such scale is extremely valuable in the united states senate. a body by its very design is supposed to foster compromise between legislators on issues before the nation. and so it was a natural progression that following his success as mayor, dick lugar's next job would be serving hoosiers is the united states senator. since 1977, senator lugar has represented hoosiers have served our nation admirably. without question, senator lugar is the type of lawmakers later who works hard to bring both parties together, find common ground and pass the legislation. those contributions are many, including this fine valley service on the senate agriculture committee, senator lugar's most important role in the senate has to be his leadership of the senate foreign relations committee. as a two-time chairman of this committee, he has been one of the most influential minds on foreign policy in the united states senate history. he has worked tirelessly on policies and legislation to promote arms control, control and dismantle nuclear arms and address the global f

me to the united states senate. he helped me get on the powerful appropriations committee. he was my teacher and mentor. he also had a wonderful way of communicating with all of us. and as each new class of senators, each new class of women senators arrived, he welcomed each and every one of us with the same warmth and generosity he showed to me. we have a saying among we the women of the senate is that men of quality stand up for we women fighting for inquality and daniel inouye was there ever step of the way. when we wanted equal pay for equal work he was. there when we wanted to be included in the protocols and establish an office of women's health, he was there, issue after issue. last year i had the wonderful honor of traveling to the middle east with senator inouye. it is an eagle that many of the women in the senate wear. we have a little collection. this one is from the smith sonian. he said i loift, it's so pretty. i want to get one for my wife. i don't know if senator inip ever got it for his wife irene bu

to the united states senate. he helped me get on the appropriations committee. he was my teacher. he was my mentor. he also had a wonderful way of communicating with all of us and each new class of senators, each new class of women senators arrived he welcomed each and every one of us with the same warmth and generosity he showed me. we have a saying among the women of the senate which is men of quality always stand up for we women fighting for e quality. daniel inouye was there every step of the way. we wanted equal pay for equal work, he was there. we wanted mammograms' included in the protocol and establish an office of women, he was there. issue after issue. last year had a wonderful honor of going to the middle east with senator inouye and he admired that i had 20 years today, an eagle that many of the women in the senate where, the style which we have, a little collection. this one is from the smithsonian. he said i loved it. it is so pretty. i want to get one for my wife. i don't know if senator inouye eve

leahy, a senator from the state of vermont, to be president pro tempore, of the united states senate. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, there being no intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to consideration of s.j. res. 620 -- s. res. 620. the clerk: s. res. 620, to authorize harry reid, a senator from the state of nevada, to administer the oath of office of the president of the senate pro tempore ee to patrick j. leahy, a senator from the state of vermont. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, there being no intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to s. res. 621. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. res. 621, condemning the horrific attacks in newtown, connecticut,

to the united states senate. of he was working as a medical volunteer when japanese war planes attacked pearl harbor. a boy, a teenager. w from the time he was just a kidn he wanted to be a doctor, a medical doctor. butrent a different fate awaiten inouye. after the attack, as we all know too well, japanese-americans were deemed enemy aliens and ali were, therefore, not subject to the draft. in spite of that, in spite of the humiliation, more than 110,000 people of japanese ancestry were imprisoned in american internment camps. i have, we've seen the pictures, we've heard the stories. they were in prison. yet dan inouye and other japanese-americans, in spite of the unfair a designation of beii an enemy alien, volunteeredded to fight for this nation'serse freedom overseas, although many of their own families were denied freedom, home, when they were overseas. senator inouye fought famously with the famous 42nd combat team in world war ii and was grievout lu wounded in the battle. the citation, the words for his me

and the united states senate shamed itself today. once again. it pains me to say that, it really does, having worked in the senate for seven years, i think the senate remains a great institution which has done much, much more to be proud of than the rare occurrences that it should be ashame of. i don't usually think when a vote doesn't go my way in the united states senate, the senate should be ashamed of itself. i think that the senate has a right, a moral right to arrive at outcomes that i don't like. to arrive at outcomes i hate and to arrive at them with a reasonable exercise of senate decision making. i don't think that every procedural roadblock that republicans throw in front of senate democrats is shameful. i've seen democrats do the same thing to republicans and i working on the senate floor have tried to do the same thing to republicans myself. in my seven years in the senate, i didn't recall one day of shame for the senate as a whole. most senators were innocent bystanders in the judiciary hearing that pitted anita hill against claren

we got a new united states senator, senator tim scott. he will be congressman now from south carolina. the first black in the united states senate and will be the only african-american in the united states senate. the first black from the south since 1901. that's the good news. bad news is he has every bit as tea party crazy as jim demint whose place he takes in the senate. we'll bring you more about that and a whole lot more but first here's the latest, today's current news update, lisa ferguson's got it out in los angeles. hi lisa, good morning. >> hey bill. good morning everyone. president obama has another light day on his schedule today. just an afternoon meeting with defense secretary leon panetta. that's after a new fiscal cliff offer is now on the table showing he and speaker boehner could be closer to reaching a deal. the two met at the white house for about 45 minutes yesterday. last night president obama laid out a new compromise. a couple of details for you. the about the has dropped his revenue demands to $1.2 trillion over t

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representatives, members of the united states senate, and the speaker of the united states house of representatives. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, the honorable john boehner. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the united states capitol. i want to say how much i appreciate you all be near. on behalf of my colleagues in the united states congress, i will ask that you all join me in a moment of silence in tribute to ambassador stevens and the united states personnel who were killed in libya at this morning. thank you. since the days of the american revolution, congress has commissioned gold medals as the highest expression of appreciation for distinguished achievements. the first recipient was general george washington in march of 1776. today, we will present a congressional gold medal to arnold palmer of the commonwealth of pennsylvania. those of you who participate in these events regularly may notice the stage is set up a little differently than usual. we thought it would be more fitting to do so on this side of the rotunda and honor some of the presidents of that arn

i say nothing in the united states senate. again, the house of representatives earlier this year, last summer, passed legislation that would extend the tax rates for everybody for a year. they passed legislation that would replace the across-the-board cuts that will start to take effect on january 2 with responsible spending reductions that actually did something to bend the curve of all these runaway programs, entitlement costs that are going to bankrupt this country in future years. they made some necessary reforms. again, people may not agree with them, and obviously there should be a process where in the united states senate we have an opportunity to vote on a budget and make amendments. and perhaps we would do it a different way. i might have voted for something entirely different. but the point is i didn't have anything to vote for. nobody over here did. we've been here for a whole year. and now we've got people coming up and saying gee, i really wish that these negotiations will get us to an outcome. it's december 31. j

here in the united states senate. all of us who seek public service want to make a difference, and most certainly senator lugar has done that. at an early age, dick lugar developed a passion for knowledge. a native of indianapolis, he was valedictorian at short ridge, high school. then and still a distinguished institution where knowledge is at the forefront of everything done in that school. one of our former members, ted stevens, is also a graduate of short ridge high school. dick lugar went on then to become valedictorian in college when he graduated from venison university with a degree in economics. he went on to attend college as a rhodes scholar. today he is one of the most decorated scholars in the united states national. -- in the united states senate with 46 honor rare ray degrees from 16 states and the district of columbia. now, following these most impressive academic achievements, senator lugar spent many years in the united states navy, ultimately serving as an intelligence briefer for the chief of naval

the united states senate to begi with. running for office is a difficult endeavor, usually accompanied by great personal risk and cost. each one of you is capable of being a positive force for changing the tone of debate in our country. each one of you has the responsibility to protect the integrity and represent your constituents, but also to make informed and imaginative choices on which our country depends. i am optimistic about our country's future. i believe that both internal divisions and external threats can be overcome. the united states will continue to serve as the inspiration for people seeking peace, freedom, and economic prosperity. and the united states senate should and will be at the forefront of this advancement. may we see each day, got our creator -- each day from god, our creator -- and may god continue to bless the united states of america. >> the gentleman from indiana. >> the service of richard lugar, and to pay tribute to his legacy. i have served beside him during my two tours of service here in t

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but today the far right got loose in the united states senate. it seems to have freaked out even some of the republican party. and that story is next. >>> we will rise. >> today's protest took place this morning. the american public transit association is holding their annual convention. >> i don't care if you're in a wheelchair. you don't run into me. >> they were seeking a man day-to-day for all cities with a public transit system to install wheelchair access. the association opposes this plan. >> they insisted on taking the train or the bus even when the law said they had no such right. except for their bravery that led them to take that stand, they were just regular people. jack warren, who was hauled by police off a city bus on may 19th, 1986. he was hauled off that bus and arrested for the crime of insisting that he should be allowed to ride with everybody else. even though he had a disability and even though he had mobility issues. he was part of a group called "adapt." they were founded in denver in 1983. they are active in cities across

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but today the far right got loose in the united states senate. it seems to have freaked out even some of the republican party. and that story is next. a hybrid? most are just no fun to drive. now, here's one that will make you feel alive. meet the five-passenger ford c-max hybrid. c-max says ha. c-max says wheeee. which is what you get, don't you see? cause c-max has lots more horsepower than prius v, a hybrid that c-max also bests in mpg. say hi to the all-new 47 combined mpg c-max hybrid. you'll also care about our new offer. you get access to nurses who can help with your questions. and your loved one can get exelon patch free for 30 days. if the doctor feels it's right for them. it cannot change how the disease progresses. hospitalization and rarely death have been reported in patients who wore more than one patch at a time. the most common side effects of exelon patch are nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. the likelihood and severity of these side effects may increase as the dose increases. patients may experience loss of appetite or weight. pa

the conflict is playing out in technicolor with demint blowing the united states senate to become the ceo of the conservative movement and firing a warning shot at boehner in the process. joining me are michael steele, former rnc chair, now one of us, and joy reid, managing editor of thegrio.com. she's also one of us. thank you, gentleman and lady. i want you to look at something. this is what happens when you go near what i call the misery index, the rush limbaugh show. yesterday jim demint, still the united states senator from south carolina, and the outgoing heritage president ed fuelner went on rush, the misery index, and yuck-yucked about john boehner. they made fun of the speaker. let's listen. >> well, i think it's safe to say boehner is not forcing either of you guys out, right? >> that's pretty true. >> it might work a little bit the other way, rush. >> what do you make of that? it might work a little bit the other way. here is an outgoing united states senator not being very outgoing about the speaker of the house saying he might lose his job because demint is going to the h

the united states senate to begin with. running for office is a difficult endeavor that is usually accompanied by great personal risk and cost. each one of you is capable of being a positive force for changing the tone of debate now country. each one of you has a responsibility not only to act with integrity and represent your constituents but also to make the informed and imaginative choices on which good governments for our country depends. i am optimistic about our country's future. i believe that both internal divisions and external threats can be overcome. the united states will continue to serve as the inspiration for people seeking peace, freedom and economic prosperity. the united states senate to the end will be at the forefront of this advancement. may we seek each day the wisdom and the will to do our best and the governance of our country and may god continue to bless the united states of america. i yield the floor. >> the senator from indiana. >> in service of senator richard lugar and to pay tribute to his leg

the united states senator -- a united states senator has been arrested for driving under the influence. michael crapo was pulled over on sunday morning. he ran a red light and failed field sobriety test. he has been released a thousand dollars bond. >> good news for you this morning when you pull up to the pump. gas prices have fallen nearly 12cents over the last two weeks. drivers are paying on average about 3.26 per gallon. and here in baltimore we are paying about $2.28 a gallon -- 3.28 a gallon. stephen's hardware is going out of business. the iconic annapolis store is expected to close their doors for good this this afternoon. they have been -- this afternoon. they have been opened since 1960. >>> strong winds and slow swept through western maryland causing power outage. potomac edison restored power to more than a thousand customers. everyone should have their power back on by the end of the morning. it's christmas eve and around the world people are celebrating. pope benedict xvi will hold a mass at the vatican. thousands of people are expected to come out to get a pope's blessi

states senator mark one of the more power the united states senator he must think he my guess is it's money he thinks in that position he can do more. things he wants to tell you in a million dollar your paycheck you look at a million years and that's that's the job you've got the think tank has the money the resources they have because somebody is interested in propelling those views that's fine and i was surprised that he decided to do this but there's nothing really wrong with this i you know if he wants to go and do this i don't think this really shows that the think tank has more power than the entire united states senate may think saying that one senator feels he can do more and i think then that the deadlock the legislating samant the gentleman just thought that this is probably the end of his career he's not going to successfully run for reelection in two years he was always getting the good i think there is extremely afraid of losing alvin greene next time around all her election i think i think. and he does and he doesn't have to worry about a tea party you know i didn't i d

and to watch her now get on the banking committee, walk into the united states senate. she's a fighter for the middle class. she's proven herself, she set up the consumer protection bureau. she's going to bring what is exactly needed in the united states senate to bring this country forward and i couldn't be happier about what she's going to bring to the united states senate. >> now, ryan, the banking industry, one reaction from richard hunt, consumer banking association, president and ceo, he says i welcome her to be inside the tent rather than outside the tent, throwing bombs. what kind of sulbtle message is that? >> well, they think they're going to be able to co-op her. i think the best chance to stymie her is she's outnumbered. you have enough bank-friendly republicans to block her. she could have a lot of pow other this committee. she can grill regulators when she come in and they know that. every day a regulator goes to work and they're writing rules and enforcing them, they know a couple months from now, i could be on youtube making a fool -- >> being confronted

states senate that is talking about filibuster reform puts them in a very very bad position when it comes to issues like immigration reform or student loan reform or education reform which are all up this year and democrats really been able to define the republican party over the last year as you know the party so it's going to take away a abortionist a party you know if they the last thing republicans have left the party with the rich and the corporate you know that's less than they have left so that the average person i think on the street is not paying too much attention understands as well the republicans will raise my taxes if obama can get them to go back on that that's a that's a killing blow to republicans i think i mean of course a lot can change in two years you know for the average person the amount of taxes that are going to go up or down is largely i mean the notice the payroll tax they will they actually will but that's only on the first one hundred ten thousand well only on the first order i mean that and that is hitting all of the working people in america it is. but

it was a sad moment in the history of the united states senate. that only eight republicans would join every democratic senator in voting for the ratification of this treaty on disabilities. some of these colleagues may have another chance. maybe next year we'll have another go at it. i certainly hope senator dole will be here to join us and see that happy day. but yesterday was a sad day for the senate, a sad day for our nation. we owe a debt of gratitude to the disabled, who work so hard, to the disabled veterans, who testified and worked so hard for the passage of this, and we owe it to them and disabled around the world to give them a chance, a chance for an opportunity which has become the law across america and needs to be the law across this nation. whatever the petty political squabbles were that led to this vote yesterday, we need to put them behind us. it is important for us in the 21st century to speak as one on a bipartisan basis for the disabled. i yield the floor. mr. hatch: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from ut

at some point the united states senate has to do something. and what we were trying to do this week was to basically jump start and try to kick into gear some action by the senate to avert these tax increases going into effect on january 1st. >> mr. speaker, with all due respect, what impact do you think bringing up a bipartisan grand barring began that you could strike with president obama would have on the future of your speakership? >> well, listen, at some point we're going to have to address the spending problem that we have. but we can't cut our way to prosperity we need real economic growth. us believe on both sides of the aisle the fundamental reform of our tax code will help us get our economy moving faster and put more americans back to work, and more americans on the tax rolls. how we get there, god only knows. all i've tkoeupbs is that eric and i and our team here are committed to working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle, the kapt tol capitol and the white house to address this. >> last week i asked you if you were concer

he defeated an incumbent united states senator. and for the last 24 years he served the people of connecticut and this country with honor and distinction. i was also pleased to have the opportunity to support senator lieberman's historic candidacy for vice president in 2000. joe was the first major jewish party candidate for vice president. senator lieberman is a devout observant jew. he's written a book about the importance of keeping the sabbath as a day of rest. i read the book. i was so impressed with that book. our sabbaths may be on different days, but the solemnne of the sabbath is important to both of us. i was so impress bid that book, i -- so impressed by that book i bought 20 of them, i sent them to my friends and family. joe lieberman says his faith is the basis for his strong desire to serve the state of connecticut and our country. during his four terms representing connecticut in the senate, joe lieberman played a key role in drafting and passing many different pieces of legislation, but the 1990 clean air act amendm

welcomed me to the united states senate. he helped me get on the powerful appropriations committee. he was my teacher. he was my mentor. he also had a wonderful way of communicating with all of us. and as each new class of senators -- each new class of women senators arrived, he welcomed each and every one of us with the same warmth and generosity he showed to me. we have a saying among we, the woman of the senate, which is that men of quality always stand up for we woman fighting for equality. and dan inouye was there every step of the way. when we wanted equal pay for equal work, he was there. when we wanted to have mammograms be included in the n.i.h. and establish an office of women's health he was there. issue after issue. last year i had the wonderful honor of traveling to the middle east with senator inouye and he admired the pin that i have on today. it is an eagle that many of the women in the senate wear. theretherewe have a little -- wa little collection. this one is from the smithsonian. he said i love it. it's s

states senator mark one of the more power the united states senator he must think he my guess is it's money he thinks in that position he can do more of the. things he wants to win a million dollar your paycheck you look at a million a year and that's that's the job you've got the think tank has the money the resources they have because somebody is interested in propelling those views that's fine and i was surprised that he decided to do this but there's nothing really wrong with this i you know if he wants to go and do this i don't think this really shows that the think tank has more power than the entire united states senate may think saying that one senator feels he can do more thinking than a deadlock the legislating sam of the gentleman just thought that this is probably the end of his career he's not going to successfully run for reelection in two years he was always getting to good i think here is extremely afraid of losing alvin greene next time. i think i think. and he does and he doesn't have to worry about a tea party you know i didn't i mean he's doing it probably for the

texas in the united states snavmen senate. kay has always been a pioneer of sorts. and as the father of two daughters, that means a lot to me. i'm used to being surrounded at home by strong, intelligent women, but serving with kay, i've also been a partner with a strong, intelligent texas woman and, of course, kay has been a role model for so many young women, not just in texas but throughout the united states. i'm honored to be your colleague, and aim proud to be your -- and i'm proud to be your friend. cakekay, you leave behind a tremendous legacy of which you and ray and your children can be proud, a legacy that can long be celebrated by texans, from amarillo to brownsville. everyone in this chamber will miss her. i know i speak for all of my colleagues when i michigan wish kay bailey -- when i wish kay billy hutchison the i have best in the next exciting chapter of her life. i join with my colleagues in saying to you, via condios. mr. hatch: mr. president, i want to join in thanking kay for her great service here in the un

or the united states senate it's those three senators that ever ever voted for a tax increase in this country in the past twenty years since it is he came out and said the republicans need to become the party of the tax cut santa clause exactly. are you suggesting that the benefit to the president to the democrats of having john boehner shoot santa claus shoot the tax cut santa clause is greater than the benefit i mean the long term strategy what you do and laid out was run up huge deficits when republicans are in power so that when democrats going to power everybody can scream about the debt they can force the democrats to shoot their santa clause which is social security you're here we've got a deal where they're both shooting their santa clause is this seems crazy to me well you know how i see it i don't necessarily think it's crazy what i see is john boehner voting to increase taxes on millionaires and billionaires and those making over a million dollars which is what the number this is all part of john boehner this plan sort of says hey listen you know grover norquist you're run

we will very much missed senator lugar's voice in the united states senate, and also his hal, better half, charlotte, who i bt think we all know is a bright w ceite. senator, it has been an honor and privilege to serve with you, and i know that your voice will continue to be heard on important issues of the day.o i think you for your service to, our country and to your state, and thank you for being a good friend to me. mr. president, we have this long tradition in the senate by alert senators giving farewell remarks and i would like to alert that a my remarks will be especially long. becau you may want to have lunch and then come back. [laughter] i don't consider this my final speech because i'm hopeful that we farm bill. on hopefully we can reach agreement on averting the fiscal cliff. because that is important to thh country.nd this is my farewell remarks. observations on 26 years of service here. it has been an incredible experience. the first thing i want to do is say thank youto you the you. h thank you to the people of north dakota are having confidence ino the united states s

states, by the laws of the land, and by the rules of the united states senate. and under the constitution, the founding fathers said that every year there should be a review of the annual federal expenditures. and that's what our committee will do. we will bring forward legislation that will show what are the expenditures of the united states government, what we propose to be ratified by the full senate. we will do it, first of all, on a bipartisan basis. one of the first calls i received when i knew that this honor would come to me as chair was to reach across the aisle to senator richard shelby of alabama, my good friend and colleague, who is now the ranking member on appropriations, to reach out to him, as i did in a phone call - and i say publicly today -- that when we look at how we're going to spend the money and how we are going to really meet our national security needs but our compelling human needs in this country and public investments in our children, in our future, and in how to promote our economy, that we need to do it on a bipartisan basis. i wa

and he truly can wear that united states senator proudly. my dad always used to remind me, he used to say -- he said don't forget. you go to represent new mexico, but he says you're a united states senator. and jeff bingaman has worn that title, i think, very, very proudly. jeff is a rare combination of character: brilliant and humble. for jeff, it's about the work. not about his own ego, not about a monument to himself. for three decades in the u.s. senate, he has been making a difference for the american people and for our home state of new mexico. public service is a noble profession when it isn't swamped by money and when it isn't held hostage to partisanship, and jeff is the best example i know of of nobility and politics. by washington standards, jeff is a man of few words, and when he comes to this floor to speak, we listen. when i -- i frequently said when i'm back in new mexico, i said when i'm at my desk and senator bingaman rises on the floor and i see that he's speaking, i'll turn off the mute and i will listen to the television

states senate. he also left in new hampshire a very proud legacy at the attorney general's office before he served at the senate. i have the privilege of serving as the attorney general of new hampshire. in my view and the views of many others, warren rudman was the finest attorney general to serve in the history of the state of new hampshire because he enhanced the stature of the office and he raised the level of professionalism of the attorney general's office. everyone who thereafter served aspired to be measured by how he served in that office. senator rudman had new hampshire in his blood. he was straightforward and determined and he used his talents in the u.s. senate to pass important legislation, including the gramm-rudman deficit law, which was so important at the time. those issues remain important today. he did not aspire to be a politician, and he did not have to like one. he cared deeply. [laughter] we know he cared deeply about our country and devoted himself because he had a calling t

not seek a fourth term in the united states senate. it is regrettable that excessive polarization today is presenting preventing us in this monumental consequences for a nation. as i prepared to conclude my service, that may be abundantly clear. i am not leaving the senate because of believing in its potential for a no that the institution, but precisely because they do. i'm simply taking my commitment to the senate in a different direction. i intend to work on the outside to help build support to those in this institution were working to reestablish as a place of refuge from the passion of politics, as a foreign. as our founding fathers truly intended. because the senate in particular is our essential legislative mechanism for distilling the vast diversity of ideologies and opinions in america so we might arrive at solutions to the challenges we face. the fact is we are a can-do country with an error pass up it is in our blood and in the fiber of we are. this and the hard-working family and the limitless entrepreneurship and innovatio

viable part of the united states senate. i know you will continue to serve our nation in many different capacities in the future and i'm sure they will be equally exceptional. mr. president, i ask my following remarks be placed in a separate part in the record. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. durbin: i have to answer some of the comments made earlier by the republican leader as he talked about the state of negotiations between the president and congress as we face the fiscal cliff. he said at one point that the president is calling for raising taxes $1.6 billion. that's true. but i would call to his attention the fact that the simpson-bowles commission suggested that 40% of the $4 trillion in deficit reduction come from revenue in taxes. what the president is suggesting is entirely consistent with that bipartisan group's call for more revenue in taxes as part of our deficit reduction. the president's made it clear, though, he wants to protect and insulate middle-income families from any income tax i

leaves the united states senate. the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: there is further time to -- time to prevent fawrt damage to the economy and the automatic tax hike that's scheduled to go into effect the beginning of the new year. the president has a real opportunity, the second in two years, to do something significant about our debt crisis and jump-start our economy. he has a real opportunity to show he can govern. he's letting that opportunity slip away. senate democrats and the white house now say that a balanced approach is one that can pass both the house and the senate. but we know that neither the mocratic bill in the senate nor the president's plan for more than a trillion dollars in tax hikes meets their own new test of balance. speaker boehner like me would like to prevent a tax hike on everyone. but given the president's failure to act, the house will soon vote on legislation to prevent a tax hike on anyone making less than a million dollars a year. rather than letting taxes go

i've been as involved with this as any senator in the united states senate, other than mitch mcconnell and harry reid. i have never seen those cuts, so i'd love to take those up on the senate floor. let me just say this, like every american, i'm disgusted with where we are. i know people are irritated at the president, they're irritated at congress, as they should be. there's no question that in the next few days or next few weeks, we're going to rescue most of the american people from a tax increase. we're going to do it. better to do it over the next day or two. but what hasn't happened in this debate is any discussion about real reductions, reforms in medicare and social security, to save those. i think that is totally irresponsible. >> but there's -- look, here's where we are. there is not time for you to reform entitlements between now and midnight on the 31st. so here is your choice. you either allow tax rates to go up on everyone -- >> we're going to deal with that. >> or try to protect some people. >> i would bet my life over the next very short period of time, 98 to 99% of the

while 15 won primaries just seven are united states senators today. many party leaders, in fact, blame demint for high-profile senate losses in indiana, delaware, colorado and nevada and in a statement made yesterday minority leader mitch mcconnell said this. i thank senator demint for his uncompromising service to south carolina and our country in the united states senate. service. he probably wishes he was a little less compromising. that's how you can tell the ones secretly happy he was leaving. you heard phraseology like that. demint leaves the senate a month after conservatives were set back by obama's re-election. demint's 2010 network was $65,000. heritage current president made over $1 million in 2010. it's also a powerful statement about where demint believes he can have the most influence as a movement conservative. outside elected office. >> i think i'm in a more pow powerful position than a single united states senator. i am looking for a place where i can make more of a difference. >> demint summed up his frustration the last time he spok

members of the united states senate must lead. we must be a headlight on this issue and not a taillight. when you see these little children, these little babies, being slaughtered, we have to act. i don't want to shed anymore tears. i don't have any tears left. >> congressman, what about the other range of issues, mental health issues, violence in our media, health questions, educational questions, is it all guns, or should we not let the perfect enemy of the good take it step by step? >> it's not all guns. we must bring the issue of mental illness out into the sunlight, out of the shadow, out of the closet, deal with it, treat people, have centers where people can get their necessary help, but we can start by dealing with the issues of guns. there's too many guns. the british are not coming. the russians, the russians are not coming. the british are not coming. we don't need all these guns to kill people. >> congressman john lewis, always a voice leading the way. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> thank you, sir. >>> and next,

you need to know this paranoid delusions swept the floor of the united states senate on tuesday as a group of republican senators blocked ratification of a u.n. treaty to help disabled people around the planet the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities requires signatory u.n. nations to provide for disabled populations in the exact same way as does the american one nine hundred ninety americans with disabilities act the treaty would require absolutely no changes to current u.s. law suite already passed the american americans with disabilities act more than twenty years ago it simply calls on other nations to adopt these same american standards. standards that were signed in place by president george w. bush in two thousand and six and then resigned by president obama in two thousand and nine this was championed by former republican senator bob dole himself disabled who was wheeled onto the senate floor for the vote and witnessed senator kerry's passionate speech. what we do here in the united states senate matters not just to us but to people all across the globe and m

. >>> the state of hawaii has itself a brand new united states senator elect. a little more than a week ago daniel inouye passed away outside of washington at the age of 88. his passing immediately kicked off a process to replace him in hawaii, and it is a process that's kind of unique to hawaii. hawaii's governor neil abercrombie was provided with a list of three potential replacements for senator inouye. the three they put together included the state's current lieutenant governor. the governor got to choose among those thee and tonight he announced his decision. >> i have informed the leadership of the united states senate with senator reid, the majority of the united states senate brian schatz will be the next senator from hawaii. >> brian schatz, governor abercrombie chose his own lieutenant governor to be the state's next senator. he's a former chairman of the presidential party. this appointment is not without controversy. senator daniel inouye's last request is that he be replaced by colleen hannabussa. tonight the senator's office releases this statemen

yesterday, jim demint, still the united states senator from south carolina and the out-going heritage foundation president dent and rush made fun of the speaker. let's listen. >> well, i think it's safe to say boehner is not forcing either of you guys out, right? >> that's pretty true. it might work a little bit the other way, rush. >> what do you make of that? it might work a little bit the other way. an out-going united states senator not being very out-going about the speaker of the house saying he might lose his job because demint is going to the heritage foundation. explain that. >> actually, there's no connection there. that's just idle banter with rush limbaugh. in reality the speaker will be back in charge. he's negotiating right now with the president. >> why clip the speaker? >> it's setting the stage for what's to come. he will go out, has a new platform, an elevated voice, if you will, not 1 of 100, representing a lot of conservative voices around the country. the thing to be careful about here is, you know, you talked about the split within the part. i that split has been

. >> but united states senators are not being silent now about gun control. they are already taking up the challenge. president obama issued when he spoke to the grieving newtown community here last night. >> we can't tolerate this anymore. these tragedies must end, and to end them we must change. we will be told that the causes of such violence are complex and that is true. no single law, no set of laws can eliminate evil from the world or prevent every senseless act of violence in our society, but that can't be an excuse for inaction. surely we can do better than this. in the coming weeks i'll use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens from law enforcement to mental health professionals to parents and educators in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this because what choice do we have? we can't accept events like this as routine. are we really prepared to say that we're powerless in the face of such carnage? that the politics are too hard? >> california senator dianne feinstein who wrote the assault weapons ban which was

the united states senate. he is the guy that has made the focus of the attacks and made that basically what the politics was all about. i wrote a about it, "the obama hate machine," ugly, mean personal attacks on president obama. jim demint, the leader of that whole gang. he insists that the heritage foundation is where he can really stretch out, unlike what he was able to do in the u.s. senate. >> this is a critical time for america, and there is no organization in the country, in fact, the world, that's better positioned to convince the american people that the conservative policies that the heritage foundation has developed over the years are the solutions to the problems that we now face as a nation. >> so jim deminute is out, and i've got to tell you first of all, the first question is: why? why would he leave, like right now, right after the election? what's that all about? demint says, well, this is just the best time to go. >> this is a good time to leave, in effect was because i have term limited myse

and there is the possibility that on january 3, the united states senate -- then a parliamentarian -- would overrule and it would require 51 votes to change the votes of the senate. that, my friends, would be a disaster leading to the destruction of the unique aspect of the united states senate as envisioned by our founding fathers. i also want to point out, i think that senator rudman -- senator levin described very well bringing up legislation and all of that with the hand out here. but i also want to point out that the practices of the senate have been abused. senators now can call from their home state and stop progress on the floor of the senate. that cannot happen anymore. that cannot happen. if a senator was to block legislation, he or she should go to the floor of the senate and be there for that objection. and if there is no one on the floor to object and the senate is in session, the president of the senate should say, i move the bill. call for a vote. that is the way the senate is supposed to function. and it is not any more. so, we are not only proposing this standing orde

wonderful united states senator. i think he will go down well in history and exciting to see what he does next. thank, senator lieberman for all you did. >> eric: thank you, sir, as well. andrea, you're up. >> andrea: the other day i was in my kitchen and watching a movie while i'm cooking and it goes to commercial break and the commercial was so loud i jumped. but guess what? starting today. no more. congress has done something positive with their time. they passed a law making it illegal i guess for advertisers to raise the volume on commercials above two decibels, so no more loud commercials. thank congress for getting something done. i think both sides can agree on. >> bob: could we get it done here? >> andrea: you are the one speaking loudest. >> bob: you were cooking? were you a big cook? >> andrea: i was making soup. boehner pass your bill today. get the guys on the record before you leave. bring something to the floor. don't wait for the white house. >> eric: let's move on. start with this. we have didn't get