I strongly support that proposal.

the question is not whether granting the government authority makes us incrementally safer, but whether the additional safety is worth the sacrifice in terms of individual privacy, personal liberty, and public trust.

Senator Durbin and I have been fighting to impose additional safeguards on this controversial authority for years.

I have concluded that this phone records program is not uniquely valuable enough to justify the massive intrusion on Americans' privacy.

the Section 215 program contributed to only a few of those cases and was not essential to preventing any terrorist attacks.

Wasn't that one of the things that Senator Graham and his review committee found, that was the sharing?

We have to look at what are adequate safeguards, especially when we are dealing with an agency that did not have adequate enough safeguards.

A number of us have been trying to reform that.

As the longtime co-chair of the Senate National Guard Caucus, I have the honor of advocating for the amazing men and women of the National Guard and of supporting their role in protecting our Nation, both at home and abroad. It is always a…

I would like to take this opportunity to commemorate the outstanding achievements of Ms. Lois McClure, voted the 2013 Vermonter of the Year by The Burlington Free Press. I am honored to count Lois among my closest friends. Marcelle and I…

as the U.S. mission in Afghanistan winds down this year, one thing can be said with certainty: The dedication and service our men and women in uniform is unparalleled. It will truly be with the thanks of a grateful nation that our troops…

as we begin 2014, I hope we can set aside our differences and do what is best for this country by confirming qualified nominees to fill critical vacancies facing our Federal judiciary. We can do this today by voting to end the filibuster…

I know I look forward to the next time Marcelle and I have an opportunity to be with Barry and Wendy, and while he may be retired, neither one of them is going to be sitting back doing nothing. I know them too well for that. With that…

I would like to speak for a few minutes on a personal matter. It is about a dear friend of mine, Barry Meyer. I would like to recognize his remarkable career. He is retiring this month from Warner Brothers after 42 years with the company…

on December 5, the world lost one of the greatest leaders of our era, and of any era, when Nelson Mandela died at the age of 95. His capacity for forgiveness was rivaled only by his courage. His actions serve as an example for the entire…

today, I am reintroducing the Personal Data Privacy and Security Act. The recent data breach at Target involving the debit and credit card data of as many as 40 million customers during the Christmas holidays is a reminder that developing…

While the distinguished Senator from Nebraska is still on the floor, I found much to agree with in her comments. I hope that after we introduce the Personal Data Privacy and Security Act she may wish to become a cosponsor. This would…

I congratulate Senator Reid, who I know worked extraordinarily hard to get the votes for this. I read something someone wrote in the press, saying they are afraid that Senator Reid didn't talk about these issues enough yesterday on the…

Anyone who knows this nominee appreciates that he is an excellent choice to lead the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice.

what is the parliamentary situation? The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senate is in postcloture on the motion to proceed to S. 1845. Farm Bill Conference

if I may take one moment while the distinguished leader is here. I wish to commend Senator Reid for his cooperation. He has worked very hard to bring this together. We had a very complex and very extensive immigration bill, with 300…

addressing the majority leader through the Chair, I would note that even Grover Norquist, who is sort of the guru of many of the Republicans, testified before the Judiciary Committee that passing this bill and putting it into law would add…

Republicans are once again--for the fifth year in a row--rejecting the longstanding Senate practice of scheduling confirmation votes on consensus nominees before the end of the session. Rather than working in a bipartisan fashion to…

while the days are limited before the end of 2013, the Farm Bill Conference Committee presses on, working together in a bipartisan fashion to resolve differences and to take the steps necessary to enact a comprehensive and balanced farm…

the compromise Fiscal Year 2014 National Defense Authorization Act is an important authorization bill that I intend to support. This will be the second legislative matter considered by the Senate this week that reflects the kind of…