Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 109 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 109 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 151 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2005 No. 76 Senate The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was APPOINTMENT OF ACTING RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY called to order by the Honorable JOHN PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE LEADER E. SUNUNU, a Senator from the State of The PRESIDING OFFICER. The The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- New Hampshire. clerk will please read a communication pore. The majority leader is recog- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Today’s to the Senate from the President pro nized. prayer will be offered by the guest tempore (Mr. STEVENS). f chaplain, Bishop Geralyn Wolf of the The legislative clerk read the fol- SCHEDULE Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island, lowing letter: Providence, RI. Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, this morn- U.S. SENATE, ing we will return to the nomination of PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, PRAYER Washington, DC, June 9, 2005. William Pryor to be a judge of the Eleventh Circuit. Yesterday, cloture The guest Chaplain offered the fol- To the Senate: was invoked by a vote of 76 to 32, and lowing prayer: Under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby we will have the vote on the Pryor Almighty God, to the poor, You have appoint the Honorable JOHN E. SUNUNU, a nomination at 4 p.m. today. Following united us to bring uncommon hope; to Senator from the State of New Hampshire, that vote, we will turn to the consider- innocent captives, release; to the blind, to perform the duties of the Chair. ation of the two Sixth Circuit nomina- vision, stretching boundaries of imagi- TED STEVENS, tions that are pending on the Execu- President pro tempore. nation. tive Calendar, with the time allotted The poor in every land stretch out Mr. SUNUNU thereupon assumed the for the Griffin and McKeague nomina- empty bowls, and we do not fill them; chair as Acting President pro tempore. tions totalling 10 hours. However, it is political captives seek justice, and we The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- my hope and expectation that much of respond through the captivity of fear; pore. The Senator from Rhode Island. that time can be yielded back and that the sick yearn for healing arts, yet the we can have those votes either very cries of children still prevail. f late this afternoon or early this O gracious God, You gave us a rich evening. On Monday, we will debate the heritage of compromise, and we cling WELCOMING THE GUEST nomination of Tom Griffith to be judge unyieldingly to personal truths; You CHAPLAIN for the D.C. Circuit Court, with that gave us a world abundant in resources, vote occurring Monday evening. and we squander our inheritance; You Mr. REED. Mr. President, may I say That is an overview of today, pretty gave us wisdom and insight, and our how proud I am of Bishop Wolf, not much as we have agreed earlier in the disagreements sound like loud-clanging only for her prayer but for her extraor- week, and the expected votes. We will symbols. dinary service to the people of the update Members over the course of the O God, forgive us. Release the fires of Rhode Island diocese. Bishop Wolf is a day of changes in the schedule and defi- integrity that dwell within the hearts remarkable person, a remarkable pas- nitely what the schedule will be on of this great Chamber, and make us ur- tor but also a remarkable individual. Monday. And then we will follow that gent to mend the torn fabric of peace, Unlike many people who would be con- with the energy legislation. Following to stretch courageously beyond polit- tent with the trappings of their ecclesi- the remarks from the Democratic lead- ical comfort, and to bring holy bless- astical office, she actually has lived er, I have a short statement on energy. with the homeless in New York, Rhode ings to all God’s people everywhere. f Amen. Island, and Philadelphia. She endured what they endured, she saw their suf- RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY fering. She bore witness to their suf- LEADER f fering not only in her experiences but The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- her work in Rhode Island. She is a re- pore. The Democratic leader is recog- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE markable woman who leads by example nized. The Honorable JOHN E. SUNUNU led literally and constantly reminds us of f the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: our obligations not just to ourselves but to our neighbors. We are very EXPRESSING APPRECIATION I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Repub- proud to have her as our Episcopal Mr. REID. Mr. President, as the lic for which it stands, one nation under God, bishop. Chair and distinguished majority lead- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. I yield the floor. er know, I am sorry we have spent so ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S6243 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 20:38 Jan 30, 2014 Jkt 081600 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\2005SENATE\S09JN5.REC S09JN5 mmaher on DSKCGSP4G1 with SOCIALSECURITY S6244 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE June 9, 2005 much time on judges, but the fact is I that process in the early days of next more diverse energy series of sources. wish to express my appreciation to week. We have to look to new technologies Democratic Senators for being so coop- f here at home. Yes, absolutely we need erative. Since the agreement was made to conserve more, and we also need to ENERGY INDEPENDENCE a week or two ago, my Senators have produce more in order to enhance our been so cooperative. Senator LEAHY Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I do wish energy independence and to enhance has had to change his whole schedule to comment just a bit further on en- our energy security. around this Monday to take care of the ergy, really as a prelude to what we One of the primary energy challenges Griffith nomination. There has been an will be spending a lot of time on begin- we face is this reliance on foreign oil. agreement made that we are not going ning hopefully Monday and then spend- In the 1960s and early 1970s, the United to use all the time on Pryor. ing the course of that week into the States produced almost as much oil as I also express my appreciation to next week, and that is the issue sur- we consumed, and during that period of Senators LEVIN and STABENOW for al- rounding gasoline prices, natural gas time imports were very small. In 1972, lowing us to move forward on the prices, concerns that individuals think however, U.S. oil production began to Michigan judges. In spite of the fact about every single day as they turn on decline, and that production has been that there are some hurt feelings as a the lights in their home, as they go to declining steadily ever since. The U.S. result of the way the Michigan Sen- work, on the way filling up the gas consumption of oil has been steadily ators were treated, they have agreed to tank of their automobile with gasoline, increasing. So we have declining pro- set those aside and move forward on as they use energy sources over the duction and increasing consumption. these two individuals. From all I have course of the day in the activity of As a result, our reliance—this I been able to determine, the two Michi- their small business, and that is the would say irresponsible reliance that gan judges coming before us are well energy challenges that are before us, we have today on foreign oil, on im- qualified, and there will not be any have been before us. Now is the time to ported oil—is growing. Ten years ago, rancorous debate about either one of address them, and that we will. in 1995, we were 47 percent dependent them. But I just want the majority With gasoline now averaging over $2 on foreign sources of oil. Today, that 47 leader to know that we have moved for- a gallon, anyone who has gone to the percent has grown to a 56-percent de- ward on these matters as expeditiously pump lately feels that impact, they pendence on foreign sources of oil. If as possible, in spite of the relatively feel that squeeze of higher energy you project that out, by 2025, if we do difficult time we have had arriving at prices. It is costing families who have nothing, we will be 68-percent depend- this point. driven to work this morning more and ent on foreign oil; much of it, as we all I look forward next week to a vig- more just to get to work, over the last know, coming from countries that do orous debate on the Energy bill. It is several years costing them more to go not necessarily have our best interests great that we are going to be legis- pick up their kids from school in the at heart. lating here for a change. This is an ex- afternoon, or as many people prepare Today we import most of our oil from tremely important piece of legislation. for summer vacations costing them Canada, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, and I am also indicating to all those within more because of this increase in energy Mexico.