U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (R-Missouri) delivers the Weekly Republican Address, calling for the Administration and Senate Democrats to quit blocking bipartisan solutions to the high unemployment numbers and increasing gas prices. Senator Blunt says "jobs, jobs, and jobs should be the number one, two and three domestic priorities of the federal government and that the shortest path to more American jobs is more American energy."

Sen. Blunt says, "[f]uel costs are on track to hit an average of $4 a gallon by summertime—that's more than double what they cost when President Obama took office, and it marks a record high for the last two months. Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised. As a candidate, the President said, that energy costs, his quote, he said, 'would necessarily skyrocket' under his plan. Well that's probably one promise the American people wish he hadn't kept."

He concludes, "the administration continues to block the Keystone XL Pipeline—that's the nation's largest shovel-ready project, no taxpayer money involved, it would create thousands of American jobs and deliver more than 800,000 barrels of oil a day to our refineries from our best trading partner and our closest neighbor, Canada—all without costing taxpayers. The Keystone Pipeline is one common-sense step in the right direction to help put more people back to work, reduce prices at the pump, and position our nation for greater energy security now and in the future. Jobs, jobs, and jobs should be the number one, two and three domestic priorities of the federal government. The shortest path to more American jobs is more American energy."

U.S. Senator John Thune speaks at a press conference on the Senate Budget Committee Chairman's decision to essentially cancel a planned budget committee markup and instead only allow opening statements with no amendments and no votes. Thune likened the process to a dog and pony show--without the dog and pony.