host: thank you for joining us, meredith rapp. guest: thank you, paul. guest: -- host: we have about 15 minutes left before the u.s. house gavels in. on the senate floor today they are taking up jobs, lots of hearings we will tell you about. 15 minutes, open phones, you can talk about any topic you like. here are the phone numbers in case you are just tuning in. for democrats, 202-737-0002. for republicans, 202-737-0001. for independents, 202-628-0205. we will also go through the papers, get some information, including this story in "usa today." "the irs is going easier on tax settlements, being more flexible with taxpayers who have seen their income drop. the commissioner says that the agency is loosening its rules for negotiating settlements for less than the amount owed. they plan to open about 1000 offices on various saturdays starting on march 27 to give taxpayers more opportunities to work with employees to resolve their tax debts. the irs expects to process 138 million, shedding jobs since the start of the recession, many taxpayers will not be abl