Speeches

REED: I rise to discuss the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024. The Armed Services Committee approved this bill by a broad bipartisan vote of 24 to 1 last month--the largest margin in years. I appreciated the opportunity to work... Read More

REED: President Biden has decided to withdraw all forces from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021.I believe this decision was one of the hardest President Biden will ever make.  As Washington Post columnist David Ignatius laid out, “Biden’s... Read More

Thank you very much, Senator, for those very thoughtful remarks. Twenty-one days—that is how long one Florida public school teacher was on a ventilator after contracting COVID this spring. Plasma transfusions and anti-viral medication... Read More

Mr. President, we are heartbroken for the more than 155,000 Americans we have lost in this pandemic. We are grateful for those on the frontlines—the doctors, nurses, the healthcare workers who have served and sacrificed, and we are committed to... Read More

Madam President, I rise today in support of the Schatz amendment. The Schatz amendment would make changes to one of the Defense Department’s surplus property programs, known as the 1033 Program, which allows the Defense Department to disperse... Read More

Madam President, I rise to express my support for the Cornyn amendment, which would, among other things, authorize a Federal grant program to enable the leading global chip companies to manufacture in the United States. I want to commend a bipartisan... Read More

Mr. President, today, along with Senator Murkowski, we are introducing legislation to provide relief to all federal student loan borrowers during this public health and economic crisis. The bipartisan Student Loan Fairness Act, which is also... Read More

Madam President, I rise to support efforts by my Democratic colleagues to pass much needed and delayed economic measures by unanimous consent. It is painfully obvious that the economy is in bad shape. Families and small businesses continue to... Read More

Madam President, I rise to join my colleague from Rhode Island in celebrating the tenure of Reverend Brian J. Shanley as the 12th president of Providence College. As he completes his service, we thank him for his many contributions to the... Read More

Madam President, I rise to join my colleague from Rhode Island in celebrating the career of a distinguished national servant and university leader, the Honorable Ronald K. Machtley, who is retiring from Bryant University after serving as its... Read More

Madam President, I rise to further discuss the fiscal year 2021 national defense authorization bill. Senator Inhofe will be speaking later today on the bill, and I again want to thank him for his leadership and bipartisanship throughout the drafting... Read More

Mr. President, for the past week, our Nation has been engulfed by protests in dozens of cities over the senseless murder of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police officers. Americans are angry, frustrated, and grieving, not just for... Read More

Mr. President, in order to build on a key provision I authored in the CARES Act, which provided states with $150 billion in Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF), I am introducing the State and Local Emergency Stabilization Fund Act so that States and local... Read More

Mr. President, along with Senators Brown, Tester, Schatz, Jones, Smith, Warren, Sinema, Warner, Menendez, Van Hollen, Cortez Masto, Kaine, Udall, Booker, Feinstein, Durbin, Merkley, and Wyden, I am introducing legislation that would create a $75... Read More

Mr. President, today, I am introducing the Strengthening UI for Coronavirus Impacted Workers and Students Act. For the 30 million American unemployed workers, the enhanced jobless benefits created in the CARES Act are a lifeline. However, the Federal... Read More

Mr. President, today I am joined by several of my colleagues in introducing the Layoff Prevention Extension Act and the Preventing Layoffs During a Public Health Emergency Act. Both bills would renew Federal support for State short-time... Read More

Mr. President, I rise today to discuss my concerns with respect to Iran and to express my support for the Kaine resolution, of which I am a cosponsor. No American mourns the death of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, and my thoughts remain with the... Read More

Mr. President, today the U.S. Senate is called upon to uphold our oath of office and our duty to the Constitution because President Trump failed to do so himself.  After listening closely to the impeachment managers and the president’s... Read More

Mr. President, I rise to support the nomination of Peter T. Gaynor to be the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency – FEMA. I have known and worked with Pete Gaynor for over a decade.  Before taking over as FEMA Deputy... Read More

Mr. President, I rise today to express my concerns about the President’s recent interference in war crimes cases involving members of the U.S. military and the President’s inappropriate public statements regarding these cases. The... Read More