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When you have a Senate that is 50 Democrats and 49 Republicans and one independent, it's quite obvious that the only way we are going to get something done is if we work together.

In America, our differences matter, but our country matters more. That's the attitude I wanted to take to the Senate.

Now that we have the Senate and the House fully controlled by Republicans, we need to be working together.

What's going on in the Senate is kind of a politics of escalation. We're getting sort of like the Mideast: pay back everybody when you're in charge.

The House has passed several bipartisan bills to ensure all Americans have the opportunity to secure a good job to provide for their families. All of these jobs bills deserve the support of our Senators and a strong show of leadership from the president.

If the Senate can't perform its most basic responsibilities, I worry about how we're going to make the tough decisions and do the hard work that will be necessary to get our country on a path to fiscal solvency.

I'm president of the Senate. I'm not a neophyte when it comes to understanding political alignments and misalignments.

It is our job, our responsibility as their representatives to help them. If we choose not to do that, we should not be their representatives.

The U.S. Congress can do a lot to support America's workplaces and the family. By working together in a bipartisan fashion, we can ensure our constituents get jobs they need while helping employers make smart decisions about their workforce.