David Vitter

The reason we are defeating these amendments is not because we are not open-minded, it is because we are and have been open-minded, have been working with all folks who have come to the table for a serious work effort for months.

If we were to sort of take Senator Vitter's lead on this, and we did something with corporate tax reform but also brought into it, making a number of these items permanent, does that give adequate relief?

It's not a question of when. It's not a question of it takes too long, it never ever, ever balances.

We don't think we'd get anywhere with this current administration on it, but we'll tee it up for our Republican nominee, and hopefully they can run with a real tax plan.

I'm really concerned that this Administration wants a deal at all costs... you usually get a really bad deal.

I sent a letter to certain folks in Iran, co-signed by 46 other U.S. Senators, simply stating a fact.

I have big concerns with the so-called comprehensive bill in the Senate, because I think it would be a setback in significant ways for inventors and innovators.

We've got to combat that sort of outright theft by countries like China.

We need to protect that.

I want to thank our four witnesses. They provided exactly what I wanted, which is a real life, real world perspective.

I want to thank Congressman Graves for co-hosting this today.

Well, again, that clear trend really concerns me because the small town you're describing, the rural parish you're describing, is most of Louisiana.

The most costly and complex regulations have come from laws that represent the largest federal takeover in two major industries: health care and banking.

As we go on, I also want to recognize a small business of the week.

I offer three things that could possibly help America.

Instead of Congress having to affirmatively block all of these huge costly regulations, if they're above a certain amount in terms of economic impact, Congress should have to affirmatively pass off on them.

I think in general, the business climate in Louisiana, including in the energy sector, is the best it's been in my lifetime.

Absolutely. Well, in terms of the tech system, I think that has to be absolutely at the center of preparing our young people for good-paying jobs that are coming our way.

I strongly opposed ObamaCare, and I still strongly oppose it because I think it's creating more problems than it's solving.

I'm completely opposed to that.

I became chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship in January.

It's imperative that there is an open line of communication between these regional business leaders and folks at the Federal level.

One is to end the 40-year-old executive order that prevents exporting oil overseas.

What happens instead, because of the nature of our State laws and our court system, is that everybody who ever had anything to do with development on that property for 60 years or more, everybody is sued.

There is a major Supreme Court case that should be decided in June. That will have a lot to do with how we move forward as a country.