senator stabenow. >> thank you mr. chairman and ranking member. this is a very important issue and i appreciate the focus now and look forward to working with you. i am a little surprised at what feels like an optimistic view of what people are saving and somehow people will have enough. i am just throwing out a couple of different numbers, the center for the retirement research sent in 2010 would have at least a $6.6 trillion deficit in terms of what people needed and what they were saving. last year, 2013 the national institute on the retirement set of 92% of working households didn't meet the targets they needed for savings. somewhere between 6.814 trillion. so, i'm concerned about the difference is that i want to ask specifically about a group of folks that we haven't talked about this morning. that is as we look at what happened in the great recession and people in their jobs and their homes and they lack the equity in their homes which is a major way that people save for the middle-class families as well as retirement. and we look at what ha

stabenow: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, there was an opportunity this session to work together in a bipartisan way to provide certainty around the tax code for families and farmers and businesses, at least for 2014 and 2015. there may still be a small window of opportunity to get things done. i certainly support doing that if we can. but i want to speak to the importance of having some certainty at least through the end of 2015 as it relates to our tax policy for investing, for the economy, for homeowners to make decisions. back in april, thanks to the leadership of chairman wyden and ranking member hatch, those of us on the senate finance committee worked together closely and passed the expire act, a bipartisan bill that would renew tax provisions for 2014 and 2015 so that, again, people can plan -- business, farmers -- at least through that two-year period. it would give businesses and families across the country the certainty that they desperately need. unbelievably, back at the time when we brought it to the

stabenow: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from michigan. ms. stabenow: mr. president, carl levin has been my senator for 36 years. and it has been one of the great honors of my life to serve for the last 14 years as his partn partner as well as his friend representing michigan. the year he was elected, greece was the year's highest -- "grease" was the year's highest grossing moving. "and "staying alive" was the nation's highest grossing movie. and you should see senator levin dance. so he's outlasted disco, the soviet union, and all six people who challenged him in elections, including an astronaut. that's because, mr. president, integrity never goes out of style. and senator levin has never wavered in his devotion to michigan and to his country. he's brought that patriotism as we've heard today and as we each know to the armed services committee. no one has done more to ensure that our men and women in uniform are battle ready with the supplies and technology they need to be the best military in the world other than him. or to make sure they receive good pa

he also lives in oregon and i told senator stabenow that i was wearing my duck tie today and i didn't wear it for two weeks out of respect to senator stabenow and the state of michigan after the duck triumph over michigan state but mr. biggs, i couldn't hold off any longer. >> there will be another day. >> there will be another day. >> i am glad the fight is between two democrats this time. >> we'll await miss schultz. mr. bogle, welcome and we look forward to your presentation. senator brown as very tight schedule this morning. when all of you are done, senator brown will begin the questioning from our side and we'll turn to mr. hatch. >> good morning, chairman wyden, ranking member hatch, other members of the committee. i'm honored by your invitation to be with you. my experience in the financial services field began 63 years ago a long time. in 1974 i founded the vanguard group, a new company on the mutual fund scene and we now manage $3 trillion worth of other people's money and become the largest mutual fund firm in the world. the principle reason for that success, that success i

in the new position of strategic policy adviser to the policy committee joining vice-chair debbie stabenow and vice-chair patty murray. along charles schumer minority whip dick durbin and democratic leader harry reid. >> new year's day on the c-span networks, here are some of our featured programs. 10:00 a.m. eastern, the washington ideas forum. energy conservation with david crain, business magnate t. boone pickens, cake love owner warren brown and inventor dean kamen. at 4:00 p.m. eastern the brooklyn historical society holds a conversation on race. at 8:00 p.m. eastern from the explorers club, apollo vii astronaut, walt cunningham on the first manned spaceflight. new year's day on consider c-span2, before noon eastern hector tobar on 33 men buried in chilean mine. richard smith on life of nell shown rockefeller. 8:00 p.m. eastern former investigative correspondent for cbs news sharyl attkisson on her experiences reporting on the obama administration. new year's day american history tv on c-span3 juanita abernathy on the role of women in the civil rights movement. benjamin carp on the li

stabenow: mr. president, first let me start by saying as senator harkin was so eloquently speaking today, it reminded me of a story of those going by the casket of president roosevelt and the reporter stopping someone and saying did you know president roosevelt? and he said no, but he knew me. there are people across this country, people with disabilities, workers, folks trying hard to get up that ladder want to know there's rungs on it or be able to stay in the middle class who may not be able to say they know senator tom harkin personally, but he knows them. and we are so grateful and i'm personally grateful for your friendship and your leadership and mentorship. and i want to speak just for a moment as chair of the agriculture and nutrition and forestry committee where i had to follow the tough act of senator tom harkin writing the previous two farm bills. he has shaped agriculture and food and nutrition policy in the house and senate for 40 years, having a tremendous impact, more than we can ev

leahy, sanders, walsh, murray, reed of rhode island, udall of new mexico, whitehouse, klobuchar, stabenow, coons, menendez, boxer, harkin, and durbin. mr. reid: i now move to proceed to legislative session. the presiding officer: question is on the motion. is there is sufficient second? there appears to be. the clerk will call the roll. vote: vote: squasnroo vote: vote: the presiding officer: are there any senators wishing to vote or change their vote? if not, the ayes are 52, the nays are 42. the motion is agreed to. mr. reid: madam president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. reid: i move to proceed to calendar number 840, astephan lopez, and i move that -- and do so that we are in executive session. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the clerk will call the roll. vote: vote vote: vote the presiding officer: are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or change their vote? on this vote, the ayes are 54, the noes are 40. the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk:

schatz, leahy, walsh, murray, reed of rhode island, udall of new mexico, whitehouse, klobuchar, stabenow, coons, menendez, levin, boxer, harkin and durbin. mr. reid: i move to proceed to legislative session. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion to proceed. is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the clerk will call the roll. vote: vote: