On the recordMarch 3, 2010
I will just respond by saying that I'd love to work in a bipartisan way. But you need partners in a bipartisan process. Frankly, we've seen more push-back and diversion and obfuscation of the details and the merits of this legislation. A bill that passes 78-19, as the gentleman indicated, is one where there is significant agreement. Yet, the rules of the Senate often times allow there to be significant delays in very needed legislation to come to the aid of our constituents. And so I would say that, yes, today or tomorrow we need to bring up a bill that deals with the unemployment benefit for my constituents and Mr. Dreier's and the rest of the Nation's as well. We need to put those transit workers back to work. We need to take care of the business before us. And when we constantly see the generally unfeeling situation where we're just going to have a filibuster in the Senate while folks will no longer get their unemployment benefits and suffer in the process, I don't think that's what the American people sent us here to do. I believe that we must pass this rule. We must move the jobs bill as soon as humanly possible. And we need to also deal with the education bill that we brought up before the House and is the main purpose for why we're here today. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
