We need to elect a U.S. House and a U.S. Senate that will prioritize the needs of the working people in this country.

You’re looking at a one-two punch, a very bad CR, then a reconciliation bill coming down, which will be the final kick in the teeth for the American people.

let me thank Senator Wyden for his outstanding work as the former chairman of the Finance Committee and now as the ranking member. I get around Vermont a bit. I get around the country a bit. And, generally speaking, when I talk to a group…

an absolute failure of Democratic leadership.

We have a healthcare crisis--85 million uninsured or underinsured, people dying because they can't afford healthcare. We pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. We have reached a bipartisan conclusion to go forward in a…

We have reached a bipartisan conclusion to go forward, in a modest way, but it would have some impact in improving health care in America, and my Republican colleague objects. That’s about it.

as people all over this country understand, we are a nation today that faces enormous crises. Sadly, the continuing resolution passed Tuesday in the U.S. House and which will come to this body very shortly not only does nothing to address…

I mourn the death of Rep. Raúl Grijalva, a former colleague of mine and one of the most progressive members of the U.S. House.

Right. OK. Fair enough. That is fair enough. But what I would like to do--and I appreciate--you know, I think you and I can agree that we don't use the committee structure here in the Senate as effectively as we might. That is the place to…

my office and I suspect all Senate offices are getting a whole lot of calls from senior citizens who are experiencing a great deal of fear and anxiety with all of the confusion and chaos that is currently going on here in Washington. When…

I ask my colleague, my friend, the chairman of the Finance Committee a question. I hear what you are saying. Do I hear you correctly that you are prepared to discuss this legislation in committee?

Look, I understand that this bill would bring forth serious debate and discussion, but I would appreciate if we could have a starting point. This bill is pretty simple. It says--and I hear you saying that you need--am I hearing you…

We are here to say loudly and clearly that in our great nation we will not accept oligarchy.

We will not accept authoritarianism. We will not accept kleptocracy. We’re here to make it clear that we are going to fight back and we are going to win.

Despair is not an option.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

OK. I would hope in one way or another--I would appreciate if we could start off with my bill. You could come in and tell me what you don't like about it, and we can go from there. But this is a crisis situation--I think you and I…

Why do you make it look like it’s a broken, dysfunctional system? The reason is to get people to lose faith in the system and then you can give it over to Wall Street.

I think this is a prelude not only to cutting benefits but to privatizing Social Security itself.

Let's be clear: the Dept. of Ed. provides resources to 26 million children living in high-poverty school districts; Pell Grants to over 7 million students; & funding for millions of children with disabilities. Closing its doors would be a…

I think this is a prelude not only to cutting benefits, but to privatizing Social Security itself.

They have already laid off 2,500 employees of the Social Security Administration.

I mean, it is really unspeakable. It really is and I think the American people are sick and tired of the wealthiest guy in the world running the United States government and calling, in this case, a guy who put his life on the line to…

That will be a disaster. That will mean that millions of people who are, you know, calling up, they're not going to get an answer.

I think all of those questions creates a lot of economic uncertainty.