Sheldon Whitehouse

We see it through sea level rise, which even small increments of sea level rise can produce really significant effects.

We share the characteristic of representing States that get a climate change double whammy.

I appreciate your keen interest in coastal matters.

Either the hold will have been lifted, and then we can move to unanimous consent and clear these individuals who the President has nominated and get them to work for the American people or, two, the Senator who has the secret hold will…

So to have 80 secret holds by one party, all at once pending in the Senate, is not consistent with the history of the use of this procedural tactic in this body.

You have taken a solemn oath and obligation to do impartial justice and you will honor that.

I do think that the Bible's presumption that there are turning points in a person's life when they put away things of the past and move into new responsibilities is something that is very much a part of the human condition.

You and I--you have been for me and you have been against me.

I was proud to join him in recommending Jack McConnell to President Obama, and thank the President for recognizing in Jack McConnell the qualities that will make him a tremendous addition to the Federal bench in our state.

I can add my two cents on that, because I was probably even more disappointed and dismayed by the Supreme Court's decision than Jack McConnell was.

I couldn't agree with him more that the spectacle of colleagues scampering up to Wall Street to offer their services, and interfering with, obstructing, watering down, and impeding, of all things financial regulatory reform, after all we…

I think his standard that we should be flexible, pragmatic, and aggressive in making those decisions is a good one.

I want to applaud your steadfast defense of the principles of American justice as Attorney General.

I read both Dr. Mason's testimony and Judge Bennett's testimony as recognizing substantial problems with Chapter 11 as a vehicle for small businesses.

I would appreciate very much, the hearing will stay open for--the record of the hearing will stay open for an additional week.

So, pretty considerable economic devastation around you, all for what one might call the want of a nail to keep the process supporting your business.

I think that we need to restrict it to truly small businesses, not very large businesses.

And the cost, as you have said, of the fact that the system could not accommodate you in that way has resulted presumably in fairly significant losses to your creditors.

The experience of a great number of debtors, mortgage holders, is that banks have become very difficult to work with.

OK. You can see that we need to make Chapter 11 more efficient for small businesses.

I think we're at the beginning of a process here in which a great number of interests will be engaged, but I am confident that we can find a way through.

Job retention and preservation should be, and is, the top of our legislative agenda.

The national unemployment rate stands at almost 10 percent, and the situation is even worse in some areas.

What we have seen is, at the State level there is much less support for State bonds than there are for local, because people see more of a direct connection between their tax dollars and those investments.

My point is also about the transparency of the selection process.