I was proud to stand with President Bush when he signed that.

We support the Senate version of that bill.

We avoid all this if we could have, as we had in my experience with every President...

In my experience, independent audits by Inspectors General helped build the confidence of the American people in the activities of our Government.

the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program, which Chairman Leahy has long championed

The American people deserve better. They deserve an Attorney General who is accountable and independent.

Americans deserve an Attorney General who will be honest with them.

We will be strong in our defense of the Voting Rights Act.

The recent action in Florida that purged Florida's voter rolls of legal voters is only one of many efforts under way.

I appreciate and admire the Senator's concern. He has expressed it. He has stated it very clearly.

I would be happy--I always have concerns about recess appointments.

I think of my own parents when they were alive; they would not have had a Government-issued ID.

We cannot backslide on what we have done to protect every American's right to vote.

I believe the only way to truly get to the bottom of these dangerous leaks is to appoint an independent special prosecutor.

The right to vote is the lifeblood of our democracy.

A victim is a victim is a victim, and it is hard to say we will include some but not others.

I applaud the administration's effort to police itself, but I think we can do more.

I understand I have time remaining? The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority has 17 minutes 10 seconds.

I yield the remainder of my time to the distinguished senior Senator from Ohio. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Whitehouse). The distinguished Senator from Ohio.

let me refer to the nomination that is before us. I know the distinguished senior Senator from Ohio will speak after me. Today the Senate will vote on the nomination of Jeffrey Helmick to fill a judicial emergency vacancy on the U.S…

Jeffrey Helmick was rated ``well qualified'' by a substantial majority of the ABA's Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary. In his 22-year legal career as a litigator in private practice, Mr. Helmick has tried approximately 40 cases…

delay is being demonstrated again with respect to the nominations of Justice Hurwitz to the Ninth Circuit, Judge Shwartz to the Third Circuit, Richard Taranto to the Federal Circuit, and William Kayatta to the First Circuit. These are not…

the Senate is about to turn its attention to one of the most significant legislative issues on our agenda this year, consideration of the 2012 farm bill. I would first like to thank the chairwoman, Senator Stabenow, and ranking member…

today, we have an opportunity to take another long overdue step to close the wage gap between men and women. Equal pay for equal work should not be a Democratic nor a Republican issue but an American issue of basic fairness. It is shameful…

I think it is very, very important to have transparency in sentencing.