Mark Warner

I appreciate his thoughtful comments, but I guarantee him-- Senator Levin and I have been doing this now for 25 years, but we are no stronger than the members we have on the committee. When the Senator from Georgia joined us, our strength…

At this time, I have to indicate my opposition. Regrettably, I do that, but I wish to be consistent and fair to all Senators. I am fearful if we do not carefully evaluate the whole panoply of amendments that are likely to come forward to…

I feel obligated to be consistent, even though there is a very clear difference between Senator Graham's amendment and that of the distinguished Democratic leader. There is no offset; is that my understanding?

I thank the very valued member of the committee, a graduate of West Point, served on active duty. I am not sure I would want to be in that company you commanded; pretty rough character. You are too modest. You referenced the $500 million…

If I could ask a further question? I should examine this report. It is timely. But I am advised there is a provision in the report indicating that 80 percent to 90 percent of the Guard and Reserve have private sector health insurance. Are…

Well, as both my colleagues recognize, this will be, for the distinguished Senator from Michigan and myself, our 25th conference, and we know full well at this stage of deliberations on this bill we cannot predict what is going to come out…

I thank both my colleagues. But before we conclude this very valuable and important colloquy, I ask the Senator from Maine, who speaks with such conviction if we are going try to do something on this bill or is the thought that it is just…

I think in general the Secretary of Defense is on the right track in the sense that when you stop to think, today's military is so different than it was 2 or 3 years or even a decade ago. The total force today is not only the uniformed men…

The amendment is in compliance with the President's program. It is the desire of this National Education Association just to take existing law, make it permanent, and to increase it to $400, given the calculations of the amounts that are…

The Governor and I have the same name, although we are not related. He has shown great leadership on this issue. We hope for the best. Virginia has often struck out and led America in the right direction to correct what is perceived as an…

I inquire of the distinguished leader, on our side, we are quite anxious to act on the nomination of MG Steven Blum to become the National Guard Commander. All 50 States are involved. The Armed Services Committee unanimously voted him out…

I anticipate it will be a vote of resounding support for this initiative and this resolution. It sends a signal far beyond the shores of our Nation. We take great pride, the entire Senate, in this magnificently trained individual. He has…

I think this is an amendment each Senator not only can but should vote for. I hope we get 100 votes because it is a consensus across the aisle about the imminent needs of the men and women of the Armed Forces, indeed the Guard and Reserve…

I wish to point out that our Guard and Reserve do have the best of equipment. It is available; namely, that of our active forces today.

I am very proud that the differences have been reconciled and that this resolution bears both of your distinguished names and that we will strive to have unity in this Chamber and to have a very constructive and clear debate as a message…

That is the essence of what we are trying to establish here, namely that a vote is what the Framers envisioned when they put in the supermajority, as the Senator from South Carolina put it. They did not put a supermajority in for…

You brought up the very important case of George Washington's nomination, Rutledge, who had been a constitutional Framer, and his colleagues in this Chamber, some of whom were constitutional Framers, turned him down, correct--but they did…

Yes. We met with President Karzai. I assume you saw him when he visited here. Incidentally, the French are very active in the training of those forces, and the Germans are taking an active role in the training of those forces. It is coming…

I guess what both you and I find so perplexing is how responsible world leadership, most particularly France and Germany, which have seen the same facts, have access to basically the same intelligence, and cannot reach those logical…

I share those concerns. My State has likewise contributed many reservists and guardsmen. As a matter of fact, I have been working with colleagues today on a question relating to that. Were it not for the sacrifices of those individuals…

If I might say in conclusion, to those who perhaps take views different from I and others, I hope that debate would include very clearly a message to Saddam Hussein in Iraq that his lack of cooperation is the root cause of the problem…

I think our President is vigorously trying to exercise leadership in world diplomacy with a multilateral approach with the nations of Russia, China, South Korea, and Japan at this point, and I have not read into any of the statements or…

We have clearly not had the opportunity to fully exhaust the potential of a preliminary round of multinational talks such that these nations believe they are a partner with the United States. Now we may take the lead, but so often our…

Yes, it was, but it was under your leadership. You were the first Member of Congress to go and meet with President Gorbachev.

Anyway, it was a brilliant dissertation between yourself and at that time President Gorbachev, and it was a historic meeting. I said on the floor moments ago, I only wish we could do more of that with President Putin because I felt those…