On September 30, 1788, Pennsylvania became the first state to elect its United States senators, one of whom was William Maclay. In his 1789 journal Senator Maclay wrote, "I gave my opinion in plain language that the confidence of the people was departing from us, owing to our unreasonable delays....

The recent explosion at the Upper Big Branch coal mine in my home county of Raleigh, which killed 29 West Virginians and injured 2 others, has brought West Virginia statewide sorrow and worldwide attention.

Reflecting on President John F. Kennedy's death, Robert F. Kennedy once said: "Tragedy is a...

For more than 100 years, coal has been the backbone of the Appalachian economy. Even today, the economies of more than 20 states depend to some degree on the mining of coal. About half of all the electricity generated in America and about one quarter of all the...

Few subjects weigh more heavily upon a president than the decision to send our sons and daughters to war. Such a commitment demands the clearest of clear thinking, including a thoroughly dispassionate assessment of goals, risks, and strategies. This is difficult terrain for any American president, especially when faced with...

I had hoped and prayed that this day would never come. My heart and soul weeps at the loss of my best friend in the Senate, my beloved friend, Ted Kennedy.

Senator Kennedy and I both witnessed too many wars in our lives, and believed too strongly in the Constitution...

In President Obama's inaugural address, he declared that "we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by...

After more than 50 years in the Congress of this great United States of America, and having served alongside 11 presidents, I felt that this 90-year-old youngster had some unique observations which might help the next President better understand the daunting job ahead of him when he assumes office on...

Today I voted 'no' on the nomination of General David H. Petraeus, the current commander of the Multi-National Force-Iraq, to be Commander, United States Central Command. I was unable to attend General Petraeus' nomination hearing before the Armed Services Committee because I was managing the Supplemental Appropriations bill on the...

Last week marked the fifth anniversary of the start of our nation's invasion of Iraq. Again we are confronted with a sorrowful reminder of the consequences of that fateful decision by the death of four Americans killed in Baghdad, bringing the total number of American troops who have made the...

Today, I sent a letter to President Bush urging him to reconsider the ill-advised veto threat of the Fiscal Year 2008 Homeland Security Appropriations legislation. With threats to our nation growing, I am pressing the President to work with the Senate and to invest real dollars in the tools and...

Once again, the Congress is debating supplemental funding for President Bush's disastrous misadventure in Iraq. Earlier this year, Congress set a new course for the war in Iraq. It offered a way forward for the Iraqi people and a way home for the U.S. troops while providing for some of...

Thank you for the overwhelming response to the blog I posted on Monday. I have enjoyed reading your comments, especially those encouraging Congress not to back away from the supplemental legislation despite the president's repeated veto threats. On Tuesday afternoon I decided to go down to the Senate floor...

This week, members of the House and Senate will meet to begin work on the final version of the emergency supplemental appropriations bill. The Senate's bipartisan version of this legislation provides $123.2 billion primarily for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, for improving the health care for returning soldiers and...