Sen. Franken speaking on Debt Crisis on Senate floor, LIVE (LINK)

[Poll_Blind]

JUST started: Watch HERE

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[Poll_Blind]

1. He mentions just 1% increas in interest rates increases debt 1.3 Trillion over 10 years.

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[MineralMan]

2. You go, Al!

That's my Senator. We all worked our asses off in Minnesota to get him elected, and we almost lost the battle. It'll be easier next time he runs. Gosh darn it, Minnesotans like him!

[Poll_Blind]

4. He is a very thoughtful guy and a real pleasure to listen to. This speech currently...

...is no different. He's one of the "anchors" in my book, even though he's a fairly recent addition.

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[Tennessee Gal]

3. At work. Cannot listen. Please relay info.

Love him.

[Poll_Blind]

7. All the basics, oulining the Repig hostage taking to destroy Medicare, their....

...indifference and lack of understanding what kind of fire they (Repukes) are playing with. If there's anything particularly bullet-pointable, I'll try to make note here, but no promises, unfortunately.

PB

[Poll_Blind]

12. Speaking now about _preventative_ treatment and its huge impact on...

...(for instance) pre-diabetic conditions. For those exhibiting pre-diabetes, a $300, 16-week program reduced full-blown diabetes in those folks by 63%!

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[WillyT]

5. K & R !!!

:kick:

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

6. Love Al! Please relay what he's saying here. I can't get him, either! n/t

[LiberalAndProud]

8. Talking about the affect of the Affordable Care Act on Social Security.

Will extend the life expectacy of Social Security and save cost on delivery of Medical Care.

Republicans voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

[LiberalAndProud]

9. Minnesota does a good job of managing health care costs.

Texas get 50% more from Medicare, Minnesota gets a better outcome.

Integrated care.

[LiberalAndProud]

10. We need to incentivize states to bring down cost of health care.

[LiberalAndProud]

11. Diabetes prevention program.

Prediabetes - nutritional training and exercize @ about $300 / person. Reduces type 2 diabetes by 60%.

Chronic disease most expensive health care. $18B / yr to treat diabetes.

[Poll_Blind]

14. Yeah, this is the way we should be doing healthcare- smart and preventative instead of....

...expensive, after the fact.

PB

[LiberalAndProud]

13. Reimburse policy holders for going through 16 wk program.

Two of many programs in AHCA to reduce medical costs.

[LiberalAndProud]

15. Paul Ryan & Repubs taking different approach.

Instead of consulting with medical community to bring down cost, Ryan decides to slash Medicare, give money to seniors and let them buy their own insurance.

[Tennessee Gal]

16. Thanks for informing!

Very interesting.

[LiberalAndProud]

17. Repubs willing to risk throwing global economy under the bus

if Dems don't fold.

Let's negotiate with pharm to bring down costs.
Pharm industry - less $ on research than adv & marketing.

[LiberalAndProud]

18. Please vote to raise debt ceiling & avert a worldwide econ disaster.

End oil subsidies.

Repubs: end oil subsidies = tax hike

[Hailtothechimp]

19. Why do taxpayers have to be the chumps? Awesome! Go Al! nt

[Hailtothechimp]

20. Exxon or Evelyn? That's how to frame this.

[LiberalAndProud]

21. If we are going to address debt crisis, we must raise revenue.

Repubs: Cut social programs in order to cut taxes.

[LiberalAndProud]

22. Reagan tax cuts raised deficits.

Reagan raised taxes 11 times.

[LiberalAndProud]

23. Debt tripled under Reagan.

Clinton reduced deficit by adding new tax brackets at the top. Every R voted against, predicting recession.
Cites Gingrich, Graham, Kasic(sp?).

Unprecedented expansion, 22M net new jobs.

Record surplus handed to GWB.

[LiberalAndProud]

24. Rs say, sure it worked in practice, but does it work in theory?

[LiberalAndProud]

25. Greenspan: we are in danger of paying of the debt too quickly.

Yea. I remember that.

Bush: surplus = we are paying too much in taxes

Econ strong, we need tax cuts
Econ takes a dive, we need tax cuts

[LiberalAndProud]

26. VP Cheney

"you know Paul, Reagan proved deficits don't matter."

[LiberalAndProud]

27. Obama inherited an economy hemoraging 50K jobs a month.

[LiberalAndProud]

28. Reduced revenues are responsible for a lot of our deficit.

Bush tax cuts responsible for 25% of our debt in 2010.

[LiberalAndProud]

29. Bush: deficit doubled, median income fell

1 in 5 children in America lives in poverty


1 group did well under Bush: the extremely wealthy
greatest disparity in wealth since the 1920s

cutting taxes don't decrease debt or employment

look at what has worked in the past and learn from it

[LiberalAndProud]

30. Investments in sci & tech, universities & infrastructure have paid off.

[LiberalAndProud]

31. Let's cut defense spending.

growth in costs over original estimates over $102B

[LiberalAndProud]

32. Only when the middle class is strong does our economy grow.

[LiberalAndProud]

33. Creating a middle class is not an end to itself.

strong economy, national prosperity, entrepreneurs

MC an engine to our economy.

Invest in early childhood ed. children w/ early ed less likely to need special ed, better health outcomes, fewer teen pregnancies

more likely to graduate, more likely to go to college, more likely to get a good job & pay taxes, less likely to go to prison

[Bryn]

41. Thank you, LiberalAndProud, much appreciated

:)

[LiberalAndProud]

34. Rs: most cuts are aimed at children

want to cut headstart & early headstart

[LiberalAndProud]

35. Rs; cut pell grants, medicaid

sick kids shouldn't make the sacrifices


Rs #1 priority; to see to it that BO limited to 1 term, not to solve problems

[nc4bo]

36. Sen. Al is really bringing truth to that floor.

Too bad most of his listeners have him on mute.

[trueblue2007]

39. i posted feed to my facebook wall

[LiberalAndProud]

37. i ask my colleagues to step back from the brink, to step back from brinkmanship

let's do this in a smart, thoughtful way so that our children can say we were not a great generation, but a pretty good generation

[LiberalAndProud]

38. quorum call

and with that, i'll end this

[valerief]

40. Excellent remarks by Franken. Will they matter? No. nt