I do believe this bill is going to pass. We are working very productively to try to make some changes in the bill that will make it much better for community banks. As the chairman knows, the FDIC has decided to prefund its deposit…

I rise to speak today on the Hutchison-Klobuchar amendment. My colleague, Senator Klobuchar from Minnesota, is also on the floor. We wish to take a moment to talk about our amendment, which will assure that community banks have a more…

I think we can make America even more competitive and innovative than it is today.

What you did is important.

If we start in high school, it's too late to get the prerequisites to go into engineering, for instance.

Science and technology are at the core of America's ability to compete in an increasingly globalized economy and to solving many of the challenges we face as a nation in energy independence, biotechnology, and healthcare.

STEM education plays an essential role in fostering further development of the 21st Century's innovation-based economy.

If we fail to address these challenges we risk compromising the development of the next generation of American scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians.

Those statistics are unacceptable and they are also unnecessary. We can and must do better.

I think when people look at this amendment on both sides of the aisle, it will be clear that the community banks need this amendment to keep a level playing field and to assure that there is no concept left in this country of too big to…

The true stimulus program for this country is competitiveness.

It started at one university. We now have that program in 23 universities across the country.