The terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, changed the way we think about security.

The inconveniences we faced within this state are minor compared to ... New Orleans.

Although we must change the ways we protect our country, we must also guard against policies that appear attractive but offer little real protection and may even impede our ability to protect ourselves.

In the United States Senate, we cannot do great things without reaching across the aisle and working together - and I look forward to the challenges ahead.

There is a challenge in North Carolina ... to some of the most rural areas trying to piece together a health care network,

Congress must not do something just for the sake of doing something. We must carefully and thoughtfully consider the implications of any action and whether that action will help or hinder our ultimate mission of protecting U.S. citizens from terror.