Exxon spends more money on its Chief Executive Officer than it does on energy research, according to Senate Democratic Conference Vice Chairman Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.). Schumer said that he was not surprised with the profits oil companies are making but rather, he was surprised about how oil companies are spending their profits. According to Schumer, oil companies are using the profits to buy back their own stock and increase their share prices.
House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) said that the government must stop subsidizing big oil companies and demand that the companies divert more resources into increased domestic production. Emanuel said that American taxpayers are spending billions of dollars for handouts to big oil companies and are also being forced to pay record prices at the pump. According to Emanuel, big oil companies are spending $180 billion on stock buy-backs but only spending $10 billion on research and development.
House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming Chairman Ed Markey (D-Mass.) said that BP now stands for Bloated Profits. Markey also doled out statistics regarding big oil companies’ profits. According to Markey, big oil companies made $40.6 billion profits in 2007 and spent $32 billion on stock buy-backs. Markey emphasized that big oil companies had only spent $10 million on renewable energy.

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) delivered a speech on a new approach to fighting terrorism. Kerry cited a memo authored by Donald Rumsfeld in 2003 that asked if the United States was dissuading more people from becoming terrorists than radical clerics were deploying. Kerry said the United States still is not deterring terrorists, noting al-Qaeda’s strength along the Afghan-Pakistani border, the Taliban’s resurgence, Hamas’s grip in the Gaza Strip, and Hezbollah’s influence in Lebanon.
Kerry said the United States should engage in a strategic reorientation already enacted by Saudi Arabia. He stated that the Saudi government has been able to gain the upper-hand in the fight
against terrorism by using counter-indoctrination. According to Kerry, the Saudi government has imams explain Islam’s opposition to extremist ideologies to detainees and sponsors messages at soccer matches featuring former terrorists who urge against radical jihad. Kerry said the United States was most successful in the fight against extremism when it provided post-earthquake aid to Pakistan and assisted tsunami relief in Indonesia. Kerry called the Administration’s policy of torture and indefinite intention “self-defeating.”
To win the global war on terror, Kerry advocated helping Pakistan fight al-Qaeda along the Afghan border and increasing American aid to the Pakistani people, a move he suggested would cause the population to grow tired of extremists’ presence. Kerry said “We’re in real danger of losing in Afghanistan” and said fixing problems in Pakistan is the only way to prevent a loss from occurring.

Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio.) while hosting a conference call this morning discussed  his belief that the continuing high cost of oil is not only affecting Americans daily life but our national security. Voinovich commented that numbers released by the Office of Budget and Management (OMB) showing America’s deficit had climbed 750 billion dollars means that the country is not only at a financial disadvantage but a national security risk. Voinovich also noted that the national debt at the end of this year is estimated to be at ten trillion dollars. 
A key sticking point for Voinovich is the continuing funneling of money to Arab states which have repeatedly harbored those who wish harm towards the United States. Voinovich commented by saying “we’re sending 600 billion dollars overseas to a lot of people who don’t like us including Venezuela. In effect these people control the price,” said Voinovich. Adding, “from my stand point we are in real jeopardy,” said Voinovich.
According to the Stanford University Modeling Forum which Voinovich cited, the odds of a foreign oil disruption happening over the next ten years are slightly higher than 80 percent. If global production were reduced by more than 2.1 percent that would have a serious effect on oil prices and our economy. This would be more than  Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
To curtail the dilemma of the United States being tied to terrorist countries for oil, Voinovich argues that America needs a plan similar to the Apollo plan put forth by President Kennedy. Voinovich believes that America must “harmonize our environment, our energy, our economy and now it’s our national security” for more energy production.
It has been Voinovich who said he was a staunch supporter of increased oil drilling in America especially in ANWR to lesson America’s dependence on foreign oil. 

Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio.) does not believes that America should tap into the Stategic Petroleum Reserves to relieve high gas prices. Voinovich says that he is “worried” about America’s national security and for a slight reduction in the cost of oil does not think it’s worth the risk to open the reserve. (0:51)

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Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio.) believes that America is at a high national security risk. Voinovich cited that due to high energy costs and relationships with foreign governments America is reliant on countries that wish the Unted States harm. In addition, Voinovich commented that according to the Stanford University Modeling Forum the odds of a foreign oil disruption happening over the next ten years are slightly higher than 80 percent. If global production were reduced by more than 2.1 percent that would have a serious effect on oil prices and our economy. This would be more so than Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. (0:49)

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A press conference was held to discuss the record profits that big oil companies have made. According to Senator Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), big oil companies are using their profits to buy back their own stock in order to increase the price of their shares. The Senate and House Democrats demanded an end to billion-dollar tax breaks for big oil companies and that those companies divert more resources to increased U.S. production, renewable energy and research and development. (18:27)

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“What cannot be undone [...] is the knowledge that North Korea has gained in their nuclear development program since 2002”, said Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) at a full committee hearing on the North Korean Six-Party Talks and implementation activities. “That knowledge will always exist, and with it, the concern that a weapons program could be resumed, or the knowledge proliferated.”
Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs said that cooperation with the People’s Republic of China has been very important for the talks, and has helped the nation emerge as a responsible stakeholder in the region. He went on to say that during the first two phases of negotiations, North Korea has shut down and began dismantling the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center in exchange for 420,000 tons of heavy fuel oil and other energy supplies.
Hill also said that the US will continue to push the North Korean government for information on abductions of Japanese citizens, while also negotiating continued human rights reforms in response to reports of abuse.
William Tobey, deputy administrator for defense nuclear nonproliferation in the Energy Department’s National Nuclear Security Administration said that the third phase of negotiations will focus on implementation of comprehensive verification and denuclearization, and that the costs of these activities would be substantially higher than the previous steps. However, Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) expressed concern over the costs of the next phase, expressing a desire to discuss sharing the expenses with other 6 members of the talks.

Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs says that North Korea’s human rights record is abysmal, and every day that it continues is an unacceptable day of oppression. He also says that he has seen satellite images of North Korea’s extensive prison camp system, and has also seen reports of torture, forced abortion and even execution. He concludes by saying that the US remains committed to combating these injustices (:52).

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Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) says that the knowledge North Korea has gained from its nuclear program can never be undone, and there will always be a weapons or proliferation threat from the nation (:25).

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Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) says terrorist attacks are currently at historic highs, stating that that al-Qaeda is more capable of attacking the United States now than it was in 2001. He says the next president should reform the war on terror and include more intelligence, making it possible to prevent terrorists from being recruited. (1:12)