A recent report issued at the end of June by the Congressional Budget Office highlighted the fact that income inequality has tripled in the last 30 years to levels not seen since 1928 in our country.

I cannot really get to that point unless I get more data on how we are doing with the present law.

We have authored some legislation over the years to try and provide leave from work for parents.

I certainly know of no studies that suggested increasing inequality is helpful to the well-being of children.

We very much appreciate your leadership, Senator Dodd, on the FMLA, and the Administration supports further efforts in this area.

We think the way to do that is to allow States to innovate in this space and for us to provide them with incentives to do that.

In fact, Lamar Alexander and I wrote the Preemie Act in 2006 to combat the increasing rates of preterm and low-birth weight children.

It is a subject matter that historically some of my strongest--when I wrote the first child care development block grant program back in the early 1980s, my cosponsor was Orrin Hatch of Utah.

Nothing, no set of issues have given me a greater sense of joy or pleasure to work on over the past 3 decades than this cluster of issues.

In fact, my staff reminded me that in the Affordable Health Care bill--and Bob Casey was involved in this as well, The National Quality Strategy--we fought very, very hard that children be a part of that.

Thank you very much, Senator. I appreciate your emphasis on the tobacco issues.

When we talk about a more compassionate America, nowhere is that more evident than in our caregiving leave policies. No one should have to choose between work and family.

But I do not want you to give up hope on paid leave. Let me just say you have been a critical leader on this.

But again, the low-birth rate among nonHispanic African-Americans over the past 15 years has remained about twice that of nonHispanic Caucasian women.

I do not like to see us competing because I think the extended day idea has a great value.

To a large extent, the parents who are aware of the existence of programs, who make an effort, have a substantial lead on others who are not aware or are so stressed out trying to cope every day just to put food on the table.

We must all do better. And that's why we must continue to work together in a bipartisan way to reauthorize and improve ESEA as soon as possible.

I would be remiss if I did not point out, by the way, that you always take great pride in your sort of official family.

I rise today to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The enactment of this important legislation was a significant milestone in our national journey to perfect our Union, uphold our…

How you take that program nationally could be very important.

It is labor-intensive.

I wrote, along with Lamar Alexander, the infant screening legislation, which was designed primarily to deal with some of the--I think were eight originally.

We are really going to miss your leadership in the Senate because you have been terrific on these issues over the decades.

Thank you Senator Dodd for all you have done in support of our program over the years.

The future belongs 100 percent to them, and that is why Arlen Specter and I, almost 30 years ago, started the Children's Caucus in the Senate.