We didn't make much progress on the country's agenda. And in my view it's because the Senate basically hadn't done much of anything, with a couple of exceptions, for the last four years [of Barack Obama's presidency]. And that's going to change.

It took us in this country 11 years to get from the Declaration of Independence to the Constitution.

We all know that Social Security is one of this country's greatest success stories in the 20th century.

I'm really proud of this Supreme Court and the way they've been dealing with the issue of First Amendment political speech.

I think the important thing to remember here is that we haven't been attacked again at home since September of 2001.

Given the scope of these programs, it's understandable that many would be concerned about issues related to privacy. But what's difficult to understand is the motivation of somebody who intentionally would seek to warn the nation's enemies of lawful programs created to protect the American people. And I hope that he is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

What I said to the members [of Congress] who hoped they would be chairmen: let's don't have that problem. Be thinking now about legislation that you have, preferably that enjoys some Democratic support because we certainly didn't think we were going to have 60 and we don't.