I think a college degree is the coin of the realm in our country.

Many of our children have significant physical challenges, now a growing emotional challenge, particularly with the high rate of autism.

I think there has to be a reward system.

I think there is the sense that there should be, as Senator Burr has done in his bill, background checks on those people we know will get government money.

I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Senator Mark Hatfield. He was a true giant, a man who placed principle above politics--doing what he felt was right for the people of Oregon and the Nation. Senator Hatfield's life was one of…

So the question is what is it we require, and what is it we require at what level, and then who pays for it?

I think there is a mood in this subcommittee for us to really try to form a bipartisan bill.

Now, the average rate of pay for a child care worker in the United States is under $25,000 a year.

I hope that you come away with is that we really listened, we took it to heart.

I think we can get real clarity on the safety issues with good ideas and local flexibility.

I think we have to find the balance between regulation and strangulation--regulation where we really insist on proper standards for safety and quality, and at the same time are not so rigid, one-size-fits-all out of Washington regardless…

we have to have a frugal government, and therefore our investments need to be very targeted.

this is why I'm optimistic that this subcommittee will be able to produce a reauthorization of the Child Care and Development Block Grant.

Thank you, Dr. Bryant. That was part of exactly what we wanted to hear, which is data-driven and evidence-based.

I think that signals a time for another hearing and another day.

Unless we see some great change in the valuation... it would be very hard to move that wage level without some significant help from Washington.

I think where we all agree, then, is less Washington mandates, but certainly descriptive rather than prescriptive.

I used to love hotlines, but now I wonder do hotlines really work? They work in the Violence Against Women Act.

Well, the economy has changed, and this bill hasn't been reauthorized since 1996, and there's a new fiscal reality I think in the United States because we spent our money on other things; OK?

through serious negotiation, leaders from both parties and the President have reached a bipartisan solution that will lift our debt ceiling and prevent a downgrade of our credit. Make no mistake, this agreement is stark and stern but…

I rise to speak on the Reid amendment. First of all, I am sorry we are engaged in a filibuster. We are using parliamentary procedure in a way that only delays us taking votes. We are days away from default. We are days away from our bond…

I come to the floor today with a great sense of urgency. We are less than 1 week away from reaching our debt limit. If we fail and we falter, the United States of America will be irrevocably fractured. We aren't at an impasse; we are at…

I really am serious about my invitation to the committee to come out and really see FDA.

It's an obsession with us and I think what separates Western democracies from those who just want to make products.

I want our colleagues to realize who works at FDA--M.D.s, Ph.D.s.