Douglas Alexander: “this morning a number of us went to the National Prayer Breakfast--I saw the Senator from North Carolina there--which is…”

“this morning a number of us went to the National Prayer Breakfast--I saw the Senator from North Carolina there--which is always a wonderful event. It was especially a good event today because our new President was there for the first time. I think we would agree that he got a tremendous reception. We prayed for him, we cheered him. We recognize he has become President at a difficult time in our Nation's history. And we want him to succeed. Because if he succeeds, our country succeeds, which is why this debate on this bill is so disappointing. This is the first big proposal by the new administration. One New York Times columnist said, it is the first test. And what is this about? We all know what is it about, the economy is in tough shape. Many people have lost their jobs. Homes are being repossessed. IRA accounts are lower. People are worried. So we are hoping that in this first test we--the President and the Congress--will get an A-plus, flying colors. What are we seeking to do? We are seeking to get the economy moving again. Is that not right? Is that not what this is about? Is that not what a stimulus bill is? We have got a bad economy. We have housing foreclosures. Whatever action we take, we want to get the economy moving again. And we want to keep in mind while we are doing this that we have a big debt in this country. I do not mean just the Federal Government has a debt, because it is a Government debt owed by the people of this country.…”