"Over the last few weeks, I was back home on our ranch and traveling through most of Colorado. Everywhere I went, you see the effects of the last eight years. Jobs are disappearing. Health care is costing too much. And the cost of energy is through the roof. For farmers, diesel is costing more than four dollars a gallon. We simply can't afford it any more. Enough is enough.

"Democrats are working for change, and it starts with being honest about our energy future. We consume 25 percent of the world's oil, but we have less than 3 percent of the world's oil reserves. We simply can't drill our way to energy independence.

"In Colorado, we're doing our part on drilling. We have more than 34,000 active gas wells. And we're going to drill a whole lot more in the coming years.

"But we also know that drilling alone is not sufficient. Yet that was the only idea that John McCain and his friends at the Republican National Convention offered. ‘Drill, baby, drill' – that's not enough. We need it all.

"We need to replace the oil we import from countries that don't like us with alternative energy sources that we produce right here at home. Biofuels. Wind. Solar. Hydrogen. Geothermal. Clean Coal. American energy, American jobs. That's what we need.

"With the help of our farmers and ranchers and with Americans' hard work and ingenuity, we can grow our way to energy independence. To do it, though, we have to pass the tax incentives for renewable energy that Senator McCain and Republicans in the Senate have been blocking and opposing for months and years. We need an Apollo project that retools Detroit so that we can run our cars on the alternative fuels that we develop. And we need to give consumers a choice at the pump. Why not fill up with biofuels, if they're cheaper than gas? Why not have cars that get 100 miles to a gallon?

"Democrats are trying to solve these problems because we believe and know we can. President Bush and John McCain do not. All they want is more of the same.

"This week in the Senate, that choice will be clear as day. Democrats will be offering comprehensive energy solutions.

"I'm part of a small group of Senators from both parties who are working together to find bipartisan solutions to energy that we can all agree upon. But the thing is this: it's going to take more than a handful of Republicans who agree that we need a comprehensive energy plan. President Bush and Senator McCain have failed to show any leadership on this issue for the last eight years.

"Republicans have to decide whether they just want to talk about our energy problems on the campaign trail, or whether they will work with Democrats to actually solve them. If you're tired of $4 gasoline, if you're tired of a whole lot of talk without any action, if you're saying enough is enough, I hope you will tell President Bush, Senator McCain, and Members of Congress that it is time for honest solutions to our energy problems.

"This is United States Senator Ken Salazar from Colorado. Have a wonderful weekend."

The failed policies of George Bush and John Sununu have driven our economy into the ground and doubled the national debt to over nine trillion dollars. They have protected billions in tax giveaways for Big Oil and tax loopholes for businesses who ship jobs overseas rather than making a serious commitment to the development of clean alternative energy that can transform our economy and create thousands of new jobs. But just over a week from now, Republicans will assemble at their convention, and ask you for four more years of the same.

They’ll nominate John McCain to lead them. John McCain, who said he doesn’t know as much as he should about the economy. That’s certainly clear. Senator McCain keeps talking about the great progress our economy has made over the past eight years. He doesn’t get it. His economic plan is four more years of George Bush’s economic plan. Four more years of record spending, record deficits, record giveaways to the special interests and a reckless disregard for the middle class. But when Americans speak up and demand action, the Republicans tell us to be quiet. McCain’s chief economic advisor called America “a nation of whiners.” John Sununu told a group of small business owners in New Hampshire to “stop complaining about health care costs.”

Well, we will not stop speaking out until we fix this economy and make it work for the middle class again. This week, you’ll hear something different. In Denver, Barack Obama will lay out a new direction for jumpstarting our economy and rebuilding a strong middle class. It’s long past time for real action. Families don’t need more of the same old Bush-McCain-Sununu agenda – they need relief and they need it now.

That’s why I have proposed tax cuts up to 50% on health care premiums paid by small businesses for their employees and tax incentives to move small businesses toward energy efficiency. It’s why I have proposed a simplified and expanded tuition tax credit to help middle class families send their kids to college. It’s why Barack Obama has a plan to cut taxes for middle-class families and small businesses that puts up to $1,000 in the pockets of 95 percent of Americans – a plan that cuts taxes for middle class families three times as much as the Republicans would.

And we’ll do all this while bringing down the budget deficit, cutting unnecessary spending and government waste in Washington, and responsibly ending the war in Iraq. This November, the choice will be clear. We can’t afford a third Bush term and in New Hampshire, we can’t afford another six years of a Senator who supports the failed Bush economic policies that have devastated our economy. We’ve tried things their way, and they don’t work. I think it’s time for a new direction for America’s middle class families, and I hope you do, too.

This is Jeanne Shaheen from New Hampshire. Thank you for listening.

In recent days, we’ve seen two stark examples of exactly what’s wrong with Washington, and what’s at stake in this election.

First, we learned that the federal budget deficit could reach nearly half a trillion dollars next year.

Eight years after we had a record surplus, we’re now faced with record deficits. This mortgaging of our children’s future is a direct result of the Bush Administration’s dangerously failed fiscal policies.

Instead of helping Americans who are struggling, we’ve seen loopholes and lavish giveaways for corporations that ship jobs overseas, and tax cut after tax cut for the wealthiest Americans who don’t need them and didn’t even ask for them.

Now, Senator McCain proposes to continue these costly and unfair Bush tax policies. He would continue to put special interests ahead of Americans who are struggling, while short-changing the investments we need to get our economy moving again.

The second thing we learned this week was that the Iraqi government now has a $79 billion budget surplus thanks to their windfall oil profits. And while this Iraqi money sits in American banks, American taxpayers continue to spend $10 billion a month to defend and rebuild Iraq.

That’s right. America faces a huge budget deficit. Iraq has a surplus.

Now, Senator McCain promises to continue President Bush’s open-ended commitment to the war in Iraq, while refusing to pressure Iraqis to take responsibility for their own country.

Let me be clear: we are well over five years into a war in a country that had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks. Our brave men and women in uniform have completed every mission they’ve been given. Our country has spent nearly a trillion dollars in Iraq, even as our schools are underfunded, our roads and bridges are crumbling, and the cost of everything from groceries to a gallon of gas is soaring.

Now think for a moment about what we could have done with the hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars that we’ve spent in Iraq. We could have rebuilt American schools and roads and bridges. We could have made historic investments in alternative energy to create millions of American jobs. We could have headed-off $4 dollar a gallon gas and begun to end the tyranny of oil in our time.

Instead, the President decided to spend our money on tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy, and a war in Iraq that has already lasted longer than World War II. And Senator McCain has fully embraced these Bush policies.

So the choice in this election could not be clearer.

The American people are worse off than they were eight years ago. Everywhere I go, I meet people who are working hard for their families – but are still falling behind. Our government has lost touch with the most fundamental American values – the belief that everyone should be able to live the American Dream; the sense that we are all in this together as Americans.

Senator McCain talks about putting our country first, but he is running for a third term of the very same policies that have set our country back. We can’t afford to take that chance. We can’t afford to keep running up record deficits while we favor the few over the many. We can’t prioritize a misguided war in Iraq over the urgent needs of the American people.

I believe that we need to move in a new direction.

It’s time to restore balance and fairness to our economy, and to give working people immediate and meaningful relief.

It’s time to stop giving tax cuts to corporations that ship jobs overseas, and to put a tax cut into the pocket of 95 percent of working Americans and their families.

It’s time to end the war in Iraq responsibly by asking the Iraqis to take responsibility for their future and to invest in their own country.

It’s time to make a historic effort to end our dependence on foreign oil by investing $150 billion over the next decade in alternative energy and more fuel efficient cars, even as we push oil companies to increase production. This will create millions of new green jobs – good jobs that lift up our families and communities.

This is a defining moment in our history. We can either continue down a failed course, or we can choose a better future. With your help, I know that we can come together as Americans to meet the challenges of the 21st century, to renew our common purpose, and to reclaim the American Dream for our children and grandchildren.

Thank you and God bless America.

"Good morning. This is Congressman Henry Waxman of California, Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

"This was a great week in the House of Representatives for the children of America. On one single day, we passed two critically important pieces of legislation. The first, to reinvigorate the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and strengthen its ability to assure safe toys for our children. The second is legislation that provides the authority to regulate tobacco and stop tobacco companies from targeting our kids.

"Over the last eight years, the key federal agencies responsible for protecting the public health have been muzzled. The CPSC became almost defunct. The Safety Commission failed to protect children against dangerous levels of lead in toys, and it did nothing to stop the use of dangerous chemicals in plastic toys. This was one of the reasons that Senator Barack Obama and I introduced legislation in 2005 to make sure we banned lead from toys, and we have been fighting these issues ever since.

"When the science says that products that babies put into their mouths could be a threat to their health, the Safety Commission is supposed to act. But they did nothing.

"The Food and Drug Administration is another example. That agency has floundered under chronic underfunding and weak leadership. It has been slow to recall dangerous drugs and ineffective in protecting the food supply. At the Environmental Protection Agency, opportunities to advance protecting the environment have repeatedly been squandered.

"Too often, our watchdog agencies have been captured by special interests. And the people put in charge have been Republican cronies who have had little experience or interest in their government duties. Remember FEMA and Hurricane Katrina.

"But this week, Congress said the public interest must come first. The House and the Senate passed the bill to protect our children and say that the Safety Commission must keep lead out of toys; ban plastic-softening chemicals, called phthalates, from the toys kids can put in their mouths; and require science, not politics or corporate interests, to guide its actions.

"We also finally stood up to the tobacco companies. Fourteen years ago, I chaired the hearings at which the tobacco company CEOs swore under oath that nicotine was not addictive, cigarettes did not cause disease, and they did not target our children. Well, they of course lied.

"When the Republicans took control of the Congress in the next year and controlled it for the next 12 years, efforts on tobacco were stopped.

"But last year, Democrats regained the majority in the House, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made taking on the tobacco companies a top priority. And this week, we achieved an important milestone.

"With strong bipartisan support, we passed long-overdue legislation to stop advertising and promotions targeted to our kids; to stop the marketing of candy-flavored cigarettes clearly designed to attract our kids to smoking; to give the FDA the power to both regulate marketing and the manufacture of tobacco products to make sure that we can remove dangerous additives like formaldehyde and ammonia and begin the process of figuring out how to make cigarettes less addictive.

"Tobacco is the only product that when it's used as intended kills. Every day, 1,000 kids take up this deadly habit. And each year, over 400,000 Americans die from smoking.

"I am proud to say that the House has finally passed legislation to protect our children from tobacco addiction and its devastating toll of death and disease.

"We are in the final months of President Bush's last term. But through our legislative efforts, we are giving the next Administration the tools it will need to start putting public health — and especially the health of our children — first.

"Government at its best can work. It was a very good week for the American public. And best of all, it was a very good week for our kids.

"This is Congressman Henry Waxman. Thanks for listening."

Good morning, I’m Senator Jack Reed from Rhode Island.

I have just returned from visiting with our troops and commanders in Afghanistan and Iraq. I had the opportunity to travel with a bipartisan delegation that included Senator Barack Obama and Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska. The heroism and dedication of our men and women in uniform inspires us all.

As someone who had the privilege of commanding paratroopers, I know the tremendous sacrifices that our troops are making. Some of the soldiers and Marines we met in the field are on their third and fourth tours of duty. And they deserve a policy that is worthy of their sacrifice.

Democrats have outlined a better strategy to carefully redeploy our forces out of Iraq … And give them missions of counter-terrorism; training Iraq’s military; and protecting our forces.

Make no mistake: This is a plan that seizes on the progress and sacrifices our troops have made in Iraq, and it recognizes the desire of the Iraqi people to take control of their own destiny.

During our trip, Iraqi leaders made it clear that they share these goals. Prime Minister Maliki told us that while the Iraqi people deeply appreciate the sacrifices of American forces, they do not want an open-ended presence of U.S. combat forces. We, in turn, had a very clear message for the Prime Minister: the Iraqi government needs to do more.

At a time when the war in Iraq costs $10 billion each month, Americans are paying $4 a gallon for gasoline, and our economy is struggling, we cannot continue down the path that President Bush and Senator McCain propose, writing blank check after blank check.

The United States has spent hundreds of billions of Americans’ tax payer dollars in Iraq.

More than 4,100 of our brave young men and women have been killed and 30,000 have been wounded. Their heroic efforts have bought the Iraqi government additional time, but so far that precious time has not translated into a sufficient political reconciliation that brings a lasting peace.

Unless the Iraqi government can make tough political compromises and deliver basic services to its citizens, then the gains our troops fought so hard to win could be easily reversed.

Our proposal to responsibly redeploy American troops out of Iraq will send a message to the Iraqi government that it must do more. And it will encourage more progress towards Iraqi self-sufficiency.

This new mission in Iraq is the right policy for the future. It is not an end to our support for the Iraqi people, but it is a transition that allows us to focus on the terrorist threats that have grown elsewhere, like Afghanistan.

During our trip, Senators Obama, Hagel, and I met with our commanders on the ground in Afghanistan, where the Taliban has regrouped and Al Qaeda has found safe haven.

The translation of “Al Qaeda” in English means “the base.”… And Al Qaeda is currently using the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan as a base for launching attacks on U.S. and NATO troops and the Afghan people.

Our intelligence officials report that the resurgence of Al Qaeda terrorists in this region now poses the most severe threat to our national security.

Yet alarmingly, and by its own admission, the Bush Administration does not have a coherent plan to destroy this threat and deny these terrorists safe havens.

In our meetings with President Karzai, we stressed our strong commitment to rooting out the terrorists and helping Afghanistan with its security and economic development. We urged him to work on a “more-for-more” basis: more resources from the United States and NATO, but also more action from the Afghan government to improve the lives of its people.

I was proud to join with Senators Obama and Hagel in thanking our troops in the field. These young men and women are serving with extraordinary courage, talent and distinction.

They get up each morning and cross the line of departure, risking their lives, and doing everything in their power to seize the objective.

With that indomitable spirit—and with a leader like Senator Obama who can restore hope and leadership and deliver real change—we will meet the challenges of our time.

Thank you.

"Good morning, this is United States Senator Patty Murray.

Last Sunday I pulled into the gas station near my home in Washington State and paid $4.45 per gallon.

Just a year ago, who could have imagined $4.45 for gas? Now, sadly, prices like this are a reality for families all across America.

We all know that there’s no simple solution to this crisis. America needs a long-term energy plan that reduces our dependence on oil by investing in alternative fuels -- but there are reasonable steps we can take to reduce oil prices now.

Recently, you’ve probably heard about drilling for more oil, and as long as it is done responsibly, that’s something Democrats support.

Oil companies already lease 68 million acres of federal land, which could nearly double U.S. production. They just aren’t using it.

That oil won’t drill itself. We believe it’s time for the oil companies to use that land – and to make sure that it stays in America – instead of shipping it to the highest bidder overseas.

Democrats also think it is time to tap into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Right now we have more than 700 million barrels of oil sitting underground in Texas and Louisiana that can be used in times of emergency.

When President Bush’s father tapped into the oil reserve in 1991, prices went down immediately.

I don’t know what President Bush thinks, but four and half dollar a gallon gas is an emergency for America’s families. When was the last time the President filled his own tank?

In addition, Democrats believe we must rein in Wall Street and traders who are unfairly driving up oil prices.

With regard for nothing but their own profits, some traders are bidding up oil prices by buying huge quantities of oil just to resell at an even higher price.

You see, these traders never plan on actually using the oil they buy. They just keep buying it to inflate the price so that they can make more and more money when they turn around and sell it. The problem is, families like yours and mine are stuck paying the bill.

For nearly eight years now, the Bush Administration has turned a blind eye and let these questionable practices continue with virtually no oversight.

Some experts say that this kind of trading accounts for 20 to 30 percent or more of what we pay at the pump.

Nothing is certain in the oil markets, but experts agree the steps I’ve talked about should help to bring oil prices down and help families make ends meet.

We hope that President Bush and Senate Republicans will join us to reduce energy prices in the short term.

In 2001, when President Bush took office, gas was $1.46 a gallon. Today, in my state, it’s more than triple that. Clearly there’s something wrong with these tired policies.

But there’s a major difference between Democrats and Republicans on energy: Bush-McCain Republicans haven’t come up with anything more than drill, drill, drill.

Even John McCain recently admitted that his offshore drilling proposal has mainly “psychological” benefits.

Our families don’t need to “feel better” about spending $4 dollars and a half per gallon. American families need real action that gets real results.

That’s why we need to get serious about investing in the clean, renewable fuels that can power our cars, homes and offices in the future.

Wind, solar, and geothermal power are becoming more affordable every day.

And everyday, American scientists, innovators and venture capitalists are researching new technologies that could one day end our addiction to oil forever.

We should fast track their efforts by making new investments and keeping their taxes low. Democrats have repeatedly tried to provide tax credits for alternative energy, but each time, Republicans have said no.

We’ve tried things the Republican way for nearly eight years now. Unfortunately all we’re hearing from them now are gimmicks and tired old ideas – the status quo.

With record gas prices and our economy spiraling deeper into recession, Democrats think it’s long past time for a bold new direction. We hope that you do, too.

This is Senator Patty Murray from Washington state. Thanks for listening, and have a great weekend."

’"Good morning. I'm Congressman Chris Van Hollen from Maryland.

"Whether you're listening today while behind the wheel or in your home, there's no doubt you're feeling pain every time you pull up to the pump. As you know all too well, gas prices — which were less than a dollar fifty when President Bush took office — are now more than four dollars a gallon.

"This is no accident. In the first days of his presidency, President Bush put Vice President Cheney in charge of a secret Energy Task Force. They invited the top oil company executives into the White House and told them to bring along their wish lists.

"It's really no surprise what happened next. With two oil men in the White House, gas prices have nearly tripled, and oil company profits are up over 300 percent.

"We're all paying the price for these decisions -- not only at the pump, but when we buy groceries or when we drive or fly for business or to visit our families. And our already-struggling economy is getting pummeled.

"Americans are fed up every time they go to fill up -- and they're right to demand action. But instead of a serious response, President Bush and his allies simply repeat the same old line -- more drilling.

"Now let me be clear: Democrats support more drilling. In fact, what the President hasn't told you is that the oil companies are already sitting on 68million acres of federal lands with the potential to nearly double U.S. oil production. That is why in the coming days congressional Democrats will vote on 'Use It or Lose It' legislation requiring the Big Oil companies to develop these resources -- or lose their leases to someone else who will.

"But we know that drilling by itself will not solve the problem of high gas prices. We cannot drill our way to energy independence.

"In fact, the Bush Administration's own Energy Department concedes that drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge won't put a drop of new gas on the market for at least 10 years -- and it will only wind up saving American consumers about two cents a gallon 20 years from now.

"When Americans are getting sticker shock every time they pull into the gas station, we don't have 20 years to wait. We need action. Real action. Fortunately, there is something we can do right now.

"Earlier this week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called on President Bush to immediately tap part of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in order to bring down runaway gas prices. This Reserve is the supply of oil our country has put away for a rainy day. It has never been more fullthan it is now. There are over 700 million gallons of oil there available for our use.

"And when it comes to the harm that gas prices are having on our families and our economy, America's rainy day is now.

"Presidents have tapped this Reserve before. President Bush's father did it in the early 1990s. President Clinton did it. Even this President Bush did it after Hurricane Katrina.

"We've tapped the Reserve for reasons of instability in the Middle East or high energy prices here at home. And we're facing both these challenges today — in addition to rampant speculation in our energy markets.

"If we responsibly used just some of this American stockpile of oil, we could give drivers quick and real relief at the pump.

"But so far President Bush has resisted our call. If he gave the go-ahead, new supplies would make it onto the market in just 13 days. But the only answer we're getting from him is, 'No.'

"Tapping America's rainy day oil supply isn't a long-term solution. We need to put in place a real energy policy -- one that frees us from dependence on foreign oil, uses American ingenuity and innovation to power our country with new clean technologies, and creates hundreds of thousands of new jobs while reducing climate change.

"But Americans who are hurting now can't just wait for the long term. The pain is not 'mental' and Americans are not 'whiners' as Senator McCain's top economic advisor Phil Gramm would have us believe. The pain is real, and we need immediate relief.

"A couple of months ago, I saw something that made me shudder. President Bush traveled to Saudi Arabia to plead with their king to pump more oil. And the Saudi king turned him down cold.

"I don't believe we should have an America that goes begging to other countries. We have our own oil stockpile set aside for a time of need. The President should free our oil now.

"The Big Oil companies and the energy speculators may not like the lower prices that would result from using part of our rainy day supply, but I'm pretty sure you won't mind.

"This is Chris Van Hollen from Maryland. Thanks for listening."

More than 230 years ago, John Adams -- one of the architects of America's independence -- wrote a letter describing the human cost of establishing our new nation -- a nation unlike any the world had ever seen -- a nation dedicated to freedom.

The letter was sent to his wife, Abigail. Two lines near the end of that letter speak directly to us.

He wrote, "Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom."

"I hope," he added, "you will make good use of it."

On this Fourth of July weekend, as we celebrate our nation's independence, we can be proud that the generations of Americans who followed John Adams have preserved -- and expanded -- our heritage of freedom.

Today, women and African Americans can not only vote for President, they can run for President. That is progress that would have astonished John -- and maybe even Abigail -- Adams.

But there is another change in America that would trouble our Founders greatly if they could see it -- that is the political gridlock today in Washington.

With gasoline at $4 a gallon and rising … an energy crisis … a global warming crisis … our economy in trouble … our military stretched thin … and more Americans every week losing their jobs, their homes, their pensions and their health care, America must change course.

But in the Senate, the Senate Republican leadership is determined to stop efforts to bring change to Washington. They have now shattered the record for the highest number of filibusters in history. Filibusters of course are the age-old procedural obstacles used to slow down or stop the Senate from debating and voting. Now before this Congress the record was 57 filibusters in a two year period of time. This Republican leadership has waged 78 filibusters and we still have six months to go.

Just last month, they blocked bills to combat global warming, halt the mortgage meltdown and bring down fuel prices. Last week, Republican Senators blocked a bill protecting the ability of many Medicare beneficiaries to see the doctor of their choice. The bill would have cancelled a 10.6 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors.

That cut, which took effect on July 1st, could force many doctors to stop seeing new Medicare patients.

But it's not just the seniors who will suffer. Military families are also at risk because of this Republican filibuster.

Payments under TRICARE, the health care plan for active-duty and retired military members and their families, are tied directly to Medicare payment rates.

Now in my state of Illinois, nearly 156,000 TRICARE patients could be hurt by the Medicare cuts. All told, 8.9 million veterans and military personnel nationwide face reduced medical services because of these cuts.

And while Medicare and TRICARE payments to doctors are being cut, the Bush Administration is giving insurance companies that offer private "Medicare Advantage" plans a 3.6 percent raise.

These private "Medicare Advantage" plans -- created in 2003 when the Republicans controlled Congress -- cost taxpayers, an average of 13 percent more than regular Medicare.

According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, private insurers will reap $150 billion in overpayments over the next decade -- money we could better use to improve Medicare and cover some of the 47 million Americans who are uninsured. Instead, much of that money is going to advertising, overhead, big salaries for insurance company CEOs, big dividends for their stockholders.

There will be a lot of talk about patriotism over this Fourth of July weekend and many Senators will rightfully praise our military. But true patriotism means honoring the men and women in uniform who defend our freedoms -- not just with words and flag lapel pins, but with actions befitting their great sacrifices.

That's why the Veterans of Foreign Wars … the Military Officers Association … the National Guard Association … the National Military Family Association … the Military Order of the Purple Heart and more than two dozen other organizations representing millions of active-duty military members, veterans, and military families and survivors … all oppose the Medicare and TRICARE payment cuts.

House Democrats and Republicans have already come together with a strong bipartisan vote to block these cuts. It's time for the Republican Senators who are filibustering this measure to put our seniors and our military families ahead of private insurance companies and let the Senate pass this bill as soon as possible.

I'm Dick Durbin from Illinois. Have a happy Fourth of July weekend and thanks for listening.

Good morning. I’m Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico.

Across this country Americans are hurting – struggling to cope with the soaring cost of gas and groceries. And they know that Washington hasn’t done enough to bring prices down or to end our dependence on foreign oil. And they certainly know that we haven’t done enough to help struggling families in the short term.

A failure of leadership has gotten us into this situation and only real, honest leadership can get us out. When times are tough it’s easy to go with what seems like a quick fix. But in government, just like in our personal lives, quick fixes are gimmicks that often just make things worse.

John McCain is offering gimmicks that on the surface may sound good; but, in reality will cost us jobs and won’t help families. And they certainly won’t reduce our addiction to imported oil. Senator McCain’s gimmicks – a gas tax holiday that will save consumers at most a gas tax holiday that will save consumers—at most—thirty cents a day for three months, and offering a prize for inventing a car battery - are not answers. As former Secretary of Energy, I know they won’t work.

Barack Obama is proposing real solutions that will provide immediate relief to Americans and build a new energy economy for the future. Senator Obama will push for a second stimulus package that will send out another round of rebate checks to the American people. He’ll tax the record profits of oil companies and use the money to help struggling families pay their energy bills. He’ll provide a $1,000 tax cut that will go to 95 percent of all workers and their families in this country. And he’ll close the loophole that allows corporations like Enron to engage in unregulated speculation that ends up artificially driving up the price of oil.

Obama will also raise the fuel standards in our cars and trucks and provide financial help to our automakers and autoworkers to help them make this transition. He’ll invest $150 billion over the next ten years in alternative sources of energy like wind power, and solar power, and advanced biofuels, creating up to five million new jobs.

President Bush and Senator McCain want to open our pristine wilderness lands and shorelines to unrestricted drilling. That is beyond irresponsible- it is dangerous and unnecessary. And will do nothing to provide immediate relief for families struggling with the high cost of gas. We’re not against responsible drilling. We believe the oil companies should drill on some of the millions of acres of land they already have but aren’t using, instead of snapping up new land and putting our natural resources at risk. We’re against irresponsible drilling. And the truth is we have just less than 2% of the world’s oil reserves but 25% of the demand. We can’t simply drill our way out of this energy crisis.

Barack Obama is offering a serious national commitment to transition our economy from our dependence on oil to clean, affordable sources of energy. He’ll make it a priority to finally reduce our dependence on foreign oil. And instead of giving out tax breaks to the oil companies, he’ll put tax breaks in the pockets of the middle class Americans who are the true engine of our economy.

As we prepare to celebrate our nation’s independence, let us all join with Senator Obama in a commitment to declare our independence from imported oil. Barack’s plan to build a new energy future and a stronger middle class is not a partisan issue- It’s an American issue. It’s the right thing to do.

This Fourth of July, please keep our men and women serving in uniform in your prayers and in your hearts. God Bless You, and God Bless America.

"Good morning, I'm Congressman Nick Rahall of West Virginia, Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee.

"Hardworking Americans across the country continue to experience the crunch of record high gasoline prices. At more than $4 per gallon and rising, we know Americans must have relief at the pumps.

"While Democrats in Congress know that we cannot drill our way to energy independence and continue to advocate for the development of renewable fuels and increased energy conservation, we also know that we must increase our supply of oil in the interim.

"This week, President Bush and his Republicans allies rallied behind the oil industry's political agenda once again, and advocated opening more of America's federal land, including coastal areas, to drilling.

"This proposal will not bring the type of relief Americans deserve at the pump.

"Investigations by my Committee have uncovered that over 80 percent of the estimated oil and gas on federal lands are already available for drilling, or will be in the near future, without environmental challenge.

"If the oil industry would drill in those areas - available to them now - the amount of oil produced represents over 14 years of current U.S. consumption. And over 30 years of domestic natural gas use.

"Yet, we also found that Big Oil is more intent on speculating with the public's energy resources. Today, as I speak, the industry is sitting on 68 million acres of federal oil and gas leases already issued to them. That represents an area the size of the state of Colorado.

"Big Oil is stockpiling these leases, as they enjoy record profits, while Americans feel the pain at the pump.

"It is estimated that 68 million acres of leased land could bring to the market an additional 4.8 million barrels of oil. That would nearly double total U.S. production, and cut oil imports by one-third.

"However, President Bush and Senator McCain want to give them even more public resources so that the industry can speculate even further.

"Democrats in the House of Representatives are unifying around a bill I introduced along with other Democratic Leaders to end this speculation of the public's energy resources.

"Simply put, we are telling Big Oil to use it, or lose it.

"Our legislation would compel the industry to drill on those public lands it already controls. They would either have to produce from these lands, show they are being diligent in their development, or give up the right to control even more federal energy resources.

"In the next few weeks, Democrats will also propose bills that will close the 'Enron' loophole on petroleum futures trading that will allow more transparency and shine the light on speculators that have driven up the price of oil; punish price gougers; reduce fares for public transit and give consumers an affordable alternative.

"The Republican approach to Big Oil has been to coddle them, ever since Vice President Cheney first convened his energy task force in March 2001. Big Oil does not need to be coddled; it needs a kick in the backside.

"In response to Big Oil's scheming for more and more acres of public land, House Democrats are saying: 'You've got 'em; drill 'em.'

"I'm Congressman Nick Rahall. Thanks again for listening."

"Good morning, my name is Jeff Alberici. I'm from Auburn, New York - a small city forty-five minutes west of Syracuse. I grew up in Auburn, married my high school sweetheart, Megan, and now we're raising our three beautiful children here - Anthony, who is 10, Nicholas, who is 9, and our youngest, a soon to be 2-year-old, Sara.

"I teach American history to eighth-graders, and Megan recently went back to work as a teacher's assistant. Like most parents, Megan and I spend a lot of time driving our kids around town to little league games, lacrosse practices and other activities.

"We're not rich and we're not poor. But like so many other middle class families in Auburn and all over America, lately our lives have gotten a lot harder to afford. Last week, Megan went for a haircut. When she drove by the gas station on her way, gas was $4.03 a gallon. On her way home, she looked again and the price was up to $4.06. We joked that she should've filled up before her haircut.

"I drive a Ford Taurus and my wife drives a minivan. It used to cost us $20 or $30 to fill up; now it's easily $60. Groceries have also gotten a lot more expensive. We used to spend about $125 a week at the supermarket - now it's at least $200, and our kids are definitely not eating twice as much.

"When Megan went back to work last year, we thought we would finally be able to pay off our debt and start saving to get ahead. But with the cost of gas and food and health care and so many other things all skyrocketing, even with a second pay check, things are no easier.

"We'll be OK, but let me put it this way: on the occasional nights when we used to order a pizza, now we're sticking with grilled cheese sandwiches. And we worry a lot about how we're going to put three kids through college.

"My wife and I don't talk that much in public about politics, but we are both proud Democrats - and for a simple reason: Democrats understand what families like ours are going through, and they're trying to make things better. In just the last couple of weeks, Democrats in the Senate proposed three bills that would have helped bring energy prices down in the short term and the long term.

"One of their bills would have stopped giving American tax dollars to the giant oil companies that are already making record profits - and would have stood up to the foreign countries that produce the oil and charge us way too much.

"Another Democratic plan was to give tax incentives to innovative American companies that are researching and developing new ways of powering our cars and heating our homes, like solar, wind and even geothermal power.

"And Democrats introduced a third bill to fight global warming, reduce our country's dependence on oil, create jobs here at home and grow our economy.

"But Republicans? They haven't offered much of anything. In fact, Republicans are spending their time blocking Democrats from getting anything done at all, including those three bills to lower energy costs. And that's the difference: Democrats are trying to change things, but Republicans only want more of the same old ideas that got us into this mess in the first place. More of the same isn't working for my family, and I bet it's not working for yours.

"Father's Day is tomorrow. I'll be spending it with my three children, thinking about how I can be a better dad - and provide my kids with everything they deserve. I know it's not supposed to be this hard to get ahead. But Democrats are trying to make the American Dream affordable again, and in a country as great as ours, I know we can succeed.

"This is Jeff Alberici - a husband, a father and a teacher from Auburn, New York. Wishing my father Gino and all fathers a happy Father's Day. Thanks for listening and have a great weekend."

Americans are calling for a New Direction, and Democrats in Congress are delivering. This week, we passed a plan to balance the budget by 2012.

When President Bush took office seven years ago, we presented him an advantage that few presidents have ever enjoyed: a budget in surplus by $236 billion. His economists looked out 10 years and saw nothing but surpluses, $5.6 trillion in all.

Democrats warned against betting the budget on a blue-sky forecast, but President Bush insisted we could have it all -- guns, butter, and tax cuts too -- and never mind the deficits, we would actually pay down the debt.

Well, by 2003, the surplus was gone, and by 2004, it was replaced by a record deficit, $413 billion. Under the policies of the Bush Administration our national debt has exploded, growing by 80 percent from $5.7 trillion in 2001 to $10 trillion in 2009.

Faced with these grim facts, what does the President's budget for next year propose? More of the same and a mountain of debt.

The budget the Democrats passed this week charts a new course. It restrains spending and sticks to the rule of pay-as-you-go, but supports investments in energy, education, and infrastructure. And it returns the budget to balance in 2012, with a surplus of $22 billion. We use some of that and subsequent surpluses to offset $340 billion in tax reduction for middle-income Americans.

Our budget begins by undoing the damage done by the President's budget to services that people depend upon.

Take Medicare and Medicaid, for example. The President wants to cut Medicare by $479 billion over 10 years and Medicaid by $94 billion. We reject those cuts and broaden the Children's Health Insurance Program to reach millions of children who are eligible but are not yet enrolled.

Over the next five years, the President wants to impose more than $18 billion in new fees on military retirees and veterans. We reject those fees and add nearly $5 billion in new funding to the VA health care system in 2009 alone.

The President even cuts education, training, and employment, not only next year, but for five years, by $33 billion. Our budget rejects the President's cuts, and in particular, his elimination of 47 educational programs. We instead make significant increases in education, training, and employment services.

Our budget supports investment not just in education, but in research and development, in science and innovation, including, for example, more for the National Institutes of Health, which the President actually cuts, and the National Science Foundation. We want the United States to remain the leader -- the global leader -- in science and innovation.

This country faces an energy deficit as well as a budget deficit. Read the President's budget and you will find little to address skyrocketing energy costs, or renewable energy, or clean fuel technology, or conservation and efficiency. What you will find are heavy hits on home energy assistance for low-income families -- the one program that helps families heat their homes in winter and cool them in summer. The President cuts deeply into that program; we raise funds well above his request. As for funding for alternative fuels, renewable energies, and other energy initiatives, our budget provides $7.7 billion.

As I mentioned earlier, this budget agreement extends tax relief to middle-income families. We shelter 20 million households from the Alternative Minimum Tax. We also support renewal of the extension of the middle-income tax cuts, such as the child tax credit, the marriage penalty relief provisions, and the 10 percent tax bracket.

In the all-important realm of national security, we match the President's request, but we call for better stewardship and new priorities, including more to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and materials, which may be the most menacing threat we face. We actually do more than the President to safeguard the homeland and internal security, because we reverse his misguided cuts in local law enforcement and in funds for firefighters and other first responders.

The federal budget is like a battleship, badly off course. We cannot steer it to balance overnight, but we are moving it in that direction, applying fiscal discipline, but not at the expense of the values and priorities that we as Democrats hold dear.

I'm Congressman John Spratt. Thanks once again for listening.

During those four deployments, I airlifted wounded and fallen soldiers from Baghdad. I ask you to join me this Memorial Day as we salute our soldiers' duty, sacrifice and commitment for our country. Whether we agree with this war or not, we must thank the families of our soldiers' for their sacrifices here at home, and remember the great honor American soldiers bestow upon our country by placing themselves in harm's way.

While our brave soldiers honor America by standing up and fighting for us around the globe, we must honor them by standing up and fighting for them here at home. The best way to honor their service and sacrifice is to ensure they have the benefits they deserve and the resources they need to succeed when they come home.

If our veterans want to go to college, they should be able to do so the minute their boots hit the ground. I applaud leaders in Washington for passing the bipartisan 21st Century G.I. Bill to give today's new veterans the same educational benefits as our World War II veterans.

Sadly, President Bush has threatened to veto the bill. Senator John McCain, who hopes to take his place, not only opposed it, but when given the opportunity to support his fellow veterans on the eve of Memorial Day weekend, didn't even show up to vote nor express his concerns. Our veterans need to know that leaders in Washington have their back, and vetoing this measure will send a clear message that politics has defeated patriotism.

And while our soldiers fight abroad, their friends and families are fighting for economic relief here at home. As we spend billions on the war, hardworking middle class Americans are losing their jobs, paying more for food and gas, and going without health care.

American families are frustrated with unfair trade agreements that have cost Americans tens of thousands of good paying jobs. We need a change so that our troops can return to a robust and vibrant economy.

I am running for Congress to be a voice for change in Ohio and for our country. In the state legislature, I fought to create the Military Injury Relief Fund that helps injured soldiers transition back into civilian life and assists them with medical expenses. I've also fought hard to make sure National Guard and Reserve troops come home to their jobs when they return from battle.

I've witnessed first-hand the human costs of this war, and in 2005, I had the privilege of flying Senator McCain from Baghdad after visiting with the troops. We both saw the same situation on the ground; and I respectfully disagree with Senator McCain's approach to Iraq. I can't see how we can sustain a presence in Iraq for 100 years.

We need strong leaders in Washington who will bring our troops home from Iraq safely, honorably and soon. Neither President Bush nor John McCain has offered an exit strategy.

While the Iraq war is costing us greatly in human terms, the money American taxpayers are pouring into that country is staggering. We're spending more than $10 billion a month on the war while the quality of life for millions of Americans goes from bad to worse. We're building brand new roads and bridges, and schools in Iraq when we need the same things right here in Ohio and in communities across our country.

Millions in America live without adequate health care coverage yet our government has paid the bill to cover every Iraqi man, woman, and child. We can't afford four more years of the same failed policies.

It will take new leadership to bring real change to Washington.

We need a president and a Congress who will take care of our veterans and find a responsible way to leave Iraq so that we can invest in the American people and in American jobs.

We're proud of our troops fighting for us abroad. Let's make them proud of us by fighting for them here at home. They deserve nothing less.

I'm John Boccieri. I wish you and your family a blessed Memorial Day weekend. Thank you for listening.

"This week a trusted ally, Israel, celebrated the 60th anniversary of its founding in 1948. Around the world, the 1940s were a tumultuous and trying time for liberty. And the man remembered for giving America the New Deal, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, gave our bravest citizens new hope when he signed into law the GI Bill of Rights of 1944. That watershed law brought with it a solemn promise to our soldiers: now that you've come home, we will not let you down.

"Within three years of the enactment of the GI Bill of Rights, half of all Americans in college were veterans. Nearly 8 million of World War II's veterans had received an education or training because of this law. Two million, four hundred thousand home loans for veterans were financed through the Veterans Administration.

"From President Roosevelt's promise of a New Deal for America's GIs was born the middle class. Our economy grew, and our nation, armed with a growingly educated people, became the world's powerhouse.

"President Roosevelt knew that the veterans of World War I were hardly given a handshake when they returned home from combat. He understood that yesterday's thinking wasn't going to honor and protect the heroes of his day. In his own words, our veterans 'have been compelled to make greater economic sacrifice and every other kinds of sacrifice than the rest of us, and are entitled to definite action.'

"Sixty-four years later, we find ourselves in the midst of another war, where once again, our brave soldiers have crossed an ocean to face hostile fire. In Iraq and Afghanistan 4,575 American men and women have made the ultimate sacrifice. Thirty-two thousand have been scarred and wounded. And still to this day, we don't know when our troops will come home.

"But we do know that America must be ready to receive them.

"Last year, the New Direction Congress made the largest investment in our veterans in history -- an increase that President Bush, incidentally, called 'excessive.' What is excessive is that one of every three veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffers from post traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury, or both. There is nothing excessive in securing for our wounded warriors the best health care that they have earned and the chance to go on and live the life they deserve.

"Incredibly, President Bush's budget cuts veterans funding by $20 billion over five years. For the sixth year in a row, his budget also raises health care costs on 1.4 million veterans.

"This is yesterday's thinking at its worst, learning nothing from the lessons of Roosevelt. Our men and women in uniform have stepped up to the plate for the good of our country. It is time we step up to the plate for the good of our veterans.

"On Thursday, the New Direction Congress passed the GI Bill for the 21st Century. Like Roosevelt's GI Bill, our legislation ensures that our veterans can attend college. The GI Bill for the 21st Century will strengthen the middle class, and it will make our heroes from Iraq and Afghanistan the front line of our American economic recovery.

"You don't need to be stuck in the past to learn from it. FDR's lesson to us was that for every dollar America invested in the original GI Bill, $7 were returned to the American economy. That's not only smart economic policy, but it lives up to President Roosevelt's moral ideal of giving, quote, 'emphatic notice to the men and women in our armed forces that the American people do not intend to let them down.'

"President Bush and our Republican colleagues in Congress should join Democrats to make these policies the law of the land so that a grateful nation can repay its heroes. Indeed, if America is to remain the undisputed leader in the manufacturing of ideas and opportunity, education must be our top priority.

"With the GI Bill for the 21st Century, Democrats in Congress have sent a powerful message to our men and women in uniform, and to the rest of the world, that we intend to lead by example.

"My friends, Memorial Day is fast approaching. As we reach out to embrace our loved ones or their memory, let us feel the pride in knowing we did everything we could to honor and repay them for their service. For our veterans and their children, that's the New Deal and the new way of thinking for the 21st Century. As Democrats, that's our commitment to the American people and our future.

"This is Congressman Xavier Becerra. Thanks for listening."

"In every corner of our country, we are paying record prices. When gas prices first began to rise, it was an annoyance. Then it became a burden. Now it is a crisis for every American family - a crisis that doesn't just affect us at the pump, but also raises the prices of groceries, increases our home-heating bills, and squeezes small businesses trying to keep their heads above water.

"Enough is enough. The American people deserve real solutions. Democrats and Republicans have both offered plans, but our approaches could not be more different.

"Republicans want more drilling, more consumption, and more tax giveaways for the big oil companies. Democrats say that those are exactly the policies that got us into this mess to begin with. This week, Democrats offered a new plan - a clean break from the failed Bush policies that were literally written by the big oil companies.

"First, the Democratic plan ends the billions of dollars in tax breaks for big oil companies whose executives have been hauling record profits while we pay record prices.

"Second, our plan forces the oil companies to do their part by investing some of their profits in clean and affordable alternative energy.

"Third, we protect the American people from price gougers and greedy oil traders who manipulate the market.

"Fourth, we temporarily stop filling the national Strategic Petroleum Reserve - which is already 97 percent full - to increase supply here at home and lower prices.

"And fifth, our Democratic plans stands up to OPEC and countries who are working together to keep oil prices sky-high.

"George Bush, Dick Cheney and their Republican friends have had more than seven years to control our national energy policy. Time after time they have sided with big special interests and left the rest of us to pay the bill. Again, enough is enough.

"This fight won't be easy. The President and his oil buddies have gotten used to the spoils of plunder, and they won't give up without a fight. Democrats will fight just as hard - but we need your help. Call President Bush. Call your members of Congress. Tell them that you're fed up with record gas prices, and you want a plan that puts people first. A plan that puts people first is long overdue.

"That's the Democratic plan. That's the plan our country needs. And with your help, we can get real results for you and your family. I'm Senator Debbie Stabenow from Michigan. Thanks for listening, and have a great weekend."