Jay Rockefeller: “it is quite an honor to speak while the Presiding Officer is in the Chair. I think I have not seen him there before, so…”

“it is quite an honor to speak while the Presiding Officer is in the Chair. I think I have not seen him there before, so I will have to give a good speech. I will probably have to give a little longer speech simply by virtue of his presence. I think most people who choose a career in public life do so because they have a genuine, huge feeling in their heart that they want to help people. It is kind of simple. I know I have spent the better part of my career in West Virginia and in Congress looking for any way I possibly could--succeeding in some cases, failing in some cases--in trying always to make life better for West Virginians and for the American people as a whole. Perhaps it is a simple idea, but I can say with some pride that over the years we have made a lot of strides. It is popular, these days, I know, to beat up on the government. It always has been. That goes back to George Washington's time. But the truth is, the government does an incredible amount to help people in their lives every single day. The benefits of government are not always visible. They do not usually make the evening news, but they are enormously important and specific and make a large difference. This government looks after veterans; otherwise, they wouldn't be looked after. The private sector wouldn't do it. The private sector is sometimes very reluctant, actually, to participate in helping them.…”