Connecticut's first responders and defense workers work every day to help us achieve these goals.

I do not think it is an exaggeration at all to say to my friend from West Virginia [Sen. Robert C. Byrd, a former Ku Klux Klan recruiter] that he would have been a great senator at any moment. . . . He would have been right during the great conflict of civil war in this nation.

Firefighters are indispensable foot soldiers here at home.

Our strength and our security depends obviously on having a strong military, having a strong economy, and also on our ability to have willing allies and nations join us in common global efforts, the principal one today being terrorism.

A so-called 'blackout' is yet another gimmick, albeit a dangerous one, designed to punish elected and administration officials who are working diligently to protect American jobs from foreign criminals.

Our children are our greatest resource and Head Start grants help them reach their full potential.

By strengthening the economy, providing job opportunity and meeting the needs of working families, we can ensure the continued prosperity of our nation.