Thomas Daschle

officially, the Congress that ended in December was the 107th Congress. But history will almost surely record it as the September 11th Congress. From the moment the first plane hit the first tower until the last moments of the lameduck…

let me congratulate the majority leader on his ascension to his new responsibilities and on his remarks just now. I have little doubt that we will be led well, and we will be led fairly. I look forward to working with him, as I know my…

I remind my colleagues that by simply passing this resolution we are leaving out over 1 million people who have absolutely no recourse and have no assistance whatsoever because their benefits have expired. We are leaving them out. This…

I fully appreciate the suggestion made by the distinguished Republican leader, the majority leader. Clearly, we have to resolve what we can resolve. I know a good deal of effort has been put forth in getting us to this point. But that does…

I was watching the monitor in my office and noted that Senator Byrd was speaking. Senator Reid and I noted as we were watching on television that while the Senator from West Virginia celebrates his 85th birthday, he looks today like a man…

In August, I had the good fortune to be able to travel with several Senate colleagues to South Africa, Kenya, Botswana, and Nigeria. We wanted to get a clear look at the development challenges in Africa, including health crises, U.S…

I want to acknowledge the deep affection this body holds for both men. Last night, Senator Thurmond made his final comments on the floor, and, spontaneously, Senators broke out in applause. In their own way, both Senators have left…

I indicated I will return to the floor in a short while. But while he is here, let me thank the distinguished Republican leader for his generous words. He spoke for both of us in recounting what we have experienced over the course of the…

one of the advantages of a lame duck session is it gives us a little longer before we have to say good-bye to departing colleagues. Quite a few members of our Senate family will not be with us when the 108th Congress begins in January…

we are finally about to vote on a bill to create a new Homeland Security Department. Many Senators worked long and hard to get us to this point. But one man was indispensable. He is the chairman of the Senate Government Affairs Committee…

the Senate has confirmed 99 judicial nominees during the 107th Congress--all of which have occurred since Democrats assumed the majority. Democrats have also confirmed more circuit court nominees than Republicans did any of their prior six…

It is with some misgivings that I will cast my vote tonight in favor of the creation of this Department. I do so, fearful we have not done the kind of work on this legislation I wish we could have. I do so even though language has been…

Today, I am pleased to welcome another 16 of his colleagues representing countries from across that great continent. As I said when Mr. Cox visited in July, this tradition is especially meaningful, because although the Atlantic Ocean…

I begin our remembrance of Paul Wellstone with the recognition that at times such as this it is more important to celebrate a life than to mourn a death. We mourn the loss of Paul Wellstone, his wife Sheila, their daughter Marcia, the…

Since this debate began, Democrats have worked in good faith for a compromise. We have compromised and compromised and compromised. The bipartisan Nelson-Breaux-Chafee compromise is a long way from the Lieberman bill. It preserves the…

I joined with a majority of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to support the resolution granting that authority, but made clear then and continue to believe now that our vote was the first step in our effort to address the threat…

a Federal information in the Northern District of New York has been filed against an individual on four counts of refusing to follow lawful orders, obstructing a corridor, and trespass inside a Federal office building in Syracuse, NY. The…

there is always a possibility, and I will certainly work with the Republican leader on all the nominations. He and I have talked on numerous occasions about how we might accommodate all of those nominees whose names are pending on the…

Let me respond briefly. It has been the practice of the Senate, since we have been in the majority, to take up all nominations that have been reported out of the committee. This nomination has yet to be reported out of the committee. There…

an unsuccessful applicant for U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles has commenced a civil action in Federal court in California against Senator Feinstein, Senator Boxer, a prominent Republican businessman and political leader in California, and a…

as we all know, Congress has not yet completed action on 11 appropriations bills. These bills fund such important domestic priorities as homeland security, education, and veterans medical care. In order to keep these important functions of…

last week we completed our debate on Iraq. It was a difficult debate, but at the end we were able to come together to speak with a large degree of consensus on an issue of national security. To Democrats, security means more than national…

one year ago today, a letter containing about two grams of anthrax was opened in my office. My staff, Senator Feingold's staff, and the law enforcement and medical personnel who responded to the incident were suddenly thrown into a world…

it is now just more than a year since our Armed Forces started Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. This is a fitting time to look back at what we have accomplished, and ahead at the challenges that remain. I am reminded of a young…

Afghanistan is our first, and most visible effort in the war on terrorism. The eyes of the region and the world are watching whether we are willing to do what is needed to follow through in Afghanistan.