Floor Statements

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Madam President, I just heard an interesting colloquy between two distinguished friends from across the aisle in reference to health care. Although I found that back-and-forth dialogue very interesting, one problem with the dialogue was it was misinformation that my distinguished colleagues are putting out on this floor and to the people of America. They keep saying we should start over on health care. They are saying we didn't incorporate any of their proposals. And that is the farthest thing from the truth.

The work on this bill took over a year, and they had all the input. Even the President of the United States incorporated their ideas into the bill we passed from this distinguished body, in the bill that is now lying between the House and the Senate. So while I found their colloquy very interesting, I hope the American people will begin to look at what is being put out here, what is being said here, and realize that our distinguished colleagues across the aisle don't want to see health care reform enacted. Evidently, they want to continue with the same old ways, with the insurance companies controlling this health sick system, not health care system. It is a profit-making system for them. I hope the American people will see right through their comments.

I want to talk today about whether there are real winners and losers in this health care debate. Since the beginning of the debate over health care reform, we have heard an awful lot about the political problems associated with taking on this issue. It is difficult, it is divisive, and there are no easy answers, and for those reasons, it is no wonder our elected leaders have been unable to solve this problem for almost 100 years. This is nothing new. We have been working on this in this body for over 97 years.

There will never be a shortage of reasons to put off the tough questions, to avoid the tough issues and kick the can down the road. There will never be a shortage of roadblocks and excuses. Over the last century, we have heard an awful lot of them. But we must not settle for that any longer. We must reject the tired politics of the past and the tired politics of right now--and the politics we just heard from my distinguished colleagues from across the aisle. It is now time to lead. It is time to say: Enough is enough--to stop shrugging off the difficult problems and to meet them head on. It is time to fundamentally change the conversation.

We have heard far too much about the political winners and losers in the health care debate and not enough about the real winners and losers in America's health care system. So let us refocus the terms of this discussion and keep the perspective where it should be: on the ordinary Americans who need our help, the ordinary Americans who need health care coverage now.

Because this isn't about electoral math. It is not about poll numbers or partisan talking points or cold statistics. It is about hard-working folks who are suffering and dying every single day under a system that is badly in need of repair. It is about the people whose lives and livelihoods are on the line. Our success or failure at passing reform will have political consequences for some of the people in this Chamber, but I believe those concerns are insignificant compared to the real consequences it will have for ordinary Americans all across this country.

So I call upon my colleagues in the Senate and my friends in the media to focus our attention on what matters. Let's talk about what reform means for regular folks, not politicians or special

interests or even insurance lobbyists. This is bigger than politics. This is about addressing a national problem that has touched untold millions of lives over the past 100 years.

As we debate this legislation today, there are 47 million people in this country without any insurance coverage at all, and there are another 41 million people who lack stable coverage. For every year we fail to pass reform, another 45,000 Americans will die because they do not have health insurance and can't get access to the care they need. These are the people who are depending on us--folks in Illinois and every other State in this Union. These are the people who stand to benefit from our reform proposals and who continue to suffer every single day that we fail to take action; for example, people such as Linda and her husband, back in my home State of Illinois. In 2008, they were paying $577 per month for health insurance under the COBRA program. They each had a clean bill of health and had no reason to fear illness or injury. But when their COBRA coverage ran out on the first day of 2009, their premiums jumped up to over $1,000 per month. They had no idea why the change was so drastic. They were perfectly healthy. Yet their monthly bills had almost doubled. So to try to save money, Linda and her husband switched to the individual insurance market and got a plan with a $5,000 deductible and a large copay. The switch was easy. They didn't even have to get a physical exam. Like many Americans, they had every reason to believe their coverage was secure.

When Linda's husband got sick in October of 2009, he had a successful bypass surgery. The insurance provider approved the procedure ahead of time. But once the surgery was complete, the company simply changed its mind. Even though Linda and her husband had never been treated for previous heart problems, and even though he had not even been diagnosed with anything, Blue Cross/Blue Shield suddenly decided he had a preexisting condition and they rescinded his policy. His coverage ended on the spot, and he and his wife were left out in the cold. Today, they owe medical bills that add up to $208,000, with $89,000 about to go into collection.

Linda and her husband are just like millions of us in this country; they were perfectly healthy; they thought they had stable insurance; they paid for quality coverage. And then, when they needed it most, their insurance company walked away from them. That is absurd. That should not happen to anybody in the United States of America.

I think Linda said it best when she said:

They did nothing but take our money, and now they're

sticking us with the bill.

This is outrageous and it is totally unacceptable. Yet this is the reality faced by millions of Americans every single day. Insurance companies should no longer be allowed to pull this kind of bait-and- switch action on anybody. That is why we need to pass reform that will give people like Linda the ability to hold insurance companies accountable so they can stop abusing their customers. That is why we need to restore robust competition to the market, so people can shop around if they don't think they are getting a fair deal with their insurance provider. That is why we need reform that will provide real cost savings, so coverage is affordable for Linda and her husband, along with millions of others like them. These are the people our legislation is designed to help.

I think we have heard enough talk about the political winners and losers in the health care debate. We have heard enough about Washington. Because across America, the only real winners are the big insurance corporations that continue to rake in the cash, making record profits. We saw the reports given on their income for 2009--record profits for the insurance companies, with less coverage, and millions of Americans being denied coverage. The only real losers are the hard- working Americans who can't afford coverage and can't get treatment.

It is our duty to fight for these folks, and I would urge my colleagues to honor this sacred trust. The other day President Obama gave a stern speech that captured the spirit of this fight. He called for bipartisan cooperation and urged regular Americans to get angry and to get fired up and to say: We aren't going to take it anymore. He asked them to get involved in this process so we can pass this bill and make reform a reality for Linda and millions of others.

My colleagues, let us take President Obama's speech as a wake-up call. Let us listen to the will of the American people. We have moved this legislation further than any other Congress. At this time, we cannot let this legislation not become effective. It should become effective, it will become effective, and we must finish the job.

Madam President, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business.

Mr. President, there was an article in last Thursday's Chicago Tribune, my hometown newspaper, that caught my attention. It is shocking news for many of my fellow Illinoisans. I would like to share it with my colleagues today.

According to State records, Illinoisans who lose their jobs and have to buy their own health insurance will see their premiums increase by as much as 60 percent this year. As the Tribune notes, this is affecting more people than ever before because of the economic crisis.

There are currently more than one-half million consumers in Illinois who have individual health plans. Their base rates, which stand at 8.5 percent at the moment, will jump to more than 60 percent. Those are just the base rates. Elderly folks will likely see additional increases on top of that. So will those who have a history of illness. So will people who live in certain areas or who have only had a policy for a short period of time.

Insurance companies will pile on additional increases for all these folks, on top of a 60-percent increase that will affect every Illinoisan with an individual health plan.

Let me remind my colleagues that these are mostly folks who have lost their employment, so they do not have a steady stream of income to absorb these increases, and they do not have a choice but to pay whatever the insurance companies demand or go without the coverage they need.

This is bad news by itself, but it gets worse because they are not the only ones who will see their premiums go up. Small businesses are finding it harder than ever to afford coverage for their employees because they are being hit with big rate hikes even though business is not as good as it was a few years ago.

Companies, such as Illinois Blue Cross, have even acknowledged they will be increasing their rates by an average of 10 percent across the board and much more for some of their customers.

We have seen this kind of thing before. Just recently in California, a health insurance company raised its rates by 39 percent, a move that sparked national outrage and investigations by State and Federal regulators.

When we hear about this kind of behavior, there is an obvious question for us to ask, the same question that many folks in Illinois will be asking when they get their insurance bills over the next few months. That question is why. Why are insurance companies raising rates by as much as 60 percent? Why does it keep getting harder and harder to pay for health coverage when benefits are being slashed at the same time? It does not make any sense.

But when Illinoisans pick up their phones and they call their insurance providers and they ask them why, they probably will not be able to get an answer. Most insurance companies do not release that information and do not

feel they have an obligation to explain the outrageous rate hikes. Ordinary Americans do not have a way of finding out.

That is exactly why we need to pass comprehensive health care reform without delay to restore competition to the insurance industry so folks can shop around and try to get a fair deal, to help us hold insurance companies accountable so we can keep them honest, and to provide cost savings so hard-working Americans and small businesses can breathe a little easier in these difficult times.

The Senate health reform bill would have accomplished all these things and more. If we had combined our bill with the House version at the end of last year and sent it to President Obama, we would have had a law on the books by now. We would almost certainly not be seeing these dramatic premium increases. Instead, people's premiums would be going down significantly, and 3l million more Americans would have health care coverage.

This Chicago Tribune article would have read very differently if we had finished this health care bill a few months ago, as we easily should have done. But because of our inaction in Washington, because of delays and the obstructionism, these companies continue to have free rein.

As we struggle to find common ground between the House and the Senate, we must never forget the American people are locked in a much more serious struggle.

We have experienced the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The unemployment rate exceeds 10 percent in Illinois, and it stands just under 10 percent nationwide. Millions have watched helplessly as their hard-earned economic security vanished overnight. Individuals and families are finding it harder than ever to make ends meet. One of the greatest challenges they face is paying for health insurance.

Under the current system, too many people are forced to choose between keeping food on the table and buying health coverage. It is a terrible choice. Premiums are so high it is almost impossible to afford quality coverage. As the Chicago Tribune reported, they are about to get even higher, but without insurance we are all just one accident or catastrophic illness away from bankruptcy or even death.

It is time to turn our attention away from the partisan fight that consumes Washington every day and focus on the fight that is taking place in America's heartland.

My colleagues and I must never forget why we entered public service in the first place. Why are we here? What is our purpose? We must always remember our actions and our failures to take action have real consequences for ordinary people from coast to coast.

This legislation was stalled and delayed for the better part of a year. As a result of this obstructionism, we are about to see premiums go up by 60 percent instead of going down.

If my Republican friends had come to the table and acted in the spirit of compromise and listened to the will of the American people, we would have passed health care reform and a dozen other things by now. But instead, it is the same old politics. It is easy to find excuses. It is very difficult to govern.

Once again, I invite my colleagues across the aisle to join us in these efforts, come to the negotiating table. You heard President Obama speak yesterday very vividly and forthrightly about what we need to do to bring health care reform to the American people. We have a fresh sense of momentum, a new opportunity to deliver on this promise of reform.

Let's keep having this conversation. Let's confront these challenges together as the American people have asked us to do. Let's move forward as one Congress, as one Nation. It is time for Republicans and Democrats to say enough is enough to big insurance: No more outrageous rate hikes; no more coverage denials; no more abuse.

It is time for Republicans and Democrats to reaffirm our commitment to the hard-working people we represent in Illinois and across the country. It is time to pass comprehensive health reform so every American can get a great deal on health insurance and foreclose the possibility of losing their life or their assets.

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

I move to lay that motion on the table.

The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, after I speak I ask unanimous consent that the Senator from Delaware be able to speak for a period of time.

Yes, after the Senator from New Hampshire.

Madam President, I rise to speak on H.R. 4213. One amendment has already been dropped. I do plan to submit a second amendment. This amendment is dealing with the Recovery Act funds.

During my three terms as State comptroller of Illinois, I worked very hard to maintain accountability for the money we spent from our State. I have been contacted by my State officials, the various auditors, comptrollers, and treasurers, to say the stimulus money that is coming into the States is coming in and they have no funds to do all this transparency and accountability. I put an amendment on this bill to say that we should. I filed amendment No. 3388 which addresses currently underfunding the costs of tracking and reporting the stimulus money.

This measure would set aside up to one half of 1 percent of all existing stimulus funds and allow States and local governments to use this administrative expense reserve to distribute and track this money as it is received and spent. It would allow the American people to hold their representatives accountable and it would help ensure that every dollar is targeted effectively and spent wisely, without waste, fraud, or abuse.

Agreeing to this amendment will restore oversight to this process and will keep Americans on the road to economic recovery without incurring a dime of new spending.

In addition to restoring accountability, I believe we need to take an active role--as my second amendment would do, which I have not dropped yet; it is coming, though. It would deal with small businesses. I believe we should take an active role in supporting small and minority businesses because Main Street will be the engine of the American economic recovery. That is where jobs will be created. That is where the rubber meets the road--where we can turn this crisis around. That is why I am proud to offer another amendment which will require the Transportation Security Administration, the TSA, to award contracts to small businesses and disadvantaged businesses wherever and whenever possible. This amendment would ensure compliance with existing standards of government contracts and subcontracts and would keep dollars flowing into real communities rather than to the corporate treasuries.

By strengthening reporting standards and forcing participation goals for TSA projects, we can target Federal spending to the capable worker who has always been at the center of the American economic prosperity.

We are also saying we need these two amendments. They will strengthen and improve upon the key provisions of our jobs bill as well. I ask my friends in this Chamber to join me in renewing our commitment to transparency, honesty, and accountability. I ask them to stand for small businesses and minority subcontractors so we can make sure Main Street has a major share of our ongoing economic recovery.

The issue is the amendment to H.R. 4213 which would be the amendment No. 3388, and also the other amendment I am getting ready to drop which will deal with small and minority businesses.

I yield the floor.

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

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business.

Madam President, my colleagues and I have spent much of last year debating the issue of health care reform. After nearly a century of false starts and broken promises, Democrats came to Congress determined to enact comprehensive reform. We were confident that this time we would not fall short as our predecessors had done; this time we would deliver the changes the American people have been demanding for so many years. But over the course of the debate an unfortunate pattern emerged, a pattern of obstructionism and delay and scare tactics designed to derail our efforts to make a difference.

My Democratic colleagues and I worked hard under President Obama's leadership to craft sweeping legislation, but our Republican friends were not interested in passing health care reform. They had no desire to take action and no plan of their own. Instead, they found every opportunity to stall, to clog up the Senate, and score political points by attacking those who supported our efforts. They spread misinformation about death panels and higher costs and rationing coverage even though they knew these things were not in our bill. But they kept repeating this bad information and repeating it until it finally started to take hold.

The ordinary folk who heard these distortions had no reason to believe their elected officials would try to misinform them, so they retained this bad information and they did exactly what our Republican friends wanted them to do--they got angry. They held rallies. They called their Senators and Representatives. They regurgitated the talking points that had been written for them by obstructionists and special interests and the insurance lobby.

As a result, our Republican friends succeeded in holding up our health reform bill. By misinforming the American people, they stirred up an opposition that was tailor made to create confusion and gridlock no matter how hard some people tried to explain the truth because the facts are these.

No Democratic health care proposal has ever included a so-called ``death panel.''

None of our legislation would result in rationing of any kind.

And, rather than driving costs up, as my Republican friends have argued, nonpartisan analysis consistently shows that the Senate bill would lower costs significantly.

It would reduce the deficit by more than $130 billion in the first 10 years, and almost $1 trillion in the decades after that.

In addition, our bill would extend health coverage to 31 million Americans.

It would prevent corporations from discriminating against their customers because of pre-existing conditions.

And it would reduce health premiums for individuals and families, to the tune of hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars per year, depending on income level.

From the very beginning of this debate, I have called for a bill that fulfills the three goals of a public option:

A bill that creates competition in the insurance market. A bill that gives us the tools to hold insurance companies accountable. A bill that will provide cost savings to millions of Americans.

I believe our current proposal can accomplish all of these things. This legislation is not perfect, but it represents

a major step in the right direction. So I would urge my Republican friends to thoroughly examine the legislation we have introduced. And I would ask that they fulfill the public trust that has been placed in them, by being honest with the American people. By building their arguments on facts, not misinformation, and offering constructive suggestions rather than partisan talking points.

We all agree that our health care system is badly broken. And we owe it to everyone in this country to have a vigorous national debate about how to fix it.

In spite of the obstructionism and the delays that we have seen from the other side over the last year, I remain confident that my colleagues and I can pass a comprehensive health reform bill in the coming weeks. We have come further than any Congress in history. So it is time to finish the job. In light of recent developments, I think it is more likely than ever that our efforts will be successful.

Just last week, President Obama invited a group of Republicans and Democrats to join him for an open conversation about health care reform. Millions of Americans watched on TV as leaders from the House, the Senate, and the executive branch laid out their respective ideas for reform.

Yes, we heard some partisan talking points from a few on the other side. But for the most part, both Republicans and Democrats seemed eager to engage in a real conversation. They challenged each other's ideas. They debunked some of the myths that have taken hold over the past year. In the end, I think we discovered that we share more common ground than many people thought.

So it is time to move forward. President Obama has announced that he is open to four specific Republican ideas that emerged from last week's health care summit. I share the President's support for these proposals, which include eliminating waste and fraud, funding demonstration grants, increasing Medicaid doctor reimbursements, and expanding health savings accounts. I hope that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will give these ideas a hard look, so we can incorporate them into our existing legislation. And I hope that my Republican friends will recognize that, while our current bill is not perfect, it contains a number of things they can strongly support.

So let us end the obstructionism and the delays. Let's stop spreading misinformation, and continue the conversation that emerged from the President's health care summit. And once we have a final bill that incorporates some of these suggestions, let us have an up or down vote.

The American people are tired of hearing excuses. They are tired of watching some members of this chamber manipulate the rules to prevent us from taking action. That is not how this Senate is supposed to work. So, whether my colleagues support or oppose the final legislation, I hope they will have the courage to let it come to a vote, rather than hiding behind the threat of filibuster.

This debate has been going on for a year. And the American people have been calling for comprehensive reform for almost a century. So I think it is high time to move forward together. Let's get this done. Let's do it right. Let's do it now.

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

Mr. President, we just had a press conference this afternoon with reference to don't ask, don't tell, the action we want to take in the Senate for our military people. I would like to make some brief remarks in that regard.

I come to the floor today because I believe in a basic principle, not just a political cause. I come to the floor because courage and valor are blind to race, religion, philosophy, and sexual orientation. I believe every single man and woman who puts on a military uniform is equally deserving of our thanks and our respect, and that when we dismiss the sacrifices made by those with a different sexual orientation, we undermine the strength of our fighting forces. When we fail to recognize the brave contributions gay and lesbian soldiers continue to make every single day, we diminish ourselves as much as we diminish their service. That is why I am pleased to join the following colleagues: Chairman Lieberman, Chairman Levin, Senator Gillibrand, Senator Udall of Colorado, and Senator Wyden in introducing legislation to repeal the military's don't ask, don't tell

policy, a policy which is discriminatory, outdated, and detrimental to our national security.

Let me start by addressing every service man and woman, to those who have served in our Armed Forces in the past. Let's give them a big shout out and a big thank-you. This Nation honors the service and sacrifice of all our veterans and those who are still serving today. Let me say the days of serving in silence--those days are numbered. This legislation will recognize that every soldier, sailor, airman, and marine is equal to every other warrior, so no one will be forced to lie about who they are if they wish to serve this country.

I know there are some who believe this is too big a change, that it is not right and we need to wait. To them I would say it boils down to basic fairness. I remind them that the U.S. military has made policy changes before and with resounding success. The repeal of don't ask, don't tell is not just another vote for me, it is a very personal issue of basic fairness. When I was about 6 or 7 years old, I have a vivid memory of my family members who went off to war, my uncles and uncles- in-law and great uncles who chose to go to war and defend our country, regardless of the color of their skin or occupation or who they were as an individual. That choice defined them as patriots.

I have never forgotten their patriotism or their commitment to this country. But I have also never forgotten that the U.S. military was very different in those days. My family members volunteered to protect this Nation, but simply because of who they were, they had limited opportunities to serve. For all their skill, their talent, their intelligence, and their valor, they were forced to choose among two or three roles. They were forced to either be a cook or forced to dig ditches or forced to drive trucks. The only thing that separated my uncles from their brothers in arms was the color of their skin. But in those days, some people argued that racial integration would undermine the cohesion of our fighting forces. Yet the U.S. military came to recognize this was not the case and successive generations proved that everyone who volunteered to serve was capable of the same patriotism, bravery, and heroism.

That memory is especially crisp as I stand in this Chamber to bring an end to this discriminatory policy that forces our best and brightest to be willing to die for our Nation, while denying they are who they truly are. This, too, is an issue of basic fairness.

More than 60 years ago, President Truman recognized the wisdom of integrating the Armed Forces. He understood that in so doing, the Armed Forces grew stronger and the Nation safer. Today we recognize it is time to end don't ask, don't tell. This repeal of don't ask, don't tell will allow our servicemembers to live their lives openly, honestly, and still fight for the country we all love. So, regardless of sexual orientation or race or any other factor, today we stand to say we are grateful to the brave patriots who chose to defend our Nation and we salute them.

This is about fairness. This is about more than right versus left or Republican versus Democrat. This is about fighting for those who fight for us every day. Ending this policy is the fair thing to do, it is the right thing to do, and it is long overdue.

Mr. President, we just had a press conference this afternoon with reference to don't ask, don't tell, the action we want to take in the Senate for our military people. I would like to make some brief remarks in that regard.

I come to the floor today because I believe in a basic principle, not just a political cause. I come to the floor because courage and valor are blind to race, religion, philosophy, and sexual orientation. I believe every single man and woman who puts on a military uniform is equally deserving of our thanks and our respect, and that when we dismiss the sacrifices made by those with a different sexual orientation, we undermine the strength of our fighting forces. When we fail to recognize the brave contributions gay and lesbian soldiers continue to make every single day, we diminish ourselves as much as we diminish their service. That is why I am pleased to join the following colleagues: Chairman Lieberman, Chairman Levin, Senator Gillibrand, Senator Udall of Colorado, and Senator Wyden in introducing legislation to repeal the military's don't ask, don't tell

policy, a policy which is discriminatory, outdated, and detrimental to our national security.

Let me start by addressing every service man and woman, to those who have served in our Armed Forces in the past. Let's give them a big shout out and a big thank-you. This Nation honors the service and sacrifice of all our veterans and those who are still serving today. Let me say the days of serving in silence--those days are numbered. This legislation will recognize that every soldier, sailor, airman, and marine is equal to every other warrior, so no one will be forced to lie about who they are if they wish to serve this country.

I know there are some who believe this is too big a change, that it is not right and we need to wait. To them I would say it boils down to basic fairness. I remind them that the U.S. military has made policy changes before and with resounding success. The repeal of don't ask, don't tell is not just another vote for me, it is a very personal issue of basic fairness. When I was about 6 or 7 years old, I have a vivid memory of my family members who went off to war, my uncles and uncles- in-law and great uncles who chose to go to war and defend our country, regardless of the color of their skin or occupation or who they were as an individual. That choice defined them as patriots.

I have never forgotten their patriotism or their commitment to this country. But I have also never forgotten that the U.S. military was very different in those days. My family members volunteered to protect this Nation, but simply because of who they were, they had limited opportunities to serve. For all their skill, their talent, their intelligence, and their valor, they were forced to choose among two or three roles. They were forced to either be a cook or forced to dig ditches or forced to drive trucks. The only thing that separated my uncles from their brothers in arms was the color of their skin. But in those days, some people argued that racial integration would undermine the cohesion of our fighting forces. Yet the U.S. military came to recognize this was not the case and successive generations proved that everyone who volunteered to serve was capable of the same patriotism, bravery, and heroism.

That memory is especially crisp as I stand in this Chamber to bring an end to this discriminatory policy that forces our best and brightest to be willing to die for our Nation, while denying they are who they truly are. This, too, is an issue of basic fairness.

More than 60 years ago, President Truman recognized the wisdom of integrating the Armed Forces. He understood that in so doing, the Armed Forces grew stronger and the Nation safer. Today we recognize it is time to end don't ask, don't tell. This repeal of don't ask, don't tell will allow our servicemembers to live their lives openly, honestly, and still fight for the country we all love. So, regardless of sexual orientation or race or any other factor, today we stand to say we are grateful to the brave patriots who chose to defend our Nation and we salute them.

This is about fairness. This is about more than right versus left or Republican versus Democrat. This is about fighting for those who fight for us every day. Ending this policy is the fair thing to do, it is the right thing to do, and it is long overdue.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak about 5 minutes in morning business.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business.

Madam President, as a freshman Member of this body, I have a great deal of respect for those who have been a part of this institution for many years.

On both sides of the aisle, veteran Senators lend their experience, and their invaluable knowledge of procedure, to the debates that take place in this Chamber every day.

And, as anyone who knows the history of the Senate can tell you, this has always been a friendly place, no matter which party is in control.

This has always been a place where political leaders could disagree without being disagreeable, no matter how vast their differences happen to be. This Senate has always been governed by mutual respect, mutual trust, and mutual friendship. Without these key ingredients, it is impossible for us to work together.

Such was the genius of our Founding Fathers, who framed this system of government.

They knew that partisan politics would rage outside these walls, so they created the Senate to be a refuge for those who are prepared to move forward together to solve national problems.

The history of this Chamber is filled with legendary stories of compromise, of relationships across party lines that drove Senators from different backgrounds to find common purpose.

Our dear friend Senator Kennedy, the last lion of this Senate, was one of the greatest at forging bipartisan consensus and fostering mutual respect with the other side.

These stories remind us of the value of civil discourse. They speak to the necessity of working with one another,

not against one another, to confront the challenges we face.

But, I am beginning to wonder if these stories are just stories.

Although I have served in this Chamber for only a short time, I recognize that the atmosphere in this body is not what it once was.

I hear the accounts of bipartisan cooperation in the past, but I see fewer and fewer examples of it today.

In fact, just last week, the country watched as two centuries of Senate procedure and privilege were abused for partisan gain.

My colleagues and I were trying to move forward with a bill that extended unemployment benefits, health insurance for the unemployed, lending assistance for small businesses, and other important programs.

No part of this bill was new or controversial. No part of it would significantly change the existing programs that were in place, which were due to expire at the end of the week. We all knew that, if this Senate failed to take action, all of these programs would grind to a halt almost immediately.

Ordinary Americans across the country would stop getting their unemployment checks and their COBRA health benefits. Small businesses would see credit dry up literally overnight. In the middle of the worst economic crisis in decades, this would be a disaster. It would be the last thing that America needed as we tried to help people get back on their feet. But that is exactly what happened when my friend from Kentucky decided to raise objection. In an instant, a single Republican Senator slammed the door on the American people, and left thousands of ordinary folks out in the cold.

He cut off assistance for those who need it most. He denied unemployment insurance to those who lost their jobs through no fault of their own.

Just when folks were beginning to feel a bit more optimistic, my good friend from Kentucky held up his hand and said, ``Not so fast.''

As a result, on Sunday night, 15,000 Illinoisans lost their unemployment benefits. Another 15,000 will lose their benefits next week, and the week after, until my Republican friend drops his objection and allows us to pass an extension. These are folks who have felt the worst effects of the economic crisis. They are ordinary people, ordinary American families, who cannot afford to miss a check.

But the Senator from Kentucky has objected to continuing these programs. He has prevented the government from putting these checks in the mail. He has frozen the credit that will allow small businesses to create jobs and put more people back to work. He has sent thousands of Federal workers home without pay. He has shut down important highway projects all across America.

I have been in public service for almost 30 years. In all that time, I have never seen anything like this outrageous abuse of senatorial privilege.

We can argue about policy. We can debate legislation. We can discuss procedure and disagree about political tactics. But I believe it is wrong to play politics with people's lives. And I urge my friend from Kentucky to stop.

If my colleagues and I are able to overcome these objections and pass this bill in the next few days, we may be able to restore these benefits retroactively. But the damage has already been done. These programs are not designed to help people who can get by without unemployment insurance for a few days here and there.

These programs are targeted at those who can barely survive paycheck to paycheck. They are for people who need help keeping food on the table, until they have the opportunity to get back on their feet. They are for people who do not have the luxury of waiting just a few more days to pay the bills, as my colleague seems to think.

The Senator from Kentucky has brought our economic recovery to a grinding halt. He is playing politics with hard-working Americans, and he is wasting the time of this distinguished body.

What has happened to the Senate of our forefathers?

What has happened to the atmosphere of friendship that drove past Senators to work together to solve big problems?

My colleagues and I have offered a solution that is acceptable to almost every Member of this Chamber. There are 99 Senators who either support this measure or would like to see an up-or-down vote. But my friend from Kentucky does not mind taking advantage of the rules of this Chamber to make a political point, even if it means adding to the misery of hundreds of thousands across this country, including his home State.

Perhaps we should not be surprised. After all, we have seen this kind of obstruction time and time again from our Republican colleagues, even on issues that are critical to the well-being of more than 30 million Americans.

So maybe it should come as no surprise that a Republican Senator would once again choose to manipulate Senate procedure for partisan gain. In many ways, I suppose that is all we can expect from a party that has refused to offer solutions of their own.

I believe the American people deserve much better than that. I believe regular folks expect us to help make their lives better, not worse. And I believe they are tired of obstructionism. They are tired of hearing that their representatives in Washington can not get things done.

I would urge all of my colleagues to reach for the generous spirit of our forefathers, which defined this Chamber as a friendly and inclusive place for so many decades.

I would urge my colleagues to debate the issues honestly and without resorting to distractions and obstructionism. No legislation will ever be perfect. But I believe it is irresponsible to hold up an important and fundamentally good bill for political reasons.

I ask my friend from Kentucky to drop his objection, as others in this Chamber have asked him many times over the last few days.

Let us move forward together. Let us be constructive. Let us recapture the friendly atmosphere that helped our predecessors rise above partisan politics and achieve great things.

This is not how the Senate was intended to function. So let's prove to the world that this is still the greatest deliberative body on the planet. Let's reject these tactics and move forward together. And let's, without delay, stop the obstruction on this important legislation.

Madam President, I would like to speak on another issue as in morning business.

Thank you, Madam President.

Madam President, we live in a world divided. International tension, mistrust, and even war too often separate nation from nation. But every 2 years, thousands of athletes from countries all over the world come together to celebrate the human spirit.

They meet in competition, arriving on the world stage from all five inhabited continents. Each of these five continents is represented by a simple, colored circle--a ring intertwined with four others to form the familiar symbol worn by every Olympic athlete.

The Olympic Games are a powerful force for world unity. And this year, for the 21st Winter Olympics, the eyes of the world turned to Vancouver, Canada--just across the border we share with our good friends to the north.

As always, the competition was fierce in every sport. The greatest athletes in the world tested their skills on some of the most challenging courses in history. Records were set and broken.

The world witnessed many triumphs--such as the success of a young Canadian figure skater, only days after the sudden loss of her mother.

We also came together in the face of great tragedy, mourning the shocking death of a young athlete from the Republic of Georgia.

Such Olympic moments, both triumphant and tragic, are blind to region or nationality. They remind us of the qualities and the limitations we share in every field of human endeavor. And at every moment, from the opening ceremonies until the Olympic flame was extinguished, these Winter Games served as a testament to all that we have in common. In a divided world, they served as an affirmation of the human spirit, and the value of friendship through sport.

I am proud to note that the United States Olympic team ended these games with a total of 37 medals--more than any other country, and a new record for the most medals won at a single Winter Games.

I would especially like to recognize and congratulate the Olympic athletes who hail from my home State of Illinois. These young men and women had the great honor of representing this country on the world stage, and they did us proud. In fact, 8 of the 37 total U.S. medals were won by Illinoisans.

From Champaign to Chicago--from Wheaton, to Glenview, to Plainfield, to Glencoe, to Naperville--these 10 athletes took to the ski slopes, and the ice rinks, and the bobsled tracks, and they gave it their all. Some came home with Olympic gold. Some fell short of the finals. But they are all Olympians, and they all represented our country--and our State--with honor, integrity, and sportsmanship.

So I take great pride in thanking the following Illinoisans for their dedication and hard work at this year's Olympic games: Lana Gehring, Katherine Reutter, Brian Hansen, Nancy Swider-Peltz, Jr., Shani Davis, Jonathon Kuck, Lisa Chesson, Evan Lysacek, James Moriarty, and Ben Agosto.

I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating these 10 Illinoisans, along with their teammates, and every coach, parent, and supporter who contributed to the success of Team USA. I thank them for all they accomplished in Vancouver, and wish them nothing but continued success in the future.

There are few international spectacles as singular and as inspiring as the Olympic games. A force for unity in a world divided, these competitions have the power to bring us together as one people, celebrating the human spirit with one voice.

Thanks to the world-class athletes who took part, from the United States and more than 80 countries in every corner of the globe, this year's Winter games in Vancouver were no exception.

I hope that as the world's athletes return to their respective countries, and as we turn our attention back to the challenges we face in our daily lives, this Olympic spirit of unity will persist until we meet again on the world stage, in London, for the 2012 Summer games.

Congratulations to the Illinoisans and all of those who participated from the great United States of America in these games.

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, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business.

Madam President, as I address this Chamber, President Obama is hosting the leaders of both political parties in a summit on the issue of health care reform. He has asked for all serious proposals to be brought to the table, once and for all, in an effort to bridge the gap between the House and Senate legislation and pass a final bill. He even provided his own proposal for how we can reconcile these bills with one another.

I thank the President for his leadership on this issue and his continued commitment to the issue of health care reform. I am glad he has called Republicans and Democrats to the table once again in yet another effort to reenergize this debate and move forward on behalf of the American people. I remain confident that we can still get this work done. That is why I have come to the floor today: to reaffirm my commitment to comprehensive health care reform and to urge my colleagues to join with our President and the leadership of our respective parties to find a real solution. In fact, I recently joined many of my colleagues in signing a letter urging this Senate to pass a bill that includes a public option--something everyone in this room knows I have supported since the beginning of this long debate. No matter what comes out of this afternoon's summit, I will judge our final proposal based on its ability to acknowledge three goals--the same three goals I have called for time and again over the past several months.

Our reform bill must restore competition to the insurance market, it must give us the tools to hold insurance companies accountable, and it must provide real cost savings to the American people. I am confident we can pass a measure that is capable of meeting these goals. I remain confident that after nearly a century of inaction, the American people demand and deserve nothing less.

Every President, every Congress, every ordinary citizen in the past 97 years has had to wrestle with a health care system that is broken and inadequate, a system that our predecessors consistently failed to fix; a system that has deteriorated badly over the last few decades and that remains unworthy of this great Nation. Today, 47 million Americans are without health insurance and 88 million do not have stable coverage. As a result of our broken system, 45 million Americans die every single year because they had no health insurance. These shocking facts should never be far from our minds as we debate these issues. They are more than statistics; they are ordinary Americans who desperately need our help.

As I address this Chamber today, we stand on the verge of correcting the oversights of the past century and getting these people the help they need. Legislation has been written, amended, and rewritten. We have compromised and compromised again. Each Chamber of the Congress has passed a comprehensive bill. Neither bill is perfect but both represent significant progress. We are so close to doing this. Now is the time to finish the journey.

Late last year, both the House and Senate voted for health care reform with a strong voice and a clear majority. At this point, we have only to reconcile the differences between these two bills. Just this week, President Obama released his detailed proposal outlining exactly how we can get this done. I urge my colleagues from both Chambers and from both parties to strongly consider this option.

Regardless of how we choose to proceed after today's bipartisan health care summit, let us come away with a definite plan of action. Let us come away with a plan to get this done, a plan that includes competition, cost savings, and accountability.

It is time to realize the promise of the last 100 years. I urge my colleagues to finish the fight that Teddy Roosevelt first waged more than a generation before any of us were born. Now is not the time to lose our nerve. Now is the time to act with conviction. Let's not allow the obstructionist tactics of a few to undermine legislation that garnered 60 votes in this Chamber and 220 votes in the House. I refuse to accept that a handful of ``no'' votes can invalidate 280 votes. I refuse to accept that the minority party can stifle the voices of millions of Americans and hundreds of Members of Congress who have demanded that we win this fight. I call upon my colleagues in both Chambers to look past our differences and carry out the will of the American people. They sent Democrats to Congress with the largest majority in decades. They elected a President who has pledged himself to this cause.

As far as the American people are concerned, this debate was over a long time ago. This issue has carried the day. This is the measure that the American people voted for in 2008 and, my fellow Democrats, this is what our party is all about. Now is not the time to shrink from the fight but to engage in it. Now is not the time to falter or to second- guess the wisdom of the folks who sent us here. Now is the time to take bold action, to forge ahead, to carry forward the ideas and principles of our party by delivering real results and delivering for the American people a health care plan that will give them protection and not see their premiums going up 39 percent and 40 percent.

Comprehensive health care reform will extend quality coverage to 31 million Americans. It will reduce premiums and prevent insurance companies from abusing their customers or discriminating against people who get

sick. Can my colleagues imagine: You get sick and think you have coverage today and then they cancel your policy and you have no coverage. The majority leader stood on the floor yesterday and told the story about the young kid with the cleft lip where the father paid $90,000 because the insurance company canceled the policy because the kid was born with a cleft lip. That is unconscionable. We in this country should not tolerate it.

The Senate bill could even cut the Federal deficit by about $1 trillion over the next two decades. I ask my colleagues: What are we waiting for? This is about values, not politics. Our country deserves better, so let's make it happen.

In politics, it is easy to find excuses. It is easy to wait, to delay, to place blame on another and throw up our hands. That is not leadership. That is not what the American people have called upon us to do and it is far less than they deserve. The American people have been waiting for 100 years, and I, for one, think that is quite long enough.

I say to my colleagues: It is time for us to lead. It is time to take up the mantle of Teddy Roosevelt and, yes, Teddy Kennedy, and everyone in between. Because this isn't just about health care; it is about creating jobs, helping small businesses, and keeping America on the road to economic recovery. These issues are not separate as some would have us believe. They are tied inextricably together. Fixing the American health care system will reduce the deficit, make it easier for small businesses to meet expenses, create jobs, and provide health coverage to more Americans than ever before. The way I see it, we cannot afford to wait any longer.

So let us act with a strong, united voice. I urge my colleagues to join me in passing a final health care bill and sending it to President Obama as soon as possible. Yesterday would have been all right. Let's win this fight. Let's stand up for what we believe in and succeed where our predecessors came up short. The stakes are too high to settle for anything else.

I say to my colleagues, and to those who are meeting today with the President, we must come up and out of this summit with a plan that is going to give health insurance to the people of America not tomorrow, not next week, but right now.

Thank you, Madam President. I yield the floor, and I note the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, this Monday, I was honored to stand before this Chamber and read George Washington's Farewell Address. This annual tradition invites Members of the Senate, as well as the American people, to pause and reflect on the wisdom of our first President.

In this historic text, the father of our country lays out a unique view of the Nation he helped to create. It is a testament to the American spirit and a tribute to the American people that this country has come such a long way since the days of our ancestors.

Washington's vision was especially poignant to me, having traced my personal ancestry back to the days of slavery.

As I looked out over this Chamber on Monday, I thought about the reasons we celebrate each February as Black History Month. This year, as Black History Month draws to a close, I cannot help but reflect that Washington's address reminds us that Black history and American history are inseparable from one another; that the American story cannot be distilled into the Black experience and the White experience but that both are essential components of the American experience.

The story of this country is a story of expanding equality and opportunity, of people and institutions grappling with social change and striving to live up to the promise of a single line in the Declaration of Independence which laid out the creed that came to define this Nation:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are

created equal. . . .

With these simple words, a slave owner named Thomas Jefferson laid the cornerstone of the free America we know today, even if the noble sentiment was not realized for all Americans until more than a century later. Although we have seen such injustice--though our journey toward freedom and equality is far from over--we can draw great strength from the promise that was woven into the fabric of our Nation on the day we declared our independence.

Black History Month is a time to remember those who have taken part in every step of that ongoing journey and to celebrate the legacy they have left behind for each of us.

At every moment in our past, African Americans have stood shoulder to shoulder with their countrymen from all races, backgrounds, and walks of life to help chart our course and define who we are to become: from the slaves who laid the very foundation of this Capitol Building to the businessmen and entrepreneurs who helped build our modern economy; from the ``King'' who dared to dream of an America he would never live to see to the President who reached the mountaintop; from the man who was born into the bonds of slavery to his great grandson who stands today before his peers in the Senate.

Each of these stories, however ordinary or remarkable, illustrates how Black history is woven deeply into the broad canvas of American history and why the two are inseparable from one another.

For me, this reality was brought to life the moment I stood at the front of this Chamber and began to read the words that our first President wrote to his countrymen more than two centuries ago. Yet it was the visionary leadership and high ideals of men such as Washington and Jefferson which transcended the prejudice of their times and made it possible for later generations to tear those inequalities to the ground.

All Americans have benefited from this profound legacy. We all have an interest in preserving the history we share.

In the closing days of this Black History Month, I urge my colleagues to reflect not only on the ways African Americans have contributed to American history but also on the ways we can move forward together as one Nation, just as Washington calls us to do in his Farewell Address.

Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.