Yet, we are talking about billions, and we cannot seem to get our handle on it.

I want to commend him for that.

Student loans should be designed to protect borrowers, not just enrich banks.

Writing down some of the principal owed by underwater homeowners will help stem the tide of foreclosures.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the American Studio Glass Movement. The movement is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The American Studio Glass Movement began in Toledo, OH, as a small group of passionate artists and has…

Right now, budget cuts would slash Pell Grants, 10 million students, by at least $1,000.

However, the budget doesn't include funding for several critical ongoing New Jersey studies including the Rahway River Basin.

I'm pleased that the budget includes, Secretary Darcy, $68 million to complete the deepening of the New York-New Jersey Harbor, a critical economic engine that supports more than 230,000 regional jobs.

Now, we appreciate the fact that there's almost always an overload in the Corps because there are more projects than there are hands or dollars. But we encourage you to keep up your good work.

But we need your work to continue and we need it to be appropriately budgeted.

Now, how can the Corps, General, expedite this project to ensure that families in the Basin have flood protection as soon as possible?

Well, we'd like to make sure that we get these things in order because we know one thing, the three projects that I talk about are critical to the safety and wellbeing of people in those areas.

The Corps is filled with experienced professionals that do great work. However, the most frequent complaint that I hear from local communities about the Corps is that it takes too long.

I was pleased to see that the fiscal year 2013 budget includes $1 million for a study to find a long-term solution to chronic flooding in the Passaic River Basin.

None of us can afford foreclosures at this scale--not homeowners, not investors, not taxpayers.

I think these things are connected unfortunately, and the student loan debt, if it does not cost young couples their homes, may impede them from ever having one.

I think we have to do everything we can to stop this foreclosure problem from getting worse as a means of simple justice, as well as making certain that economy recovery continues.

Going back some years, I was a beneficiary of the GI bill, and was able to get a pretty good education at Columbia Business School.