SENATE—Monday, May 9, 2011
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May 9, 2011 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE, Vol. 157, Pt. 5 6819 SENATE—Monday, May 9, 2011 The Senate met at 2 p.m. and was shortly, and following any leader re- at the desk, the Chair will administer called to order by the Honorable RICH- marks, the Senate will be in morning the oath of office. ARD BLUMENTHAL, a Senator from the business until 4:30 p.m. At that time The Senator-designate, DEAN HEL- State of Connecticut. there will be 1 hour of debate on the LER, escorted by Mr. REID, advanced to nomination of James Cole to be Deputy the desk of the Vice President; the PRAYER Attorney General. At approximately oath prescribed by law was adminis- The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- 5:30, there will be a cloture vote on the tered to him by the Vice President; and fered the following prayer: Cole nomination. he subscribed to the oath in the Offi- Let us pray. Last week, we were able to enter into cial Oath Book. Merciful God, take possession of our a consent agreement on the nomina- The VICE PRESIDENT. Congratula- hearts so that we will do Your will. Use tion of Edward Chen. We expect to vote tions. us for Your glory as beacons of light on this nomination sometime this Mr. HELLER. Thank you very much. and inspiration in our Nation and week. (Applause, Senators rising.) world. We desire for Your name to re- I note the absence of a quorum. Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. I suggest ceive the honor it is due. So show us The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- the absence of a quorum. Your ways and teach us Your path. pore. The clerk will call the roll. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Lord, be gracious to the Members of The legislative clerk proceeded to pore. The clerk will call the roll. this body, showering them liberally call the roll. The legislative clerk proceeded to with Your wisdom. Let Your love fill Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unan- call the roll. and rule their lives, preparing them for imous consent that the order for the Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unan- that bliss You will give to those who quorum call be rescinded. imous consent that the order for the love You. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- quorum call be rescinded. We pray in Your great name. Amen. pore. Without objection, it is so or- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- pore. Without objection, it is so or- f dered. f dered. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE f CERTIFICATE OF APPOINTMENT The Honorable RICHARD BLUMENTHAL MEASURE PLACED ON THE led the Pledge of Allegiance as follows: The VICE PRESIDENT. The Chair CALENDAR—H.R. 3 I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the lays before the Senate the certificate United States of America and to the Repub- of appointment to fill the vacancy cre- Mr. REID. Mr. President, I am told lic for which it stands, one nation under God, ated by the resignation of former Sen- that H.R. 3 is at the desk and due for a indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. ator John Ensign of Nevada. The cer- second reading. f tificate, the Chair is advised, is in the The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- form suggested by the Senate. pore. The clerk will read the bill by APPOINTMENT OF ACTING title for the second time. PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE If there be no objection, the reading of the certificate will be waived and it The legislative clerk read as follows: The PRESIDING OFFICER. The will be printed in full in the RECORD. A bill (H.R. 3) to prohibit taxpayer funded clerk will please read a communication There being no objection, the mate- abortions and to provide for conscience pro- to the Senate from the President pro rial was ordered to be printed in the tections, and for other purposes. tempore (Mr. INOUYE). RECORD, as follows: Mr. REID. Mr. President, I would now The legislative clerk read the fol- STATE OF NEVADA object to any further proceedings at lowing letter: Executive Department this time. U.S. SENATE, The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- CERTIFICATE OF APPOINTMENT PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, pore. Objection having been heard, the Washington, DC, May 9, 2011. To the President of the Senate of the United States: bill will be placed on the calendar To the Senate: This is to certify that, pursuant to the under rule XIV. Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, power vested in me by the Constitution of f of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby the United States and the laws of the State appoint the Honorable RICHARD of Nevada, I, Brian Sandoval, the governor of SCHEDULE BLUMENTHAL, a Senator from the State of said State, do hereby appoint Dean Heller a Connecticut, to perform the duties of the Senator from said State to represent said Mr. REID. Mr. President, every time Chair. State in the Senate of the United States we have a peaceful transfer of power at DANIEL K. INOUYE, until the vacancy therein caused by the res- any level of our government, it speaks ignation of John Ensign, is filled by election President pro tempore. as provided by law. to the strength of our democracy. Mr. BLUMENTHAL thereupon as- Witness: His excellency our governor Brian Today is no different. sumed the chair as Acting President Sandoval, and our seal hereto affixed at Car- Today, Nevada welcomes our newly son City, Nevada, this third day of May, in appointed Senator, DEAN HELLER— pro tempore. the year of our Lord 2011. f By the governor: until a few minutes ago, Congressman HELLER—to this side of the Capitol. Ne- RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY BRIAN SANDOVAL, Governor. vada is still reeling, more than most, LEADER ROSS MILLER, from the Wall Street recession that The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Secretary of State. crashed our housing and jobs markets. pore. The majority leader is recog- [State Seal Affixed] I look forward to working with our new nized. f junior Senator to make the tough f choices that will help our State and ADMINISTRATION OF OATH OF our citizens recover. SCHEDULE OFFICE The Senate will soon confront one of Mr. REID. Mr. President, following The VICE PRESIDENT. If the Sen- those tough choices. We will continue the ceremony that will take place very ator-designate will now present himself our conversation about how to save ● This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. VerDate Mar 15 2010 12:25 May 20, 2014 Jkt 099102 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0686 Sfmt 0634 E:\BR11\S09MY1.000 S09MY1 ehiers on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with BOUND RECORD 6820 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE, Vol. 157, Pt. 5 May 9, 2011 taxpayer money and lower our Nation’s this before. Every time gas prices go ter before them, today’s Democrats are deficit and debt. We have to recognize up, Democrats claim there is nothing using the crisis of the moment as an that we cannot do either so long as we they can do about it. Then they pro- excuse to push their own vision of the keep giving away money to oil compa- pose something completely counter- future with a ‘‘windfall profits tax’’ on nies that clearly do not need taxpayer productive just to quiet their critics. energy companies. And just like Carter handouts. As gas prices and oil com- This time, it is a tax increase. That is before them, they have rightly been ac- pany profits keep rising, each Senator the Democratic response to high gas cused of bringing a BB gun to the war. will soon have the opportunity to stand prices—a tax hike. This is a serious crisis. It is time for with the millionaires or with the mid- Well, the first thing to say about this serious solutions—solutions that cre- dle class. proposal is that it will not do a thing ate jobs instead of moving them over- Also, today the Senate will vote on to lower gas prices—not a thing. In seas, solutions that decrease our de- whether to advance the nomination of fact, raising taxes on American energy pendence on foreign sources of oil rath- the Attorney General’s top deputy, Jim production will increase the price of er than increase it, solutions that offer Cole. The Deputy Attorney General gas. Oh, and it would also make us relief rather than mere rhetoric. runs the day-to-day operations at the even more dependent on foreign Mr. President, I yield the floor. Department of Justice. He also super- sources of oil. Now, that is not my f vises the National Security Division view. That is the view of the inde- and makes critical decisions each day pendent Congressional Research Serv- RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME that affect the safety of our great Na- ice, which concluded in March that the The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- tion. For instance, Jim Cole is one of Democrats’ proposed tax increase on pore. Under the previous order, the the only people at the Department of energy production would ‘‘make oil and leadership time is reserved. Justice who can sign the critical war- natural gas more expensive for U.S. f rants that permit our intelligence offi- consumers and likely increase foreign cials to conduct surveillance on sus- dependence.’’ It sounds like a brilliant MORNING BUSINESS pected terrorists. strategy to me. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- In the last week, our country has Beyond raising taxes, Democrats in- pore.