Floor Speech - U.S. Senate

Elissa Slotkin
categories: Floor Speech - U.S. Senate, Speeches
Nobody Gets to Rewrite the Constitution - Oct. 8, 2025
October 8, 2025
Today in support of Senators Schiff and Ka's resolution regarding war powers. This resolution would just say very simply that if the Trump administration wants to be at war against a terrorist organization, they should come to Congress, notify us, and seek our approval. Currently, the administration is waging a secret war against a secret list of unnamed groups that they will not tell us about. There's been four lethal strikes against boats in the Caribbean. The administration wrote us a letter, wrote this body a letter about what they […]
Claire McCaskill
categories: Floor Speech - U.S. Senate, Speeches
Farewell speech in the U.S. Senate – Dec. 13, 2018
December 13, 2018
It probably won't surprise my colleagues to know that I don't like much the idea of a farewell speech. I haven't spent a great deal of time contemplating it over the years I have been here. I'm not a big fan of the concept, but I want to respect the tradition especially since I've witnessed so many Senate traditions crumble over the last 12 years. So I will do my best to get through this without breaking up. A traditional farewell speech in the United States Senate is full of […]
Heidi Heitkamp
categories: Floor Speech - U.S. Senate, Speeches
Final Senate Floor Speech – Dec. 11, 2018
December 11, 2018
In 2000, I was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer. And after I got done with treatment, my oncologist told me I had a 28-percent chance of living more than 10 years. Think about that. I knew right away that I had a chance to use what time God gave me for good and noble purposes—to try and do the things I have always thought needed to be done in this country. It is an important lesson for all of you. The greatest gift you have is not your bank […]
Joni Ernst
categories: Floor Speech - U.S. Senate, Speeches
Flood Mitigation Highlights - February 8, 2017
February 8, 2017
ERNST: Thank you, Mr. Chair and thanks for, panelists, for being here today. This really has been a helpful- helpful discussion, and we have a number of members that come from those coastal areas and it's a great discussion. What I want to point out in my question, I'll start with you Mr. McNulty, is that the federal government one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn't work. I come from Iowa. I am landlocked. I don't have open front property, and let me dig into why I think there needs to be a […]
Joni Ernst
categories: Floor Speech - U.S. Senate, Speeches
Honoring the Life of Sarah Root - January 31, 2017
January 31, 2017
Mr. President, I rise today on the one-year anniversary of the tragic death of a fellow Iowan, Sara Root. On January 31st 2016, the very same day as her college graduation, Sara was killed by an illegal immigrant named Edwin Mejia who was allegedly drag racing with a blood alcohol level more than three times the legal limit. Sadly despite requests by local law enforcement, I failed to detain Mejia. He then posted bond, was released, and now a year later, remains a fugitive denying Sara's loved ones any sense […]
Kay Bailey Hutchison
categories: Floor Speech - U.S. Senate, Speeches
Discussing the Immigration Bill - June 28, 2007
June 28, 2007
Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Alabama for his remarks. This is a hard time. This has been a very difficult issue. There is no question that so many people put hours and hours in to try to produce a piece of legislation that could get a majority or 60 votes to proceed. I think it is important for us to take a moment and say, yes, it was a disappointment, but we must go forward. This should not be the end of efforts to deal with one of […]
Barbara L Boxer
categories: Floor Speech - U.S. Senate, Speeches
The Filibuster Issue - April 25, 2005
April 25, 2005
I want to talk about an issue I know you've been very involved with, and that's the filibuster issue. And I feel that, as someone who once wanted to end the filibuster myself at an early stage, I really now understand how foolish I was at that point. Why did I want to end it When I first came here as a freshman? Because we had the majority and the Republicans were thwarting us, and it was very frustrating, and we wanted to fix everything, and I voted to say, […]
Barbara L Boxer
categories: Floor Speech - U.S. Senate, Speeches
Remarks on the War in Iraq - Dec. 21, 2005
December 21, 2005
In 1968, Martin Luther King told us: "If we do not act, we shall surely be dragged down the long, dark, and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possess…strength without sight." Dr. King was talking about ending the Vietnam War. But 40 years later, his warning is increasingly relevant to the Iraq war. Strength without sight has now led us into a war based on mistaken intelligence, and down a thorny path of pain for too long. And none of us can afford to be silent, because as […]
Hillary Rodham Clinton
categories: Floor Speech - U.S. Senate, Speeches
Medicare/Prescription Drug Legislation - Nov. 19, 2003
November 19, 2003
Mr. President, I will now turn to the other issue we are confronting in the Senate. I don't see how we can deal with a Medicare bill of this significance at this time when, so far as my office knows, we still do not have the final bill as I came to the floor. We will have a lot of explaining to do to our constituents. Every Member hoped we could get a bill to provide a prescription drug benefit for our seniors. They need it and they deserve it. […]
Dianne Feinstein
categories: Floor Speech - U.S. Senate, Speeches
Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act - July 17, 2006
July 17, 2006
Mr. President, I rise to support the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. Passage of this legislation will finally allow scientists to fully pursue the promise of stem cell research. It will offer hope to millions of our people. Mr. President, we have waited a long time for this day. Earlier, Senator Harkin spoke to the fact that it was in 1998 when he and Senator Specter introduced the first bill dealing with stem cell research. I recall that year I introduced one of the first bills dealing with ethical standards […]