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, WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2009 No. 78 Senate The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was U.S. SENATE, Yesterday, I filed cloture on this leg- called to order by the Honorable TOM PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, islation. Under rule XXII, germane UDALL, a Senator from the State of Washington, DC, May 20, 2009. first-degree amendments must be filed To the Senate: New Mexico. Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, by 1 p.m. today. of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby If we are able to reach an agreement, PRAYER appoint the Honorable TOM UDALL, a Senator we will also consider the conference re- The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- from the State of New Mexico, to perform port to accompany S. 454, the procure- fered the following prayer: the duties of the Chair. ment legislation, during the day. Let us pray. ROBERT C. BYRD, President pro tempore. Eternal Father, thank You for f Mr. UDALL of New Mexico thereupon today—fresh with sparkling dew and WORKING TOGETHER bright with the splendor of the morn- assumed the chair as Acting President ing Sun. We accept this day as a gift pro tempore. Mr. REID. Mr. President, I made a from Your bounty and will use it for f decision at the beginning of this Con- the glory of Your Name. As our Sen- RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY gress to go back to the way the Senate ators strive to do what is best for this LEADER used to be, or at least the way I saw the Senate. I believed if we moved great land, lead them with Your might. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Guide them by Your higher wisdom and away from the past practices of the pore. The majority leader is recog- last 15 years of limiting the offering of make them know the constancy of nized. Your presence. Lord, give them the amendments, for example, having more greatness of being on Your side and the f debate, not less, that a new spirit delight of knowing they are doing Your SIGNING AUTHORITY would develop in this historic body we will. Keep their hearts and minds riv- Mr. REID. Mr. President, first, I ask call the Senate. eted on You, as they seek to be respon- unanimous consent that today, May 20, I believe that spirit has come—come sive to Your leading. Make them stew- I be authorized to sign any duly en- slowly—but with the trust of the Re- ards of the blessings You have given rolled bills or joint resolutions. publicans growing with the majority, them. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- amendments have come with the idea We pray in the Redeemer’s Name. pore. Without objection, it is so or- of improving or changing legislation, Amen. dered. not the ‘‘I gotcha’’ politics, tactics of the past used by both Democrats and f f Republicans. The result has been legis- SCHEDULE lation being passed of which we can all PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mr. REID. Mr. President, following take credit: leader remarks, the Senate will resume The lands bill; Ledbetter, equal pay The Honorable TOM UDALL of New consideration of the emergency supple- for men and women; the Children’s Mexico led the Pledge of Allegiance, as mental appropriations bill. There will Health Insurance Program, 14 million follows: be up to 2 hours for debate in relation kids with health insurance; the eco- I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the to the Inouye amendment. That is the nomic recovery package, which is United States of America, and to the Repub- Inouye-Inhofe amendment. The Repub- being felt now around the country; the lic for which it stands, one nation under God, licans will control the first 30 minutes, omnibus spending bill, which was long indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the majority will control the next 30 overdue; national service legislation, minutes, and the final hour will be allowing 750,000 men and women to be- f equally divided and controlled between come involved in public service, get- the two leaders or their designees, with ting paid a little bit for that but help APPOINTMENT OF ACTING Senators permitted to speak for up to for their college education. PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE 10 minutes each. Senator INOUYE will We did some things that needed to be The PRESIDING OFFICER. The control the final 5 minutes prior to the done with the budget, reducing the def- clerk will please read a communication vote. Upon the use or yielding back of icit in 5 years by as much as two- to the Senate from the President pro time, the Senate will proceed to vote thirds. We passed housing legislation, tempore (Mr. BYRD). on the amendment. Senators should ex- which will bolster the ability of regu- The assistant legislative clerk read pect the first vote of the day to begin lators to do a good job of watching the following letter: around 11:30 to a quarter of 12. what goes on with housing, including ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S5649 . VerDate Nov 24 2008 01:37 May 22, 2009 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD09\S20MY9.REC S20MY9 mmaher on PROD1PC76 with CONG-REC-ONLINE S5650 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 20, 2009 strengthening the Federal Deposit In- men and women, risking their lives in the House with wide bipartisan sup- surance Corporation; passing the finan- abroad, and to citizens here at home. port and here by unanimous consent. cial fraud legislation to stop some of Congress will demonstrate its serious- On June 3, we will host a celebration the tactics cheaters use to cause the ness about that responsibility when it in the Capitol, with the State of Cali- problems that were caused leading to votes against an open-ended plan to re- fornia sending their statue of Ronald this economic crisis. Yesterday morn- lease or transfer detainees at Guanta- Wilson Reagan to join the collection of ing, we passed the credit card legisla- namo. State statues from around the country. tion. The administration has shown a good In February 2011, we will commemorate We have a long ways to go. But I deal of flexibility on matters of na- his 100th birthday. think we are beginning to trust each tional security over the past few To his beloved Nancy, his family, and other that amendments are being of- months: on Iraq, for example, in not in- all of us who believe that the best days fered to take provisions out of legisla- sisting on an arbitrary deadline for are ahead in this shining city on a hill, tion or to add to legislation to improve withdrawal; on military commissions, I stand in humble gratitude for his it in the mind of the person offering by deciding to resume their use; on service and great pride that Congress the amendment. prisoner photos, by concluding that re- has finally agreed to enact legislation As a result of this, we can all go back leasing them would jeopardize the safe- to commemorate one of the most im- to our constituencies during this recess ty of our service men and women; and portant Americans of the 20th century. saying we are working together now, on Afghanistan, by replicating the Mr. President, I suggest the absence we are getting some things done. This surge strategy that has worked so well of a quorum. does not help Democrats or Repub- in Iraq. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- licans; it helps us both, and it helps our I hope the administration will show pore. The clerk will call the roll. country. more of this flexibility by changing its The assistant legislative clerk pro- position on an arbitrary deadline for f ceeded to call the roll. closing Guantanamo. Americans do not Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I ask RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY want some of the most dangerous men unanimous consent that the order for LEADER alive coming here or released overseas, the quorum call be rescinded. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- where they can return to the fight, as The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- pore. The Republican leader is recog- many other detainees who have been pore. Without objection, it is so or- nized. released from Guantanamo already dered. have. f f Some will argue that terrorists can WORKING TOGETHER be housed safely in the United States RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME based on past experience. But we have Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, let The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- already seen the disruption that just me say to my good friend, the majority pore. Under the previous order, the one terrorist caused in Alexandria, VA. leader, I concur with his observations leadership time is reserved. The number of detainees the adminis- about how the Senate should appro- tration now wants to transfer stateside f priately work. I think we have had a is an order of magnitude greater than SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS process for handling legislation this anything we have considered before. It ACT, 2009 year that both sides can be proud of, is one thing to transfer one or two ter- and I wish to say I concur entirely with The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- rorists—disruptive as that may be—it his observations about the way the pore.