Not to keep using a tired, old analogy, but the proposal I received from the Department of Transportation and the budget blueprint has left me feeling a little bit like Bill Murray in 'Groundhog Day.'

We really salute the Obama administration for increasing funds in the Violence Against Women programs.

The administration remains strongly committed to preserving the integrity of the Crime Victims Fund and to supporting all victims of crime.

But I still come back to my basic point. I worry about the way this is set up, that we are seeing a shift from rural to urban, and that is what I am going to be most concerned about.

Congress' role ended when the check was signed.

It is a mistake for the administration to ignore the housing needs in our rural communities.

I worry about this because as I look at the budget, I am afraid there is a shift of priorities from rural areas, rural America to urban areas.

Are there ways the Government might make the fishermen, the small business owners, the residents, and other victims of the oil spill whole immediately?

Our children and grandchildren are going to have to pay in the future for every extra dollar we borrow and spend, and that is not something I want to be able to tell them.

Good. I must admit, and as Senator Bond knows, when somebody corners you in the grocery store and they have got a concern, they have got a concern.

Will you work with Congress to ensure that a significant portion of funds provided for economic, high technology and Internet crime prevention are devoted to intellectual property enforcement?

I am pleased that the Senate today confirmed Julie Brill as Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission, FTC. I have known Julie for her work during nearly 20 years as an Assistant Attorney General from Vermont, and believe that both the…

If the President is serious about promising fiscal restraint, he has to quit treating taxpayer dollars like Monopoly money.

Social Security represents a strong commitment to our nation's seniors. Ever since Ida May Fuller of Vermont received the first Social Security check issued, vulnerable seniors have had a safety-net to fall back on in retirement and to…

They say, 'We can't get a straight answer.'

I am concerned about some who have slipped through the cracks.

As Senator Leahy said and I know, there are problems there.

Vermont and other rural States rely on these programs to build affordable housing for low-income, elderly, and disabled residents.

I believe that information sharing among law enforcement agencies plays a critical role in the fight against crime and terrorism.

I applaud you and the Department of Justice and the FBI for what they have done.

We cannot afford to pass the buck on difficult challenges.

We now know over 1 million women have called that hotline, and they have either been saved from death or danger.

What I worry about is how the Army and Air Guard still fall short of the equipment and the aircraft they need.

I am going to turn the gavel over to Senator Whitehouse, and I will be back.

I apologize that we had to change the schedule around because of Congressman Murtha's memorial service this morning.