Floor Speeches

The best way to repeal the Obama administration's healthcare law is to elect a new president and Republican Congress, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said Thursday.

The House started debate on two resolutions finding Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress shortly after noon Thursday, punctuated by early signs that members are in for a bitter partisan fight throughout the day.

Just before formal debate on the rule for the resolutions started, Rep. Laura Richardson (D-Calif.) said she would not support the measures because they are being pursued in a "hateful manner."

Democrats are proud of their push to pass the Obama administration's healthcare reform law, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Thursday just before the Supreme Court handed down its ruling on the constitutionality of the law.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Monday's ruling that found parts of Arizona's immigration law unconstitutional shows that Congress needs to lead on immigration reform rather than the states.

"The Supreme Court offered yet another affirmation that a long-term fix for a broken immigration system must come from Congress, and not from the states," Reid said on the Senate floor.

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) criticized a June 24 Washington Post story for implying that he and his wife had moved their money to a safe haven after Conrad spoke with Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson.

"Your story was unfair to my family, it was unfair to me, and fundamentally it was unfair to your readers, because the graphics you supplied with the story failed to provide a full or fair timeline, and the full context that led to our decision," Conrad said in Tuesday morning comments on the Senate floor that were directed at the Post.

Reid warned Republican leaders to prevent Paul from offering unrelated amendments or risk having the flood bill delayed.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) defended the creation of a controversial Arizona immigration law the same day that the Supreme Court gutted three of four key provisions in the law.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said the House would continue to press for repeal of the 2010 healthcare law if the Supreme Court allows it to live on.

"If the court does not strike down the bill in its entirely, the gentleman knows, our conference is fully committed to repeal — total repeal — of the ObamaCare bill," Cantor said on the House floor in a discussion with House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). "In July, we will continue to focus on that bill and its impact on employers."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) voiced his support for a Senate resolution of disapproval authored by Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules aimed at reducing air toxins like mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants.

Rep. Ron Barber (D-Ariz.) was sworn into office Tuesday afternoon to replace Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.), and pledged in brief remarks to his new colleagues to work across the political aisle on issues that concern all Americans.

"I am going to approach my work for the people of Southern Arizona with an eye not towards partisan victory, but towards American achievement," he said.