Senate the Senate Met at 10 A.M
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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 110 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 153 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2007 No. 4 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was appoint the Honorable ROBERT P. CASEY, Jr., speak for the times specified: Senator called to order by the Honorable ROB- a Senator from the State of Pennsylvania, to TESTER, 10 minutes; Senator NELSON of ERT P. CASEY, Jr., a Senator from the perform the duties of the Chair. Florida, 15 minutes; Senator SALAZAR, State of Pennsylvania. ROBERT C. BYRD, 15 minutes; and that when the Senate President pro tempore. reconvenes at 2:15, debate time be ex- PRAYER Mr. CASEY thereupon assumed the tended for another 30 minutes, with The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- chair as Acting President pro tempore. Senators LIEBERMAN and COLLINS rec- fered the following prayer: f ognized for 15 minutes each; that fol- Let us pray. lowing that time, the majority leader Divine Master, You are our strong- RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER be recognized to offer a substitute hold and the pioneer of our future. amendment. Teach us to work with greater faithful- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- ness. May pleasing You become our pri- pore. The majority leader is recog- pore. Is there objection? mary focus as You place a song in our nized. Without objection, it is so ordered. heart for each burden on our shoulders. f Mr. REID. Mr. President, let me be Guide our lawmakers today. Lead very clear that if a Republican Member them to Your fortress of love, patience, SCHEDULE is available and desires to speak, they and kindness. Remind them that any Mr. REID. Mr. President, this morn- would follow a Democratic speaker. We success alien to Your way is worse than ing, the Senate will be in a period of would alternate that. These times only failure and that any failure in Your morning business until 11 a.m. The mi- list Democrats, but if there is a Repub- Spirit is better than gold. Let Your nority will control the first half and lican, we will insert them between the benediction rest upon our Senators, the majority will control the second two, if they want to speak. and may they bring their stewardship half. Under a previous order, the Sen- f in line with the destiny You desire for ate will begin consideration of the eth- their lives. Make them channels of ics legislation at 11 a.m., for debate RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY Your grace and coworkers in the build- only, until the Senate goes into recess LEADER ing of Your kingdom. for its normal weekly party conference We pray in Your wonderful Name. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- luncheons. Amen. pore. The Republican leader is recog- The managers of the bill will be here nized. f at 11 a.m., and they will be making f PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE their opening statements, if appro- SENATOR ALBEN BARKLEY The Honorable ROBERT P. CASEY, Jr., priate, as well as a number of other led the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: Members who have expressed an inter- Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, a I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the est in speaking this morning. When the few months prior to this body’s con- United States of America, and to the Repub- Senate returns after the party lunch- vening last week, I was honored and lic for which it stands, one nation under God, eons, the substitute amendment will be humbled when my colleagues elected indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. laid down. So Members should be ready me to serve as the Republican leader in f to review this amendment and prepare the 110th Congress. their amendments accordingly. APPOINTMENT OF ACTING I am thankful for the trust my I am working with the distinguished PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE friends have placed in me, and I won’t Republican leader to see if we can offer break that trust. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The something together—I am hopeful and At such a time as this, and in such an clerk will please read a communication very confident we can—as a substitute historic Chamber, my thoughts turn to the Senate from the President pro amendment. toward great Kentuckians of the past tempore (Mr. BYRD). who have left their indelible mark on The assistant legislative clerk read f this body. the following letter: ORDER OF PROCEDURE Henry Clay served as Speaker of the U.S. SENATE, Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unan- House, Senator, and Secretary of PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, imous consent that following the open- State, despite losing three Presidential Washington, DC, January 9, 2007. To the Senate: ing statements of Senators FEINSTEIN campaigns. Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, and BENNETT with respect to S. 1, the John Sherman Cooper served as the of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby following Senators be recognized to conscience of the Senate, and I have ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S243 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 21:25 Mar 13, 2014 Jkt 081600 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\2007SENATE\S09JA7.REC S09JA7 mmaher on DSKCGSP4G1 with SOCIALSECURITY S244 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE January 9, 2007 spoken on this floor before of the admi- storyteller. Many can recall Senator On his first day in the top post, ration and respect I will always have Barkley’s saying: ‘‘A good story is like Democratic Senators ignored his plea for the Senator who mentored me in fine Kentucky bourbon . it improves not to override a Presidential veto, my first job on Capitol Hill. with age and, if you don’t use it too putting Barkley on the losing side of a But there is another famous Ken- much, it will never hurt anyone.’’ 71 to 19 vote. The bill had originally tuckian who once dominated these By 1933, Barkley was selected as an been sponsored by Barkley himself, Senate hallways who we should not for- assistant to Senate Majority Leader putting the leader in the humiliating get. Joe Robinson of Arkansas. In 1937, Rob- position of losing a vote to sustain a He was a key lawmaker during World inson died, clearing the way for veto of his own bill. War II, and close friend to Presidents— Barkley’s election as leader—but the Over the next few years, Barkley’s a passionate orator, champion of the manner of Barkley’s election to the top troubles mounted, actually, as he kept New Deal, and popular teller of tall spot would serve today as an object les- finding himself on the losing end of tales. After his Senate service, he made son to Senators of how not to get the votes. Senators cruelly reminded him famous the nickname ‘‘the Veep.’’ job, and it hampered Barkley’s effec- of how he had climbed to the top spot That man is Alben Barkley, the last, tiveness as leader for several years by mockingly referring to him as and until now, the only Senator from thereafter. ‘‘Dear Alben.’’ Kentucky to be elected his party’s When the 75th Congress began, the Even worse, Washington journalists, leader. Democrats held a whopping 76 seats in seeing the leader unable to move his Senator Barkley served as majority the Senate, leaving only 16 Republicans colleagues, dubbed him ‘‘Bumbling leader for 10 years, from 1937 to 1947, and four Independents. Their majority Barkley,’’ and the name stuck. In March 1939, Life magazine pub- longer than anyone else before him. was so large that freshmen Democrats lished a poll of Washington journalists From 1947 to 1949 he served as minority had desks over here on the Republican rating the 10 ‘‘most able’’ Senators. leader, and in 1948 he was elected Vice side of the Chamber in the back. Senators in those days referred to Barkley’s one-time rival Pat Harrison President to President Truman. ranked fifth. The Senate majority lead- But some of my colleagues may not the lone outpost of Democrats over here on the Republican side in the back er did not make the list. know that Senator Barkley almost be- Despite setbacks, Senator Barkley came the first President of the United as the ‘‘Cherokee Strip’’ because those unlucky Members were off the reserva- plunged ahead to lead the Senate and States from Kentucky since Abraham to champion President Roosevelt’s New Lincoln. He lost that opportunity by tion. But the Democratic Party was badly Deal. His colleagues began to melt taking a courageous stand to put the under his considerable personal charm. Senate, the Senators he led, and prin- split in two. Half the caucus supported Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal poli- In contrast with Robinson’s heavy- ciple ahead of political ambition. cies, and the other half frequently un- handed leadership style, Barkley often Like Lincoln, Alben Barkley was sat down with a colleague, disarmed born in a log cabin, literally, on his fa- dermined them. In the leader’s race, the first group him with humor or a funny story, and ther’s tobacco farm in Graves County, lined up behind Barkley, and the latter then made his case. KY, in 1877. The Barkley family was behind Senator Pat Harrison of Mis- Barkley led from the podium at his not a family of means, and Alben grew sissippi. Each Senator had pledges of desk, speaking persuasively and knowl- up chopping wood, harvesting tobacco, support from enough Senators to win, edgeably on any and every bill.