We cannot allow our great nation to be divided by the politics of hate.

My experience in Vermont is not dissimilar to Senator Tester's in Montana, that Choice is causing a whole lot of problems for our veterans, through bureaucracy, inadequate payments, so forth and so on.

Thank you, Mr. President. Article I, section 8 of the Constitution states in no uncertain terms that ``Congress shall have power to . . . declare war.'' Let me repeat it. Article I, section 8 of the Constitution states it is Congress that…

We like to be unique but not in that sense.

But when we put money into the VA, we expect it to stay in the VA.

All right. Let me just concur with Senator Murphy. If you think it is a good idea for the United States to be involved in the war in Yemen with Saudi Arabia, you can vote against our resolution. Yet I can think of no reason at all as to…

I intend to do everything I can to see that money goes into infrastructure.

In other words, no matter what one's view may be about the wisdom of the war, to vote to table is to abdicate our constitutional responsibility?

It seems to me we are talking about two separate issues, one of which is really a no-brainer. The no-brainer is that the Constitution is very clear that it is the Congress, not the President, that determines whether we go to war; that we…

Let me ask my friend from Connecticut the same question I asked Senator Lee, and that is whether he agrees with me that we are really dealing with two separate issues here. The first issue is really, in a sense, a no-brainer. It is whether…

Let me be as clear as I can be. I will do everything that I can to stand with the veterans' organizations and millions of veterans who want to improve the VA and not privatize it.

Let me concur with what Senator Lee just said. There may be disagreements about the wisdom of being allied with Saudi Arabia on the war in Yemen. There will be honest disagreements about that. But there cannot be and there must not be an…

How do we provide quality care in a timely manner to veterans if you have so many vacancies?

I resent taking money meant to go into the VA going into the Choice Program.

Included in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 is the commitment that $2 billion in fiscal year 2018 and $2 billion in fiscal year 2019 will be used to, quote, ``rebuild and improve VA hospitals and clinics,'' end of quote.

the resolution that we will soon be voting on is really very simple. It has two basic points. Point No. 1, I and the 14 other cosponsors of this resolution believe that under the definitions laid out in the 1973 War Powers Resolution, U.S…

I speak only for myself on this issue and will tell you why I am so motivated about this resolution. If we think back on the modern history of our country and if we think of the two most significant foreign policy decisions--the war in…

may I ask my colleague from Utah a very simple question? Whether or not he agrees with me that we are talking about two separate issues. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

pursuant to section 1013 of the Department of State Authorization Act, fiscal years 1984 and 1985, and in accordance with the provisions of section 601(b) of the International Security Assistance and Arms Export Control Act of 1976, I make…

according to the latest Gallup poll, 81 percent of the American people disapprove of the way Congress is doing its job--81 percent. I suspect the other 19 percent are not really paying attention. If you want to know why the American people…

I ask my colleagues for support on the point of order, not only from the deficit perspective but to tell the Republican leadership here in Congress that we want a serious debate on the serious financial issues facing the American people…

I wish to thank the young people throughout this country who have the courage to do what the U.S. Congress is not doing; that is, to lead us forward in a way to lower the slaughter we are seeing from coast to coast in terms of gun…

I am distressed, although not surprised, by the objection. Apparently, the consumers of this country don't have the financial support to get their concerns onto the floor. So apparently we are not going to be discussing these items. Madam…

I thank the Senator from Illinois very much for his perceptive remarks and for reminding us that the time is long overdue for the U.S. Congress to accept its constitutional responsibilities. I wanted to ask Senator Lee if he--we are…

let me conclude by thanking Senator Lee, Senator Murphy, Senator Durbin this afternoon, thanking Senator Booker, Senator Warren, Senator Leahy, Senator Markey, Senator Feinstein, and Senator Wyden for their cosponsorship of S.J. Res. 54…