Jim Bunning, the senator who blocked an emergency bill extending jobless benefits, Medicare funding, health insurance and highway building, has backed down.

If we cannot pay for a bill that all 100 senators support, how can we tell the American people with a straight face that we will ever pay for anything? That is what senators say they want and that is what the American people want.

We must get our debt problems under control and there is no better time than now. That is why I've been down here demanding that this bill be paid for. I support the programs in the bill we are discussing and if the extension of those…

I hope Senate Democrats tonight vote for their own pay-fors and show Americans that they are committed to fiscal discipline. I will be watching them closely and checking off the hypocrites one-by-one.

Why did he alone stop a bill that expired today and lost hundreds of thousands their jobless benefits and health insurance?

I want to assure the people that have -- that have watched this thing until quarter to 12:00 and I have missed the Kentucky/South Carolina game that started at 9:00. And it's the only redeeming chance we had to beat South Carolina.

If we can't find $10 billion to pay for something that we all support, we will never pay for anything on the floor of this U.S. Senate.

Excuse me.

Given what you learned during the AIG crisis and the bailout, do you think Congress should be doing something to address insurance regulation or the commercial paper markets?

We are having problems right now with that.

I think it is common sense that tax relief helps business grow.