Senate Proceeding on Feb 13th, 2009 :: 6:28:00 to 6:33:45
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6:27:58 to 6:28:20( Edit History Discussion )

Ben Nelson: but this bill begins the process -- the senator use mr. sanders: -- of moving this country in the right direction. it is a good supported. mr. coburn: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the senator from nebraska be recognized next. the presiding officer: without

6:28:00 to 6:33:45( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Ben Nelson
Bill: H.R. 1: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

6:28:21 to 6:28:41( Edit History Discussion )

Ben Nelson: objection. thank my friend from -- mr. nelson: mr. president, i thank my friend from lahoma for the courtesy of extending five minutes on the front end of his time so i won't be going between senator coburn and senator chambliss. mr. president, our nation's economy is in trouble. over the course of history our economy's been in

6:28:42 to 6:29:03( Edit History Discussion )

Ben Nelson: trouble before. but rarely this much. job losses in my state of nebraska and across the nation are climbing, and the recession that began some 13 months ago is accelerating. of the 3.6 millions who have lost their jobs, nearly half received a pink slip in the last three months. everyone in congress knows we

6:29:04 to 6:29:24( Edit History Discussion )

Ben Nelson: need to act and to act soon to try to stop our economy's downward slide. and ease the felt by millions of american families, business owners, workers, students and seniors. the time is now to begin turning this recession toward recovery. congress cannot wait another three or six month

6:29:25 to 6:29:45( Edit History Discussion )

Ben Nelson: economic conditions worsen. byhen it could be too late and we could be in a depression for tpr which it could take tkpr-rbs which it could take years to overcome. now is the time to provide the tools the american people will useith creativity a rebuild the economy and return us to prosperity. the 89 billion economic

6:29:46 to 6:30:08( Edit History Discussion )

Ben Nelson: recovery plan before us providing job creation and tax cuts for millions of americans has the best chance to do that, i believe. it is timely. this plan is over the first proposal considered several weeks in the senate, we fac reality that any economic recovery plan would require at least 60 votes to overrule a

6:30:09 to 6:30:30( Edit History Discussion )

Ben Nelson: filibuster attempt and win passage. so i and a number of colleagues came together to work across the political aisle with the shared goal. scrub as much pork, nonstimulative spending and the fat as possible from the bill to focus as sharply on saving and creating millions of jobs. the group i dubbed the job squad

6:30:31 to 6:30:51( Edit History Discussion )

Ben Nelson: includedded my friend collins of maine and five other republicans and some 15 senators in my own party. i would like to thank each of them for the opportunity that they shared to contribute to make the bill a better one and for helping congress respond to a national economy in crisis. this legislation before us is also targeted.

6:30:52 to 6:31:12( Edit History Discussion )

Ben Nelson: there's been a lot of criticism of the final bill before us, and i would agree it's not perfect. one criticism i've heard is that will leave just 3 to 5 in people's pockets per week. well, to americans, that's somewhere between 00 money to pay electricity or gas

6:31:13 to 6:31:33( Edit History Discussion )

Ben Nelson: bills, buy food or medicine, provides clothes for their children to take a stress out of their lives. let's look back a moment now to recent history. in 2003, under the previous administration, congress approved a major tax cut bill that included 0 billion in economic stimulus for the

6:31:34 to 6:31:54( Edit History Discussion )

Ben Nelson: senator collins and i co-authored the provision to help states cope with the loss of state revenues tied to the tax cuts. the 0 billion in state aid was a one-time boost designed to end when it would be needed. 18 months after the tax cut bill passed, the aid to the states ceased.

6:31:55 to 6:32:15( Edit History Discussion )

Ben Nelson: we have safeguards in the current economic recovery bill that will shut off spending in a similar frame -- time frame. and 78% of the spending in this bill will be completed by the fall of 2010 overcoming the old wives tale that this money will only be spent at the end of the legislation much and

6:32:16 to 6:32:36( Edit History Discussion )

Ben Nelson: that the legislation -- legislation. and that the legislation is clearly temporary. as i said it is not perfect. but it has the support of the national association of manufacturers, the u.s. chamber of commerce, and in my state the omaha chamber of commerce, a others. members of these groups will be able to use money from this legislation quickly to hire new

6:32:37 to 6:32:57( Edit History Discussion )

Ben Nelson: workers, tackle infrastructure needs nationwide, expand their busine economy moving again. the bill will have a major impact in states across the nation as well. for example, my state of nebraska stands to receive a total of about billion from the recovery plan.

6:32:58 to 6:33:19( Edit History Discussion )

Ben Nelson: nebraska's k through 12 school district will receive abou about 36 million to prevent cutbacks, teacher layoffs, to modernize schools and for other purposes. or state flexibility money nebraska will receive about 2 million to help rebuild vital educational and other state infrastructure. it also will be used to help the state government provide

6:33:20 to 6:33:40( Edit History Discussion )

Ben Nelson: services and avoid layoffs of critical employees such as state troopers and public safety officers. nebraska is estimated to receive another 10 million in additional medicaid assistance preserving needed health coverage for low-income nebraskans who will feel the economic downturn more than many others. the presiding officer: the senator has used five minutes.

6:33:41 to 6:33:45( Edit History Discussion )

Ben Nelson: mr. nelson: i thank the senator from oklahoma for the time and i