We need a cultural overhaul. We need to create a system where the protection and safety of victims is unquestionable.

When State funding declines, tuition goes up.

I continue to urge Congress, in the strongest possible terms, to avoid sequestration by devising a comprehensive and balanced deficit reduction package.

I appreciate the elimination of the sequester because, as you pointed out, it was not Congress' intent that it should go into effect.

Democrats agree sequestration is a terrible way to cut defense spending the same way it is a terrible way to cut spending on education, health care, and other national investments.

An appropriation bill would put funds in the correct appropriations and allow us to execute fiscal year 2013 in accordance with our original plan.

Our Nation's shipbuilding plans cannot be carried out as planned with a fiscal year 2013 CR.

That is why the Senate budget takes a measured and fair approach to completely replace the sequester with a balanced mix of revenue and spending cuts.

We have to keep pressure on universities to control costs.

They have had to eliminate a classroom. They have cut slots for children. And they have let staff go.

Improving our education outcomes is a vital national interest.

I think that is ideology, not economics.

I know Democrats here in the Senate feel very strongly that protecting our fragile economic recovery is paramount.

Part of it is a lack of cost control in the university community, public and private.

Not a time to take a peace dividend.

We all know sequestration was never intended to take effect.

What does it mean, when CENTCOM has decided that there should be two carriers in the Middle East and decides purely because of sequester we can't do that, what does that mean to our readiness posture and what message does it send to allies…

I believe that we ought to do everything we can to avoid those catastrophic consequences of across-the-board cuts.

In terms just of the sheer organizational effort, I assume it's thousands of hours for your personnel to try to figure out how to contort your budget to comply with the sequester, that would much better be spent looking forward and working…

I think we owe deference to a President for choices to executive positions.

There is a concern about tomorrow as well.

The Iranian nuclear threat is a much bigger one. It is very clear that if Iran gets nuclear weapons that other nations will start to do the same thing.

To my way of thinking, that's the way you ought to make revenue and spending decisions, in accord with a budget, rather than through gimmicks like sequester.

These are historic times and difficult times. However, amidst the many challenges that exist reside opportunities.

The President has invited engagement with Congress on the future of the AUMF.