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Congressional Record—Senate S6838 S6838 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 24, 2013 stand and fight for the American peo- Mr. CRUZ. Mr. President, my second tions. Lord, make them this day senti- ple to stop this train wreck that is request is: nels on the walls of freedom worthy of ObamaCare. And the answer to my I ask unanimous consent that if a the power and responsibility they exer- friend’s question is: Of course not. cloture motion is filed on the under- cise. Guide and sustain them in the Small businesses all over this country lying measure, that cloture vote occur great unfinished tasks of achieving are getting hammered by ObamaCare, during Friday’s session of the Senate, peace, justice, and understanding and the real loses are not even to the notwithstanding the provisions of rule among all people and nations. small business owners. The real losers XXII. We pray in Your great Name. Amen. are the people, the teenaged kids who The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The would get hired, the single moms who there objection? majority leader. would get hired, the African Ameri- Mr. REID. Reserving the right to ob- Mr. REID. Mr. President, we all ad- cans, the Hispanics who are suddenly ject, we are going to have a cloture mire the Senator from Texas for his finding themselves without a job or are vote at 1 o’clock and any consent wanting to talk. With all due respect, I being forcibly reduced to 29 hours a agreements after that I will be happy am not sure we learned anything new. week and denied the opportunity to get to listen to them. At this stage, I ob- He had talked about it before on a to that first rung of the economic lad- ject. number of occasions—in fact, end- der, which would then get them to the The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objec- lessly. It has been interesting to watch, second, the third, and the fourth. tion is heard. but, for lack of a better way of describ- Millions of Americans are hurting Mr. CRUZ. Well then, it appears I ing this, it has been a big waste of under ObamaCare. It is my plea to this have the floor for another 90 seconds or time. body, to the Democrats, that they lis- so, and so I simply will note for the The government is set to shut down ten to the unions that are asking on American people who have been so en- in a matter of hours. In just a few days behalf of millions of Americans who gaged that this debate is in their the government will close. And it is a are struggling to repeal ObamaCare, hands. Ultimately, all 100 Senators—all shame. We are standing here having that we not have a system where the 46 Republicans, all 54 Democrats—work rich and powerful or big corporations wasted perhaps 2 days—most of yester- for you. The pleas from the American day and a good part of today—when we and Members of Congress are treated to people—certainly those in Texas—are a different set of rules than hard- could pass what we need to pass very deafening. The frustration that the quickly and send it back to the House working Americans. President Obama United States Senate doesn’t listen to has granted illegal exemptions to big of Representatives. They are waiting the people is deafening. So I call on all for us to act. businesses and Members of Congress. I 46 Republicans to unite, to stand to- don’t think the American people It seems that in recent years, rather gether and to vote against cloture on than trying to get things done, we have should be subject to harsher rules. the bill on Friday or Saturday; other- So my plea to this body is that we a mindset in some people’s minds to wise, if we vote with the majority lead- listen to the American people, because delay and stall and try not to get any- er and with the Senate Democrats, we if we listen to our constituents, the an- thing done. I have talked about this be- will be voting to allow the majority swer is: Defund this bill that isn’t fore. I do believe that what we have leader to fund ObamaCare on a straight working, that is hurting the American here with the so-called tea party is a party-line vote of 51 partisan votes. people, that is killing jobs and forcing new effort to strike government how- The American people will understand people into part-time work, that is ever they can, to hurt government. driving up health insurance premiums that. Voting to give that power to the Any day that government is hurt is a and that is causing millions to lose or majority leader, I would suggest, is not good day for them. It is, as I said be- to fear they will lose their health in- consistent with, I believe, the heartfelt fore, the new anarchy. surance. commitment of all 46 members of this We should get this matter back to As the time is wrapping up, I will conference who oppose ObamaCare. the House of Representatives as soon close by noting that at noon we will The only path, if we are to oppose as we can. They may want to change have a prayer. I think it is fitting this ObamaCare, is to stand together and something in this, and we believe that debate conclude with prayer, because I oppose cloture. I ask my friends on the if they have to do that—I don’t think would ask that everyone in this body Democratic side of the aisle to listen to they should, but if they feel they have ask for the Lord’s guidance on how we this plea. to, get it back to us. Each hour we best listen to our constituents, listen The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Pur- waste is one less hour we will have an to the pleas for help that are coming suant to the order of February 29, 1960, opportunity to look at this. Our rules from our constituents. the hour of 12 noon having arrived, the are different from the rules in the The final thing I will do is to make Senate having been in continuous ses- House. So this has been untoward, and two unanimous consent requests I men- sion since convening yesterday, the I would hope we don’t have to waste tioned, and the majority leader may or Senate will suspend for a prayer from more time prior to sending it to the may not agree to them. The first is: the chaplain. House. I ask unanimous consent that the f Under the Senate rules, there are lots cloture vote at 1 p.m. be vitiated and PRAYER of opportunities to waste time, and that at the conclusion of my remarks The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- that is what we do around here now— the motion to proceed to the resolution fered the following prayer: we waste time. be agreed to. The Presiding Officer has been here The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is Let us pray. longer than any other Senator, and he there objection? Eternal God, our refuge and strength, Mr. REID. Reserving the right to ob- may the fact that this Chamber has re- has seen how Senators have worked to- ject, my friend has had an opportunity verberated with a marathon of speak- gether over the years to get things to speak. I will speak for a longer time ing help us to remember to direct our done, not to stop things from hap- period in a few minutes about state- thoughts and words toward Your pening. ments he has made in the last several throne in continuous prayer for our Na- I haven’t been here as long as the dis- hours. But he has spoken. tion. You have challenged us to pray tinguished Presiding Officer, but I have At 1 p.m. the Senate will speak, and without ceasing, for the fervent pray- been here quite a while. I came to the we will follow the rules of the Senate. ers of the righteous avail much. Congress in 1982. I have seen the work I have said very clearly on a number of During this challenging season, give of Democrats and Republicans. I look occasions that we should be moving our Senators the wisdom to make full back with such pleasure that Senator quickly to get this to the House as and complete their commitment to Hatfield and Senator Danforth, an soon as we can. serve the American people. Equip our Episcopalian from Missouri—both Re- I object. lawmakers with the power to clearly publicans—worked to get things done. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objec- discern right from wrong so that integ- The late John Heinz was taken from tion is heard. rity will govern their words and ac- us far too quickly in an unfortunate VerDate Mar 15 2010 03:16 Nov 11, 2014 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00076 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD13\RECFILES\SEP2013\S24SE3.PT2 S24SE3 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE September 24, 2013 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6839 plane accident, but he was a Repub- In just 50 minutes, it will be time for released today. About the best they lican Senator who worked to accom- common sense to prevail. I still have could claim was that some premiums plish things for this country.
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