feingold: i ask my full statement be placed in the record. i'm pleased to rise in spropbg support of the tphoplg nation of harold koh. i've known dean koh for more than 30 years. he is an excellent choice for this position. i say that not just because he's one of my oldest friends but because he's one of the leading legal scholars in the country. he's extraordinarily qualified for this position. mr. president, dean koh is one of the most intelligent, ethical and hard-working individuals i've ever encountered. he spent his career, some 30 years, working on public and private international law, national security law, and on human rights. throughout that time, he's been committed to america's security and to defending our constitution. he's dedicated his life to upholding the rule of law and strengthening american values. during his confirmation hearing, the senate foreign relations committee, dean koh effectively responded to all the charges against him. he made clear that he understands that his role as legal counsel for the state department w

feingold: thank you, madam president. every year i have a town hall meeting in every county in wisconsin after 1,188 of those sessions, i heard a lot from my constituents on pretty much every issue you can imagine. but one issue in particular stands out as it is consistently been one of the top issues raised throughout the 17 years, than issue is, of course, health care. again and again, and not just at listening sessions, but at conversations an phone calls an letters and e-mails, wisconsinites have talked to me about their struggles to obtain and afford health insurance coverage. their stories have stayed with me and been the foundation of my work to push comprehensive health reform throughout my career in the united states senate. as freshman senator i worked to increase access to long-term care and home and community-based services in the wisconsin tradition during the 1994 attempt at health reform. because i knew how valuable these programs were to my constituents. i continue to fight for real and fair access to affo

feingold talk about corporate greed and what happened during katrina. i read court documents, absolutely blown away by what i was finding out. i blog on the insurance journal, the untouchables. it is heartbreaking to me to find out that we can have the worst thing happen in this country, and in the courts, our judges, the insurance industry, it doesn't matter. they raped these poor people and nobody cares. i am sorry--i am not far that i am upset, i am shocked, i am sickened by it. i called over 800 newspapers to try to get them to write the untouchables, nobody would do it. i talked to a reporter at the sun herald in mississippi gounod's with is going on with nd ne farm. it is like nobody cares, they can do whatever they want, they can fill up records in the hurts, now they are telling people we are moving because we have had to pay you so much ldney. where are the real reporters in this world? i just did a story about darfur and was shocked by how many people don't even know what that means. >> host: which one of you would like to answer? >> some of t

signed by 18 senators as follows: reid, pryor, whitehouse, inouye, feingold, dodd, burris, durbin, murray, tester, udall of colorado, klobuchar, reed of rhode island, baucus, merkley, lincoln, cantwell, dorgan. mr. reid: i ask that the mandatory quorum be waived. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. mr. reid: i ask the senate resume legislative session. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i ask now that we proceed to a period of monk business, senators allowed to speak -- of morning business, senators allowed to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: madam president, let me just say a brief word on the cloture that was not invoked on the travel bill. i hope that everyone understands what obstructionism is. this is obstructionism at its best, and it goes along with what the republicans said they wanted to do and that is stop everything. as indicated in "roll call" newspaper last week. this is a bill that saves the government money, almost a half a billion dollars over ten years. it would create

senate from herb kohl and russ feingold. give them a big round of applause. [applause] this is a town hall meeting, but if you do not mind, i want to make a few comments at the outset to frame the discussion, and then we will get to the fun part. you guys can bombard me with questions. i want to thank southwest high school for hosting us. [applause] i especially want to thank laura for sharing her story. it takes courage to do that, and it takes more courage to battle the disease like cancer with such grace and determination, and i know her family is here, and they are working and fighting with her every inch of the way. laura's story is incredibly moving, but sadly, it is not unique. every day in this country, more and more americans are forced to worry about not just getting well, but whether they can afford to get well. millions more wonder if they can afford the routine care necessary to stay well. even for those who have health insurance, rising premiums are straining family budgets to the breaking point. premiums that have doubled over the last nine yea

the judge visited with senators charles grassley and russ feingold. here is a look. >>. >> i just welcomed judge sotomayor, and i want to see that being nominated is the ultimate in professional advancement, i would say. >> yes, sir. do you want to talk to the p press? it's ok? >> i think not. >> do you feel ok? >> i feel fine. >> i think we've had enough now. thank you all. over and out. >> i think they want us to shake hands. >> of course! why not. congratulations. >> thank you, guys. >> thank you. >> >> i had a one-on-one meeting with the judge. it was a very pleasant conversation. since it was a one-on-one meeting, it would be unfair to her for me to say anything about the substance of the meeting, and i don't intend to answer any questions but i want you to know that i enjoyed the 58 minutes that i spent with her. thank you all very much. >> as senator leahy announced, the confirmation hearings for judge sotomayor begun july 13, and we'll have full coverage of the hearings on the c-span networks. for more information on judge sotomayor, go to our

. >> i will recognize senator f n feingo feingold. >> i am very pleased that this hearing is being held. it has been awhile since the committee explore this issue, and one that we agree is one of the greatest challenges to our national security. although we made some initial headway at the last of the last administration, we have not found a lasting solution. the korean peninsula continues to deteriorate. the united states needs to take a central role in determining how to engage peon yang and send a message, north korea cannot use illicit weapons programs, nor can it arrest american citizens on trumped up charges and fined them guilty in a closed before trial. these will invite further isolation, greater hardship for the north korean people and continued rejection by the international community. president obama is seeking to engage meaningfully on this issue ended restoration is working with many of our friends and allies in the region to craft a strong multilateral response. the stakes are too high for and uncoordinated policy. we must make clear that violation of international law an

harkin: i ask that senators feingold and bennett and menendez be added as cosponsors. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. harkin: i yield back our time. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. brownback: an behalf of the republicans, i yield back our time. the presiding officer: without objection. question is on adoption of the resolution. all those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the yeas appear to have it. the ayes have it. the resolution is agreed to. mr. harkin: madam president, i ask that the -- i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. harkin: thank you, madam president. madam president, i have 10 unanimous consent requests for committees to meet during today's session of the senate. theft apriewl of the majority and minority leaders. i ask unanimous consent that these requests be agreed to and that these requests be printed in the record. the presiding officer: without objection. a senator: mr. presi

. >> thank you, senator feingold. senator corker? >> thank you, ambassador, for being here. you certainly have your work cut out for you. in your testimony you mention your findings on your recent trip include that china shares deep concern about north korea's recent actions and strong commitment to achieve denuclearization. there's a wide you, mr. ambassador, that if china really had to squeeze the north korean neighbor on the issue of the denuclearization, they could accomplish this in the way that really no other country on the globe can do. did you find their concern to be deeper and their commitment to be stronger than before the missile test and nuclear test, and would he speak to this lightly held view that i mentioned, that china really could accomplish this if they were of mind to? >> i think first it is fair to say that we found china very concerned, acutely concerned about what north korea has done and is doing in the nuclear field and the area of missile technology. they recognize perhaps more than anyone else these moves by north korea can have a very deleteriou

in the absence of the chair i recognize senator demint but i will yield the chair now to senator feingold and recognize him for his question. >> i think he senator lugar. let me do around here myself, i am very pleased of this hearing is being held. it's been quite some time since the committee has explored this issue and one that i think we can all agree remains one of the greatest on just for a national security. although we did appear to make some initial headway at the end of last administration it is clear from north korea's recent provocations we have not yet found a lasting solution. as the situation on the korean peninsula continues to deteriorate the u.s. needs to take a central role in determining how best to engage p'yongyang and also send a clear message to north korea cannot use illicit weapons programs, demand concessions from the international committee of monorchid the arrest american citizens are apparently trumped up charges and find them guilty in a closed-door trial. these actions will only invite further isolation, greater hardship for the north korean people and the

some subcommittees, and the chairman has authorized us to have some hearings on this, and senator feingold has already had hearings on long -standing detainees. as senator graham said, we need a fresh start in how we will deal with detainees. it is going to be an ongoing process. we need to engage the international community. we need to have better understanding from the international community as to what america is doing with regard to its detension policies as we try to lead internationally on human rights issues. so i would urge you as part of this process to be open and go beyond just our country in trying to get better understanding as to what we intend to do and the reasons why we are pursuing these policies. >> i think you are right, senator. i have made two trips to europe so far, and i have spent a good portion of both of those trips talking about the issue of guantanamo with our allies. the state department has a gentleman literally traveling the world to talk about this issue with other countries. so what we're trying to do is make the world understand that we're trying a differ

to have some hearings the chairman has authorized us to have some hearings in this -- and senator feingold has already had hearings in regards to the long term detainees. as you start -- as senator graham said, a fresh start in how we are going to with detainees, it is important that it be an open process and i would just urge us -- we need to develop what's right for america. but we also need to engage the international community 'cause we need to have better understanding from the international community as to what america doing in regards to its detention policies as we tried to lead internationally on human rights issues. i would urge you as part of this process to be open and go beyond just our country in trying to get better understanding as to what we intend to do and the reasons why we're pursuing these policies. >> no, i think you're absolutely right, senator. i've made two trips to europe so far. and have spent a good portion of both of those trips talking about the issue of guantanamo with our allies. the state department has a gentleman dan freed literally who has traveling the