Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 111 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
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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 111 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 155 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2009 No. 192 House of Representatives The House was not in session today. Its next meeting will be held on Saturday, December 19, 2009, at 6 p.m. Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was O God, from whom all noble desires ings, enabling them to see and experi- called to order by the Honorable and all good counsels do proceed, crown ence evidences of Your love. May their KIRSTEN E. GILLIBRAND, a Senator from the deliberations of our lawmakers consistent communication with You the State of New York. with spacious thinking and with sym- radiate in their faces, be expressed in pathy for all humanity. As they face their character, and be exuded in posi- PRAYER perplexing questions, quicken in them tive joy. Sanctify this day of labor The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- every noble impulse, transforming fered the following prayer: their work into a throne of service. with the benediction of Your approval. Let us pray. Lord, shower them with Your bless- We pray in Your great Name. Amen. NOTICE If the 111th Congress, 1st Session, adjourns sine die on or before December 23, 2009, a final issue of the Congres- sional Record for the 111th Congress, 1st Session, will be published on Thursday, December 31, 2009, to permit Members to insert statements. All material for insertion must be signed by the Member and delivered to the respective offices of the Official Reporters of Debates (Room HT–59 or S–123 of the Capitol), Monday through Friday, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. through Wednesday, December 30. The final issue will be dated Thursday, December 31, 2009, and will be delivered on Monday, January 4, 2010. None of the material printed in the final issue of the Congressional Record may contain subject matter, or relate to any event, that occurred after the sine die date. Senators’ statements should also be formatted according to the instructions at http://webster/secretary/conglrecord.pdf, and submitted electronically, either on a disk to accompany the signed statement, or by e-mail to the Official Reporters of Debates at ‘‘[email protected]’’. Members of the House of Representatives’ statements may also be submitted electronically by e-mail, to accompany the signed statement, and formatted according to the instructions for the Extensions of Remarks template at http:// clerk.house.gov/forms. The Official Reporters will transmit to GPO the template formatted electronic file only after receipt of, and authentication with, the hard copy, and signed manuscript. Deliver statements to the Official Reporters in Room HT–59. Members of Congress desiring to purchase reprints of material submitted for inclusion in the Congressional Record may do so by contacting the Office of Congressional Publishing Services, at the Government Printing Office, on 512–0224, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. daily. By order of the Joint Committee on Printing. CHARLES E. SCHUMER, Chairman. ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S13343 . VerDate Nov 24 2008 02:38 Mar 11, 2010 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 8633 E:\RECORD09\S17DE9.REC S17DE9 mmaher on DSK69SOYB1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE S13344 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 17, 2009 PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE an amendment they did not like, and RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY The Honorable KIRSTEN E. then complaining when that amend- LEADER GILLIBRAND led the Pledge of Alle- ment they did not like was withdrawn, The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- giance, as follows: they have made their point to the pore. The Republican leader is recog- American people. They have made it I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the nized. United States of America, and to the Repub- perfectly clear they have no interest in f lic for which it stands, one nation under God, cooperating or legislating. indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. But the families and businesses who HEALTH CARE REFORM are suffering, hurting, and dying every f Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, single day have no time for these kinds Senators on both sides acknowledge APPOINTMENT OF ACTING of games. That is why we are going to that the health care bill we are consid- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE finish health care whether the other ering is among the most significant The PRESIDING OFFICER. The side cooperates or not. pieces of legislation any of us will ever clerk will please read a communication But health care is not the only crit- consider—I think, I would argue, the to the Senate from the President pro ical issue this body faces. It is not the most significant piece of legislation tempore (Mr. BYRD). only critical issue to this country or certainly in my time here. So it stands The legislative clerk read the fol- before this body. Right now we have to to reason we would devote significant lowing letter: complete a bill that supports the fight- time and attention to it. ing men and women of this country, Indeed, some would argue we should U.S. SENATE, spend more time and attention on this PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, whether they are in Iraq, Afghanistan, Washington, DC, December 17, 2009. Korea, Japan—all those many bases bill than most—if not every—previous To the Senate: where tens of thousands of people are bills we have considered. Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, stationed. It is as simple as that. The majority, obviously, disagrees. of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby Here are some of the good things in Why? Because this bill has become a appoint the Honorable KIRSTEN E. the bill that is now before the Senate, political nightmare—a literal political GILLIBRAND, a Senator from the State of New the message from the House. It funds nightmare to them—as evidenced by York, to perform the duties of the Chair. more than $100 billion for operations, more and more public opinion polls, in- ROBERT C. BYRD, cluding the Wall Street Journal/NBC President pro tempore. maintenance, and military personnel requirements for the wars in Iraq and poll out this morning. They know Mrs. GILLIBRAND thereupon as- Afghanistan. Part of that money will Americans are overwhelmingly opposed sumed the chair as Acting President also support preparations to continue to it, so they want to get it over with pro tempore. withdrawal from Iraq. There is more as quickly as possible. f than $23 billion for the equipment used Americans are already outraged at by our servicemembers in Iraq and Af- the fact that Democratic leaders took RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY their eyes off the ball, rushing the LEADER ghanistan to do their jobs and stay safe. There is more than $150 billion to process on a partisan line that makes The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- train our troops and prepare them for the situation even worse. pore. The majority leader is recog- battle. There is more than $30 billion Americans were told the purpose of nized. for the health care of our servicemem- reform was to reduce the cost of health care. Instead, Democratic leaders pro- f bers, their families, and their children. It also gives our brave and valiant duced a $2.5 trillion, 2,074-page mon- SCHEDULE strosity that vastly expands govern- troops a pay raise of 3.4 percent this ment, raises taxes, raises premiums, Mr. REID. Madam President, fol- year. lowing leader remarks, the Senate will This is not a partisan issue. Yester- and wrecks Medicare. And they want to resume consideration of the motion to day, this bill passed the House 395 to 34. rush this bill through by Christmas? concur with respect to H.R. 3326, the More than 90 percent of Democrats They want to rush this bill through by Defense Appropriations Act. The first voted for this bill. More than 90 per- Christmas that does all of these de- hour will be equally divided and con- cent of Republicans in the House of structive things. One of the most sig- trolled between the two leaders or Representatives voted for this bill. nificant, far-reaching pieces of legisla- their designees. The Republicans will That is because they know to our fight- tion in U.S. history, and they want to control the first 30 minutes and the ing men and women—these brave rush it. Here is the most outrageous part. At majority will control the next 30 min- Americans half a world away, a lot of the end of this rush, they want us to utes. I filed cloture on the motion to them—who wage two wars on our be- vote on a bill that no one outside the concur. That vote will occur sometime half, it is immaterial whether the lead- in the next 10 or 12 hours. majority leader’s conference room has ers who will give them all the re- seen yet. No one has seen it. That is f sources they need to succeed are pro- right. The final bill we vote on is not gressives or conservatives. Surely, our PASSAGE OF CRITICAL even the one we have had on the floor troops who are on deployment after de- LEGISLATION of the Senate. It is the deal Democratic ployment after deployment spend more leaders have been trying to work out in Mr.