While we do that, thousands of families in my State of Rhode Island and across the country are struggling to balance their household budgets. They are, in many cases, in dire circumstances. They are dealing with the effects of failed…

I introduce, along with Senator Hagel, the Healthy Housing Council Act of 2008. This legislation would establish an independent interagency Council on Healthy Housing in the executive branch. The bill would improve the coordination of…

Today marks the 18th annual National Sportsmanship Day. This initiative, the largest of its kind in the world, is a program of the Institute for International Sport based at the University of Rhode Island. Since 1991, the program has…

I agree. I think it is something we can do. The effort is to bring people together and move from 51 to 61 to 71 to 100. I think we can.

I am encouraged also. It is incumbent upon supporters like myself and yourself to begin to reach out, which I think we are both committed to doing, and doing it personally to try to get through. I think my sense is a lot like yours. It is…

I thank the Senator. One of the things we are doing this evening is once again highlighting the critical importance of this legislation, the impact it would make in the lives of children and families across the country. And your voice is a…

Today, I rise to honor two young heroes and their families. Ben Haight of Rhode Island and Boey Byers of Oregon were two remarkable young people whose lives were cut short by cancer, but whose hopes were not. Of course, when a child has…

we have had a lengthy debate, and in the end I decided to vote against final passage of S. 2248, the FISA Amendments Act of 2007. First, I commend Senators Rockefeller and Bond for recognizing immediately that the Protect America Act…

across the Nation, millions of Americans are struggling to make ends meet as our economy has slowed dramatically. In December, I spoke on this floor about how President Bush has presided over a period of divided prosperity in the United…

In early 2008, Chairman Reed very appropriately wrote the accounting standard setters citing concerns about the accounting standards for off balance sheet debt.

A nation eager for change in Iraq heard the President speak about his plans for the future. But, once again, the president failed to provide either a plan to successfully end the war or a convincing rationale to continue it.

I think you're going to be a superb Secretary of the Army and I certainly support you.

a military strategy alone without a functional Iraqi government and without the support of non-DOD agencies cannot effectively prevail in Iraq.

Well, then he should be fired, because, frankly, if he's not capable of being the individual responsible for those duties and they've passed it on to someone else, then why is he there? That's my view.

this strategy of a surge I think is probably compromised by the same factors.

Admiral Roughead, as you are aware, the LCS program has had difficulties regarding cost overruns and changing capability requirements. What is your plan and timeline for determining requirements and total cost?

It is another political, public relations ploy, rather than a significant change in strategy.

I agree with Senator Sessions. The Department of Defense, military officers, enlisted men and women, have been carrying the burden here without adequate support.

I have not seen a lot of commitment outside of DOD to succeeding in Iraq.

There has been no real political progress on the ground.

Admiral, your patriotism serving the Nation is remarkable. You are well qualified to assume a very daunting task.

The new strategy sounds a lot like the old strategy to me.

One of my concerns is that there are military occupation specialties which are less stressful in some cases than being an infantry squad leader or an armored platoon leader, cavalry squad leader, et cetera.

I think we have to begin to think about the end of the surge.

The other issue, General, that has come up, I was out last fall.