I regret, however, that we missed two opportunities to make it even better. The first missed opportunity was our failure to adopt Senator Durbin's provision regarding bankruptcy. I am still mystified why a bankruptcy judge can reduce the…

Mr. President, there is a justifiable feeling of anger and worry across America today regarding the ongoing housing crisis. Millions of Americans are currently bearing a heavy burden to keep their family homes and desperate for relief. The…

Today the Senate takes an important step forward in celebrating and commemorating one of our Nation's most important emblems and historic periods. Included in the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 is legislation that I authored…

first, let me compliment and thank the assistant majority leader, the Senator from Illinois, for his consistent comments with regard to the U.S. role in Iraq. He has made it clear that the U.S. interest has not been served by these last 5…

let me say to my colleague again from Nevada, the two of us did work together very closely in the other body, and now it is a real pleasure to serve together in this body. It is a great honor. I think the comments the Senator has made…

Let me thank again the Senator from Connecticut. The circumstances in Baltimore, in Maryland, in June we ranked 40th in the Nation in foreclosures. We now rank in the teens, 18th in foreclosures. The number of foreclosures in communities…

the amendment I will be offering shortly, along with Senator Ensign, is an amendment that would try to help the housing market itself. It would provide a tax credit, a temporary tax credit just for this next year, for residential home…

I wish today to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the death of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. April 4, 2008, marks the 40th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., an iconic leader of the American…

Yesterday, the Senate passed S. 2663, the Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act, by an overwhelming margin of 79 to 13. This significant legislation has the potential to benefit every consumer and, most notably, protect America's…

today I express my support for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers, 21st CCLC, initiative, the only Federal funding source dedicated to supporting successful afterschool programs around the country. This program is critical to our…

first of all, I welcome this opportunity to talk about the current status of the involvement of the United States in Iraq. I am glad we are having this discussion. I start by thanking the troops for their incredible service to our country…

let me briefly summarize the comments Senator Bond made. It is true that the terrorist groups do not have any types of restrictions on what they can do. They do not have any legislature. They do not have any courts. They do not have any…

let me first express my disappointment that we are not able to vote on the economic stimulus package. That package was reported out of the Senate Finance Committee last Wednesday. Each of us had plenty of opportunity to review the report…

First, let me thank the distinguished chairman of the Intelligence Committee for his support for this amendment. He has helped in bringing it forward. Let me respond, if I might, to Senator Bond's points. First, let me point out that the…

I take this time to speak in favor of the Leahy substitute amendment to the FISA legislation. I start by thanking Senator Rockefeller and Senator Bond, Senator Leahy and Senator Specter for their extraordinary work on this most difficult…

I articulated the opinion that we should close Guantanamo not long after I got this job, in--at the end of 2006.

Mr. Speaker, let me congratulate the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Camp) for his strong support on this important issue. He has been steadfast in helping families in the adoption arena, and this is just one more chapter in his record in…

I can assure you, although we have not been able to work out a bipartisan bill, there is bipartisan agreement to maintain the flexibility of the States under the waiver authority. I know that there are efforts to extend it and expand it…

I agree completely with what he has said, and it has been the position of some of us to do the extension of individual States that had it prior to the expiration of the bill. There has been a consensus, as I have indicated before, to give…

It has been the position at least of this body by its formal actions to expand the authority to what is known as a superwaiver. That is controversial, and I am not sure there is certainly not an agreement on a bipartisan basis for a…

Mr. Speaker, this amendment adds two important provisions to the underlying legislation. As I mentioned during general debate, I support the underlying bill. I think a good compromise has been reached on some very important issues…

let me just try to correct the record here. First, the gentlewoman says this program's voluntary. It is not. It affects all of our seniors because my colleagues are affecting their basic program under Medicare fee-for-service which they…

I started this day looking forward to the committee markup on H.R. 1776. That is a bill that I have worked on with the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Portman) for many months. We have worked with the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means…

this funding bill shortchanges an important program designed to prevent child abuse, reunify families, and promote the adoption of certain children in the foster care system. Under this legislation, the Promoting Safe and Stable Families…

Mr. Chairman, I had intended to offer an amendment that would have restated the policy of our country against the use of torture. The reason that I was going to offer that amendment is that I do represent this body in the Commission on…