Joe Manchin

I want to speak on these very strange days in Washington, in this Congress. This esteemed body's approval rating is at 9 percent, and I am having a hard time finding the 9 percent. It seems to me that the only thing we are working hard on…

I think we are very strong in support of the Bowles- Simpson, basically, the template that it laid out. It is the only one that is bipartisan. As you can see, it stayed bipartisan with the Senator and I, and it will remain bipartisan. It…

I ask unanimous consent to speak as if in morning business. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Coons). Without objection, it is so ordered. Extension of Payroll Tax Cuts

I say to my friend from Illinois, what he says is absolutely correct. We have so many people, especially in West Virginia and Illinois, who depend on Social Security. In fact, in West Virginia, for 62 percent of the people who receive…

I thank the Bowles-Simpson committee, Mr. Bowles and Mr. Simpson, for what they have done a year ago, bringing it to our attention, bringing a pathway to fixing the financial problems we are dealing with. We are concerned about the next…

Let me just say, sir, it's really a shame in this great country, as much money as we spend on nursing home care, not to get a better quality of care for the people that are in need. It just really is non-excusable.

Are they trained? Have they been trained properly to look for the types of so-called over prescriptions or abuse that might go on?

If in anybody's budget, if we see a spike in reimbursements--requests for reimbursements, that should alarm that something's wrong.

The only thing that bothers me more than anything is that--how much fraud, abuse, and waste that goes on in the whole system.

This didn't happen overnight. This has been, I mean, you've seen the telltale signs for quite some time.

A lot of the States have basically their own controls, their oversights, their ombudsmens, things of this sort.

Aren't the States doing more visitations than nursing homes than what you would say you are able to do?

That's an alarming rate.

Failure should not be an option.

Failure cannot be -- cannot be accepted.

I think you can carry back and tell him that there's great concern on both sides.

The mere assertion that some people 'freak out' about gun rights isn't enough of a reason to alter the Constitution.

Access to public land is vital for the economic health and character of my state.

I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Remembering Lloyd G. Jackson

We were never consulted about this. Not the least bit were we ever contacted and say, Guess what might happen.

I would encourage you to take back to the Secretary the request to put this on hold, to pull this order until we can all work together on it and see if there is more efficiencies to be gained.

I do not take restriction of 2nd Amendment rights lightly.

If you want to work with us, you ought to put your order on hold right now and tell the Secretary to hold up and let's work together.

I rise to speak about an honorable, dedicated public servant and a good friend from West Virginia whom we lost last month on October 29. Lloyd G. Jackson was a true West Virginian, born in our southern coalfields in a small town in Lincoln…

I can't believe in this many--the 21st century we don't have an energy policy that's totally energy independent.