Roy Blunt

I think we've already passed this bill in this Congress 345-76 or something like that. And I'm not surprised we're seeing it again. We're not seeing answers to the energy problems we face. Gas prices reached another high yet today. $3.79 a…

We get to say yes or no because everybody in this building knows that this bill will never become law. We've waited till the week before Memorial Day to bring a bill to the floor that will not become law. The majority leader announced…

This week, we're in the week before we break for our annual Memorial Day work period. Historically, this has been a time when we recognized those who have served and those who are serving, those who are willing to give even their life to…

I know that Mr. Ryan introduced a bill today that would take the money that otherwise would have been used for earmarks on both sides of the aisle and use that to offset the loss of revenue to the highway trust fund of a gas tax holiday…

I am told if we went to the new budget, there might be some additional PAYGO items, but the current budget makes that farm bill more workable.

I wonder where we are on that topic of PAYGO as it relates to those two issues. Is that a decided issue yet, and how would you expect that it may be decided?

I was fortunate enough to have a meeting with Secretary Gates this week, and he, of course, encourages us to get this supplemental done quickly because, otherwise, they immediately get into trying to transfer funds around and things that…

You mentioned the other alternatives to the so-called Webb bill, and the Herseth Sandlin bill that is cosponsored by Mr. Boozman on this side, I'm told by our Members and frankly some people from the Pentagon that it has some real merit…

Based on the increase in prices, if in fact that would have the same impact as a gas tax holiday, maybe we should do both. I suspect there would be substantial support on the floor to do both. The only other item I am going to mention…

I would just suggest again that the closer we are to a system that the military can be supportive of, both individuals in the military and the institutions, I think all of us want to take a step forward on those things that relate to…

I'm also wondering, as we approach the Memorial Day recess and we have had this series now of days of the highest gasoline prices ever, will there be any legislation on the floor to reduce the price of gasoline as we go into Memorial Day…

I would suggest if that was the criteria, that on the expired research and development credits or the expired deductibility of sales tax from income tax in those States that had that deductibility for a few years ending on December 31, or…

I hear that answer and I respect it, but I also believe that when we've let these tax policies expire, they have some of the same economic consequences. I suppose that can be debated when we get to that point in the debate. But sort of…

I think now we're in the 18th or 19th straight day of highest gasoline prices ever. Tomorrow may be the 19th or 20th straight day of that.

I thank my friend for the candidness of that answer. I also remember and remind him that last week on the topic of the expanded GI benefits, the supplemental, under the rules we've been working with, would be considered, at least the…

I appreciate that. And I do recall those discussions. Also, the tax policies that encourage purchases that create jobs are in place. And as all of us on the floor here know, the initial checks that go out as part of the stimulus package…

I hope we get to a point where we have a bill on the floor or have some ongoing policy that farmers can rely on, even if that is an extension of the bill we have, but some ongoing policy really does matter, and I hope we get there.

I appreciate the need to get this war supplemental done. Of course we have been talking about it during this entire work period for the last 4 weeks now. Since 1989, the Congress has passed 36 supplementals. All but seven of them went…

I hope we are continuing that. Also, we are now entering the third month since the expiration of the Protect America Act. I know you and I were in a meeting a week or 10 days ago on this, and I still don't see any scheduled discussion of…

I want to say in response that I am not quite as confident, and maybe you're not confident either, that law doesn't meet all of the circumstances that occur. And even if it does, that law reaches an anniversary of those particular orders…

I think every day matters in this regard, and certainly going home for another work period at home without a conclusion here would be the wrong thing for us to do. I hope we can meet your goal and hopefully meet it earlier than the last…

I know last week we voted in an unusual way to put off the vote on the Colombia trade agreement, and I suppose that could mean to put it off indefinitely. Without a lame duck session, and that is one of the times when it was thought that…

The debate today, I thought, was important and, you know, certainly, the numbers you cited about what's happened in the last 7 years, I don't fault those numbers at all. But we took a lot of responsibility for all of that when we were in…

I have a couple of questions on things that we haven't discussed. First of all, the supplemental budget, I know General Petraeus is in Washington next week, and I believe Ambassador Crocker. The President sent up a supplemental request in…

I do know that this week Mr. Bernanke testified before the Joint Economic Committee, and part of his testimony was that he thought that this would be the wrong time for any tax increases. And I would hope we could maintain some openness on…