On the recordFebruary 9, 2011
As we meet here this afternoon, there are 15 million Americans unemployed, and yet we are passing up yet another opportunity to work together to try to create jobs in our country. And what are we doing? We are passing a spending reduction bill that the Congressional Budget Office says doesn't have any impact on the budget at all, so we are not saving any money. We are passing a bill, or some of us are going to pass a bill, that the New York City Police Commissioner, who is entrusted with defending people around the U.N., says is dangerous because it impairs his ability to do that. And at a time when the most dangerous area of the world is literally in flames and calling out for cooperation between our country and other countries around the world to try to calm things down, we are sending a signal to the most important international institution that our participation is somehow contingent upon domestic politics. We should be doing a jobs bill, not putting our imprimatur today on a bill that is yet another exercise in politics. The right vote for the country is 'no.'
