Senate Section

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Senate Section E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 109 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 151 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2005 No. 3 Senate The Senate met at 3 p.m. and was The legislative clerk read the fol- vided further that there be 30 minutes called to order by the Honorable NORM lowing letter: of debate under the control of Chair- COLEMAN, a Senator from the State of U.S. SENATE, man CHAMBLISS, 15 minutes under the Minnesota. PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, control of Senator HARKIN, and 15 min- Washington, DC, January 20, 2005. utes under the control of Senator DAY- PRAYER To the Senate: TON; provided further that at the con- Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- clusion of that time the Senate proceed of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby to a vote on the confirmation and nom- fered the following prayer: appoint the Honorable NORM COLEMAN, a Let us pray. Senator from the State of Minnesota, to per- ination with no intervening action or Almighty God, our rock and fortress, form the duties of the Chair. debate. You put the mountains in place and TED STEVENS, Finally, I ask that the President bring silence to roaring waves. We cele- President pro tempore. then be immediately notified of the brate and sing because of You. You are Mr. COLEMAN thereupon assumed the Senate’s action. a strong tower where we find safety. Chair as Acting President pro tempore. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Strengthen our faith and forgive us for pore. Is there objection? The Demo- f doubting Your power and providence. cratic leader. Help us see Your hand in the orderly RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY Mr. REID. I ask that the consent be transition of governmental power. Re- WHIP modified to delete the time for Senator HARKIN and Senator DAYTON. mind us that You place leaders in their The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- positions of authority. Thank You for pore. The majority whip is recognized. this great land and for the many free- pore. Is there objection to the modified doms we sometimes take for granted. f request? Without objection, it is so or- We appreciate Your faithfulness and SCHEDULE dered. Your mercies that are new each day. Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, on Today, lead our lawmakers so that ask unanimous consent that following behalf of the majority leader, I will an- Your name will be honored. Protect the vote on the Johanns nomination, nounce today’s schedule. The Senate them from hidden traps and sustain the Senate proceed to the consider- has convened on this ceremonial day them through the lengthening shad- ation of Executive Calendar No. 2, Mar- for the purpose of considering some of ows. garet Spellings, to be Secretary of Edu- the President’s Cabinet level appoint- Lord, as we pray, we remember How- cation; provided further that there be ments. We had hoped and expected to ard Liebengood, Senator FRIST’s faith- 45 minutes of debate under the control consider the President’s appointment ful chief of staff and a former sergeant of Chairman ENZI, 15 minutes under the of Condoleezza Rice to be Secretary of at arms. Comfort and sustain all of us control of Senator KENNEDY, 10 min- State but, unfortunately, I understand who are grieving his loss. We pray in utes under the control of Senator LAU- there is an objection on the other side Your blessed Name. Amen. TENBERG, 10 minutes under the control to moving to that nomination today. of Senator WYDEN, and 10 minutes f So in a moment I will propound several under the control of Senator DODD; PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE unanimous consent agreements for the provided further that at the conclusion President’s nominations. The Honorable NORM COLEMAN led of that time the Senate proceed to a Before I do, I say that if we get these the Pledge of Allegiance as follows: vote on the confirmation of the nomi- agreements, there will be no rollcall nation with no intervening action or I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the votes today. United States of America, and to the Repub- debate. lic for which it stands, one nation under God, f Finally, I ask that the President indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. then be immediately notified of the ORDER OF PROCEDURE f Senate’s action. Mr. MCCONNELL. I ask unanimous Mr. REID. I ask that the consent be APPOINTMENT OF ACTING consent that at the conclusion of my modified to have Senator KENNEDY PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE remarks and the remarks of the Demo- have Senator LAUTENBERG’s time if The PRESIDING OFFICER. The cratic leader, the Senate proceed to ex- Senator LAUTENBERG does not claim it. clerk will please read a communication ecutive session for consideration of Ex- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- to the Senate from the President pro ecutive Calendar No. 3, Mike Johanns, pore. Is there objection to the modified tempore (Mr. STEVENS). to be Secretary of Agriculture; pro- consent? ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S77 . VerDate Aug 04 2004 00:21 Jan 22, 2005 Jkt 039060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A20JA6.000 S20PT1 S78 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE January 20, 2005 Without objection, it is so ordered. there would be a problem on that side RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I for any amount of debate we would The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- ask further consent that at 3 p.m. on have today or tomorrow, so therefore I pore. Under the previous order, leader- Monday, January 24, the Senate pro- ask that on Tuesday, January 25, at a ship time is reserved. ceed to executive session for the con- time determined by the majority lead- sideration of Calendar No. 1, Carlos er, after consultation with the Demo- f Gutierrez, to be Secretary of Com- cratic leader, the Senate proceed to ex- MORNING BUSINESS merce; provided further that there be 2 ecutive session for the consideration of The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- hours of debate on the nomination, 1 the Rice nomination; provided further pore. Under the previous order, there hour under the control of Chairman that during Tuesday’s session there be will be a period for the transaction of STEVENS and 1 hour under the control 9 hours of debate equally divided be- morning business with Senators per- of Senator DORGAN; further, that at the tween the two leaders or their des- mitted to speak for up to 10 minutes conclusion of that time, the Senate ignees. each. proceed to a vote on the confirmation I further ask consent that when the of the nomination, with no intervening Senate resumes the nomination on f action or debate. Wednesday, January 26, there be an ad- EXECUTIVE SESSION Finally, I ask that the President ditional 40 minutes of closing remarks then be immediately notified of the equally divided between the two lead- Senate’s action. ers or their designees. NOMINATION OF MIKE JOHANNS The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Finally, I ask that following that de- TO BE SECRETARY OF AGRI- pore. Is there objection? Without objec- bate, the Senate proceed to a vote on CULTURE tion, it is so ordered. the confirmation of the nomination The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I with no intervening action or debate, pore. Under the previous order, the ask unanimous consent that today, fol- and that after the vote the President Senate will now go to executive session lowing the confirmation of the be immediately notified of the Senate’s and proceed to the nomination of Mike Spellings nomination, the Senate pro- action. ceed to the confirmation of Johanns. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- The clerk will report the nomination. Condoleezza Rice to be Secretary of pore. Is there objection? State; provided further that there be 2 The legislative clerk read the nomi- Mr. KENNEDY. Reserving the right nation of Mike Johanns, of Nebraska, hours of debate equally divided in the to object, and I do not intend to object, usual form, and that following that de- to be Secretary of Agriculture. I was wondering if my colleague from The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- bate the Senate proceed to a vote on Massachusetts, Senator KERRY, has the confirmation of the nomination pore. The Senator from Georgia. any time within that time? Mr. CHAMBLISS. I yield as much with no intervening action or debate. Mr. REID. Mr. President, if I could, I The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- time as he may consume to my col- ask the consent be modified to reflect league from Kansas, the former chair- pore. Is there objection? the speakers for the Democrats at this Mr. REID. Mr. President, reserving man of the House Agriculture Com- time: Senator BYRD, 1 hour; Senator the right to object, we have Senators mittee under whom I served, my dear BOXER, 1 hour; Senator REED of Rhode who have been engaged in matters re- friend, PAT ROBERTS. Island, 30 minutes; Senator DURBIN, 30 lating to what is going on around the The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- minutes; Senator KERRY, 20 minutes; world who, for the confirmation of the pore. The Senator from Kansas. Senator LEVIN, 15 minutes; Senator Secretary of State, wish to be able to Mr. ROBERTS. I thank the distin- KENNEDY, 15 minutes; Senator speak.
Recommended publications
  • Presidential Results on November 7, 2020, Several Media Organizations
    Presidential Results On November 7, 2020, several media organizations declared that Joseph Biden and Kamala Harris won the election for the President and Vice President of the United States. Biden and Harris will take office on January 20, 2021. Currently, President-elect Biden is leading in the electoral college and popular vote. Votes are still being counted so final electoral college and popular vote counts are not available. NASTAD will provide transition documents to the incoming Administration, highlighting agency-specific recommendations that pertain to health department HIV and hepatitis programs. Additionally, the Federal AIDS Policy Partnership (FAPP) and the Hepatitis Appropriations Partnership (HAP), two coalitions that NASTAD leads, will also submit transition documents stressing actions the next Administration can take relating to the HIV and hepatitis epidemics, respectively. House and Senate Results Several House races are still undecided, but Democrats have kept control of the chamber. Republicans picked up several House districts but did not net the 17 seats they needed to gain the majority. Control of the Senate is still unknown with two uncalled seats (Alaska and North Carolina) and two runoffs in Georgia. The runoff races in Georgia will take place on January 5, 2021, so the Senate make up will not be final until then. While it remains likely that Republicans will remain in control of the Senate, if Democrats win both run off races, they will gain control of the Senate with Vice- President-elect Harris serving as tiebreaker. Pre- Post- Party election election Democrats 45 46 Senate*** Republicans 53 50 Independent 2* 2** Democrats 232 219 House**** Republicans 197 203 Independent 0 0 * Angus King (ME) and Bernie Sanders (VT) caucused with the Democrats.
    [Show full text]
  • September 25, 2017 Dear Senators Mike Enzi and John Barrasso and Congressman Cheney: on Behalf of the Eight Institutions of High
    September 25, 2017 Dear Senators Mike Enzi and John Barrasso and Congressman Cheney: On behalf of the eight institutions of higher education in Wyoming, we are pleased to submit this joint letter sharing our perspective on the recent actions of President Trump to remove protections from the children of undocumented immigrants. The number of undocumented immigrant children brought to the United States by their parents is relatively small in Wyoming—at least in comparison to states like California and Texas. But the value these young people bring to our state today, and into the future, is large. Immigration is a complex topic, and while Congress should address that issue with measure, we urge you to act with urgency on a single, focused issue to ensure youth currently protected from deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program can continue their studies or employment in the United States. Wyoming’s rapidly aging population, the urgent need to diversify the economy, our reliance on a skilled workforce, and the growing minority population are all facets of the same complex discussion about Wyoming’s future. Wyoming’s population is aging quickly. In June 2017, Dr. Wenlin Lieu, Chief Economist, Wyoming’s Economic Analysis Division, reported “The aging of Wyoming’s population has picked up speed, and the pace was one of the fastest in the country.” Wyoming’s unemployment rate decreased from 5.0 to 3.8 percent from July 2016 to July 2017, largely because the state lost workers who tended to be the younger workforce. The growing minority population helped offset the labor force who moved out of the state.
    [Show full text]
  • In Tupelo, Scene Wants ® Check to Keep up Sites to Tell You About Local Time at Djournal.Com
    see. hear. do. August 14-20 • 2008 North Mississippi’s entertainment guide Staind rolls into Tupelo for Saturday show ‘PINEAPPLE EXPRESS’ , SALTILLO’S JUSTIN POSEY , CONCERT GUIDE 2E scene August 14-20, 2008 what’s TOP 10 Blog songs High® Five Sited NBC took the gold last week, while rival broad- ®WMSV 91.1, 5.“I Kissed a Girl,” Katy cast networks barely placed. Propelled by just Make Scene World Class Radio Perry the first three nights of the Summer Olympics, Adult album 6.“American Boy,” Estelle NBC scored an average of 17.67 million viewers, Shine with Kanye West Now your alternative while its nearest competitor, CBS, averaged just 1.“Come Around,” Counting 7.“Viva la Vida,” Coldplay 5.68 million, according to Nielsen Media Crows 8.“Forever,” Chris Brown Research figures released Tuesday. blog choice 2.“Peace, Love & Happi- 9.“When I Grow Up,”The BY SHEENA BARNETT ness,” G. Love & Special Pussycat Dolls Scene Sauce 10.“A Little Bit Longer,” There are millions of 3.“Staying With Me,” Los Jonas Brothers music and entertainment Lonely Boys Web sites out there. ® www.billboard.com ®VIDEO RENTALS 4.“Hope,” Jack Johnson 1.“21,” Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. There are some for coun- Hot country songs 5.“Viva la Vida,” Coldplay 2.“The Bank Job,” Lionsgate Home Entertainment. try music. 1.“All I Want to Do,” Sugar- Some for 6.“Old Enough,” Raconteurs land ® 3.“College Road Trip,” Buena Vista Home Entertain- TELEVISION indie rock. 7.“I'm Amazed,” My 2.“You Look Good in My 1.“Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony,” NBC.
    [Show full text]
  • October 1-3, 2017 Greetings from Delta State President William N
    OCTOBER 1-3, 2017 GREETINGS FROM DELTA STATE PRESIDENT WILLIAM N. LAFORGE Welcome to Delta State University, the heart of the Mississippi Delta, and the home of the blues! Delta State provides a wide array of educational, cultural, and athletic activities. Our university plays a key role in the leadership and development of the Mississippi Delta and of the State of Mississippi through a variety of partnerships with businesses, local governments, and community organizations. As a university of champions, we boast talented faculty who focus on student instruction and mentoring; award-winning degree programs in business, arts and sciences, nursing, and education; unique, cutting-edge programs such as aviation, geospatial studies, and the Delta Music Institute; intercollegiate athletics with numerous national and conference championships in many sports; and a full package of extracurricular activities and a college experience that help prepare our students for careers in an ever-changing, global economy. Delta State University’s annual International Conference on the Blues consists of three days of intense academic and scholarly activity, and includes a variety of musical performances to ensure authenticity and a direct connection to the demographics surrounding the “Home of the Delta Blues.” Delta State University’s vision of becoming the academic center for the blues — where scholars, musicians, industry gurus, historians, demographers, and tourists come to the “Blues Mecca” — is becoming a reality, and we are pleased that you have joined us. I hope you will engage in as many of the program events as possible. This is your conference, and it is our hope that you find it meaningful.
    [Show full text]
  • CHAIRMEN of SENATE STANDING COMMITTEES [Table 5-3] 1789–Present
    CHAIRMEN OF SENATE STANDING COMMITTEES [Table 5-3] 1789–present INTRODUCTION The following is a list of chairmen of all standing Senate committees, as well as the chairmen of select and joint committees that were precursors to Senate committees. (Other special and select committees of the twentieth century appear in Table 5-4.) Current standing committees are highlighted in yellow. The names of chairmen were taken from the Congressional Directory from 1816–1991. Four standing committees were founded before 1816. They were the Joint Committee on ENROLLED BILLS (established 1789), the joint Committee on the LIBRARY (established 1806), the Committee to AUDIT AND CONTROL THE CONTINGENT EXPENSES OF THE SENATE (established 1807), and the Committee on ENGROSSED BILLS (established 1810). The names of the chairmen of these committees for the years before 1816 were taken from the Annals of Congress. This list also enumerates the dates of establishment and termination of each committee. These dates were taken from Walter Stubbs, Congressional Committees, 1789–1982: A Checklist (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1985). There were eleven committees for which the dates of existence listed in Congressional Committees, 1789–1982 did not match the dates the committees were listed in the Congressional Directory. The committees are: ENGROSSED BILLS, ENROLLED BILLS, EXAMINE THE SEVERAL BRANCHES OF THE CIVIL SERVICE, Joint Committee on the LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, LIBRARY, PENSIONS, PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS, RETRENCHMENT, REVOLUTIONARY CLAIMS, ROADS AND CANALS, and the Select Committee to Revise the RULES of the Senate. For these committees, the dates are listed according to Congressional Committees, 1789– 1982, with a note next to the dates detailing the discrepancy.
    [Show full text]
  • Senate Oral Health and Healt
    June 9, 2017 The Honorable Orrin Hatch The Honorable Ron Wyden Chairman Ranking Member Senate Committee on Finance Senate Committee on Finance 104 Hart Senate Office Building 221 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Mike Enzi The Honorable Bernie Sanders Chairman Ranking Member Senate Committee on Budget Senate Committee on Budget 379A Russell Senate Office Building 332 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510 Dear Chairmen and Ranking Members, On behalf of our organizations, we appreciate the opportunity to work with you and your colleagues as you examine ways to reform our nation’s health care delivery and financing systems. Our organizations are committed to ensuring that families have access to comprehensive, affordable health coverage, including oral health coverage. Medicaid, our nation’s safety-net health insurance program, currently provides vital coverage to over 70 million Americans, including 37 million children. In addition, newly established standards for private dental plans and mechanisms to increase their affordability have improved the private dental insurance market for consumers. We urge you and your colleagues to work to protect access to oral health coverage for all Americans. Poor oral health has long-term effects on an individual’s life. Tooth decay remains the most chronic condition among children and adolescents, impacting school performance and attendance. Because it is a progressive, chronic condition, the oral health problems that
    [Show full text]
  • Allegedly “Biased,” “Intimidating,” and “Incompetent” State Court Judges
    Digital Commons at St. Mary's University Faculty Articles School of Law Faculty Scholarship 2012 Allegedly “Biased,” “Intimidating,” and “Incompetent” State Court Judges and the Questionable Removal of State Law Class Actions to Purportedly “Impartial” and “Competent” Federal Courts—A Historical Perspective and an Empirical Analysis of Class Action Dispositions in Federal and State Courts, 1925-2011 Willy E. Rice St. Mary's University School of Law, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.stmarytx.edu/facarticles Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Willy E. Rice, Allegedly “Biased,” “Intimidating,” and “Incompetent” State Court Judges and the Questionable Removal of State Law Class Actions to Purportedly “Impartial” and “Competent” Federal Courts—A Historical Perspective and an Empirical Analysis of Class Action Dispositions in Federal and State Courts, 1925-2011, 3 Wm. & Mary Bus. L. Rev. 419 (2012). This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Law Faculty Scholarship at Digital Commons at St. Mary's University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Articles by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons at St. Mary's University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ALLEGEDLY “BIASED,” “INTIMIDATING,” AND “INCOMPETENT” STATE COURT JUDGES AND THE QUESTIONABLE REMOVAL OF STATE LAW CLASS ACTIONS TO PURPORTEDLY “IMPARTIAL” AND “COMPETENT” FEDERAL COURTS—A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE AND AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF CLASS ACTION DISPOSITIONS IN FEDERAL AND STATE COURTS, 1925–2011 WILLY E. RICE ABSTRACT Judges as well as members of plaintiffs’ and defense bars agree: a class action is a superior, efficient, and inexpensive procedural tool to litigate disputes that present similar questions of fact and law.
    [Show full text]
  • Organizational Sign on Letter
    The Honorable Mike Enzi The Honorable John Yarmuth Chair, Senate Budget Committee Chair, House Budget Committee 379 Russell Senate Office Building 402 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Bernie Sanders The Honorable Steve Womack Ranking Member, Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member, House Budget Committee 332 Dirksen Senate Office Building 2412 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20515 Dear Chairman Enzi, Ranking Member Sanders, Chairman Yarmuth, and Ranking Member Womack: We the undersigned national, state, and local organizations support significant cuts in funding to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the agencies behind President Trump’s harmful detention, deportation and border militarization regime. We are disappointed by the funding increases in the Fiscal Year 2019 Appropriations Bill and call upon Congress to commit to reducing funding for this administration’s white nationalist border militarization and immigration enforcement policies. Taxpayer dollars should be spent on critical programs that make our communities strong and vibrant such as education, healthcare, green infrastructure, and housing rather than fueling abusive agencies that terrorize communities and separate families. The Trump Administration showed the depths of its cruelty toward immigrant communities in fiscal year 2018. Just at our southern border, Border Patrol agents have forcibly separated thousands of families, tear-gassed asylum seekers including toddlers, and regularly flouted international law by denying the right to seek asylum at the border. This abuse is happening despite the fact that the total number of border apprehensions are at the lowest point in decades and each Border Patrol agent apprehends, on average, fewer than 2 people a month.
    [Show full text]
  • Congressional Record—Senate S6769
    December 7, 2016 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6769 don’t ask, don’t tell. He signed Execu- streak of private sector job growth from the House came over in the midst tive orders protecting LGBT workers. ever. We have the lowest unemploy- of all their work. I love them. I have Americans are now free to marry the ment rate in nearly a decade. enjoyed working with them. person they love, regardless of their After 8 years of President Obama, we I look around this Chamber, and I re- gender. are now as a country on a sustainable alize the reason I am able to actually As Commander in Chief, President path to fight climate change and grow leave is because I know each of you and Obama brought bin Laden to justice. renewable energy sources. We are more your passion to make life better for These are just a few aspects of Presi- respected around the world. We reached people, and that is what it is all about. dent Obama’s storied legacy, and it is international agreements to curb cli- When I decided not to run for reelec- still growing—what a record. It is a mate change, stop Iran from obtaining tion, you know how the press always legacy of which he should be satisfied. a nuclear weapon, and we are on the follows you around. They said: ‘‘Is this America is better because of this good path to normalizing relations with our bittersweet for you?’’ man being 8 years in the White House. neighbor Cuba. My answer was forthcoming: ‘‘No I am even more impressed by who he Our country has made significant way is it bitter.
    [Show full text]
  • US Election Insight 2014
    dentons.com US Election Insight 2014 Election results data contained in this report re lect data available as of 8:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on November 5, 2014. The boisterous sea of liberty is never without a wave Thomas Jeerson 2014 Election Results The Republican Senate Drought Ends In a Deluge For the past eight years, Republicans sought to reclaim As October closed, polling momentum favored the their Congressional majority, but their eorts to achieve Republicans, and Democrats faced lower than expected election night victory fell short of the mark. Last night, turnout among their base, including African Americans, riding a wave of enthusiasm among their supporters Democratic women, Hispanics and young voters. The and bolstered by voter frustration with the Obama general discontent of many voters toward Congress in administration, Republican candidates across the country general and President Obama in particular meant that delivered victories in virtually every key race. With at least a traditionally Republican-friendly issues like opposition to seven seat gain in the US Senate and an increase of more the Aordable Care Act, national security, the economy, than 10 seats in the US House of Representatives, the 2014 and even the Ebola epidemic in West Africa held sway with election was an unmitigated success for Republicans, voters, who ignored Democratic claims of an improving aording them an opportunity to set the agenda for the economy and the dangers of a Republican congress. last two years of the Obama presidency and setting the This last appeal was notably ineective with women stage for a wide open presidential election in 2016.
    [Show full text]
  • Administration of Barack H. Obama, 2010 Remarks at the Opening
    Administration of Barack H. Obama, 2010 Remarks at the Opening Session of a Bipartisan Meeting on Health Care Reform February 25, 2010 The President. Good morning, everybody. Welcome. Thank you so much for participating today. I am very grateful to all of you because I know how busy you are. What I want to do is just make a few brief remarks on the front end, and then we're going to allow leadership from both the House and the Senate to make some opening remarks, and then we will dive in. Last year, obviously, was one of the toughest years we've had on record, and all of us in one way or another were devoted to focusing on breaking the back of the recession, restoring economic growth, putting people back to work. We've still got a long way to go. And so I know both the House and the Senate are interested in how do we propel economic growth forward, how do we create more jobs. I was very pleased to see a glimpse of bipartisanship in the Senate recently in passing a jobs bill, and I hope that continues. And I know there are going to be some additional pieces of legislation moving forward around, for example, making sure that small businesses can get financing. And those are the kinds of things that I think all parties and both Chambers should be able to agree to. So I'm very much looking forward to working with you on all those issues. I have said repeatedly—I said at the State of the Union, I said last night when I was meeting with the Business Roundtable—that in addition to dealing with the immediate challenges we face in the recovery, it's absolutely critical that we also look at some fundamental structural problems in our economy that are hurting families, hurting businesses, and having an impact on the exploding deficits and debts that the Federal Government, but also State governments are carrying.
    [Show full text]
  • MISS BETSY GOES to WASHINGTON a Written Creative
    MISS BETSY GOES TO WASHINGTON A Written Creative Work submitted to the faculty of San Francisco State University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Master of Fine Arts In Creative Writing: Playwriting by Nicole Elizabeth Jost San Francisco, California May 2018 Copyright by Nicole Elizabeth Jost 2018 CERTIFICATION OF APPROVAL I certify that I have read Miss Betsy Goes to Washington by Nicole Elizabeth Jost, and that in my opinion this work meets the criteria for approving a Written Creative Work submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing: Playwriting at San Francisco State University. 7 Michelle Carter, M.A. Professor of Creative Writing Andrew~ Assistant Professor of Creative Writing MISS BETSY GOES TO WASHINGTON Nicole Elizabeth Jost San Francisco, California 2018 A new full length play. Synopsis: Before she became Secretary DeVos, she was Miss Betsy. A modem political history spectacle like nothing you've seen before! See Miss Betsy tango with Bernie Sanders, sing along with Orrin Hatch, and juggle with Elizabeth Warren! See her groom a young Black girl for school choice greatness! MISS BETSY GOES TO WASHINGTON draws on the real transcripts of Betsy DeVos' s Senate confirmation hearing and imagined interactions between Miss Betsy the mentor and her Grand Rapids students. A vaudeville with national questions. I certify that the Annotation is a correct representation of the content of this written creative work. S-2.-18 /Chair, Thesis Committee Date ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To Larry and Michelle: for your guidance and your early support of this play.
    [Show full text]