part of the concern I have is not simply whether there is physically a bank outlet operated somewhere, but that community banks do more small business lending, and once they are swallowed up by big banks, whether they are swallowed up…

Although I am not sure we regulate that directly here in Washington.

I believe we need banks of all sizes, including community banks.

let me just follow up on a question that Senator Crapo had put out on the table about how we maintain a strong environment for our community banks, because they are so important to the rest of our economy.

the noncommunity banks were the ones that took on all the risk and crashed the economy?

yesterday, I voted for the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013--the farm bill--which makes important reforms, such as ending the practice of direct payment agricultural subsidies, and provides strong support to our local farmers…

there are only 3 weeks left until interest rates on new subsidized student loans will double. If we fail to act, the cost of college will increase for millions of students. There are strong proposals on the table that would keep interest…

the major argument for not raising the minimum wage, that is, it will cost jobs, at least the academic studies seem to show is not right.

we need to remind ourselves, with a Federal minimum wage right now of $7.25, we have a bill pending to raise it to $10.10.

The U.S. Government is scheduled to make $51 billion in profits off our students this year on their loans. This is obscene.

What I did is I pointed out that if the minimum wage had been linked to productivity starting back in the late 1960s, if we had just linked it to productivity, how much more each earner is working, our earners collectively are working, it…

The constant refrain is, no, we cannot raise the minimum wage because it will cost jobs, there will be fewer people employed.