E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 112 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 158 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 2012 No. 97 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was COONS, a Senator from the State of Dela- We have accomplished a lot. Every- called to order by the Honorable CHRIS- ware, to perform the duties of the Chair. one knows how grateful I am to Sen- TOPHER A. COONS, a Senator from the DANIEL K. INOUYE, ators STABENOW and ROBERTS for work- State of Delaware. President pro tempore. ing their way and our way through Mr. COONS thereupon assumed the that very difficult farm bill. PRAYER chair as Acting President pro tempore. We are watching very closely the The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- f great work of Senator BOXER, Senator fered the following prayer: INHOFE, the Finance Committee, the RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY Commerce Committee, and the Bank- Let us pray. LEADER Gracious God, You have been faithful ing Committee on helping us work to help us when we have lifted our The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- through the highway bill. There is a possibility that we can get that bill hearts in prayer. Thank You for Your pore. The majority leader is recog- done. I think the chances today are providential care of this legislative nized. better than 50–50 that we can get a bill body. Open the eyes and hearts of our f done, but we are still looking at Speak- lawmakers so that they will know and SCHEDULE er BOEHNER to help us get that over the do Your will. Lord, guide them in the finish line. So we will see what happens way they should go, providing them Mr. REID. Mr. President, we are cur- on that. with wisdom to solve challenging prob- rently considering the motion to con- cur in the House message to accom- As I have indicated, the FDA bill—we lems by depending on Your guidance. will complete that tonight. That is a Help them to think of each other as fel- pany the FDA bill postcloture. We hope to work something out on that so that very important accomplishment for us. low Americans seeking Your best for We have the student loan issue, and we can move to it early evening. our Nation rather than enemy parties we are working on that. We hope to get The first hour of debate this morning seeking to defeat each other. Replace that done soon. I think there is a gen- will be equally divided and controlled, distrust in each other with a deep com- eral feeling that we have worked out a with the Republicans controlling the mitment to creative compromise. compromise on that that is acceptable, first half and the majority controlling We pray in Your sacred Name. Amen. with the help of Senator BAUCUS, Sen- the final half. ator HARKIN, and others. JACK REED, of f At 11:30 the Senate will proceed to course, has led the charge on that for executive session to consider the nomi- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE some time. nation of Robin Rosenbaum to be a dis- The Honorable CHRISTOPHER A. COONS I have talked about the highway bill. trict judge for the Southern District of led the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: We need to get that done. Florida. I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the The remaining issue is flood insur- At noon there will be a rollcall vote ance, and we are doing fine on flood in- United States of America, and to the Repub- on confirmation of the Rosenbaum lic for which it stands, one nation under God, surance, except I was told last night indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. nomination. that one of the Republican Senators The Senate will recess today from wants to offer an amendment—listen to f 12:30 to 2:15, as we normally do on this one—wants to offer an amendment APPOINTMENT OF ACTING Tuesdays, for our weekly caucus meet- on when life begins. I have been very PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE ings. patient in working with my Republican At 2:15 there will be 6 hours 15 min- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The colleagues and allowing relevant utes remaining on the motion to con- amendments on issues, and sometimes clerk will please read a communication cur in the House message with respect to the Senate from the President pro we even do nonrelevant amendments to the FDA bill. We hope that a signifi- but, really, on flood insurance, are we tempore (Mr. INOUYE). cant amount of time can be yielded going to have to start dealing as we did The legislative clerk read the fol- back and that we can complete action lowing letter: with the highway bill for weeks and on the bill today. weeks with contraception? Now we U.S. SENATE, There is an all-Senators briefing at 5 have another person who wants to deal PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, o’clock. We are going to continue—that Washington, DC, June 26, 2012. with when life begins. To the Senate: time will run. We are not going to re- I don’t understand what this is all Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, cess during that period of time. That about, but I want everyone to know of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby will be in the classified room down in that this flood insurance bill is ex- appoint the Honorable CHRISTOPHER A. the Visitor Center. tremely important. The big pushers of ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S4601 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 23:41 Jun 26, 2012 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A26JN6.000 S26JNPT1 smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with SENATE S4602 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE June 26, 2012 this bill are Republican Senators, vet- lowing hour will be equally divided and foresee how that happens without a eran Republican Senators, and they controlled between the two leaders or good growing economy, putting Ameri- better work on their side of the aisle their designees, with the Republicans cans to work. because I am not going to put up with controlling the first half and the ma- Of course, from an individual’s point that on the flood insurance bill. jority controlling the final half. of view, it is important as a component I can be condemned by outside Mr. REID. Mr. President, I suggest of our lives—something that is impor- sources. My friends can say: Let him the absence of a quorum. tant to us, which is that we figure out have a vote on it. There will not be a The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- how to earn a living, put food on the vote on that on flood insurance. We pore. The clerk will call the roll. table, save for our kids’ education, and will either do flood insurance with The legislative clerk proceeded to save for retirement. amendments that deal with flood insur- call the roll. The issues being addressed in the ance or we will not do it. We will have Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I ask Senate, across the country, and across an extension. After all of the work that unanimous consent that the order for the street at the U.S. Supreme Court has been put into this bill, this is ridic- the quorum call be rescinded. matter so much. We must not and can- ulous, that somebody says: I am not The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- not lose sight of the fact that we have going to let this bill go forward unless pore. Without objection, it is so or- to create an environment where jobs I have a vote on when life begins. I am dered. are front and center. We know the eco- not going to do that, and I think I Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I ask nomic statistics—the unemployment speak for the majority of Senators. unanimous consent to address the Sen- rate is 8.2 percent and has been above 8 Now, if the Republicans will not ate as in morning business. percent now for a long time. The Pre- stand up to the person who is going to The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- siding Officer in the Senate this morn- do that, I am not going to. I have tried pore. Without objection, it is so or- ing and I have introduced legislation my best to deal with these issues that dered. the primary function of which is to cre- have nothing to do with a piece of leg- PUTTING AMERICA TO WORK ate an entrepreneurial environment islation, but with the end of the month Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, we have where startup companies can grow and staring us in the face we have too had a lot of news in Washington, DC, prosper, and, in the process, they can many important things we have to do. and across the country over the last put people to work. It is growth that Student loans will be doubled if we do few days. There was a decision from we need to continue to focus on. I ap- not get that done. Flood insurance will the Supreme Court regarding immigra- preciate the opportunity of working in disappear if we do not get it done. The tion laws in Arizona. We are expecting that manner with the Senator from highway program will disappear if we and anticipating a decision by the Su- Delaware, Mr.