I don't recall exactly what the increase was. I will check and see what the wage was in 1990 as compared to what it is today. We are proposing a modest increase. If the Senator is suggesting it should be a smaller increase, I will be happy…

I will be opposing the Kennedy amendment and will be offering an alternate to this amendment. But let me explain first why I oppose the Kennedy amendment. First, it doesn't belong on this bill. Even the amendment I will offer as an…

I respect the Senator from Massachusetts. I think there is a little different environment. I think there is a broad group who will deal with the reauthorization of welfare and deal with that and get a bill passed and sent to Congress this…

first I thank and congratulate the Senator from Wyoming for his comments and also for his steadfast duty in coming here to make the case on a variety of different issues. This issue, in particular, Social Security, is a passion of mine…

I wish to express my support of the Senate passage of S. 5, the Class Action Fairness Act. As a cosponsor of this legislation, I am pleased that the Senate passed a bill that will help prevent the serious problem of class action abuse. The…

Football is a staple in our communities--bringing families and friends together and helping to build connections and affiliations. Fantasy football has taken the game one step further and individuals can now draft their own team and…

I commend the Senator from Kentucky for his excellent remarks, which I heard in my office, and the wrap-up I heard here. I congratulate all who have come forward in support of Judge Gonzales for their excellent statements and, I am…

today I would like to reflect on the loss of a dear family friend, Karen Shapira. Karen recently passed away after a battle with breast cancer. The Shapira family has suffered a tremendous loss, and I offer them my condolences and deepest…

Last week marked the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp in southern Poland. On January 27, 1945, Soviet troops freed the prisoners at Auschwitz, the largest Nazi death camp. During that same period, our…

WHAT DOES THIS BILL DO? Designates Poland as a visa waiver country. Citizens visiting the U.S. within a 90-day period would not need to apply for a visa. WHY SUPPORT THIS LEGISLATION? Since the founding of the United States, Poland has…

I believe we have done this with 27 other countries because of the unique relationship we have with them and the bond that the countries have with the U.S. Poland, unfortunately, has not been granted that status. If you look at the…

I rise to say how disappointed I am that we are holding back vitally important pieces of legislation in the Senate for in some respects--I understand the political shows that we all put on before elections. I understand that. But we are…

It would appear that the formula assumes that the incremental tax so disclosed would be at the full U.S. tax rate of 35 percent. Is it not correct that the amount of U.S. tax disclosed would instead be a lesser amount that takes into…

The Senator from Iowa just objected again to this bill, which nobody objects to, being passed. Again, it is 3:30 eastern time on a Sunday and I suspect the viewing audience of this debate is not particularly high, but I would also suspect…

I want to talk briefly on the Good Samaritan Volunteer Firefighter Assistance Act. We have been trying to clear a provision that would allow more equipment--used equipment--to go to volunteer firefighters from companies all over the United…

I will be offering a unanimous consent request to try to move forward on welfare reform and try to move this vitally important issue that affects millions of Americans out of the Senate and toward passage of an extension. Today, the House…

He said himself to the Rapid City Journal in an op-ed in South Dakota, talking about how good legislation this was: The CARE Act isn't a Republican or Democratic plan. It is a bipartisan proposal that strikes the right balance between…

These community organizations have seen, particularly in light of the decline in the stock market in the early part of this decade, with some of the problems we have had with our economy early in the decade, the amount of charitable giving…

Today, as I come forward--and Senator Brownback will be joining me in a few minutes--as we enter into Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, a time of reflection for the Jewish people, I thought it would be appropriate to reflect upon the…

But what we see here is a very troubling trend in an area of the world which has been, unfortunately, a hotbed for this kind of behavior which has led to horrific consequences. We have an obligation, particularly in this region of the…

I speak today on the naming of the USS Somerset. On Thursday, September 9, 2004, the United States Navy named the ninth ship of the San Antonio-class of amphibious transport dock ships as Somerset. The naming of the USS Somerset honors…

I rise today to offer remarks about a bill that Senator Cornyn of Texas and I have introduced, the Iran Freedom and Support Act of 2004. This legislation seeks to promote the transformation of the Islamic Republic of Iran to a democratic…

there is no problem. We are just here because we are playing politics. We are alarmists. There is no problem out there. The Massachusetts Supreme Court didn't rule that the legislature had to change the definition of marriage. The Supreme…

Christopher Lasch says we get up every morning and we tell ourselves little lies so we can live. Today, we have gotten up and we have told ourselves a little lie. Oh, the family is OK. Oh, this isn't right. Oh, whatever the lie is--but…

I just want to read article V and make clear what the Senator from Alabama is saying. When it comes to amending the Constitution, the first two words, if we are going to change the Constitution of the United States, the first two words are…