The underlying bill, the H-1B visa bill, will allow companies in America to bring in skilled workers from overseas. They are telling us they cannot find those workers in America's labor pool. We decided under the H-1B visa, in 1998, to…

I think the distinction here on the H-1B visa question is, we are talking about bringing new workers, new skilled workers, in on a temporary basis to fill the needs of companies. The amendment, which we want to offer and which the…

I would be remiss, following the remarks of the Senator from Alaska, if I didn't comment on the whole energy issue, which is one of great concern to families, individuals, and businesses across America. I have listened carefully as critics…

There are towns literally hanging on by their fingernails, trying to survive in this changing economy, and some of them are responding in creative ways. In Peoria, they have create a tech center downtown, jointly sponsored by the Chamber…

I thank the Chair. Let me close by addressing another critically important amendment which is not being allowed with this bill. It is one of which I am a cosponsor with Senators Kennedy and Jack Reed of Rhode Island and Harry Reid of…

I ask him if he would draw a historical parallel to the situation we faced in the late fifties, when the Russians launched Sputnik and we, as a nation, decided to devote resources into a National Defense Education Act, so that we would…

I salute my colleague, the Senator from North Dakota. He has been a leader on the issue of prescription drugs and has challenged all of us to focus on an issue which most American families understand completely. They know what it costs to…

I come to this debate trying to find some common ground, if there is, and I don't know how much common ground one can find on a river. In this situation, we are dealing with the question of the future of the Missouri River. It is not a…

The families I met in Illinois during the month of August were, I guess, almost unanimous in their belief that this Congress should waste no time in enacting a meaningful prescription drug benefit under Medicare. I no longer have to give…

if you had happened to be in the Senate Dining Room a few months ago, you might have seen a group of people having lunch and wondered what in the world would gather Ambassador George McGovern, Senators Bob Dole and Ted Kennedy, Agriculture…

I am certain those who were observing the Senate Chamber yesterday and perhaps the day before are curious as to why absolutely nothing is happening. It reflects the fact that there is no agreement between the parties as to how to proceed…

Not that many years ago, we were struggling with annual deficits. It was crippling the economy of the United States and certainly causing a shockwave across America as families had to step back and consider the impact of a huge national…

I say to the Senator, he may recall we asked the Members of the Senate to take their choice, make a pick, make a decision. That is what we are sent here to do, cast a vote. Senator Dodd stood up on day care and said: Shouldn't we help…

Section 3102 of the Agriculture appropriations bill does not address the production of food and fiber in America. It does not address any jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture. It is a provision which has been added to this bill…

That is true. In fact, what we have done is present a proposal that says if you are in a situation where two wage earners get married and their joint income raises them to a higher tax rate, we protect them. Basically, we voted, if I am…

I can tell you with no doubt in my mind, with an absolute degree of certainty, that if you are making $915,000 a year, you probably do not worry too much about the weekly day care costs, but that is the group the Republican majority…

That is exactly my point. Before he rushed off for dinner, the Senator from Oklahoma suggested if that was the case, he would eat the paper. I suggest my friend from Nevada save that. Perhaps we can send it along for lunch tomorrow for my…

I will stand by the comments of the Joint Committee on Taxation. This is not a political group, not a partisan group. It is a group authorized by Congress to make these evaluations. The Senator from Oklahoma is entitled to his opinion. I…

I just listened carefully to my colleague from Oklahoma correcting the press, and of course I would join him on many days in that effort. As a public figure, I am often quoted enough and read things that I think are a little bit different…

I want to show a chart to the Senator from Oklahoma, and anyone else following this, that was not prepared by Citizens for Tax Justice. It was prepared by the Joint Committee on Taxation which is an official body that works for the U.S…

I agree completely. When Senator Feingold offered his amendment that said anyone with an estate over $100 million a year will have to pay estate taxes, it was rejected by the Republicans. To think people that wealthy should not pay their…

the Nickles amendment is a historic vote. Since 1906, virtually every President of the United States has used the Antiquities Act to protect valuable, irreplaceable national treasures, such as the Grand Tetons and Olympic National Park…

I might say in response to the Senator from Iowa, to think we live in a nation where 30 percent of our population cannot read any higher than a fifth-grade level, this is a waste of resources in our country. We will need to be a productive…

let me explain to the body what the Lott amendment does. If you voted in favor of the Durbin-Bond amendment to give full deductibility of insurance premiums to self-employed small businesses and farmers, the Lott amendment eliminates that…

The United States has changed a lot in the last 7 rac{1}{2} years. Mr. President, 7 rac{1}{2} years ago we were deep into deficits. We were spending more each year than we collected in taxes. We were running up the largest national debt in…