I scratch my head, and I have got bipartisan legislation that would say if you can go ahead and continue your education on a pre-tax basis, why shouldn't an employer be able, in concert with an employee, to use pre-tax dollars to pay down…

I was very glad to see that it was fully funded in the President's budget proposal.

I am pleased that the Department's $10.3 million request for DATA Act implementation reflects that role.

I think we still remain the only industrial nation in the world that has not had this kind of adult conversation about care planning.

I have known Amos since well over a decade. He advised me when I was governor.

I would simply note that home builders across all sectors are indicating particularly the weakest part of the housing market is first-time home buyers, oftentimes people who, because they are otherwise burdened with student debt, do not…

I think I would just urge my colleagues there are comprehensive approaches that Senator Warren and others have suggested in terms of total refinancing.

Clearly, the problem of not finishing is a huge issue. But we do not have very much transparency in higher education.

While this is not necessarily an area that gets a lot of attention, it is extraordinarily important.

Thank you for holding this important hearing.

My time is up, but Chairman Johnson did a good job in terms of taking some ideas that we had from the intel community.

If we strangle off the $50 million of implementation money, we are not going to make sure that this gets done.

My goal is to gently noodge them--or maybe not so gently noodge them--to make sure that they understand the importance and benefit of financial transparency.

Let us make sure that it actually continues to be a priority.

The DATA Act that we passed is not going to solve the whole problem, but if you do not even have common definitions, the ability to come in and do an audit is basically moot.

I would argue that--and I know Senator Johnson has talked about this in even a broader scope than I have at times.

We have 125,000 Americans, miners, many of them dependent upon the UMWA 1974 Pension Fund.

The sooner we get at it, the better for a whole lot of mine workers who, through no fault of their own, are about to lose a set of benefits.

Social Security has to be the base for our social safety net system and that payroll-based deductions are the most effective way for individuals to save.

It decreases our revenue line going forward. It does take some of the things, particularly in international tax reform, off the table. There are arguments that some of these being made permanent may make it easier. I will give you an…

I know my friend from West Virginia and I compliment the Senator from Maine. Before these two great former Governors came to this body, there were many times I would stand up and rail on these issues. It is great to have other folks who…

since 2010, I have come to the Senate floor on an occasional basis to honor exemplary Federal employees, a tradition started by my friend, the former Senator from Delaware Ted Kaufman. Today I am going to continue that tradition as we get…

I rise today to call attention to the significant contributions public servants make to our Nation each day. It appears that we are close to the final conclusion to the budget and tax extenders debate, and hopefully we will soon all be…

due to a prior commitment, I regret I was not present to vote on six amendments to H.R. 3762, the Budget Reconciliation Act. Had I been present, I would have voted yes on amendment No. 2908, Manchin-Toomey expanded background checks, and…

We desperately need to do international tax reform.