Justice [Sandra Day] O'Connor has been the critical decisive vote on many issues that go to the heart of who we are as a nation.

We have 11 million people in this country that need a pathway to citizenship.

There is no room for legal hair-splitting when it comes to the humane treatment of detainees - not in a nation founded on the rule of law and respect for human rights.

We can't do much about ensuring that the homeland is safe if our local police and sheriffs' departments don't have the personnel they need to keep our streets and neighborhoods secure.

If you're not comfortable with delay, frustration and impatience, get out of the Senate. It's the nature of the institution, but I think we've taken it to an art form.

You know, the purpose of reconciliation is to avoid the filibuster. The filibuster is an effort to talk something to death.

Our timing is right... The election results are still fresh in the minds of my Republican colleagues and they don't want to go through this again.