I am privileged to rise with the distinguished Senator from Arkansas to introduce a bill today entitled the Reliable and Affordable Natural Gas Energy Reform Act of 2006 In September of 2005, at the time the Senate was examining a number…

Then I will proceed, if I may, and ask unanimous consent to speak for not to exceed 5 minutes. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?

article II, section 2 of the U.S. Constitution explicitly provides for the responsibilities of the executive branch and Government and the Senate with respect to judicial nominations. The Constitution reads in part that the President…

it is my understanding at this time that there is an allocation of time reserved for the Senator from Virginia, and I shall proceed, although we are slightly off schedule. I don't wish to encroach on others, but I will proceed and watch…

I think that would work out. Perhaps the intervening hour will be such that we won't need that additional 5 minutes because I think the managers and leadership have tried to carefully manage the time. I am just able to get started now…

first I commend my good friend, the good Senator from the State of New Jersey, for his remarks this morning on behalf of his colleague. I was privileged to attend what is known here as a reenactment in the Old Chamber just now and had the…

we had a historic moment in the Commonwealth of Virginia this past weekend. I was privileged, along with Senator Allen, to attend the inauguration of our new Governor. We have an unusual situation in the Commonwealth of Virginia where our…

The confirmation that Roger Coleman's DNA was present reaffirms the verdict and the sanction.

Because it will either confirm the guilt. It may demonstrate, and there's a high probability that it will remain inconclusive. Or it may to some degree exonerate him.

earlier this week, the Committee on Armed Services favorably reported the nomination of Mr. Dorrance Smith to the full Senate. Mr. Smith is an experienced and highly accomplished television executive, who has been nominated to be the…

To have worked from the beginning with Senator McCain then with Senators Graham, Levin and Kyl was a privilege, and, to achieve legislation which was needed for all our Nation's citizens was a humble, but very fulfilling, experience. We…

I am proud to bring the Conference Report on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 before the Senate for final passage. This has been a long and difficult conference, but we have achieved our goal of providing the…

Each year since 1961, the House and Senate have reached a conference agreement on, and the President has signed into law, a National Defense Authorization Act. I now call upon my colleagues in this chamber to fulfill our responsibility and…

I thank our respective leaders, the majority leader and the distinguished Senator from Nevada, and my good friend and partner, our dear Senator Levin, and all members of the Armed Services Committee, and particularly our staff that made…

Would it be appropriate, then, for the Senator from Virginia to seek time at this point for about 8 minutes? The PRESIDENT pro tempore. That is under the control of the minority for the first 15 minutes.

time is short. We are about to go to our respective caucuses, but I say to my colleagues that I wish to express my profound appreciation first and foremost to my distinguished friend and colleague of 27 years; we have been together in this…

I thank my good friend; again, a partnership effort to achieve that. ____________________

I now ask further unanimous consent that the Senate proceed immediately to the consideration en bloc of S. 1043 through S. 1045, Calendar Orders Nos. 103, 104, and 105; that all after the enacting clause of those bills be stricken, and the…

with respect to H.R. 1815, the House- passed version of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2006, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be discharged from any further consideration of the bill…

Returning to the debate on the two amendments, I yield from my time 3 minutes to the distinguished Senator from Connecticut. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Connecticut is recognized.

I am very grateful for the bipartisan support on this amendment. Our amendment is simply taking portions of the Levin amendment, putting them into an amendment that we put together, rather than draw up a totally new amendment, so we can…

we now turn to the underlying amendment. It is my understanding the Senator from South Carolina has agreed to a voice vote. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to amendment No. 2515, as amended. The amendment (No. 2515), as…

we won't make any predictions. We will get started and do our best. I thank my good friend and look forward to working with him again next year. We have truly formed a unique partnership, the two of us together. I thank so many Senators…

The time reserved to me under the Bingaman amendment I yield to the distinguished Senator from South Carolina. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Carolina.

I presume, now that the quorum call has been withdrawn, that under the unanimous consent agreement, the Senate may now move to third reading of the bill.