Finally, I say to my friend from South Carolina that the debate here is not over. The Senator from South Carolina is not the reason this bill isn't going forward. The reason this bill is not going forward is that they will not allow the…

I have always been so proud of the Senator from California, because it doesn't matter if you are speaking to the League of Women Voters or to a high school class, whoever you are speaking to, you say the same thing in response to the same…

I would like the Senator to comment on something that was killed here a couple weeks ago, and that is campaign finance reform. Why is it needed? Especially in light of all these false ads that have been running all over this country, why…

I ask my friend from Massachusetts, is he aware, in addition to this latest scheme--that is what I call it--this across-the-board cut, in this one-a-week program the Republicans have come up with, they also wanted to do a number of other…

Republicans have been running ads, I have been told, in that congressional district, which is that whole State, saying Democrats are bad because we are using Social Security surpluses to balance the budget. Are they running ads like that…

I ask the Senator, is he aware that instead of their scheme of the week, they have now done two schemes this week? So maybe next week they will use one of the old ones. Is the Senator aware that one of the latest schemes is to withhold…

Before the leader leaves, on behalf of the Democrats in the Senate and the people of the United States of America, we congratulate and applaud his statement. The Senate stands for what our Constitution was set up to do. We are not the…

Does the Senator recall that the Senators on the floor offered our own constitutional amendment to balance the budget that said we want to balance the budget the hard way, the honest way, and we do not want to use Social Security…

The minority leader has mentioned, and the Senator from California has just mentioned, minimum wage. Does the Senator from California understand that over 60 percent of the people who draw minimum wage are women, and of those 60 percent…

In closing our dialog, I have confidence in the sense the Senator has, that this will all come out. I hope the Senator is right. My concern is--based upon what Senator Daschle a few minutes ago, when he said they have put in the landfill…

Are you aware it was determined even by the very conservative Wall Street Journal they had two sets of books they were trying to keep in an effort to hide the spending of Social Security moneys?

As part of their scheme-of-the-week program to have this blue smoke and mirrors, is the Senator also aware--I know he answered this question, as he so aptly pointed out--that now they want an across-the-board cut, saying they want to…

My friend from Illinois learns quickly. The fact is, that is not how this body has run in the past. For over 200 years, this body has been able to survive in comity. We recognize the minority has rights. There was a time not long ago when…

It is not as if the Senator from South Carolina is a junior member of the Budget Committee. He is a senior member of the Democratic Party, and he can't even have a hearing on the bill in the Budget Committee.

That is the whole point. The rules have not changed. The fact is, however, the majority is not treating this body in the senatorial tradition. The rules have held that we in the Senate have the right to offer amendments. This body is being…

Prairie Home Companion'': My wife and I have enjoyed many Sunday afternoons listening to this great program on public radio. It lasts 2 hours; there is music, comedy, drama. It is a great program. It comes on public radio. On public…

if Members of the Senate have enjoyed and appreciated ``Prairie Home Companion,'' the great work of Ken Burns' ``Civil War,'' ``Baseball''--and now he is doing a new one on Susan B. Anthony and Liz Stanton dealing with the women's…

I did not want to get into a ``who did this; who did not do that.'' I acknowledge, selling the lists was wrong. The fact is, though, that PBS stations made these lists available to both parties. Without getting too partisan, we know the…

the manager of this bill and the Senator from Iowa have done a good job in constructing this $91.7 billion bill, and they have included things regarding health and education. There is nothing more educational for the American public than…

That is something we were talking about over here. I say to the chairman of the full committee that we have already looked at these amendments. A number of Members on this side are waiting to see what amendments are being offered on the…

It is my understanding what she wants is a vote, up or down, on whether or not this bill is going to allow the termination of 29,000 teachers or whether those teachers will have jobs.

I say to my friend in closing, I understand there might be a cost involved. CBO has indicated to the manager of the bill $50 million. I think it would be a fraction of that, but we need not get into that today. For any one of these women I…

I say to the manager of the bill, I appreciate his statement. I understand rule XVI. It was my initial idea because I think this is so important. Every nurse in America, every day they go to work, is concerned about whether or not they…

We, the minority, are not stalling this bill. All we want is a simple up-or-down vote on whether or not we are going to lay off 29,000 teachers. We believe those teachers should have their jobs, should be able to keep their jobs.

I am very fortunate to be the ranking member on this subcommittee because I always have a hole card and that hole card is the chairman of the subcommittee. I say that because not only does he serve on this very important subcommittee as…