On the recordFebruary 6, 2014
I wish to very quickly thank the Senator from California for her remarks before I get into my prepared remarks. We have just come through the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Unemployment is still at 7 percent. We need to get it lower. The bottom line is there are still some folks out there who need some help, and as the economy continues to improve--we are not where we need to be yet--we ought to give those folks the help they need to get back on their feet, to give them the hope they need to reenter the workforce and become valuable parts of our economy again. Tribute to Senator Max Baucus Madam President, there is a beautiful small town in the farthest corner of northwest Montana. The town is called Libby, and it sits in the heart of the Kootenai Valley, surrounded by majestic snow-capped mountains. It is a beautiful place. But despite Libby's postcard-worthy views, the town has a troubled history. Starting in 1919, mining companies began pulling vermiculite from the mountains outside of town. Vermiculite was used to bake, to build soil in gardens, and to insulate buildings. It was not long before the families of Libby began to pay the price for keeping their fellow Americans warm. Mining vermiculite exposed Libby's miners and residents to asbestos dust. That asbestos got into their homes, their schools, and-- eventually--their lungs.…
