let me congratulate and applaud Senator Brown of Ohio for organizing this colloquy on trade. In my view, if we look at why the middle class of this country has been in decline for the last 40 years, why millions of Americans are working…

I think Congress several years ago developed that program for post-9/11 veterans.

In fact, that precipitated a major crisis within the VA.

I will fight any effort to dismember the VA, because I think when you talk to the veterans of Vermont...

Tell me what you are doing, and the difficulties that you are facing--and it is not just you, it is the Nation...

But, my point is, this is not just a crisis for the VA. This is a crisis for the United States of America.

Let me go on the record as to suggest--this is no great secret that we live in a political world--there are some very conservative organizations who do not believe in government.

I do not agree with Speaker of the House John Boehner on very much, but I do agree that it is an excellent idea for there to be a joint session of Congress in the fall to hear from Pope Francis. To my mind, in the last few years the Pope…

There is a need, I think, to expand that program.

I think it is fair to say, in my view, talking to the service organizations, that, by and large, given the context of health care in America, which has enormous problems, that the VA does a pretty good job for those folks who get into the…

yesterday the Budget Committee, of which I am the ranking member, held a very important hearing on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program, which is a life-and-death program for nearly 11 million Americans, including more than 1…

I agree. Now in terms of energy efficiency and weatherization I represent the state which has a whole lot of older homes and older buildings.

It would seem to me that we should be investing a heck of a lot more because this is going to pay for itself.

I happen to think that the scientific community is right in telling us that climate change is real.

I have always believed in is making sure that people who don't have a lot of money are able to receive loans or grants.

Do you want to support getting the Government out of Price Anderson in the nuclear industry?

The truth is if God forbid... if there were ever a disaster, Fukushima, in this country, the taxpayers would have to pick up, depending on the nature of the disaster, a substantial part of that cost.

Are we investing enough, frankly, in weatherization in this country?

climate change is an immediate risk to U.S. national security.

I ask unanimous consent to address the Senate for up to 20 minutes. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________

let me be very clear and say that this fight--what some of us see on our TV screens and what we hear from some politicians--the simple truth is that Social Security is not going broke. Social Security is not going broke. Today, Social…

as ranking member of the Budget Committee, this afternoon I would like to discuss an issue of very serious concern to tens of millions of Americans; that is, the Republican effort to cut Social Security disability insurance benefits and…

it is not just the AARP that holds that view. It is dozens and dozens of senior organizations all across the country. Let me read very briefly from a letter written by the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations, dated October 9, 2014…

I ask unanimous consent to speak for up to 20 minutes. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________

the good news is the country has made substantial economical progress in the last 6 years since President Bush left office. Instead of losing 800,000 jobs a month as we were during the final months of the Bush administration, we are now…