Social Security is not a retirement savings plan; it is a social insurance program. It's a contract that says, as a society, we will look out for you and your family when you can no longer work.

210

The United States is the most innovative country in the world. But our leadership could slip away if we fail to properly fund primary, secondary and higher education.

170

The diversion of Social Security revenues to private investment accounts would shift much of the risks of old-age back to low-income seniors, and pose very serious challenges to families who depend on social security's survivor and disability insurance benefits.

168

I will seek to reverse the shift of benefits from Medicaid to Medicare and hold harmless our seniors and disabled.

157

I am not opposed to the limited use of polygraphs in a case where a person is suspected of wrongdoing. But widespread use of the polygraph as a screening tool goes far beyond what is acceptable.

145

Markedly reduce these imports.

135

[The bill did not] markedly reduce these imports, ... We need to build a consensus around effective steps to use less oil in our transportation sector, which is the basic cause of our increasing reliance on oil imports.

134

I think the men and women serving in Iraq today deserve special recognition for that.

88

Today, energy prices are at historic highs. Some analysts estimate that energy price shocks this year could cost American consumers more than $40 billion. Speaking very frankly, we cannot afford this kind of expense.

48