The unconditional extension of the Bush tax cuts would add further to a structural deficit that is much too high at the moment, is that your opinion?

Whether or not you particularly like the individual, you are better off if they are working and paying taxes than if they are incarcerated at the ACI and absorbing your tax dollars.

I think it is a wise investment and we look forward to trying to make that investment as smart as we can make it.

There are neighborhoods where one in four 18 to 35-year-olds on the street are under the supervision of the Department of Corrections.

For the sake of the people who are in those neighborhoods and who are law abiding, it is important that there be the social services so that they can continue to have a safe and orderly life.

As you pointed out, the President signed the financial reform bill this morning and there are many that thought we could not do it, get it passed.

it's difficult in a democracy to legislate in an area where the public is not adequately aware of the threat.

there's a real advantage to getting this information out to the public.

I think that it is an important step when people move from their private lives to wear the robes and as we wear the robes and assume the responsibilities, the lifetime responsibilities of a United States district court judge.

They will decide cases based on the law and the facts; third, that they will not prejudge any case, but listen to every part that comes before them.

They will respect precedent, like it or not; and, finally, that they will limit themselves to the issues that the court is called upon to decide.

Until we have a solid growth in employment that is sustainable and recognized by people, not here and on Wall Street but on Main Street, then we haven't done the job.

But for the thousands and thousands of unemployed Rhode Islanders, nothing has changed much and we have to keep our eyes focused on unemployment.

I usually ask of judges to assure me that they will, first, respect the role of Congress as the representative branch of government of the American public policy.

We are delighted to have Senator Bayh with us and back in this chamber again and we will be very sad when his son, Evan, goes on to other accomplishments and leaves us at the end of this term.

There is always the danger in the contracting oversight world of what I call and what economists have for a long time called regulatory capture.

Thank you, Senator Warner, and thank you both for your testimony.

I think this is exactly the sort of hearing that we envisioned when I asked Chairman Conrad to set up this Task Force on Government Performance for the purpose of trying to better evaluate Government performance, efficiency savings…