it is my understanding we may have a vote this afternoon. I have often said the most important bill we pass every year--and we have passed every year for the last 52 years--is the National Defense Authorization Act. I would like to say…

let me first repeat, as I have many times, I have never worked with a manager more closely than the chairman of the Armed Services Committee Senator Levin. We worked very hard through a lot of issues. On the few where we disagreed with…

Parliamentary inquiry? We were to be given equal time for the last 10 minutes. I had 3 minutes. All I want to do is ask a question. Am I entitled to do that?

That is not necessary. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Everything my Chairman has said I agree with. He is making my speech for me. It is critical we get the bill. All I am saying is I made the statement yesterday that Republicans are entitled to some amendments. I am asking now--we were able…

with November being National Adoption Month and this Saturday being National Adoption Day, I would like to take a moment to highlight the issue of adoption--an issue that is near and dear to my heart. Earlier this month Senator Landrieu…

first of all, I agree with the comments of the Senator from Nebraska. I have to say I was a little disturbed because I have heard a couple of reports--one was in a news conference on November 6 and one on November 19--yesterday, I…

I would ask the leader if he would amend his request to add the following language: Following the disposition of the McCaskill-Ayotte amendment, all pending amendments be withdrawn and the Republican manager, or his designee, be recognized…

this has been a long process and a difficult one for me to go through. Being the ranking member on the Armed Services Committee, I have had constant contact with both the Democrats and Republicans on this bill. I consider this bill to be…

I think when we are going through an exercise like this there are some people who want to have their program placed on a must- pass bill in order to get something through. The junior Senator from Oklahoma made it very clear that he is…

I have been listening to the discussion. I agree wholeheartedly with everything that has been said. The amendment we are going to be voting on is part of three different amendments. I had one of them, as do my two colleagues. One thing…

The other thing is, when you transfer someone here for incarceration purposes, is it not true these are not criminals, these are terrorists, and what terrorists do for a living is train other people to be terrorists? To commingle them in…