I vitiated the last cloture vote because I recognize the good faith both sides are working in, but we need to bring the bill to completion tomorrow night if it is at all humanly possible.

last Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that smoking among high school students has dropped to its lowest level in more than a decade. As a heart and lung surgeon, as one who has seen the travesty of smoking…

It was just this week that the American Medical Association added another State--Massachusetts--to its growing list of States that can be classified as being in medical crisis because of out-of-control medical litigation system. For…

I agree, tomorrow would be a great day to lay down amendments if they are absolutely necessary and important amendments, but for amendments we do not need to consider or that can be considered later, we do not need to lay down too many…

I am saddened by the fact we see this terrorist activity, but I will have to say, as I said on Monday, this increased terrorist activity was anticipated. It is unfortunate we have to anticipate this increased terrorist activity, but it was…

10 days ago I had the opportunity to travel to Iraq to visit our troops on the front line and the troups serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. On that same trip to Baghdad, I had the opportunity to spend time with Ambassador Jerry…

these past few days we have seen an extraordinary outpouring of affection for our 40th President, Ronald Wilson Reagan. In a few short hours, he will lie in state under the Capitol dome where dignitaries from around the world and citizens…

this week we mourn the passing of Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States. My wife Karyn and I, and indeed the entire Senate family, extend our deepest sympathies to his beloved Nancy and the entire Reagan family…

I rise to pay tribute to the ``greatest generation''--the veterans of World War II who fought so valiantly to save the world from tyranny. This weekend, thousands of veterans from World War II gathered on The Mall to witness the dedication…

I also very briefly want to comment on the drug discount cards that are being made available and which take effect this month. This is June 1 and they take effect beginning today. The discount cards, as my colleagues know, are a product of…

indeed, I will continue to work with the Democratic leadership to search for a way to confirm the remaining nominations. For those people listening who are not familiar with this process, as they can see, it is a give-and-take process that…

let me briefly say I have had the opportunity to talk to the manager of the bill, and we feel very strongly that it is critical that we address this bill. The best way to do it is to allow the managers to work together over the recess and…

We are an evenly divided body in the Senate, and people say they haven't seen more partisanship ever in their lives than over the last several years. I know that is true, but at the same time all of us, both sides of the aisle, recognize…

first of all, I want to make some comments on the issue of the Abu Ghraib abuses and the role of Secretary Rumsfeld and some of the statements that he has made, but also the tremendous leadership he has given over the last several weeks in…

I know the chairman is here and will respond in terms of particulars of the underlying bill. We made good progress. It is an important bill and a bill which we will finish. My intentions are to in all likelihood move to the class action…

That is correct, so long as the Democratic conferees are acting in good faith, and I have every expectation they will. Our goal is to reach a conference agreement that reflects the balance and broad bipartisan consensus S. 1072 achieves…

agents of bioterror are potentially the most powerful and devastating weapons of mass destruction that are known to man. Bioterror agents are more powerful than traditional weapons of mass destruction, are more powerful than chemical…

very briefly, I want to comment on what has been a real focus for the Senate and our various committees; that is, the revelations of abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. It has been a shock to the Nation and indeed to the world. The…

I want to briefly comment on the fact that yesterday was the 50th anniversary of the monumental Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision. I had the wonderful opportunity of joining my colleagues from Kansas, Senators Roberts and…

earlier today Senator Daschle and I had a productive meeting with Andy Card, the President's chief of staff. At that meeting, Mr. Card committed that there would be no further circuit and district judicial recess appointments during the…

Helping the uninsured gain more access to affordable, quality health care is one of the most critical and the most complex and most fundamental challenges in domestic policy that face us today. Under Senator Gregg's leadership, the task…

I want to also mention that yesterday the Senate Armed Services Committee held a day-long hearing to learn more about the abuse of the Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison. Many of us did not see all of the testimony, but we were able…

I wish to comment, because I did not have the opportunity last night, on the FSC/ETI JOBS bill that was passed last night after a long time on the floor and after a number of amendments, an approximately equal number considered from the…

According to Mr. Domm, current tax law permits taxation of this unearned trust income in excess of $1,600 at the child's tax rate upon the child's 14th birthday. Up until the age of 14, the income was taxed at the parent's rate of…

I believe that it would be good policy to provide some type of exemption to this so called ``kiddie tax'' for Mr. Domm's daughter and others like her. That way, we encourage independence and self-sufficiency and do not penalize individuals…