Americans were inspired by the courage of Iraq citizens as they defied threats to there own personal safety and overwhelmingly participated in their nation's elections, and we are now seeing how their courage is inspiring change in Lebanon and elsewhere in the region.

I commend outgoing Federal Communications Commissioner Michael Powell for showing leadership and for enforcing decency regulations.

I have an obligation to use the powers the Constitution has granted the Congress to defend the liberties of the people.

American workers like those at Boeing and its supplier companies aren't asking for a handout, or a leg up. They are asking for a chance at fair competition.

As the President said in his Inaugural Address, the people of the world have a desire to live in liberty.

By making tax relief permanent, we can stay on that course and avoid slowing our economy just as it is revving up.

And that is certainly a new use of the filibuster and something which threatens to shut down our entire confirmation process for the courts.

By contrast, China is a repressive regime that denies its citizens the essential freedoms of religion, political dissent and representative self-government.

America needs to know who our enemies are and what they plan to do. Improving our intelligence capacity is essential to ensuring the safety and well-being of all our citizens.