when President Obama released his budget yesterday, he made one thing very clear: getting our economy back above water will require shared sacrifice. Few documents are more intricate and complex than our national budget. But beyond the…

I rise today on behalf of our nation's veterans to once again discuss the unjust and outdated policy of failing to give our veterans their full earned military retirement benefits and veterans disability compensation. Full payment of…

saying you want to cut government spending is an easy applause line. We all want to lower the deficit. We all wish Americans had less debt sitting in the treasuries of other countries. None of us wants to leave the most difficult decisions…

I wish I could blame the Republicans for the impasse, but it is both parties. We have people on both sides of the aisle who are trying to take advantage, as they see it, on this slot issue. This is an extremely important piece of…

Ronald Reagan's second inauguration was the first one I attended as a Member of Congress. It was bitterly cold that day. While the temperatures sank into the single digits, Reagan became the first and only President to take the oath of…

I extend my condolences to the family of my good friend Mr. Eddie Escobedo, who passed away in Las Vegas, NV, on October 15, 2010. He was 77 years old. Eddie left behind his loving wife of 50 years, Dona Maria Escobedo, his children…

we have made good progress on this bill. We are working through the amendments. The staff has been doing yeomen's work. The Finance Committee is going to meet on Tuesday to report out funding for this bill. They have a path forward to do…

we have a long way to go before our economy is back to normal. Ask any American and they will tell you: We have a lot more jobs to create and fill, a lot more homes to save, and a lot more consumer confidence to recover. I hear every day…

over the last 20 years, the apportionment of committee funding has gone a straight two-thirds for majority and one-third for minority during the 1990s, regardless of the size of the majority and minority, to biannual negotiations during…

I rise today to recognize the extraordinary achievements of Andre Kirk Agassi, professional tennis player and fellow Nevadan, for his induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame earlier this month. He was born on April 29, 1970…

if the American people want to understand the difference between Democrats and Republicans, it is my suggestion that they pay attention to what is happening on the Senate floor this week. The two parties simply have different priorities…

I wish to note the passing last December of a singular Nevadan, Charles Benjamin, who worked to promote clean energy. While he lived in Nevada for only 4 short years, his efforts will pay positive dividends long into the future. He passed…

a lot of people are talking this morning about a judge in Florida regarding his opinion on the health reform law. I wish to talk about the law very briefly and then talk about the effort to take away the rights that are in the law that are…

I rise to recognize the 60th anniversary of the Nevada National Security Site, N2S2. The Nevada National Security Site, formerly known as the Nevada Test Site, has played an important role in keeping our Nation safe and will continue to do…

I rise today to honor Sarah Brachman, who has received the 2011 Advocate of the Year Award from the National Down Syndrome Society. Throughout her life, Sarah has been dedicated to the important cause of raising awareness and increasing…

Our ability to debate and deliberate without restraints of time limits is central and unique to the Senate. It is supposed to be that way. It is in our DNA. It is one of the many traits intentionally designed to distinguish this body from…

I look forward to putting into practice the sentiments in this colloquy. Finally, I hope Senators of good will in both parties will continue discussions as to how we can make the Senate a better institution. Our discussion today is in a…

The minority leader and I have discussed this issue on numerous occasions. I know that there is a strong interest in rules changes among many in my caucus. In fact, I would support many of these changes through regular order. But I agree…

I want to close by clearly reaffirming my view that if we are going to change Senate rules, we must do so within those rules. As rule 5 states, the Senate is a continuing body, and the rules continue unless changed within the parameters of…

Yes, we both would like to see a different Senate this year--with fewer filibusters and procedural delays and more opportunities for debate and amendments. In many cases, the problem is not necessarily in the Senate rules, it is in the…

over the past few months, Democrats and Republicans have had many positive discussions about the direction of the 112th Congress. There are many important issues facing our country and solutions will require bipartisan cooperation. In…

this legislation is the FAA authorization bill, which is extremely important. We have been trying to do this bill for years. I hope with what took place today, we can move to this bill and have a good debate on an extremely important piece…

In the 2 weeks we were away from Washington, all of us absorbed the numbing tragedy and horrific attack in Tucson, AZ. The Nation mourned the loss, thanked the heroes, and waited anxiously by a brave Congresswoman's hospital bedside. We…

I came to the Senate in January 1987, in the same class as Barbara Mikulski. Every sixth January since, including today, Barbara Mikulski and I have been sworn in together. Taking that oath is humbling and meaningful for every Senator, but…

this has been an exciting day, the beginning of the 112th Congress. It has been I think a historic day. The debate has been very good. The exchange between the Republican leader and I set the stage, I hope--at least that is what I…