I believe it is now just slightly below 10 percent on a national basis. In my State, it is still over 11 percent.

I say to the Senator from Alaska that Rockford in the northern end of my State was as high as 15 percent. You know, it does not tell the whole story because, as they say, some people get discouraged when they are out of work and they do…

It is exactly what I have run into. Here is a letter from a man from Yorkville, IL, who wrote me: On bailout after bailout for businesses, my tax dollars have been used to save companies that should have planned better in the first place…

I would say in response to the Senator, for those who have not been following the debate from the beginning, tonight we are speaking to the fact that the Senator from Kentucky, Mr. Bunning, is objecting to extending unemployment benefits…

I would say to the Senator from Rhode Island, there is no explanation because it doesn't make sense. You certainly couldn't explain to this woman who has worked so hard throughout her entire life and now faces this misfortune that we are…

The Senator is correct. It was their belief that they would make a lot of money. Mrs. McCASKILL. They have made a fortune on the backs of taxpayers.

Not a dime of it paid for--not one dime. It is all on the credit card, one big blob of red ink. Is the Senator aware how many of our friends on the other side of the aisle have new religion--this is new religion about balancing the…

Do you know who the Senators were who voted for this massive, government-run entitlement program that added hundreds and billions of dollars to our debt--not tax cuts? ... All of it was a massive government entitlement program run out of…

Those of us who supported some kind of competitive bidding and government buying in bulk to reduce costs were defeated because pharma objected. In that bill, they even outlawed the ability of the government to negotiate for lower prices…

I believe the Senator from Missouri is correct. It is interesting that those who are critical of the stimulus, the Recovery and Reinvestment Act, on the Republican side virtually never acknowledge the fact that one-third of that whole…

The tax cuts that were passed helped my family. It didn't help some of the families out there now struggling with unemployment. It is, in fact, the stimulus money that has gone to Kentucky, gone to Illinois, gone to Missouri, gone to…

According to the 2009 Medicare Trustees Report, on January 1, 2010, physicians were expected to face an across-the-board cut of 21rac{1}{2} ext{ percent}. By 2014, the cuts to physicians treating Medicare patients would be 40 percent. We…

The SBA programs, which would provide credit for small businesses--we were looking for a simple 30-day extension so these programs would be available. This objection has stopped that 30-day extension and it is going to close down some of…

I think they ought to step forward and say publicly when they do that and why they do that.

But it strikes me as a colossal waste of time and a sad commentary on the Senate that we are forced to do this to provide simple unemployment benefits to people across America who are out of work.

I cannot believe we have reached the point in the Senate where these battles over cosmic issues are being visited on people who are struggling to survive day to day, to put food on the table. That is what it has come down to. That is…

Of the stimulus funds currently sitting there, they have been obligated. They will be spent. There won't be a surplus, we are told, of any funds. This would have come out during the course of the debate, if Senator Bunning had accepted our…

Let me explain. There was a source of revenue for the bill, but it wasn't enough to pay for the entire bill. The source of revenue was enough for those who wanted to say: Well, this will pay for unemployment, to point to it; and those who…

Because in the original proposal from the Finance Committee, the unemployment benefits were extended for 3 months, as I understand it. The tax extenders----

I have been here 14 years--14 years in the House, 14 years in the Senate. This Senate has changed so dramatically in the 14 years I have been here. We actually had debates on the floor of the Senate. We had Members offering amendments back…

I will tell you, I think that is unfortunate. If you want to fight a battle, for goodness' sakes, make it a fair fight. Do not fight the battle over the bodies of people who are unemployed and struggling to get by on a day-to-day basis. If…

The Senator from Alaska is correct. I want to make it clear for the record, because the Senator from Tennessee came and asked me why we didn't offer to the Senator from Kentucky an opportunity to have an amendment to pay for these…

I thought maybe we had gotten through to the Senator from Kentucky. It is interesting, he wants to talk about everything except the unemployed people affected by his objection. I say to the Senator from Kentucky, we can relitigate all you…

In this situation, in fairness to the Senator from Kentucky, he has been very public and open about his objections to this. I certainly respect we have different points of view. But I would say to the Senator from Tennessee, here is what I…

This cost over $400 billion, and many Republican Senators, including the Senator who has objected to unemployment benefits for millions of people in America who are out of work, voted for this program that was unpaid for. Now they tell us…