On the recordJune 24, 2010
before the Senator leaves the floor, I so appreciate his advocacy for the people of Rhode Island, but in speaking for the people of Rhode Island he is speaking for the people of this country. We are United States Senators. The States of Rhode Island and Nevada are having a very difficult time. As I heard my friend say when manipulation of Wall Street finally caught up with them, it wrecked our two economies. I have so admired my friend and his colleague, the other Reed in the Senate, Jack Reed, and their wonderful presentations explaining that these are not just numbers that we talk about. These are people who have no jobs. I was looking at the headlines from the Boston newspaper a few minutes ago in the cloakroom, after this failed vote. One man said: I hope politicians understand what I'm going through. My unemployment benefits will run out in 2 weeks. I have a wife who is working part time. I have two children. I lost my job 2 years ago. These are not deadbeats out there looking for a handout. These are people who are desperate, looking for a job.
