The Senate Being Used As Incumbent Protection Program

More than a decade since I first came to this chamber, the United States Senate, it has become unrecognizable…Unfortunately, this chamber has devolved into one where not much gets done and when there are votes, they are frequently show-votes with the election clearly in mind.

We've had an experiment in big government over the last six years, and you know what? It hasn't worked out very well. Unemployment rates remain high; the labor participation rate's at a 30-year low; and people have simply given up. The economy should be bounding back – rather than knocking along the bottom.

But proposals, many of which enjoy bipartisan support -- certainly they have in the House of Representatives -- have never seen the light of day here as long as the Majority Leader continues to operate this chamber like an incumbent protection program.

The American people sent us here to take tough votes and solve problems. Indeed, I don't know why anyone would want to be a United States Senator if we're not allowed to vote and to solve problems. And the American people certainly deserve a Senate that operates that way.