Floor Statements

Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Madam President, today the chairman of the House Budget Committee, Congressman Paul Ryan, is releasing a serious and detailed plan for getting our Nation's fiscal house in order. Congressman Ryan's plan would put us on a path to reducing the national debt, it would strengthen the social safety net so we can keep the promises made to the Nation's seniors, it proposes a way for Washington to start living within its means, and it will repeal last year's health care law which will raise health care costs, lead to fewer jobs, and which Americans have rejected. Congressman Ryan is presenting a plan, in other words, to address our most pressing problems head-on at a moment when the President and other Democratic leaders simply refuse to do so themselves. He is doing what his constituents have sent him here to do.

Anybody can say our Nation's problems need to be addressed, but history will show that Chairman Ryan is one of those who actually stepped up to do

it. He should be applauded for that by people of good will on both sides. Unfortunately, we already know how many Democrats intend to respond to this plan. We have heard their spin already. In the absence of any solutions of their own to a looming entitlement fiasco and the testimony of countless experts on the fiscal perils we face, Democrats intend to use Congressman Ryan's plan against anyone who supports it-- despite the facts. They will try to scare the public by claiming it says things that it does not. They will squander the golden opportunity we have right now to tackle the biggest problems we face in a bipartisan way, the way our predecessors did when the two parties shared power in Washington, all in the name of having an edge in the next election. Frankly, it is shameful.

Americans elect their President and Senators and Congressmen to lead. They don't expect us to agree on everything, but they expect us to work together when a problem becomes so pressing that cooperation across party lines is required. Now is such a moment. The debt is at crisis levels, posing a threat not just to businesses and families planning for the future but to our national security.

Since the President has taken office, nearly 3 million Americans have lost their jobs. As a result of the ongoing housing crisis, millions of homeowners are currently underwater on their mortgages. The only industry that seems to be growing is government, and the only city that seems to be isolated from problems most Americans face right now is Washington--all at taxpayers' expense.

The budget debate in which we have been engaged in the past several weeks is the direct result of the fact that Democrats in Congress failed to pass one of their own for the current fiscal year. Republicans had to step in and do it for them. Now, 6 months into the current fiscal year, the President and current Members of Congress still have yet to produce a plan of their own. House Republicans have produced multiple plans, including one they will offer today which funds our troops through the end of the year, keeps the government running, and gets us one step closer to the level of spending cuts that even the senior Senator from New York has described as reasonable. Unfortunately, Democrats would rather take potshots at these proposals from the side lines, hoping they become unpopular with the public so they can benefit politically. They have completely and totally abdicated their responsibility.

I would like to applaud Congressman Ryan not only for the energy and creativity and seriousness which he has brought to these issues but also for his courage in doing so at a time when Democrats in Washington would rather sit on their hands. By stepping forward, he has forced a much needed debate about the many crises of the moment. It is my hope that our friends on the other side recognize this effort for what it is--a serious, good-will effort to do something good and necessary for the future of our Nation--and that for the good of the Nation, they will join this effort at some point before it is too late.

Madam President, as I have traveled across Kentucky over the past year, I have heard from countless small business owners who told me how burdensome the so-called 1099 provision in the Democrats' health care bill would be to implement and how it could hamper their ability to create good private sector jobs. I hope they are tuning in to the Senate floor today so they can watch the vote on its repeal.

This has been a hard-fought effort, and all of the credit should go to the junior Senator from Nebraska, my good friend Senator Mike Johanns. He has led this fight on behalf of the countless entrepreneurs and small business owners across the country who raised the alarm on this issue.

This is a big win for small business. Importantly, it is also the first of what I hope are many successful repeal votes related to the disastrous health spending bill the Democrats passed last year. The more Americans learn about this bill, the less they like it. We hope we can respond to their concerns with many repeal votes like the one we are going to have this morning right here in Congress. Then we will replace it with the kind of commonsense reforms that will actually lower costs and encourage job creation.

Once again, I thank Senator Johanns for his leadership and hard work on repealing this onerous provision. This is a classic example of a Senator who listened to his constituents, developed a solution, won the support of his colleagues, and doggedly pursued a course of action that led to today's vote. America's small businesses can thank Senator Johanns for pushing this initiative across the finish line. I call on the President to sign it into law.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote, and I move to lay that motion on the table.

The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

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

Mr. President, just a brief observation about the vote we just had. I would say to our colleague from Kentucky, Senator Paul, the issue of the American effort in Libya is a legitimate discussion for debate, I think a legitimate issue for debate. That is a debate we need to have, and I will be talking to the majority leader about the appropriate time to do that.

A number of Senators are talking among themselves on a bipartisan basis about what kind of resolution would be appropriate, and certainly the Senate speaking on this issue is something we need to do in the very near future.

I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, amidst all the other business we will be facing this week, I wish to note a welcome development in the war on terror. For the last 2 years, the Obama administration has actively sought to bring the 9/11 plotters into our communities for civilian trials, a completely horrible idea that rightly drew overwhelming bipartisan opposition from the American people and from their elected Representatives here in Congress. Today, the administration is announcing it has changed course. The administration, incredibly enough, today is announcing it has changed course and that Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and the others who plotted these horrible attacks will be tried in military commissions at Guantanamo Bay rather than in a civilian trial in New York or some other U.S. city.

I remember all of our discussions on this issue over the last 2 years. The President issued an Executive order on day 1 to close Guantanamo. He indicated they were going to mainstream these terrorists into the U.S. court system, so this change today is truly a welcome development, the administration announcing that KSM and the others who plotted these crimes will be tried in a proper jurisdiction, these military commissions, at the proper place for these commission trials, Guantanamo Bay. This is the right outcome to the long and spirited debate that preceded this decision. Military commissions at Guantanamo, far from the U.S. mainland, were always the right idea for a variety of compelling reasons which I and others have enumerated repeatedly over the last years. For the sake of the safety and the security of the American people, I am glad the President reconsidered his position on how and where to try these detailees. Going forward, this model should be the rule rather than the exception. I am sure this decision will draw widespread approval and it is very welcome news.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I rise to recognize the remarkable accomplishments of one of Kentucky's most impressive athletic teams, the Rockcastle High School Lady Rockets basketball team. This March 12, the Lady Rockets triumphed over the DuPont Manual Lady Crimsons in overtime, 62 to 60, to win the school's first Kentucky High School Athletic Association Sweet 16 girls basketball championship.

It has been an unforgettable season for the Lady Rockets, who finished the year 36-1, on a 27-game winning streak, and undefeated by any fellow Kentucky team. They entered the final tournament game knowing they faced an experienced and competitive opponent, but that their raw talent and determination would show the people of the Bluegrass State that they had something to prove. Well, prove something they did: After clawing their way back from a nine-point deficit to tie it and send the game into overtime, the Lady Rockets never trailed during the extra minutes.

Senior Sara Hammond, named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, the State's first McDonald's All American, and Kentucky's Miss Basketball 2011, posted 26 points and 11 rebounds during the game. It all came down to the final seconds of overtime when Lady Rockets head coach Chrysti Noble decided not to call a time out and trusted her players to finish the game with the right shot. Senior Angie Lawrence took a buzzer-beating jumper to give the Lady Rockets the title.

Streamers and confetti hailed from the rafters, blanketing the team and the record number of 5,122 screaming spectators at E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, KY.

Their victory was the first championship title for coach Chrysti Noble in her 21 seasons at Rockcastle High School. It also made the Lady Rockets the first team not from Lexington or Louisville to win the girls' basketball State championship in more than a decade.

The students and faculty of Rockcastle High School, the community of Mount Vernon and the entire Commonwealth couldn't be more proud of this talented, winning team. The Sunday after winning the championship, the equivalent of one-fifth of the population of Mount Vernon turned out to wish the Lady Rockets well as the team members rode through town atop three fire engines, a convoy of honking vehicles and jubilant fans following behind. Their hard work, dedication and respect for one another undoubtedly makes them a team that will be remembered for years to come.

Mr. President, the Louisville Courier-Journal recently published an article about the Rockcastle High School Lady Rockets' history-making season and what the championship meant to the team, the school and the Commonwealth. I ask unanimous consent that the full article be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, anyone who follows national politics knows that when it comes to a lot of the issues Americans care about most, Democratic leaders in Washington are pretty far outside the mainstream. That is why we have one Democratic leader coaching his colleagues to describe any Republican idea as extreme, and that is why other Democrats are attempting to marginalize an entire group of people in this country whose concerns about the growth of the Nation's debt, the overreach of the Federal Government, and last year's health care bill are about as mainstream as it gets.

I am referring, of course, to the tea party--a loosely knit movement of everyday Americans from across the country who got so fed up in the direction they saw lawmakers from both parties taking our country a couple years ago that they decided to stand up and make their voices heard. Despite the Democratic leadership's talking points, these folks are not radicals. They are our next-door neighbors and our friends. By and large, they are housewives, professionals, students, parents, and grandparents. After last fall's election, a number of them are now Members of Congress.

Later on today, we will hear from many of them outside the Capitol. These are everyday men and women who love their country and who do not want to see it collapse as a result of irresponsible attitudes and policies that somehow persist around here despite the warning signs we see all around us about the consequences of fiscal recklessness. They are being vilified because, in an effort to preserve what is good about our country, they are politely asking lawmakers in Washington to change the way things are done around here. So this morning I thought we could step back and take a look at some of the things they are proposing and then let people decide for themselves who they think is extreme.

At a time when the national debt has reached crisis levels, members of the tea party are asking that we stop spending more than we take in. In other words, they are asking that Washington do what any household in America already does. They want us to balance our budget, and they do this because they know their history and that the road to decline is paved with debt. Is that extreme?

They want us to be able to explain how any law we pass is consistent with the Constitution. This means that as we write new laws, they want us to be guided by the document that every single Senator in this Chamber has sworn to uphold. Is that extreme?

They want us to cut down on the amount of money the government spends. This year, the Federal Government in Washington is projected to spend about $1.6 trillion more than it has. That means we will have to borrow it from somewhere else, driving the national debt even higher than it already is. What is more, the Obama administration plans to continue spending like this for years, so that within 5 years, the debt will exceed $20 trillion. Given these facts, you tell me: Is it extreme to propose that we cut spending?

What else? Well, a lot of people in the tea party think the health care bill the Democrats passed last year should be repealed and replaced with real reforms that actually lower costs. Is that extreme?

Here is a bill that is expected to lead to about 80,000 fewer jobs, which will cause Federal health care spending to go up, compel millions to change the health care plans they have and like, and which is already driving individual and family insurance premiums up dramatically. Businesses are being hammered by its regulations and its mandates. A majority of States are working to overturn it. Two Federal judges have ruled one of its central provisions violates the U.S. Constitution.

None of this sounds extreme to me. In fact, if you ask me, the goals of the tea party sound pretty reasonable. These folks recognize the gravity of the problems we face as a nation and they are doing something about it for the sake of our future. They are engaged in the debate about spending and debt, which is a lot more than we can say about the President and many Democrats here in Congress. They are making their voices heard and they have succeeded in changing the conversation here in Washington from how to grow government to how to shrink it.

In my view, the tea party has had an overwhelmingly positive impact on the most important issues of the day. It has helped focus the debate. It has provided a forum for Americans who felt left out of the process to have a voice and make a difference. It is already leading to good results.

It may take some time, but thanks to everyday Americans like these getting involved, speaking their minds, and advocating for commonsense reforms, I am increasingly confident we will get our fiscal house in order. Republicans are determined to do our part to advance the goals I have mentioned. That is why we have been fighting to cut spending in the near term, and that is why we will soon be proposing a balanced budget amendment. American families have to balance their budgets; so should their elected representatives in Washington. It is not too much to expect that lawmakers spend no more than they take in, unless you think it is extreme to balance the books.

That brings us to the heart of the matter. The last time the Senate voted on a balanced budget amendment, in 1997, the Federal deficit was a little over $100 billion. Today, it is about $1.6 trillion. Back then, the national debt was about $5.5 trillion. Today, it is closer to $14 trillion. Back then, the amendment failed by just one vote--just one. Today, Democrats are already lining up against it.

What is extreme is the thought that government can continue on this reckless path without consequence. What is extreme is thinking we can blithely watch the Nation's debt get bigger and bigger and pretend it doesn't matter. What is extreme is spending more than $1.5 trillion than we have in a single year. This is the Democrats' approach. That is what is extreme.

The sad truth is, as our fiscal problems have become deeper, Democrats in Washington and many others in statehouses across the country have become increasingly less concerned about the consequences. Look no farther than the ongoing spending debate in which Democrats have fought tooth and nail over a proposal to cut a few billion dollars at a time when we are borrowing about $4 billion a day and our national debt stands at $14 trillion; the President has set the debate out entirely; and Democrats have the nerve to call anyone who expresses concern an extremist. If you are wondering where the tea party came from, look no further than that.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the life and accomplishments of one of the Commonwealth's most outstanding citizens, Mr. Rick Curry, who passed away on November 17, 2010, at the age of 65. Rick made significant contributions to his hometown of Corbin, KY, as an active citizen, an entrepreneur and the coowner of one of Corbin's most popular nightspots and downtown attractions, The Depot on Main restaurant. I am honored to have called him my friend.

Originally from London, KY, Rick graduated from London High School and attended the University of Kentucky before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force. After being stationed in Japan and completing his military service, he attended Cumberland College and later became the president of Curry Oil Company in London, and Petro Haulers Inc., a fuel hauling business. Not only was Rick a successful businessman, he was also involved in property development and owned key commercial properties.

Aside from his successful business endeavors, Rick had always dreamed of owning a restaurant. In 2004, he began to make that dream a reality when he purchased and renovated an old department store building in downtown Corbin. This once blighted and vacant building soon turned into a beautiful and thriving restaurant; The Depot on Main. It was Rick's pride and joy.

This renovation was not only significant to Rick personally, but also to the Corbin community. It came at a time when economic vitality was suffering and few people dared to make investments. But Rick did. His investment encouraged business development in downtown Corbin.

Many people who had the privilege of knowing Rick remember the remarkable recovery he made after suffering a stroke in 2007. He handled that crisis, as he did everything else, with such a positive attitude and indomitable spirit. Those qualities, as well as the bonds he forged with so many in the community through his work, through the restaurant and in his life will be what Rick Curry is remembered for.

My thoughts go out to his wife Holly, the citizens of Corbin, and many other beloved friends and family members for their loss. Rick was an upstanding gentleman and an irreplaceable citizen of the Commonwealth. He will be greatly missed.

Mr. President, the Corbin News Journal recently published an article honoring Rick and the legacy he left behind. I ask unanimous consent that the full article be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor the extraordinary career accomplishments of one of the Commonwealth's most talented and devoted medical professionals. Dr. Richard Stoltzfus, who has provided thousands of Kentuckians with his medical expertise as an internal medicine physician at the Daniel Boone Clinic in Harlan, KY, will retire at the end of April after 35 years of dedicated service.

Although born and raised in Pennsylvania, Dr. Stoltzfus always knew life held something different in the cards for him. After completing his medical degree at Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia, practicing internal medicine in Darby, PA, completing his residency training at Mercy Catholic Medical Center in Philadelphia, and volunteering at Hospital Grande Riviere du Nord in Haiti for 6 years, Dr. Stoltzfus decided to pursue his goal of providing medical care to residents in rural towns where he believed it was needed most. This belief is what led him to Harlan, KY, where he began work for the Daniel Boone Clinic in August 1976. Along with being a practicing physician, he also served as medical director of the Mountain Heritage Hospice since its beginning in 1980 to 2000, and was chief of medical staff at the Harlan Appalachian Regional Healthcare Hospital during his 35-year tenure.

Dr. Stoltzfus's long career shows his passion for helping others not only by ridding them of illness, but also by promoting overall wellness and health. His definition of health is not just the absence of disease, but the presence of physical, social, emotional and spiritual well being. Dr. Stoltzfus forms lasting bonds with his patients because they can see how much he truly cares.

Dr. Stoltzfus has said that the years he has spent in Harlan County have been the best years of his life. This may be true, but it is also safe to say that the contributions of dedicated and special people such as him are what make communities like it such wonderful and hospitable places to both work and live. I send my best wishes to Dr. Stoltzfus and his wife as they move on to the next phase of life: Dr. Stoltzfus has said they plan to move to Virginia to be closer to their children. I am sure their children will be glad to have more of their father around--just as I am sure the whole family is very proud of him and his life of accomplishment. I offer my sincerest congratulations to Dr. Stoltzfus on an exceptional career.

Mr. President, the Harlan Daily Enterprise recently published an article honoring the career of Dr. Stoltzfus. I ask unanimous consent that the full article be printed in the Record.

Madam President, later this morning, the President is expected to outline his vision for improving our Nation's energy security. But, as we frequently have seen with this administration, what it says and what it does are often two very different things. So this morning I would like to discuss some of the things the administration has actually done when it comes to energy, and then I would like to propose some things Republicans would do differently.

It should go without saying that Americans are ready for action on this issue. With average gas prices approaching $4 a gallon in most parts of the country, growing uncertainty and unrest in the Middle East, and a jobs crisis here at home, Americans want the President to outline a serious plan today which will make us less dependent, not more, on foreign sources of oil and which stimulates job creation here. Unfortunately, what they have gotten instead are more of the same halfhearted proposals Democrats have trotted out every other time Americans get squeezed at the pump. Instead of facing the problem of higher energy prices head-on, Democrats are once again paying lipservice to those concerns with fake solutions that only aim to distract people from what they are really up to.

It is my hope that the President changes that tune today, but I am not holding my breath because we have seen how this plays out many times before. Tell a Democrat in Washington that gas prices are too high, and as if on cue they will throw together a speech or a press conference to suggest that we open an underground oil reserve that was created to deal with calamities, not market pressures; they will take you on a tour of some alternative car plant that promises to have one of its $100,000 prototypes to market 25 years down the road or they will quietly release some report to the media about how energy companies really are not working hard enough to extract oil, while schizophrenically claiming American reserves are minuscule and that more production is not the solution.

This last item is a perennial favorite of our friends on the other side. The idea here is to somehow blame energy companies for not producing enough energy on their own. What Democrats don't mention, however, is that a drilling lease is nothing more than an agreement with the government that a company has a right to explore for oil and gas in a certain area, not a guarantee that they will find it. They never see fit to mention that most of the area that could be leased is off limits thanks to the redtape factory Democrats operate here in Washington. Honestly, are we supposed to believe that the same administration that declared a blanket moratorium on all offshore drilling off the gulf coast, which chased away rigs and jobs to other countries, and which established new regulations that make getting a new drilling permit virtually impossible, now believes that energy companies aren't drilling enough?

This doesn't even pass the laugh test, but it does suggest that Democrats don't even believe their own arguments about decreased production not affecting price. It is my hope that the President acknowledges as much today--that when you shut down drilling, higher prices and fewer jobs are sure to follow.

The truth is we could use a lot more honesty on this whole issue from Democrats. Despite what some on the other side might say, Republicans are as eager as Democrats to develop alternative sources of energy. But everybody knows it will take years, if not decades, to get to the point where they will be economically viable and widely used. The President's target is decades from now. But Americans should be able to expect action now, and all they get from Democrats is a pretty picture of some far-off future we have been hearing about for decades, and not a word about the things Democrats are doing to make it harder to find and use energy we already have right here.

Initial news reports about the President's speech today mention that the administration is determined to derive 80 percent of U.S. energy from clean energy sources in the year 2035. I am sure we could generate a great deal of bipartisan support for much of what the President will call for, assuming it doesn't involve Federal mandates. But what does any of this have to do with the crisis at hand--the crisis right now? The guy who is trying to make ends meet wants to know what you are going to do for him today, not 24 years from now. But, of course, the administration doesn't have anything to say to that guy because the administration's energy policy isn't aimed at him. If it were, then the administration would be locking down domestic energy sources. It wouldn't be looking to pass new regulations through the EPA that will impose a national energy tax on every business, large and small. It wouldn't be telling our allies in Brazil that while it is great that they found oil off their coast, those who want to search for oil off our coast and on our mainland can't. In other words, it is great the Brazilians are drilling offshore but not so good that we are. It wouldn't be telling job creators in the energy industry to look elsewhere.

In his remarks today, the President is also expected to call for decreasing imports of foreign oil. Yet last week he told Brazilians that he hopes America becomes a major customer of Brazilian oil. Well, which is it? Which is it, Mr. President? Clearly, on this issue, the President is telling people what he thinks they want to hear.

Over the past 2 years, the administration has undertaken what can only be described as a war on American energy. It has canceled dozens of drilling leases, it has declared a moratorium on drilling off the gulf coast, it has increased permit fees, and it has prolonged public comment periods. In short, it has done about everything it can to keep our energy sector from growing. As a result, thousands of U.S. workers have lost their jobs as companies have been forced to look elsewhere for a better business climate.

Consider this: Three of the areas we could tap in Alaska are thought to hold enough oil to replace our crude imports from the Persian Gulf for nearly 65 years. So the problem isn't that we need to look elsewhere for our energy. The problem is that Democrats don't want us to use the energy we have. It is enough to make you wonder whether anybody in the White House has driven by a gas station lately.

No, the crisis we face is immediate and it requires immediate action, and that is why Republicans have come up with two concrete proposals that will have a positive practical effect--two things we can do to give Americans relief, job creators a reason to hire, and make all of us less dependent on foreign sources of oil.

First, let's increase American energy production by cutting the redtape and opening areas that the administration has either temporarily blocked, stalled, or closed off to production.

Let's block any new regulations that will drive up production costs for energy, including the administration's proposed new EPA regulations on carbon emissions.

The first proposal is guaranteed--guaranteed--to create jobs by unlocking our energy resources. The second has been described as one of the

best proposals for growth and job creation to make it onto the Senate docket in years. Let's be clear: The alternatives being offered by the other side are nothing more than a face-saving exercise aimed at allowing Senators who aren't serious about this issue to mislead their constituents into believing they are.

But the American people have put up with distractions and face-saving exercises long enough. They have put up with near double-digit unemployment long enough. They have heard enough about the costly big government proposals Democrats envision for the future. And frankly, they have had it. It is time to address the problems right in front of us. It is time for the President to put forth a serious plan. When it comes to energy, these problems are obvious. So are the answers. It is time for lawmakers to come together and do what we know is right.

Madam President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise to congratulate a national championship team that makes its home in Pikeville, KY. This March 22, the Pikeville College Bears men's basketball team triumphed over the West Virginia Mountain State University Cougars in overtime, 83 to 76, to win the school's first NAIA men's basketball championship.

It has been a thrilling season for the Bears, who finish the year with a school-best 30-7 record. They tied for third place in the Mid- South Conference and entered the tournament unseeded and with something to prove. They certainly did that, becoming the first unseeded team in tournament history to defeat five seeded teams on the way to the championship.

The Bears beat defending national champ Oklahoma Baptist, defending national runner-up Azusa Pacific, and top-seeded Robert Morris to get to the semifinals. Facing No. 3-seed Martin Methodist College in the semifinals, the Bears clawed their way out of a 15-point deficit to win by 11 points.

Then it all came down to the final game, played in Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, MO, against the Cougars from West Virginia. The Bears trailed for most of the way, but by the end of the night it was ``My Old Kentucky Home'' being played as the Bears cut down the nets.

Trevor Setty of Maysville, KY, tied a career high for scoring in the game with 32 points, grabbed 17 rebounds and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. And Head Coach Kelly Wells was named NAIA National Coach of the Year.

The students and faculty of Pikeville College and the people of Pikeville, eastern Kentucky, and the whole Commonwealth couldn't be prouder of this winning team. They represent the very best of what the Bluegrass State has to offer, and we are honored for them to represent us to basketball fans from across the Nation. I know my colleagues join me in congratulating the Pikeville College Bears men's basketball team for their exciting victory.

Mr. President, the Lexington Herald-Leader recently published an article about the Pikeville College Bears' championship season and what it meant for the school and for eastern Kentucky. I ask unanimous consent that the full article be printed in the Record.

Madam President, as lawmakers return to Washington this week, we did so against the backdrop of many world crises. From recovery efforts in Japan, to battles everywhere from Afghanistan to Libya, to an unfolding economic crisis in Europe, the scope and intensity of world events in recent months has been nothing short of breathtaking.

Yet in the middle of all this, it is important we not lose sight of the struggles and concerns of so many around us here at home. At a time when roughly 1 in 4 American homeowners owes more money on their mortgage than their home is worth, at a time when nearly 1 in 10 working Americans is looking for a job, at a time when the Federal debt has reached heights none of us could have even imagined just a few years

ago, now is not the time to lose focus on the paramount issue on the minds of Americans every day, and that is the very real crisis we face when it comes to jobs.

Americans look around them and they see neighbors and friends struggling to find work. Yet all they seem to get from the White House are policies that handcuff small businesses with burdensome new regulations and redtape and that create even more uncertainty about the future, including the administration's inexplicable and inexcusable inaction on trade deals that would level the playing field with our competitors overseas.

They are tired of it. Americans are tired of the White House paying lipservice to their struggles while quietly promoting effort after effort, either through legislation or some backdoor regulation, that makes it harder, not easier, for businesses to create new jobs. But the administration outdid itself last week, when the President told a Brazilian President the United States hopes to be a major customer in the market for oil that Brazilian businesses plan to extract from new oil finds off the Brazilian coast.

We can't make this stuff up. Here we have the administration looking for just about any excuse it can find to lock up our own energy resources here at home, even as it is applauding another country's efforts to grow its own economy and create jobs by tapping into its energy sources.

For 2 years, the administration has canceled dozens--dozens--of oil and gas leases all across America. It has raised permit fees. It has shut down deepwater drilling in the gulf. It would not even allow a conversation about exploring for oil in a remote 2,000-acre piece of land in northern Alaska that experts think represents one of our best opportunities for a major oil find. It continues to press for new regulations through the Environmental Protection Agency that would raise energy costs for every business in America and lead to untold lost jobs for more American workers.

In other words, in the midst of average gas prices approaching $4 a gallon and a chronic jobs crisis, the White House plans to make the climate for job growth worse. That is why Republicans, led in the Senate by Senator Inhofe, have proposed legislation to prevent the new energy tax from ever taking effect without congressional approval. The Wall Street Journal has called the amendment we are proposing ``one of the best proposals for growth and job creation to make it onto the Senate docket in years.''

Our amendment would assure small businesses across the country that they will not be hit with yet another costly new job-stifling burden by Democrats in Washington. It will give voters the assurance that a regulation of this kind, which would have a dramatic impact on so many, could not be approved without their elected representatives standing and actually voting for it. At a time of rising energy prices, it would prevent Democrats in Washington from adding even more pressure to energy prices than they already have out of fealty to special interests that would rather we buy our energy from overseas than find and use the bountiful resources we already have right here at home.

I wish to thank Senator Inhofe, once again, for leading us on this issue. His bill, upon which my amendment is based, has 43 cosponsors. He deserves the credit. He has been a fierce and tireless advocate not only for American energy but also against new EPA regulations that would sidestep the legislative process. I thank him for his work, along with the great work Senators Murkowski and Barrasso have done, in educating the American people about these issues.

At a time when Americans are looking for answers on the economy, this amendment is as good as it gets from Washington. By voting for it, we would be saying no to more regulations and redtape and we would be saying yes to American job creators and to the jobs they want to create. I urge my colleagues in both parties to support it.