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Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 112 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION

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Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 112 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 112 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 157 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011 No. 186 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was Mrs. SHAHEEN thereupon assumed MEASURE PLACED ON THE called to order by the Honorable the chair as Acting President pro tem- CALENDAR—S. 1944 JEANNE SHAHEEN, a Senator from the pore. Mr. REID. I understand that S. 1944 is State of New Hampshire. Mr. REID. Madam President, I note at the desk and due for a second read- the absence of a quorum. PRAYER The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- ing. The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- pore. The clerk will call the roll. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- fered the following prayer: The legislative clerk proceeded to pore. The clerk will read the bill by Let us pray. call the roll. title for the second time. O God, who has blessed us abundantly Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent The legislative clerk read as follows: with inner joy and an outer supply of that the order for the quorum call be A bill (S. 1944) to create jobs by providing all good things, we are grateful for rescinded. payroll tax relief for middle-class families Your helping us in our poor attempts The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- and businesses, and for other purposes. to do Your will. Lord, forgive the pore. Without objection, it is so or- Mr. REID. I object to any further things that keep us divided, the false dered. pride that leads from unity. Give us a proceedings with respect to this legis- f lation. yearning for a life shaped and sup- RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY ported by a will better than our own. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Guide our Senators during today’s la- LEADER pore. Objection having been heard, the bors. Help them know the strength- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- bill will be placed on the calendar ening joys of Your spirit. Keep them pore. The majority leader is recog- under rule XIV. from being intimidated by the world’s nized. problems and threats, because You f f have overcome the world. SCHEDULE We pray in Your great Name. Amen. Mr. REID. Madam President, fol- RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY f lowing leader remarks, the Senate will LEADER PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE be in a period of morning business until The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- The Honorable JEANNE SHAHEEN led 11 a.m. this morning. The majority will pore. The Republican leader is recog- the Pledge of Allegiance as follows: control the first half and the Repub- nized. I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the licans will control the second half. United States of America and to the Repub- ORDER OF PROCEDURE f lic for which it stands, one nation under God, I ask unanimous consent that the indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. order be changed to allow both sides a f PAYROLL TAX EXTENSION half an hour. APPOINTMENT OF ACTING The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE pore. Without objection, it is so or- yesterday my friend the majority lead- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The dered. er unveiled what he rather clerk will please read a communication Mr. REID. Following morning busi- misleadingly referred to as a com- to the Senate from the President pro ness, the Senate will be in executive promise on the payroll tax. I say it was tempore (Mr. INOUYE). session to consider the nomination of misleading because we had to find out The legislative clerk read the fol- Caitlin Halligan to be a judge for the about it from reporters. lowing letter: District of Columbia Circuit. At noon This was not a compromise. This was U.S. SENATE, there will be a cloture vote. I want to nothing more than another bill de- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, make sure that the consent I asked signed to fail so Democrats can have Washington, DC, December 6, 2011. doesn’t change that at all. There will another week of fun and games on the To the Senate: be a little less time to debate that, but Senate floor while tens of millions of Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, I think it will be sufficient. So at noon working Americans go another week of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby wondering whether they are going to appoint the Honorable JEANNE SHAHEEN a there will be a cloture vote on Senator from the State of New Hampshire, Halligan. see a smaller paycheck at the end of to perform the duties of the Chair. Following the vote, the Senate will the year. DANIEL K. INOUYE, recess until 2:15 this afternoon to allow I have said I support this extension. I President pro tempore. for our weekly caucus meetings. don’t think working Americans should ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S8345 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 02:44 Dec 07, 2011 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A06DE6.000 S06DEPT1 pwalker on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with SENATE S8346 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 6, 2011 have to suffer any more than they al- Protection Bureau should move for- safety and soundness of financial insti- ready are for the President’s failure to ward with a director before addressing tutions. This would help ensure that we turn this jobs crisis around. Unfortu- concerns that have been raised about are not inadvertently causing bank nately, the majority leader has yet to the bureau’s lack of transparency or failures through excessive regulations. introduce legislation that can actually accountability to the American people. Our proposal would do nothing more pass the Senate or the House. One I understand through press reports than give congressional committees a would think if that is one of the Presi- that the President plans to make a big proper level of oversight and account- dent’s top priorities, then the Demo- push for this nominee to the CFPB. Let ability over this new bureau and ensure cratic leader of the Senate would put me tell my colleagues something the that its decisions were subject to the together a proposal that is designed to President hasn’t done when it comes to checks and balances that were meant actually pass. But we haven’t seen it this position: In the 7 months since 44 to be inherent in our system—some- yet. We all know what a successful bill Republicans sent the President a letter thing we owe the American people. would look like. So I hope the majority outlining some very serious and very Everybody supports strong and effec- leader comes forward with a real pro- reasonable concerns about it, he hasn’t tive consumer protection, but the posal soon because time is running out. done a thing to address these con- CFPB, in its current form, cannot It makes absolutely no sense at a mo- cerns—not one thing. If he picked up stand. In its current form, the CFPB ment when 14 million Americans are the phone to talk these issues over could easily be used for political pur- looking for jobs to raise taxes on the with anybody in our conference, I poses at the expense of access to credit, very people we are counting on to cre- haven’t heard about it. If he has put job creation, economic growth, and fi- ate them. That is why the Senate re- some thought into how he could ensure nancial stability. jected the idea last week on a bipar- the perfectly legitimate concerns we What is needed is transparency and tisan basis. raised in that letter are addressed, he accountability. That is all we have Look, the Democrats know as well as hasn’t let us in on the game plan. asked for, and the President has done we do that this is a terrible idea. They Here is what we asked for in that let- nothing to address these concerns. In- have seen the same letters I have. The ter, which has now been signed by 45 stead, he has ignored these perfectly le- National Association of Manufacturers Republican Senators—not 44, 45: All we gitimate concerns, and now he is sud- says this tax hike would seriously im- asked for before we vote to confirm denly making a push to confirm his pair the ability of their members to anybody to run the CFPB—regardless nominee because it fits into some pic- put unemployed Americans back to of their party affiliation, regardless of ture he wants to paint about who the work. The Democrats know as well as I who the President is—are three clear, good guys and the bad guys are in do that four out of five of those who simple, commonsense reforms that Washington. would be hit by this are business own- would make sure this new agency is ac- So once again he has used the Senate ers, people who create jobs. The only countable to the American people. floor this week to stage a little polit- reason—the only reason—we even went No. 1, replace the single director with ical theater. He is setting up a vote he through this exercise is because it ob- a board of directors that would oversee knows will fail so he can show up after- viously polls well. the bureau. Under the deeply flawed ward and say he is shocked.
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