Speeches

Today, I rise to continue my series of speeches on Russian hybrid warfare and the threat it poses to our national security.  Russian hybrid warfare occurs below the level of direct military conflict, yet it is no less a threat to our... Read More

Mr. President, I rise to express my strong opposition to the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy as an Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. I opposed Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination to his current seat on... Read More

Mr. President, I rise today to honor our late colleague and friend, Senator John McCain. I want to begin by offering my deepest sympathies to John’s loving wife, Cindy; to his children, Sidney, Meghan, Jack, Jimmy, Bridget, Doug, and Andy; and... Read More

Madam President, I rise today to support the Senator from Florida, my dear friend Senator Bill Nelson, and to thank him for his leadership in working on a bipartisan basis to enact the Military Lending Act in 2006, which caps the annual interest rate... Read More

Mr. President, I rise to discuss the fiscal year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act. I am very pleased that we were able to pass the conference report with a bipartisan vote of 87 to 10. I think it represents the quality of the work that was... Read More

Mr. President, as we consider the appropriations minibus this week, I rise to emphasize once again the importance of acknowledging and addressing the threat of interference in our election systems. In particular, Congress must address the continuing... Read More

Mr. President, as I and many of my colleagues feared, the Trump-Putin summit was disastrous, and their press conference amounted to a disinformation operation in which President Trump played the willing participant. The propaganda, dissembling,... Read More

Mr. President, today I have submitted a motion to instruct conferees on the National Defense Authorization Act regarding the critical importance of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for the security of the United States, for our protection. I... Read More

Thank you, Chairman Collins. Secretary Chao, I look forward to your testimony today.  We have always had a very productive relationship with your Department, and I look forward to that relationship continuing under your leadership. Chairman... Read More

Mr. President, I rise today to express my concern about the continued deterioration of the situation in Yemen and to share my views about the resolution that is currently before us. The military conflict going on in Yemen has gone on for far too long... Read More

Madam President, when we passed the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, we did so in response to a financial crisis that shook the foundations of our economy and devastated so many of our hardworking constituents. For example, the Dow... Read More

Mr. President, last September, President Trump took it upon himself to create an economic, humanitarian, and political crisis by rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program, or DACA, without proposing a serious solution for the... Read More

Madam President, as Republicans in both Chambers rush to conclude their secret negotiations on the final details of their tax bill, I want to make clear to my colleagues what should be obvious about this legislation. We may not yet know the results... Read More

Mr. President, I rise to discuss the Trump administration’s irresponsible plans to dismantle net neutrality. This is a very important and timely issue for Rhode Islanders. The Federal Communications Commission’s—the... Read More

Thank you to the Reagan National Defense Forum for honoring me this evening with the Peace Through Strength Award.  I have had the privilege of attending nearly every event since 2013, and have always found the discussions to be marked by... Read More

Madam President, two weeks ago, I urged my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to reject the partisan and fiscally irresponsible Republican tax proposal in the so-called Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. I asked them to remember that, when it comes to our... Read More

Mr. President, I rise to discuss the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act.  After several months of negotiations, the House and Senate Armed Services Committees have arrived at a completed conference agreement.  This will be... Read More

Mr. President, a few weeks ago, I traveled to South Korea to better understand the threat posed by North Korea. I would like to share my impressions from the trip and how I believe we should be positioning ourselves to better deal with this current... Read More

Mr. President, I rise in strong opposition to the Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2018. Let me say that consideration of this budget resolution seems surreal, not only because of the timing – coming, as it does, three weeks into the fiscal... Read More

Thank you, Mr. President. As we approach the final vote on the fiscal year 2018 National Defense Authorization Bill, I would like to make a few closing comments. When we began considering this bill last week, Senator McCain and I were interested in... Read More