Robert C. Byrd

We must be reminded daily of the atrocities being committed in Afghanistan. We cannot let ourselves become numb to mass murder.

The Soviets, to a degree, respect world opinion. They should be reminded every hour of every day that the condemnation of their actions in Afghanistan is universal and unrelenting.

Coal is abundant, available, and it can be burned cleanly. Coal will provide one of the key answers in our search for energy security.

Should the OPEC cartel decide to further increase the price of oil, it will amount to a new tax on American consumers. This tax will not be approved by any of our elected representatives. It will not be challenged in any court.

I hope that the OPEC countries will be aware that the ability of oil-consuming nations to absorb additional price increases is not endless.

Those who say they want a balanced budget, and a tax cut, and no further cuts in spending, should demonstrate how they hope to accomplish that goal without the import fee.

There are times when each of us must vote for measures which are unpopular but which are truly in the national interest.

I believe an integral part of adequate air service is fair rates. We cannot afford to price our citizens and our communities out of the airline market.

The conditions in the world are not propitious for the unbridled exercise of the Soviet Union's newly acquired military muscle.

The Soviet challenge we and our friends in the world face today is a new one. But I am convinced that we can meet this challenge if we perceive the situation clearly and we begin to respond now.

Let us be here less of the time, get home more of the time, and listen to our constituents.

I believe that the incredible American can deal with the problems of today even though many of them are international in scope. I think Americans will make it and we will not go under by any means. I think we, today, as we always have…

We are taking this measured response to the Afghanistan invasion in hope of deterring future aggression by raising the price of the resort to force.

This is not a time for a lot of hot air. There is always plenty of that. Let us keep our eyes on the hostages and not undermine the efforts of those in Iran who already see the Soviet Union as the real threat, and not the hostages as the…

In time, I believe that patience will pay off. I do not know of anything that can be done militarily to get those hostages out of Iran.

I always start with the assumption that we are going to succeed when we try to do something. I never start on the assumption that we are going to fail.

In the same way we must strengthen our conventional military forces to prevent an outbreak of war, we must strengthen our conventional economic defenses--starting with the vulnerability of the dollar.

While I support the Federal commitment to advancing the goal of equal education opportunities through financial assistance, student aid programs must not be viewed as sources of free money reservoirs for students needing help to pay for…

None of us doubts that the most precious asset of our defense system is the personnel who make it work.

If we are to truly solidify our relations with the Persian-Arabian Gulf nations and to see a larger measure of stability in the region, we must be concerned with much more than improving security arrangements and providing security…

There is no question that domestic energy consumption must be reduced drastically, and that it must be done soon.

Each American will be asked to sacrifice some comforts and conveniences in the event an emergency threatens the supply of oil from the Middle East. We must remember the sacrifices of others, who will stand to lose far more if our national…

Let us remember the sacrifices of the hostages. They are continuing to make sacrifices every day; and let us remember the sacrifices of their families.

The violation of international law in Iran threatens all nations, and the risk to Persian Gulf oil supplies that Iran's disintegration poses is greater for Europe and Japan than it is for us.

Let us keep in mind all the time-every day, every year-that national security is the No. 1 priority-the No. 1 priority-because without national security, all of the other priorities do not count for very much.