If we were as composed as August, we'd get more business done here in the Senate.

I want to just say how enthusiastic I am about the nominees. Their service to the Nation already has been spectacular.

the presumption is that the company itself has the managerial capacity to do it well, and that Federal regulators have the managerial capacity to supervise them.

But you do not look at the interaction between holding that physical commodity in some way, shape, or form and the investment portfolio of the banks, the holdings of the banks, and what they are doing?

So you are looking at their trading activity, is it in any way related to decisions by their commodities subsidiary in terms of pricing, in terms of access to materials in the marketplace?

Yes. That is what you just said, so the public interest test, it is fire and forget.

But you are not looking at the effect on the market in terms of, for example, the brewers, that the price of aluminum is going up dramatically?

So the public interest aspects of the test sort of go by the wayside, and the concentration is on simply the safety and soundness of the banking institution and risks that they might be taking.

A strong Volcker Rule is one of the most important provisions to prevent too-big-to-fail financial institutions, stop conflicts of interest, and support credit in our economy.

And what steps have you taken besides reporting?

this is a tremendous burden, and this is one of the things that is inhibiting our growth.

high energy costs are hurting my constituents. Many of them are struggling just to pay the bills.

One of the issues that becomes so clear from 1999 here to today is that the vision of these integrated companies... is a good vision.

we have to be incredibly watchful, and that is why the coincidence of owning physical assets and then participating in trading and other activities has to raise these questions.

I rise to express my extreme disappointment that the Senate has been blocked from moving forward on this critical legislation. There are about 1.5 million Americans who have lost their unemployment insurance since December 28. Every week…

Can you give us that assurance? Do you have that capacity?

I ask unanimous consent that at the conclusion of my brief remarks, Senator Lee be recognized, and then after Senator Lee that Senator Harkin be recognized. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

as the leader indicated, we are working to develop a response to the 1.3 million Americans who on December 28 lost their unemployment extended benefits. Since that time, the number has increased. About 70,000 Americans a week are losing…

I know that we are making progress on an agreement to provide a one-year extension of unemployment benefits to people who have been out of work for more than six months in the United States Senate.

Extending unemployment insurance benefits will ensure that the 1.3 million workers whose benefits were cut off on December 28th will get the support that they need.

I wish to thank the Senator from Michigan, my chairman of the Armed Services Committee, and I simply wish to make a few comments about this afternoon's proceedings with respect to unemployment insurance. The reason we were here, and we…

it has been 11 days since Federal unemployment insurance expired for 1.3 million Americans, and every day more Americans lose their benefits as their 26 weeks of State benefits expire. I hope my colleagues join Senator Heller and me in our…

I thank the Senator from Illinois. Let me first address the issue of paying for the benefits. The Senator from Illinois is correct, typically these benefits are considered emergency spending and they are not offset. In fact, the…

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to S. Res. 329, submitted earlier today. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title. The legislative clerk read as follows: A resolution (S. Res. 329) expressing…

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 273, S. Res. 318. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title. The legislative clerk read as follows: A resolution (S…