We have one of the few societies, the only one I can think of right offhand, where your health care is so tied to your job, so that when an American company has to hire, they have to think about health care.

While the wealthiest families completely benefit from the tax cuts targeted towards the upper brackets, middle-income families were hit with the unwelcome surprise of higher taxes on tax day.

However, this President sees no problem eliminating funding for Perkins Loans in his budget, even though the cost of tuition is rising and will continue to rise as the administration's policies force inflation.

A healthy Amtrak is an integral part of New York and the Nation's economy and transportation systems.

Amtrak offers riders a cost-effective way to travel throughout the country.

For a variety of reasons, we are not producing at a given level of economic activity the jobs we used to have.

Foreign trade clearly has been a reason why inflation has been low.

Foreign trade clearly holds down the cost of products we buy.

Inflation outstripped real wages for people who work for pay from others.

Real economic stimulus comes from real investment.

The fact is that America relies on Amtrak to move people.

The Long Island Sound is an environmentally unique estuary that needs to be protected.

The people who do not get jobs are often the most vulnerable in our society, and joblessness is a terrible plight for anyone who suffers from it.

There are always, of course, job losses of a cyclical nature in a recession.

Transportation spending is a win-win proposition.

We need to get serious about combating gang violence on Long Island, and the entire nation.

We need to send a clear message to gang members that violent crime will not be tolerated.

As a personal beneficiary of the service that Amtrak provides and as someone who represents a congressional district that counts on safe, reliable rail service, I am a strong supporter of providing this vital industry the funding necessary to continue operations.

In addition to joblessness, of course, by the working of supply and demand, when you have a larger number of people unemployed, wages do not rise at the normal level, so that we had last year a drop in real wages.

In my district, the budget scales back and eliminates several long-term shore protection projects important to the safety and economic security of Long Island.