it down a little bit, we got the right outcome, we did get the right outcome here?