Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to a period of morning business, with Senators allowed to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 194, S. 30.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Rockefeller amendment which is at the desk be agreed to, the bill as amended be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements be printed in the Record.

I ask unanimous consent that the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee be discharged from further consideration of H. Con. Res. 158 and the Senate proceed to the consideration of that matter.

I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid on the table, that there be no intervening action or debate, and any statements relating to this matter be printed in the Record.

I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of

S. Res. 393, and we now proceed to its consideration.

I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid on the table, there be no intervening action or debate, and any statements relating to this matter be printed in the Record.

I ask unanimous consent that the Commerce Committee be discharged from consideration of S. Res. 417 and we now move to that matter.

I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid on the table, there be no intervening action or debate, and any statements relating to this matter be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I now ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, February 24; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and the Senate resume consideration of the House message with respect to H.R. 2847, with the time until 9:55 a.m. equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees.

Mr. President, at 9:55 a.m. tomorrow, the Senate will proceed to a

series of two rollcall votes. The first vote will be on the motion to waive the Gregg budget point of order with respect to the Reid jobs amendment. If the motion is successful, there will be another vote on the motion to concur with respect to H.R. 2847.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it adjourn under the previous order.

Mr. President, what is the order before the Senate at this time?

Mr. President, if we are going to get the American economy back on track, we have to get the American people back to work. We know our serious troubles were not created in 1 day and we know they will not be solved overnight. But we have to begin. We have to take that first step. That is what the bill before us represents: a strong first step in the right direction.

This is a jobs plan that will cut businesses' taxes as an incentive to hire unemployed workers. It is a plan that includes tax breaks for keeping those workers on the payroll and even more help for small businesses to write off their investments. In fact, this legislation will allow small businesses to write off up to $250,000 for equipment and materials they purchased. That is a good deal. They do not have to depreciate it.

It will extend the highway trust fund and expand Build America Bonds. I just finished a meeting a few minutes ago with 11 Governors. This is one of the best programs with which they have ever dealt. We have no more money. It creates jobs immediately. It is oversubscribed. It is a wonderful program that will build roads, will build other projects, bridges. The highway trust fund, for example, will save 1 million jobs; in Nevada, thousands of jobs.

I have a letter, if people think this is not a serious issue we are dealing with--and I do this because it is the only one I have--from the Missouri Department of Transportation:

All bidders--PLEASE TAKE NOTE!--Unless the federal

government takes the necessary steps to ensure the

availability of federal funds for the remaining fiscal year

prior to 12:00 p.m. on February 25, 2010, the scheduled

February 26, 2010 bid opening will be Postponed/Withdrawn

until further notice.

That is how it is. Missouri is not alone.

With this bill, we will create the right conditions for the private sector to start hiring again, and we are doing so in the right places.

These moneys, even though they come from Congress, the taxpayers' dollars go to create private jobs. These highways are not built by a bunch of Federal employees; they are built by private contractors. For every $1 billion we invest in infrastructure, we create 47,500 high- paying jobs and other jobs that spin off from them.

With this first bill, we will create the right conditions for the private sector to start hiring again. I think we are doing it in the right places. When we help small businesses thrive, we will create jobs that will let more entrepreneurs innovate and invent. When we invest in improving our roads and bridges, we will create jobs so workers can support their families but also create infrastructure to support our growing Nation.

This bill is as good for the employees as it is for the employers. This bill is good for the employers who will do the hiring. This is such a good deal. If a person is out of work for 30 days, a business can hire them. If they hire them for up to 30 hours a week, they do not have to pay their withholding tax, and at the end of the year they get a $1,000 tax credit.

On my trip home, businesses on the verge of hiring people said: This is going to allow us to hire people. We can afford to do this. This is as good for the employers doing the hiring as it is for the employees who will be getting hired.

One thing about this bill. Everybody should hear this. It is fully paid for, no deficit spending, which means we are not adding a single dime to the deficit, not a penny. We are doing this the responsible way, holding ourselves to the same budgeting standards we teach our children: You can only spend the money you have.

Each of these components--what are they? The Build America Bonds provision I talked about; extending the highway bill for a year; the provision Senator Hatch and Senator Schumer came up with that I talked about that allows an employer to hire somebody who has been off work for up to 60 days; and the final provision that allows them to write off $250,000 in purchases--is a good deal. That is what is in this bill.

We are doing this bill in a way that is responsible. You should not spend money you do not have, and that is what we are doing here. Each of these components--the tax breaks, the support to help small businesses grow and hire more workers, the new construction projects, and the fiscally responsible way we are doing it--is a nonpartisan idea. Republicans have supported every part of this bill in the past-- every part of this bill--and Democrats have also done the same. There is simply no reason it should not receive overwhelming support from both sides of the aisle. But so far, I am sorry to say, this has not happened. I am disappointed that this has been the case.

As the Presiding Officer knows, we had to file cloture some 70 times last year--70 times. That is remarkably bad. Let's change that. I have spoken some with some of my Republican colleagues this past week and said: Let's don't do that anymore. Let's work together.

Who can complain about this bill? I have told the Republican leader and I have told anyone who will listen that we are going to move very quickly to a bill that will take about a day--travel promotion--after this. In every State in the Union, No. 1, No. 2, sometimes No. 3, but mostly No. 1 and No. 2, the economic driver is tourism. We are the only modern Nation that does not advertise itself. Watch TV and see the advertisements coming from Australia, New Zealand, South American countries, the Caribbean islands, and European countries. We should do the same. The Travel Promotion Act will save $\1/2\ billion, and it also pays for itself. There is no deficit spending.

As we finish that bill--it should be toward the end of the week--we are going to move into the tax extenders, unemployment, COBRA, issues such as those. I have explained that to the Republican leader.

Rather than figuring out how we can up the other politically, let's figure how to put Americans back to work. I am sorry to say my friends on the other side of the aisle are looking for ways not to vote for this bill. The business community supports this legislation. It is jobs. Rather than rally around a plan we know will create jobs, I have heard excuse after tired excuse. But the American people want us to work together. They are not buying these excuses.

Why wouldn't we do this bill? We can create jobs starting in just a few days. If someone could explain to me what is wrong with this bill, I would be happy to listen to them. What is wrong with this legislation? Some have questioned the size of the bill. Only in Washington

is a $15 billion investment to create and save more than 1 million jobs not enough. I was stunned to hear on the radio this morning--when I received my press briefing, I was told that the unions and the left-- whoever that is--oppose our bill because it is not big enough. Now try that one on, Mr. President. Only in Washington is a $15 billion investment to create and save more than 1 million jobs not enough.

The answer is not to do nothing. It is to do something to create jobs and then create more jobs and then create more jobs after that. That is why this is not the only jobs bill we are going to be dealing with or the last jobs bill we will bring to the floor. We have a jobs agenda, not a jobs bill. We are not going to stop until every American who wants a job can get one.

Some Senators--one Senator in particular, but there are others; this Senator does not stand alone--think that money that was spent on TARP should be returned for the deficit. Other Senators said: I think the money that has not been spent from the stimulus should be returned to employees. These are all good ideas, and amendments are going to be able to be offered when we get to our package later this week. That is the way it should be.

We want every person in America who needs a job to get a job, but we cannot do it alone. My friends on the other side of the aisle share this responsibility. When I had 60 votes, all the responsibility was mine. It is no longer that way. We are down to 59, and 1 of my Senators is sick today. I did speak with Senator Lautenberg last night. He is doing fine. He is such a strong man. He said he will be back in a week or two. He is doing just fine.

If Republicans support this bill, as they have all the elements of it in the past, and they join us to pass it, we are going to do many more bills just like this to create jobs. However, if my friends on the other side of the aisle want to put partisanship ahead of people-- people who are out of work--if they once again try to distract from the issue at hand, they will only confirm their reputation as the party of no. They will only confirm the American people's fear that Republicans refuse to do anything to help them.

So to my Republican colleagues, I say as seriously and fervently as I can: Work with us. Show us you are serious about legislating. Show our constituents you are serious about leading. Show the skeptics that you know that putting people back to work is far more important than putting points up on the political scoreboard. Most important, I ask my Republican colleagues to show those Americans who deserve a job they can go to every morning, a job they can get up and go to, that we are willing to do our job tonight.

It is remarkable we have to hold a procedural vote on a bill that will create jobs. It will be regrettable if the minority prevents us from moving forward, from taking that first step, from giving millions of unemployed Americans the hope that tomorrow will be better than yesterday.

Think what it is for someone to get up in the morning and have no place to go to work. I have met with some people, while I was home, dealing with domestic abuse. It has gotten out of hand. Why? Men do not have jobs. Women do not have jobs, either, but women are not abusive, most of the time. Men, when they are out of work, tend to become abusive. Our domestic crisis shelters in Nevada are jammed. That is the way it is all over the country. Jobs bring dignity, and that is what this legislation is all about.

I hope we can pass this legislation and move on during this work period and work together in doing some good things for this country.

We have a couple minutes until 5:30 p.m. It is my understanding the vote is to occur at that time. Since there is no one on the floor, I ask unanimous consent that the vote start early, and we will not cut it off early.

Madam President, I hope this is the beginning of a new day in the Senate. Whether this new day was created by the new Senator from Massachusetts or some other reason, I am very happy that we were able to get this vote. But there are some winners--not any individual Senator, not Democrats or Republicans; the winners are small business people throughout this country.

On my trip home this past 10 days, people are excited about the fact they may be able to write off $250,000 for things they badly need--not depreciate it, just write it off. The other three

provisions are wonderful. To extend the highway bill for a year is going to save thousands of jobs in Nevada and 1 million jobs throughout the country. So the small business communities throughout this country are winners, and also workers. This is going to create jobs.

I had a long conversation today with the Republican leader, and I told him what the plans are in the Senate. He listened very closely, and we had a very good conversation. We are going to move, for a day or two after we complete this, to travel promotion, another bipartisan bill. It will save $\1/2\ billion. It will create thousands and thousands of jobs. All around the world countries advertise their tourism, but we do not. In this great country of ours, we do not see anything on TV. All we see is money being spent by other countries having us go to their countries. We want to do the same in their countries. That is what this is all about. Every State in the Union, all 50, the No. 1, 2, and in a few instances the third economic driving factor is tourism. This will help tourism.

As soon as we finish that, toward the end of this week, what we will do is move to the Finance Committee matters that they worked on before, and they worked very hard. I am glad we have made progress in that regard. I told Senator McConnell that will be open to amendment. I will try to work out with him so many amendments on each side. If we cannot do that, we will not do that. I hope we can do that. But if we cannot, we will move forward on the tax extenders, the expiring provisions, and a few other things.

It is really a new day. I look forward to this work period being one where we can all go home and say: You know, ladies and gentlemen from Nevada and New Hampshire and Illinois and New Jersey and New York and Arkansas, we are working together. We are really getting things done together. That is what legislation should be about. Legislation is the art of compromise. It is building consensus and working together.

Basically that is what this piece of legislation is all about. This is not the jobs bill that we just completed. At least cloture has been invoked, and we will vote on that in another day or so. It is part of an agenda. We are going to have, later this month, another jobs bill. I have spoken to a number of Republican Senators. They have specific provisions they want in this bill. It will deal with small business. During the last 10 years, 96 percent of all jobs in America were created by small businesses. I am very happy we were able to do this.

I express my appreciation to Senator Boxer, chairman of the Public Works Committee. She has worked so hard. I love her committee. I was chairman on two separate occasions. It is a committee I have fond memories of serving on. Every time I see the enthusiasm of Barbara Boxer, I know why the State of California cares so much about her.

Madam President, Thalia Marie Sperry Dondero has lived in Nevada since 1942 when she transferred to Las Vegas for employment. She met and married Harvey Dondero, who worked for the U.S. Department of Education. He became an assistant superintendent of the Clark County School District. She began her community involvement through the Parent Teacher Organization as her five children were growing up. At the same time she was active in the Service League, director of the Las Vegas Girl Scouts for 10 years during which time she helped develop both Scout camps. She was also appointed to the Nevada State Parks Commission.

Thalia Dondero became the first woman elected to the Clark County Commission in 1974 where she promptly made the news by refusing to fill the role of coffee maker and secretary to the other male members of the Commission. Mrs. Dondero was a commissioner for the next 20 years serving as chairperson three times.

Thalia's service mentored other women to run for office. During her tenure as commissioner, she was instrumental in the expansion of McCarran Internation Airport, the development of flood control projects and chaired the Las Vegas Valley Water District. Her efforts led to the expansion and protection of Clark County's recreational pearls, Red Rock Canyon, Kyle Canyon and Valley of Fire. In 1996, Thalia Dondero was elected to the Nevada System of Higher Education Board where she served two terms as chair.

In the past 50 years, all of Nevada and Southern Nevada specifically have been greatly affected by Thalia Dondero's lifelong dedication to the children of Nevada and their education. She has made significant contributions to the improvement of educational quality. She has continuously advocated for the Nevada environment. Thalia's single- minded civic responsibility and charitable contributions have played a major role in making Nevada and Las Vegas the destinations they have become.

Mr. President, there is nothing I can say to assuage the anguish that my friend, the Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, now feels. It is a unique relationship that comes with our staff members, especially someone who has been with us as many years as Kyle has been with Leader McConnell. These people become part of us. As we can see, Kyle Simmons has become part of Mitch McConnell.

My dealings with Kyle Simmons are meetings that are held in my office or in Senator McConnell's office, and if there were a way to describe my dealings with Kyle Simmons, it would be to go to the dictionary, under the Hs, and go to the word ``humility,'' and there would be Kyle Simmons. He is just as Mitch McConnell described him. He is a man who has loads of humility. He does not talk very often. But whenever he talks, we listen.

So I wish you the very best, Kyle, in the things you do, and I recognize that your boss, Mitch McConnell, was speaking for the entire Senate in our relationships with our staff. But, of course, even though there are many relationships with our staff, I think the relationship between Senator Mitch McConnell and Kyle Simmons, as we can see, is very unique.

The best of luck to you, Kyle.

Mr. President, following the leader remarks of Senator McConnell and myself, the Senate will proceed to a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. We are going to lay down our jobs bill today so we can begin its consideration when we return after the recess. There is no question the snow has interfered with our work. It would be nice if we could say: OK, then, we are just going to move on next week and pretend next week was this week, but as I told somebody outside before I came in here, when we leave Washington, we do not go home to relax and take it easy. We have constituencies in the State of Minnesota, the State of Kentucky, the State of Illinois, the State of Nevada. We have to take care of it. We have appointments and things we have to do, and we schedule them long ahead of time.

So we are going to come back after the Presidents Day recess energized and make up for this snow day, snow week, and do the very best we can. The jobs bill we are moving forward on is not as big as the one in different elements of the legislation, but it is one that is extremely important. It is going to deal with jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs-- four times--because all four elements of our jobs bill will deal with creating jobs immediately, as the Congressional Budget Office said, creating jobs immediately.

Mr. President, I do wish to comment about the health care debate. One Republican Senator said during this debate what we need is to ``get out of the way and allow the market to work.'' Well, we had an example of it working pretty well for the insurance industry a couple days ago. In fact, a large insurance company in California, insuring almost 1 million people, individuals, decided they would raise their rates this year 39 percent--1 year. I think it is fair to say it is a little above inflation.

Well, when someone talks about get out of the way and let the market work, they are talking about doing nothing. That is what it means. ``Allowing the market to work'' is a code word for letting greedy insurance companies--companies that care more about profits than people--get richer while people who can already barely afford their coverage lose their coverage altogether.

Cover this with the fact that these insurance companies--and this insurance company--are not subject to any antitrust laws. The only business in America not subject to antitrust laws other than Major League Baseball is the insurance industry. So one is raising its rates by 39 percent. That is many times more than the rate of inflation. And, it is reserving the right to raise them again whenever they feel like it. Instead of just once a year, they can raise it more than once a year if they want to. They can do whatever they want, and they do pretty much whatever they want.

What does this mean? It means people will not be able to afford coverage at all in many instances. It means more people will be living one accident, one illness, one injury away from a pink slip or losing everything.

It goes without saying, in the year 2008, 750,000 bankruptcies were filed in America. Eighty percent of those bankruptcies were because of health care costs, and almost 70 percent of those people who filed because of health care costs had health insurance.

A lot of companies are hurting in this economy. But this California health care company is not one of them. Last year, its parent company raked in eight times what it made in the same quarter the year before. What is this all about?

It is not the first time we have seen this happen. Just 2 months ago, another exceedingly profitable insurance company raised its rates with the full knowledge it would mean 650,000 people would not be able to afford the coverage.

That is as many people who are in some of our States.

That is what happens when we allow the health insurance market to work the way it does. That is what happens when we sit back and wait for insurance company executives to act out of the goodness of their hearts instead of acting in the interests of their wallets. That is why we need health reform like the bills already passed in the House and in the Senate that will rein in insurance company abuses and make coverage more affordable for millions of Americans and provide coverage for some 30 million who have no health insurance.

Health care costs take up a larger slice of our economy than ever before, and it is not slowing down. In less than a decade, it is going to be $1 of every $5 we spend. In less than a decade, half of a family's income will be spent on health care premiums.

It doesn't have to be that way. Californians don't have to be priced out of

a healthy life. We don't have to let greedy health insurance executives drag down our future, but that is what they are doing and have done.

I, once again, urge Republicans to work with us in good faith to fix our broken system. The President has reached out: Come on down. Tell us what plans you have. I encourage those Republicans to listen to the American people, two-thirds of whom said last week they want Congress to finish the job we started with health care reform. I encourage every Senator to condemn this insurance company's greed. If they are not willing to do so, perhaps they would be willing to call the Californians who can no longer afford coverage and explain why corporate profits are more important than their health.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 252, H.R. 3961; that the amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to; the bill, as amended, be read three times, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements be printed in the Record.

That is true.

Mr. President, I do not accept the modification.