S5158 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 1, 2011 reduction of debt. It is bipartisan, it is o’clock shall be equally divided and sends me little notes and comments honest, it achieves real debt reduction, controlled between the two leaders or during meetings and wants to make and it does it in the fairest possible their designees, with Senators per- sure I am connected to what he is way. It puts everything on the table— mitted to speak for up to 10 minutes doing back home. But this debate we everything. There are no sacred cows. each. are having—this moment in time—to Everything is on the table. It means it Who yields time? If no one yields figure out where we are going is about goes beyond spending cuts to the enti- time, the time will be charged equally the Jacobs and the other children of tlement programs, which makes those between the parties. his age and those not yet born. It is of us on the Democratic side particu- The Senator from Illinois. about what we are going to do for larly nervous. But it also goes to rev- Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I sug- them. The Presiding Officer and I have enue—new revenue—to reduce the def- gest the absence of a quorum and ask already experienced and enjoyed many icit, which makes those on the other that the time under the quorum call be years of our life, and hopefully we will side of the aisle nervous. But what we equally divided between both sides. enjoy many more, but really it is about The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without should be nervous about is a con- Jacob and the other children. objection, it is so ordered. The clerk tinuing deficit and a weakening econ- When I go back home, I get a chance will call the roll. to talk with the kids. I am sure the omy and a debt left to our children. The assistant bill clerk proceeded to Presiding Officer has done the same, I believe this proposal that is before call the roll. us now—this agreement of the lead- Mr. BEGICH. Madam President, I ask where you go into an elementary ers—should be adopted in a timely unanimous consent that the order for school—I know the Presiding Officer fashion. I hope we can move to it the quorum call be rescinded. was a teacher in Sunday preschool— today. We are working out with the Re- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. you go in and have conversations with publicans a schedule when these mat- HAGAN). Without objection, it is so or- the kids, and in their own way, which ters will be considered. There will be dered. is sometimes very brutally honest, those on the right and the left who will Mr. BEGICH. Madam President, I they tell you all about what they think be critical, and I can understand their have come to the floor and talked is going on. And I will give a quote thinking. It doesn’t serve either side many times of my constituents back here in a second of what my son said to particularly well. But it is a com- home in Alaska and the importance of me. He doesn’t understand everything promise and a consensus. ensuring we have a balanced approach we are doing, but he understands it is I think of all the people who con- in how we deal with this incredible an intense time here because I am not tacted my office from Illinois and be- debt crisis we are in and how we man- home. I am not with him. So he knows yond during the last several weeks, age to create some certainty not only it is important, what we are doing begging us to do something, to not let for today but in the years to come. We here, as we debate this solution and this economy fail, to work together want to make sure we not only create what will be the next step. and compromise and find a way to re- certainty but we also do what we can Is what we have come up with a per- solve our differences. I think this is a to protect working families, honor our fect solution? No. Are there some reasonable attempt to do that. I will commitment to seniors and veterans, issues about which I am still con- support it, with some misgivings. But I and let our small businesses know that cerned? Yes. But does it move us down believe it gives us the way to get we stand behind them, we want them a path to start dealing with the spend- through this crisis and to move to a to be successful, and we want to create ing, the deficit, and the debt, creating better place where we deal with this some certainty out there so they can certainty and protecting those who deficit and debt in a responsible, bipar- expand their operations and oppor- need protection, such as our seniors tisan manner, asking for shared sac- tunity. and our veterans? Yes. rifice from all those across America I am sitting here in Washington, DC, This proposal produces about a $1 who can make a sacrifice. That is the and it is whatever temperature it is trillion downpayment on our deficit nature of our Nation. It is the nature of outside right now—maybe 100 degrees, and debt. It lays out a process by which our history, where time and again we with 80 or 90 percent humidity—and we can achieve another $1.5 trillion in have rallied as a nation to face even sometimes I think we could have got- debt reduction if this joint committee more daunting challenges in the past. ten this done quicker if we had just can come back with a proposal. Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I turned off the air-conditioning. We In the process of all this, we will cre- suggest the absence of a quorum. probably could have gotten things done ate certainty in the marketplace. We The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- quicker, with better results. But we are will create certainty for that small pore. The clerk will call the roll. where we are. We are in the last 24 businessperson who has been thinking The assistant bill clerk proceeded to hours or so before we have to make a about expanding their business. They call the roll. decision as to what to do with the pro- can do that because the markets will Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I posals, the solutions that have been respond positively. ask unanimous consent that the order presented. We will create certainty for the indi- for the quorum call be rescinded. I am here, but I wish I were home, to vidual who was thinking about buying The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- be frank with you. This last weekend, a house or a car because now there will pore. Without objection, it is so or- my son was celebrating his ninth birth- be stable rates. dered. day, and as a parent every birthday is For those who are putting money f huge and makes a difference. I know aside for the education of their young the Presiding Officer knows that very family, as I have been putting aside for RECESS well. So while I am here, they were en- Jacob for his college, we will know now The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- joying life, and it made me think about that the markets are better and safer, pore. Under the previous order, the a lot of things. the bonds we invest in are safer, and Senate stands in recess until 12:30 p.m. I wanted to put this poster up be- our children’s future is a little more se- Thereupon, at 11:01 a.m., the Senate cause I think it is a great poster. I got cure if we do the right thing over the recessed until 12:30 p.m. and reassem- this text during a committee meeting. next 24 hours, still knowing it is not bled when called to order by the Pre- This is my son, who just turned 9, with the perfect deal. siding Officer (Mr. WHITEHOUSE). a real fish. For those who can’t see it, The proposal evenly splits cutting be- f it is the same height as he is. He tween half in discretionary and half in caught this fish with his mother a few Pentagon waste, ensuring we still are a ESTABLISHING THE COMMISSION days ago. It is a 40-pounder king salm- secure nation and protecting our de- ON FREEDOM OF INFORMATION on. It is what we call a real fish. We fenses but cutting what I would con- ACT PROCESSING DELAYS—Con- consider this small in comparison to sider opportunities within the Pen- tinued some others we catch. tagon to reduce. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under But when I got this text—and that is As we sit here today, I think about the previous order, the time until 2 what is so great about technology: He Jacob’s future and the futures of all

VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:15 May 31, 2012 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\S01AU1.REC S01AU1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE August 1, 2011 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5159 the kids I see back home. There is an scams and shams that people have from—and focus on what is good for enormous amount of opportunity for taken advantage of so they don’t have this country. the pages sitting here in this room, for to pay their fair share for the services We will hear more over the next 24 the kids here during the summer run- and the benefits we all receive in this hours about the details and more of the ning around Washington, DC, and see- great country: the roads we drive on, deal. I have heard a lot of it already, ing these great monuments. That is the schools our kids go to, the defense but the public will learn. There will be what we are doing here—guaranteeing of this country, the border protection pieces we don’t like. There will be those opportunities for this generation of this country, the safest food in the pieces about which I will get phone and future generations. That is our world—you name it, we have it. That is calls in my office that people don’t like task, making decisions based on that, why we are the envy of every country it. We will get calls. But at the end of not on what our next election cycle in the world as a place to be and raise the day, we are going to do it because will bring should we get elected or not your family. it is the right way to move forward. It get elected or will this look good or not But as I look at this picture—and, is going to be tough, and we will get look good on a brochure. Those who yes, I am doing a little marketing of criticism for what we could have done, have that kind of thinking are not Alaska salmon. I would be remiss if I but we are where we are and we need to about this country and are not sup- didn’t do that. I think about Jacob’s move forward. porting what this country is all about. future and what he has and what his As my son would say, we have to I think about all the issues in front of potential is. But I also think about his ‘‘suck it up, buttercup.’’ us, and there has been no more critical dream—because as he celebrated his I suggest the absence of a quorum. issue during my almost 3 years in the birthday, my father-in-law passed the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senate that I have had to deal with. same day. When he was a young man clerk will call the roll. Is there a component missing in this working in Connecticut, he bought a The assistant legislative clerk pro- solution? Yes. We are not dealing with house in New Haven as he went off to ceeded to call the roll. the tax cuts the millionaires and bil- Vietnam and served his country. He The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma- lionaires received and benefited from was a colonel as he retired in the jority leader. when they really didn’t need them. We Army, and then he sold that home to Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask are not dealing with the loopholes, the buy what is in the background here, his unanimous consent that the order for scams and shams people have taken ad- cabin for his grandson to enjoy the the quorum call be rescinded. vantage of with our tax structure. We fruits of his life and what he enjoyed of The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without haven’t resolved the question of fair- his American dream. That is what this objection, it is so ordered. ness in our tax structure so that the is about. Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask middle class doesn’t continue to carry It is about making sure this genera- unanimous consent that the time until the burden. We have not created a tax tion and future generations can also 6 p.m. be equally divided between the reform strategy that creates an oppor- have that American dream; that they two leaders or their designees, and that tunity for us to be more competitive in have choices and options not restricted Senators during that period of time be this world economy. We know that is by politics or the financial condition of permitted to speak up to 10 minutes still a big piece of this. the country but have huge opportuni- each. I am hopeful that the joint com- ties. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without mittee, made up of Democrats and Re- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- objection, it is so ordered. publicans, will present to us a plan be- ator has used 10 minutes. Mr. REID. Madam President, for the fore Thanksgiving and we can then sit Mr. BEGICH. I ask for an additional information of all Senators, after the down and look at that plan and realize 5 minutes. House votes later today—they have a 1- it is an addition to what we are doing— The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without hour rule, so whenever they take it up hopefully in the next 24 hours—in cre- objection, it is so ordered. they will debate it for 1 hour—it is my ating more fairness. Mr. BEGICH. I think about where we intention to try to lock in a unanimous I know the amazing thing about are today. consent to set a vote to complete ac- here—and I know, Madam President, My son has been watching this be- tion on the debt limit increase. This you know—this place is an unbeliev- cause I am not home. He has a phrase vote could happen either tonight or to- able place for media. We breathe, they he likes to use, even though it is not morrow. So I want Senators to be report it. We sneeze, they report it. the perfect deal, but it does create bal- aware of that. Of course, with a con- There will be two opinions on how we ance. He will say at times: ‘‘Suck it up, sent agreement we could move anytime sneeze—maybe three, maybe four—be- buttercup.’’ I don’t know what show he we wish to this bill, but it would take cause that is how it works here. They saw that on, but all I know is that is consent. feed on every word we say, everything his phrase. That is what we are going When we finish this we have some we do, and I know some are out there to have to do here. It is not perfect, but nominations we have to deal with, and bragging that this is a great deal be- we are going to have to do what is we have to get the FAA issue resolved. cause it just does cuts, and it doesn’t right for the next generation and fu- But I think this will probably be the deal with revenues. Then there are oth- ture generations. last vote we have that I am aware of. ers who say it doesn’t deal with reve- Madam President, we have huge op- It has been a pretty hard work period nues or it hurts Social Security. We portunities and challenges ahead of us. we have had, the last two weekends can tell when that occurs, that is prob- We have an economy that needs addi- and working late, and I think the Sen- ably not a bad plan because there is so tional work to ensure we are creating ate deserves to be able to go home as much that people don’t like of each every opportunity to create jobs in this soon as we can. If there were ever a element or there are elements we don’t country for everybody, no matter who time when we needed to work with our like. But we do need to deal with reve- they are, where they live, what age constituents, it is now. nues at some point. they are. We need to make sure we con- For me, personally, I have been here We will need to deal with a tax re- tinue to be the respected country my for a long time. I have a home in Ne- form policy that brings balance and father-in-law fought for in Vietnam, vada that I haven’t seen in months. My fairness where the middle class does my son hopes for, we hope for, and fu- pomegranate trees are, I am told, blos- not continue to keep holding the bag ture generations hope for. soming and have some pomegranates for everything. So today I come down because I on them. I have some fig trees and There is a proposal Senator WYDEN, think we are close to resolving the roses and stuff that I just haven’t seen. Senator COATS, and myself have pro- issue that has stretched us almost to I have constituents I am anxious to posed. It is bipartisan. It is tax reform. the brink. Hopefully, as we get beyond see, friends I need to visit, relatives I It creates simplification, creates more this issue we will have the ability as need to visit. So as soon as we can corporate competitive rates, reduces Democrats and as Republicans to look, complete our work, I would like to the rates down for individuals but gets first, as Americans, as Alaskans, as move as quickly as I can to the sum- rid of a pile of these loopholes, these North Carolinians—wherever we are mer recess period.

VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:15 May 31, 2012 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\S01AU1.REC S01AU1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE S5160 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 1, 2011 So what I would ask is that as the There are no real teeth in this bill. something wrong with the thinking in House moves to this bill this afternoon, There is not adequate enforcement. Washington if, on February 14, they Senators should use this time to come To their credit, several Members of think we have to spend X number of and talk about the bill, whether they this body and several Members of the dollars that will add $13 trillion to the like it or dislike it or are neutral. It House have spent months talking national debt and here it is just 3 or 4 would be a time that they could get about how good, meaningful enforce- months since then and the President their remarks on the RECORD. ment mechanisms could work. The goes on television and says this is a The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- Gang of 6 had real enforcement mecha- good compromise and we can be at $6 ator from Louisiana. nisms that they spent a lot of time on. trillion less in spending. It probably Mr. VITTER. Madam President, I am Senators here, such as BOB CORKER, leads people to believe there has to be happy to be the first to take the distin- had meaningful enforcement mecha- a lot of money wasted in Washington, guished majority leader up on his offer nisms built into their proposed legisla- DC, if, in fact, between February 14 and and be here on the Senate floor to talk tion. None of those are in this bill. last night, the President can find con- about this very important matter. Those could easily have been adopted. sensus in spending $6 trillion less over I plan on voting no on this proposal. Those could easily have been put in the the next 10 years. That is a comment It is a very important matter. It is in bill; they were not. on what Senator VITTER just said and many ways the greatest challenge we Third, and finally, I am very con- not disagreeing with Senator VITTER’s face as a nation. So I don’t come to cerned that the triggers in this bill comments in any way. this decision lightly, but I do come to that are supposed to be there to ensure When we are in the Senate of the it firmly for three primary reasons. a second round of savings and deficit United States talking about what to do First of all, this bill, this so-called reduction are not going to work. I do about the deficit situation and how solution, doesn’t fundamentally change not see how they are going to incent, much deficit spending we are having, it our spending and debt picture. It just particularly the Democrats, particu- probably gets lost in the minds of peo- plays around the margins. It doesn’t larly the left, to move to a new pack- ple that what we are spending today make any big change whatsoever. age of savings and deficit reduction. I and adding to the national debt is cre- To put it differently, I don’t want to think, rather, the triggers will be trig- ating a great legacy of debt to leave to default under any circumstances, but I gered, and we will have unsustainable our children and grandchildren. This don’t want a downgrade of our credit defense cuts and also unsustainable debate around this issue brings me to rating either. From everything the cuts to doctors and hospitals in Medi- this question: Is it fair to tax our chil- markets and the credit rating agen- care. That is perhaps another reason, dren and grandchildren just because cies—Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s— going back to point No. 2, that even they cannot vote? Our children and have said for months, this would result the numbers in this bill are not going grandchildren, for the most part, do in a downgrade. This would result in to hold. They are going to be waived; not have any voice in this, except what higher interest rates—first for the gov- they are going to be busted. is given by our generation and people ernment and then for all of us—on our I have to say I hope I am wrong on all representing the older generations, home mortgages, on our car payments, three counts if this bill, in fact, passes. other than our children, making these and everything else. Why? Because, But I have looked at it carefully, so- decisions. That is because we, in fact, again, it doesn’t fundamentally change berly, and that is the clear conclusion are doing just that; taxing our children our spending and debt picture. It only to which I have come. I hope we can do and grandchildren by adding to the na- cuts $7 billion in the first year and $3 better. I hope we do better because we tional debt. That is what we are doing billion in the second year, a total in must for the American people, because with our irresponsible budget deficits. the first 2 years of $10 billion. That is we need to start turning around our We have a choice between a brighter basically a minuscule rounding error in completely unsustainable spending and future for our descendants or more so- terms of the size of the Federal budget. debt situation. cial spending now; more social spend- Over the next 10 years, we continue I yield the floor. ing or, as President Obama might put to mount up $7 trillion worth of new The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. it, investments. Any way we look at it, debt. So we are at $14 trillion now; we BLUMENTHAL). The Senator from Iowa. money we spend today and we do not are going to add on another $7 trillion Mr. GRASSLEY. I didn’t come to the pay for, we are putting this bill on fu- of new debt under this plan, and we do floor to comment on what Senator ture generations—our children and nothing to stabilize our debt-to-GDP VITTER just said, and I can sure appre- grandchildren. This is a choice we ratio, which is perhaps the most impor- ciate his view that a decision that ends should be thinking about as we arrive tant metric that economists and others up with a $7 trillion addition to the na- at a decision of whether to vote for or point to. tional debt over the next 10 years is against this grand compromise that We need to do better. We need to not getting us very far down the road has come out of these negotiations. have some plan to balance the budget. compared to what the people of the It gets down to basic choices of what This plan never balances. This plan has United States, who have to live within do we do to encourage private sector mountains of new debt still building. their income, believe this Congress employment. It gets down to choices of This plan never stabilizes our debt-to- should accomplish. But a $7 trillion ad- what we do about the size of govern- GDP ratio. dition to the debt over that period of ment. There is a real choice in this de- Again, I don’t want to default. I will time, compared to what the President bate as we talk about how big govern- vote to avoid a default. But I do not suggested we spend over the next 10 ment should be. The choice is, do we want a downgrade either that costs years when he issued his budget to grow government or do we grow the every American in a meaningful way. Congress, on February 14, we could end private sector? Second, I have looked very hard at up with $13 trillion added to the na- What are the philosophical dif- the enforcement provisions of this bill, tional debt—so somewhere along the ferences as well as the economic dif- and I am convinced that even the mea- line, between February 14 and last ferences between growing government ger numbers in this bill, in terms of night, when the President announced versus allowing business and entrepre- cuts, are going to be blown, are going his support for this compromise, he has neurship to flourish in America? We to be waived, because there is no mean- come to the conclusion that we could have had these dramatic increases in ingful enforcement. The only thing it spend $6 trillion less over the next 10 expenditures over just the last 2 years; will take to bust the numbers in this years. 22-percent increases in appropriations bill is a new bill that passes by a sim- Even though a lot of people see this in the last 2 years, when the economy ple majority in the House and by 60 as not making progress, the President only grows about 2 percent. Everybody votes in the Senate. We are constantly admitted he has found ways of chang- knows that is not sustainable. On top looking at those sorts of vehicles, par- ing his mind about $6 trillion in the of that, we had a $814 billion stimulus ticularly when we are probably going course of just a few months. I suppose package that did not do what it was to have disaster appropriations and dis- it also might lead our constituents to supposed to do to keep unemployment aster bills coming to the Congress. think in terms of, there has to be under 8 percent. At this time, we have

VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:15 May 31, 2012 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\S01AU1.REC S01AU1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE August 1, 2011 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5161 gone from the national debt being 35 ica. We should learn from history and they cut marginal tax rates. They percent of the gross national product not repeat the mistakes that have been eliminated burdensome regulations. In- to today being about 65 percent and be- made in other countries. stead, what do we have out there right fore the end of this year it is going to Since the 1950s, we have seen a lot of now even today coming from the White be 72 percent. And it is on a path to go countries around the world use trans- House? Promises yet of higher taxes; to 90 percent. So we have seen govern- fers of wealth from one generation to almost a demand that Congress pass ment grow during the last few years another or the transfer of wealth from higher taxes right now, and more regu- out of proportion to the 20 percent of one group of people to another. We lations. the gross national product that the have seen grants. We have seen a redis- I just recently read about a business- public sector, represented by the Fed- tributive philosophy in a lot of coun- person saying there are 29 onerous reg- eral Government, took, compared to tries. What did that do? It did very lit- ulations coming out of EPA that will that growth from 20 to now 25. tle to raise the living standards of be detrimental to job creation because Those 5 percentage points of growth those in Asia, Latin America, Africa. they are so costly. Another way of put- in the government may not seem like a More open economies have proven oth- ting it is it might cause businesspeople lot but just look at the difference be- erwise. More open economies as we to worry about the uncertainty of what tween incentives for growth of the pri- have had in Japan since the 1950s have government is going to do. When we vate sector for creating wealth as op- lifted more people out of poverty in 10 have that uncertainty—and right now posed to the Government consuming years than welfare state programs have there is a heightened uncertainty—it wealth. That is a fact. Government done in 50 years. retards growth. It retards growth be- consumes wealth; it doesn’t create Japan—just using it as an example— cause people will not invest. When wealth. People who are using their forced its producers 50, 60 years ago to there is not increased investment and labor and their minds and investing are compete. Private sector resources are hiring, there is less productivity. What the ones who create wealth in our more productive than those of the pub- these issues are all about is creating country. Those 5 percentage points lic sector making the decisions on how jobs, and we are not creating jobs right make a difference because it is a very to use those resources, or a command now. That is what people are going to dramatic growth in government. As economy, as you might call it. After see as a test as to whether we are out government consumes more—and I said Japan, we had Korea, Taiwan, Hong of a recession—regardless of the lead- it does not create wealth—it takes Kong, and Singapore. More recently, in ing economists who made the decision money out of the private sector, where the last 20 years, China and India have that we have been out of a recession it can grow more and create jobs and, been encouraging more competition now for 2 months. consequently, then limits the oppor- and more productive uses of resources For people who are unemployed, it is tunity for expanding the economic pie. with less of it promoted by the govern- not a recession; it is a depression. They That is what the private sector does ment. There are more decisions being are going to measure coming out of a through investment and labor, expands made by the private sector in Brazil, recession or coming out of a depression the economic pie. We can have eco- and even parts of Africa are learning by whether they have a job. Jobs are nomic growth so we can have more for that is the route to go. We should learn not being created. more people. from that. We should not turn back- President Obama promises what he But when government gets bigger, we wards and rely more on government wants is something that is fair and bal- restrict the opportunities for economic than we have in the past. By doing anced. When I hear him talking about growth in the private sector and we that, we retire opportunity in America. ‘‘fair and balanced,’’ I wonder if he is have less pie for more people. We retire opportunity by growing gov- trying to steal those words from Fox So a 5 percentage point growth in the ernment at the expense of individual News. Why is it fair to distribute more government for the last 5 years com- initiative. I hope we don’t go that welfare to the present generation and pared to a 50-year average lessens the route. I think this budget debate has today’s voters by growing government chance for a brighter future for our something to do with whether we are at the expense of the wealth-creating children and grandchildren, and that going to turn this around from the di- private sector? That harms our chil- has to be a part of this debate as we de- rection that it has taken over the last dren and our grandchildren who are cide the size of government versus the few years. Those last few years have going to end up paying for it with less size of the private sector—the wealth- not just been the 30 months of this productive uses of the resources of this producing private sector. Presidency but a little bit going back country. If we keep government at 20 percent, into the previous Presidency as well. We should not be thinking, as Europe then that is going to leave more in the In regard to President Obama’s pro- has thought, about growing govern- private sector that is going to create grams, we have had few results from ment, having government consume wealth. It is going to be a more produc- the government becoming more in- more of the resources of the economy, tive use of our resources. volved in the economy. We have dealt leaving less to individuals to make de- The promise of our free market sys- with near zero interest rates for a long cisions whether to save or spend and tem can only be realized if we choose period of time. I have already men- what to save and what to spend on. less social spending, if we choose less tioned the $814 billion stimulus. There That is the way it is done in Europe. intrusive regulation and more efficient are other things that have been done in We should not go that way. use of our resources in the private sec- recent months to turn this economy I always use a statistic that may tor as opposed to the public sector. around. We still have unemployment seem so small to be insignificant, but I We should be doing those things not above 9 percent. The recovery that was use a statistic of 1 percent. If we com- only in this budget agreement, this def- supposed to come from all of these pro- pare the United States with Europe icit reduction agreement, but in all the grams that have had greater govern- over the last 25 years, our growth has decisions we make in the Congress. We ment involvement in our economy have averaged about 1 percent more in the should be doing more to encourage pro- made a recovery very elusive. United States than in Europe. Now ductive uses of our resources in the pri- In fact, there are even questions in that 1 percent may not sound like very vate sector, rather than consumption the media recently of whether we could much, right? However, over a genera- of those resources in the public sector. be going into another recession. Presi- tion, just 1 percent difference in President Obama has launched a dent Obama tried mightly and waste- growth—between the economy of Eu- campaign over the 30 months he has fully—and in the end, very ineffectu- rope and the economy of the United been in office to defend the welfare ally—to turn this economy around States—adds up to 25 percent differen- state and of course the woefully ineffi- through a massive number of govern- tial in per capita income. cient government-run health care sys- ment programs, but it has not worked. It seems to me the issues of this debt tem that is an example of that welfare Progress would have been greater if we reduction debate—or if you want to state. I think we can learn some les- had tried programs by President call it increasing the deficit ceiling, sons from the rest of the world as well Reagan or even President Kennedy’s the borrowing capacity of the Federal in looking at what is right for Amer- policies. In both of those instances Government—too often tend to be

VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:15 May 31, 2012 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\S01AU1.REC S01AU1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE S5162 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 1, 2011 about what is the situation right now, Mr. President, as you well know, this calls for about $1.2 trillion to $1.5 tril- but it is really a debate about what is is a complicated package, and nobody lion in cuts. Here is where it gets a lit- fair for our children and grandchildren can predict with any certainty exactly tle bit complicated because a super- because those are the decisions on bor- what programs will be cut and how committee, made up of six Democrats rowing that we are making today. much they will be cut because the and six Republicans, will have the op- I have to go back to where I started process will kick in to the appropria- portunity to look at everything. with a question of whether it is fair for tions committees all over, the House As the majority leader said, every- us to tax future generations for the and the Senate, and they will go to a thing is on the table. Now, what does borrowing that we are doing today, and supercommittee that will make very that mean? If everything is on the simply say it is not fair to tax future significant decisions. Nobody with cer- table, Social Security is on the table. generations just because they cannot tainty can tell exactly what programs What we have heard from our Repub- vote. will be cut. lican friends, what we have heard from I yield the floor, and I suggest the ab- What we can say is we are looking at some Democratic friends, what we have sence of a quorum. up to $1.4 trillion in cuts, and virtually heard from the President of the United The PRESIDING OFFICER. The every program that working families States is that maybe we should adopt a clerk will call the roll. depend upon, that our children depend so-called chained CPI, which will result The bill clerk proceeded to call the upon, that the sick depend upon, is on in very significant cuts in Social Secu- roll. the line. rity benefits. If you are 65 now and that The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- In my State, for example, it gets program is implemented, when you are ator from Vermont. cold. We have a beautiful State. We 75, you are going to lose $560 a year, Mr. SANDERS. I ask unanimous con- love our winters, but it gets cold. It and 20 years from now, when you are sent that the order for the quorum call gets 10 below zero, 20 below zero. Many 85, you are going to lose $1,000 a year. be rescinded. people in my State, including senior Am I saying that definitely will hap- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without citizens, desperately need a program pen? No, I am not. objection, it is so ordered. called LIHEAP, the Low-Income Home Social Security will be on the table. Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I want Energy Assistance Program, which pro- Medicare will be on the table. Medicaid to say a few words to my fellow vides help to many people, including a will be on the table. Everything will be Vermonters and anyone who might be lot of seniors, to help keep them warm on the table. interested as to why I will be voting when it gets 20 below zero. I fear very If that committee ends up not com- against this deficit-reduction package much there will be major cuts in that ing to a decision, if they end up being when it comes to the floor. The reason program. deadlocked, say, six to six, then we go is pretty simple. This deficit-reduction In our State we have done very well to a sequestration program and more package is grotesquely unfair, and it is in expanding community health cen- cuts will be made. also bad economic policy. It should not ters. We have over 110,000 people now So I would say, when poll after poll be passed. accessing new community health cen- after poll suggests strongly that the The wealthiest people in this country ters, finally being able to get a doctor American people want shared sac- and the largest corporations are doing and dentist when they need it. I am rifice—a poll just came out last week phenomenally well. In a recent 25-year going to do everything I can to prevent from the Washington Post where 72 period, 80 percent of all new income those cuts. I fear that those programs percent of the people polled said they created in America went to the top 1 can be cut. believe folks making more than $250,000 percent who now earn more income In Vermont, in Connecticut, all over a year should pay more in taxes in than the bottom 50 percent. In terms of this country, we have a major crisis in order to help us with deficit reduction. wealth, the United States has the most childcare. Families want to get into Poll after poll says it is absurd that unequal distribution of wealth of any the Head Start Program. They want af- large corporations get incredible loop- major country on Earth with the top fordable childcare. Those programs will holes that enable them to make bil- 400 people owning more wealth than be cut. lions of profits and not pay one nickel the bottom 150 million Americans. In my State, we have a program that in taxes. When we talk about this deficit-re- helps struggling dairy farmers, a pro- So this is a bad proposal. This is an duction package with the richest peo- gram called the milk program. It helps unfair proposal. We can do better, and ple becoming richer, huge corporations them stay in business. I fear very we must do better. I do not intend to making billions of dollars in profits much—and I am going to fight against vote for a deficit-reduction package and in some cases paying nothing in this—I fear that program will be cut. where the sacrifices are being made by taxes, how much are those people—the We have young people today from people in the middle class and working wealthy and the powerful—asked to working-class families hoping upon class who are already hurting. It is contribute toward deficit reduction and hope that maybe they will be able to time for the big-money interests to shared sacrifice? How much are the afford to go to college. Well, we can ex- start remembering they are also Amer- rich and the powerful going to con- pect major cuts in Pell grants and icans and they should contribute to tribute into this deficit-reduction other programs that make college af- deficit reduction. package? The answer is zero. Not one fordable for our young people. With that, I yield the floor. cent. In this country, we have people who I suggest the absence of a quorum. Meanwhile, as everybody in America are going hungry. We did a study re- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The knows, we are in the midst of a horren- cently. There is more hunger among clerk will call the roll. dous recession. Real unemployment is seniors. Some of those programs will be The legislative clerk proceeded to over 16 percent. People have lost their cut. Affordable housing programs will call the roll. homes, their life’s savings. We have the be cut. Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I highest rate of childhood poverty in So let’s not kid ourselves. In the ask unanimous consent that the order the industrialized world. Yet this def- midst of a terrible recession, when so for the quorum call be rescinded. icit-reduction package comes down on many people are hurting, so many peo- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without those people—the working families, the ple are struggling just to keep their objection, it is so ordered. low-income people, the sick, the elder- heads above water economically, this Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I ly, the children. The rich pay nothing. deficit-reduction package is going to ask unanimous consent that I be al- Large corporations pay nothing. Yet slap them at the side of the head and lowed to speak as in morning business. working families and the most vulner- make life much more difficult for The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without able people in this country are going to them. objection, it is so ordered. be shouldering the burden of deficit re- Now, Mr. President, as you well NOMINATION OF MATTHEW OLSEN duction on their shoulders. That is im- know, this is a two-part program. The Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, moral, that is wrong, that is bad eco- first part calls for approximately $900 later on this afternoon the Senate In- nomic policy. billion in cuts, and the second part telligence Committee is going to vote

VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:15 May 31, 2012 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\S01AU1.REC S01AU1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE August 1, 2011 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5163 out the nomination of Matt Olsen to be Agency, a position that has also put vetted this with Matt and with most of the next Director of the National Coun- him in close contact, again, with the those who were in the room on the oc- terterrorism Center. I rise today in Intelligence Committees. casion the issue arose. While better support of the nomination of Matthew GEN Keith Alexander, who heads up judgment could have been used, the Olsen to be the next Director of NCTC. NSA, provided a letter of support for issue is now behind us. I have im- Following the September 11 terrorist Matt’s nomination. I have also spoken pressed upon Matt that if he is con- attacks, we did a lot of self-examina- personally with General Alexander firmed as the Director of NCTC, his tion as a government and, putting it about Matt. I have a great deal of re- credibility must be unquestionable. He simply, realized that pieces of intel- spect for the general, and it speaks vol- has confirmed to me that he will al- ligence that should have been con- umes to me that he has such high, un- ways communicate with Members of nected had not been or, in other words, equivocal praise for Matt, both as a Congress fully and openly without po- the dots had not been connected. Con- leader and as a person. litical censorship. He also is com- gress understood we could not afford Matt’s other job—not an enviable mitted to being totally open and will another lapse like 9/11, so it created the one—which brought him in close con- have an ongoing dialog with members National Counterterrorism Center to tact with the committee was his serv- of the respective House and Senate In- analyze and integrate counterterrorism ice as the Executive Director of the telligence Committees. information across the government. Guantanamo Review Task Force. I My good friend Senator KENT While we have not suffered another 9/ have had numerous conversations with CONRAD, who is actually the home Sen- 11, our record is not perfect. From the Matt about some of the recommenda- ator for Matt since he is originally Christmas Day bombing attempt, to tions made by the task force on trans- from North Dakota, spoke extensively Fort Hood, Times Square, and the New ferring what I believe continue to be about Matt’s reputation and commit- York subway plot, the threats to our potentially dangerous detainees. ment to public service during his con- homeland are very real. At the same I appreciate that the task force was firmation hearing. Many intelligence time, changing political landscapes and following a deadline set by Executive professionals on both sides of the polit- challenges from adverse nations re- order to close Guantanamo Bay. But I ical lines wrote letters of recommenda- quire constant attention. In this envi- believe we have accepted too great a tion on Matt’s behalf. ronment, it is essential for NCTC to risk to our national security by trans- I believe Matt when he tells me he is perform its mission beyond reproach. ferring many of these detainees to committed to working closely with After the Christmas Day near-bomb- other host countries. The recidivism Congress and the Intelligence Commit- ing aboard flight 253, the Senate Intel- rate continues to climb. It is today tees to do the job needed to keep this ligence Committee conducted a review somewhere in the range of 26 percent. country safe. I will be supporting his to determine where the intelligence We have no reason to expect it will nomination when it comes to the floor, community could have done a better stop climbing anytime soon. Our first and I look forward to working with job of anticipating this attempted at- obligation must always be to ensure him. tack. Unfortunately, the committee’s the safety of the American people, not Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, the review showed that NCTC had not lived to transfer dangerous detainees to Senate Intelligence Committee just ap- up to its statutory responsibilities. The meet an arbitrary political deadline. proved the nomination of Mr. Matthew then-Director, Mike Leiter, to his cred- Of particular concern to me are the Olsen to be the Director of the Na- it, took criticism in a very positive transfers of a number of Yemeni de- tional Counterterrorism Center, known way and made the right kinds of tainees during 2009, when the intel- as NCTC, by a unanimous voice vote. The distinguished vice chairman of changes at NCTC to move us in the ligence community was already warn- the Intelligence Committee spoke on right direction. ing about the dangerous security situa- the floor earlier in support of this nom- While I am encouraged by the tion in Yemen. Of course, we all know ination. I would like to add to his com- progress NCTC has made since then to that al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula ments and offer my support so that the repair those shortcomings, there is makes its home in Yemen and that sev- Senate can take up this nomination much work that still needs to be done. eral former GITMO detainees now hold quickly and hopefully confirm Mr. I believe Matt Olsen has the right high positions in AQAP. AQAP was di- Olsen before the Senate goes on its Au- background to take the helm of this rectly responsible for the Christmas gust recess. important intelligence center at this Day bombing attempt, and their efforts I have tried to move quickly on this very critical point in our history. He is will continue to inflict harm on our nomination because the period leading no stranger either to the Senate Intel- Nation. up to the tenth anniversary of 9/11 is a ligence Committee or to the serious Matt acknowledges the difficulties period of heightened threat, and one in threats that face our Nation. Members presented by the Yemeni transfers, and which all parts of the national security and staff have worked with him on sev- he has acknowledged that the task agencies of the government need to be eral high-profile issues over the last force did not get every recommenda- operating at full capacity. few years. tion right, just as the previous admin- Mr. Olsen is currently the general As a Deputy Assistant Attorney Gen- istration did not get every rec- counsel of the National Security Agen- eral for the National Security Division, ommendation right. He also shares my cy and has held a number of senior po- he was responsible for ensuring that personal view that Guantanamo should sitions in the Department of Justice, our intelligence professionals had all remain open so that we are not trans- including at the National Security Di- the legal authority they needed from ferring any more detainees as the re- vision and the Federal Bureau of Inves- the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance cidivism rate continues to grow. tigation. Court in order to continue this coun- I appreciate the many conversations Let me take just a moment to dis- try’s safety. Let me just say this was and briefings he has had with my staff cuss the current terrorist threat and no easy task and the stakes were high, on those transfer issues. I appreciate the role of the National Counterterror- especially given the political wrangling his willingness to continue to discuss ism Center, or NCTC, which Mr. Olsen over FISA and the USA PATRIOT Act these issues and the need for a long- will be leading, if confirmed. in recent years. Matt spent countless term detention policy even after tak- The NCTC is the central agency with- hours briefing our staff and other com- ing on his new position as NCTC Direc- in the U.S. government dealing with mittees on many highly sensitive FISA tor. the identification, prevention, disrup- issues. In large part because of his will- Ironically, in his new position, he tion, and analysis of terrorist threats. ingness to stick to the facts and not will be responsible for tracking former While it is best known for its role in play political games, he has earned the detainees, including detainees whose consolidating and analyzing terrorism- respect of Members on both sides of the transfer the task force may have rec- related intelligence, the NCTC also political aisle. ommended who slipped into their old plays an important role in conducting For the last year, Matt has served in ways, before they can strike us again. strategic planning for counterterror- a very professional way as the General It was in this capacity that Matt had ism actions across the U.S. Govern- Counsel for the National Security an issue with a colleague, and I have ment.

VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:15 May 31, 2012 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\S01AU1.REC S01AU1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE S5164 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 1, 2011 As I mentioned before, I believe that take on the difficult and unpopular crease in interest rates, we would add the period leading up to the tenth anni- jobs. $1.3 trillion to deficits and debt over 10 versary of the 9/11 attacks is a period of I note as well that Mr. Olsen has been years. If there was only a 200-basis heightened threat. Despite counterter- recommended by his current and past point increase, that would wipe out all rorism pressure against al-Qaida in colleagues in the current and the past the deficit reduction that is in this Pakistan—including the successful administration. The Intelligence Com- package. strike against Usama bin Laden in mittee received letters of recommenda- Colleagues need to keep in mind the Abbottabad—the group remains dan- tion from General Alexander, former consequences of our actions and how gerous and vengeful. Attorney General Mukasey, former critically important it is to prevent At the same time, the threat from al- DNI McConnell, all three former assist- that interest rate spike. Qaida’s affiliates and adherents around ant attorneys general for National Se- In addition, David Beers at Standard the world has increased and presents curity, former NCTC Director Mike & Poor’s, global head of Sovereign Rat- particular challenges. I am especially Leiter, and many others. They have all ings, made a statement in an interview concerned about the threat to the U.S. spoken to his capability and to his on CNBC on July 26. The chart is head- homeland from al-Qaida in the Arabian character. lined, ‘‘To avoid a U.S. credit rating Peninsula, AQAP, as well as threats I believe that Mr. Olsen is well quali- downgrade, S&P wants to see a bipar- emanating from terrorist safehavens in fied for the position, that he will be tisan debt reduction effort.’’ He said this, specifically: Somalia and elsewhere. forthcoming with Congress, and that This means, to me, that this is a cru- We will measure this matter on a number he will do a good job in leading the of parameters. One is, is it credible? And cial time for our counterterrorism es- NCTC. credibility, among other things, means to us tablishment to be at full strength. And Prior to serving on the Guantanamo that there has to be some buy-in across the the NCTC is a linchpin of that estab- Review Task Force, Mr. Olsen had been political divide, across both parties, because lishment. the Acting Assistant Attorney General politics can and will change going forward. So I am pleased that the President for National Security at the Depart- And if there’s ownership by both sides of the moved quickly to nominate Mr. Olsen— ment of Justice as well as the deputy program, then that would give us more con- an individual serving in a senior intel- fidence. . . . It is not just about the number. assistant attorney general with respon- It is about the all-in intent. ligence community position today—to sibility for intelligence matters. However imperfect this agreement take the helm of the National Counter- He led the Department’s effort to up- is—and it is imperfect because, after terrorism Center. date the Foreign Intelligence Surveil- all, it is a work of the hands of men. As I mentioned previously, Mr. Olsen lance Act, a process that eventually led We are all imperfect. But it is criti- is currently the general counsel of the to the passage of the FISA Amend- cally important. It is important to National Security Agency. In that ca- ments Act of 2008. In that position he demonstrate that we can work to- pacity, he has the challenging job of worked closely with both sides of the gether to achieve a result. ensuring that the NSA’s highly tech- aisle, and was an invaluable resource This package contains these ele- nical and highly capable signals intel- as we found a compromise to update ments: First, it prevents a default. It ligence system is operating fully with- important surveillance authorities and saves the Nation from immediate eco- in the law, and using all legal authori- strengthen civil liberty protections. nomic crisis. It creates a process to ties available to it. Mr. Olsen was also previously a fed- allow a debt ceiling increase to 2013, so Before his current position at the eral prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s we don’t have to reenact this entire NSA, Mr. Olsen served in the Depart- Office for the District of Columbia, episode in just a matter of months. It ment of Justice in several capacities chief of the office’s National Security provides a $900 billion downpayment on for 18 years, including 12 years as a Section, and a special counsel to FBI deficit reduction that is enforced with Federal prosecutor. Director Robert Mueller. 10 years of spending caps. It creates a Among Mr. Olsen’s positions at the The Intelligence Committee has joint select committee of Congress on Department of Justice, which has been thoroughly reviewed Mr. Olsen’s back- deficit reduction, tasked with finding the subject of some recent attention, ground, he has answered all of our an additional $1.5 trillion in savings was that of executive director of the questions, and we held a hearing on and to bring us a report before Thanks- Guantanamo Review Task Force cre- July 26 on his nomination. In sum, our giving. This select committee has a ated by Executive Order 13492. The role due diligence is complete. goal of $1.5 trillion in savings as a of the task force was to conduct a de- Now it is up to the Senate to confirm floor; it is not a ceiling. This com- tailed review of all of the information Mr. Olsen so that we do not leave the mittee could come back to us with an available on each of the roughly 240 de- NCTC without a permanent director as even more ambitious, more bold pro- tainees being held at Guantanamo as of we approach the 10th anniversary of 9/ posal to get our fiscal affairs in order. January 2009. 11. Let us hope that it is so. It was Mr. Olsen’s job to lead the I yield the floor, and I suggest the ab- The overall package that is before large, interagency effort of more than sence of a quorum. us—or about to be before us—requires a 100 national security professionals to The PRESIDING OFFICER. The vote on a balanced budget amendment. compile and analyze all intelligence clerk will call the roll. The debt ceiling increase is not contin- relevant to the detainees, the feasi- The legislative clerk proceeded to gent on its passage, but there is a re- bility of prosecuting them, the ability call the roll. quirement to give colleagues in both of a potential country receiving a de- Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I ask Chambers an opportunity to vote. It tainee to mitigate the threat the de- unanimous consent that the order for also protects Pell grants from deep tainee posed, and whether some detain- the quorum call be rescinded. near-term cuts. I think most of us un- ees should be held in long-term Law of The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without derstand how important Pell grants are War detention. objection, it is so ordered. to providing opportunities to young, I will say this to my colleagues. Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I rise to talented people all across America to Being the director of a large task force discuss the agreement that has been improve themselves through higher making recommendations on Guanta- reached between the leaders in the Sen- education. namo detainees is about as thankless, ate, the House Republicans and Demo- I was raised by my grandparents. My as difficult, and as controversial a posi- crats, and the President of the United grandmother was a schoolteacher. We tion that I can imagine. Every decision States with respect to an extension of called her ‘‘little chief,’’ because she would be reviewed and criticized. But the debt limit and certain deficit re- was only 5 feet tall. But she com- the new Attorney General asked Mr. duction steps to be taken in conjunc- manded respect. She commanded re- Olsen to take on this job, and he agreed tion with that action. spect because she had character, and to do it. That is what we admire about I wish to remind my colleagues that she told people in our family there are career professionals in government if we fail to act, most economists be- three priorities in this household: No. 1 service. And we should respect and re- lieve we will face an interest rate is education. No. 2 is education. No. 3 is ward that dedication and willingness to spike. For every 1 percentage point in- education.

VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:15 May 31, 2012 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\S01AU1.REC S01AU1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE August 1, 2011 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5165 We got the message. I can remember, and very well. The red line is the dent Reagan. This is what he said fondly, her telling us over and over: spending line of the United States and about tax expenditures on July 20 of What you put in your head no one can the green line is the revenue line going last year. take away. They can take your prop- back 60 years. What we can see is the Cutting tax expenditures is really the best erty, they can take your wealth, but red line—the spending line—is the way to reduce government spending. Elimi- one thing nobody can take from you is highest it has ever been. Twenty-four nating tax expenditures does not increase what you have done to improve your percent of gross domestic product is marginal tax rates or reduce the reward for mind. That ought to be something that Federal spending. The revenue line is saving, investment or risk taking. It would is taught in every household in our the lowest it has ever been in that pe- also increase overall economic efficiency by country because it is central to Amer- removing incentives that distort private riod—the lowest it has been in 60 years. spending decisions. And eliminating or con- ica continuing to be a world leader. Some of our friends on the other side solidating the large number of overlapping The proposal that will be before us say we just have a spending problem. tax-based subsidies would also greatly sim- also creates a joint select committee They have it half right. We do have a plify tax filing. In short, cutting tax expendi- on deficit reduction. As I have indi- spending problem. Spending is almost tures is not at all like other ways of raising cated, they have a goal of finding an the highest it has been in 60 years. But revenue. additional $11⁄2 trillion in savings, but we also have a revenue problem be- That is precisely why the fiscal com- they are not limited to that level of cause revenue is the lowest it has been mission and the Group of 6—both savings. They could do more. It is bi- in 60 years as a share of our national groups I was proud to participate in— partisan and bicameral, 12 Members—6 income. That is a fact. So we have to chose the reduction of tax expenditures Democrats, 6 Republicans. Congress is work both sides of this equation. as one way of reforming the tax sys- to have a report by Thanksgiving on If we go back and reconstruct how we tem, improving the competitive posi- their work. No amendments are al- got into this ditch, a story on May 1, tion of the United States, and raising lowed and a simple majority vote to 2011, in the Washington Post, is in- revenue to help reduce this debt threat. pass in the Senate and the House. structive. This is what they found: Anybody who wonders what is hap- This closely follows the recommenda- The biggest culprit, by far, has been an pening with respect to loopholes—ex- tion of Senator Gregg and myself from erosion of tax revenue triggered largely by clusions, deductions, preferences in the 5 years ago to create a commission em- two recessions and multiple rounds of tax Tax Code—doesn’t have to go any fur- powered to bring to a vote in the Sen- cuts. Together, the economy and the tax ther than this picture I have shown ate and the House a plan to get our bills enacted under former President George many times. This little five-story debt under control and to do it so we W. Bush, and to a lesser extent by President building—Ugland House, down in the wouldn’t have the endless process our Obama, wiped out $6.3 trillion in anticipated Cayman Islands—claims to be the current situation requires. The idea revenue. That’s nearly half of the $12.7 tril- home of 18,857 companies. What an was to create a BRAC-like system, so a lion swing from projected surpluses to real debt. Federal tax collections now stand at amazing building that is. This little proposal could come before the Senate their lowest level as a percentage of the building, the home to 18,000 companies. and the House to get our debt down. It economy in 60 years. is modeled, in many ways, after the They all say they are doing business This buttresses and confirms the out of this building. Anybody believe reconciliation process that was de- point I just made. In addition, if one signed for deficit reduction and only that? They are not doing business out examines our history going back to of that building. They are doing mon- requires a simple majority vote. 1969 and looks at the five times we There is a fail-safe if this committee key business, and the monkey business have balanced the budget, in each of fails to produce a result. The fail-safe they are doing is to avoid paying the those times, revenue was almost 20 per- is across-the-board cuts in defense and taxes all the rest of us pay because the cent of GDP. Right now—remember nondefense spending, with exemptions Cayman Islands is a tax haven. They do for Social Security, veterans and low- what I just said—revenue is 14.8 per- not impose taxes on these companies. income people and it limits the Medi- cent of GDP. The five times since 1969 Guess what these companies do. They care reductions to 2 percent. I would we have balanced the budget, revenue file returns that show—miraculously— prefer the Medicare reduction not be was 19.7 percent of GDP in 1969; in 1998, the profits from all their operations there because there is no revenue that it was 19.9 percent; in 1999, it was 19.8 across the United States don’t show up is assured in this plan. But we do have percent; in 2000, it was 20.6 percent; and in the United States. They show up in to have a fail-safe. We do have to have in 2001, it was 19.5 percent. By the way, this little five-story building down in some assurance that savings are actu- all these budgets—these last four— the Cayman Islands. They say that is ally realized, and this mechanism does were the responsibility of Bill Clinton. where the profits are being realized. that. Bill Clinton not only balanced the What a blessing that is because the I think all of us know our current budget, he stopped using Social Secu- Cayman Islands do not impose any status finds us borrowing 40 cents of rity funds to finance other government taxes on the profits that show up in the every $1 we spend. In fact, we are in a operations, and he did it with the long- subsidiaries of the companies that are condition in which the United States is est period of uninterrupted growth in doing business all over the world. borrowing more than we have ever bor- our Nation’s history and created 23 Anybody who wonders if this is cost- rowed before as a share of our national million jobs. The Clinton administra- ing all the rest of us huge amounts of income. The nonpartisan Congressional tion record on deficits, on debt, on eco- money, here is what our Permanent Budget Office has told us the long-term nomic growth, and job creation is the Subcommittee on Investigations found outlook is even more sober; that we best, by far, of all modern Presidents. in a report in 2007. have a debt held by the public that is Facts are stubborn things. We have a Experts have estimated the total loss to about 70 percent now. Right here—the Tax Code that is riddled with tax ex- the Treasury from offshore tax evasion alone debt held by the public is at about 70 penditures. It is riddled with tax ex- approaches $100 billion per year. percent. Our gross debt is actually ap- penditures. We are losing to the Treas- Let me repeat that—$100 billion a proaching 100 percent, but our publicly ury $1.1 trillion a year to tax expendi- year. If there is any doubt about this, held debt—that is debt held by the pub- tures—tax preferences, tax loopholes, go home and Google tax havens. See lic, not counting what we owe to trust tax deductions, tax exclusions. Guess what you find. I think you will be quite funds such as Social Security—is about who gets most of the benefit. Twenty- startled by what you see. Continuing 70 percent. six percent of the benefit goes to the the quote from the report: But look where we are headed if we top 1 percent of those tax expendi- Those losses include $40 to $70 billion from stay on our current course. The Con- tures—those tax loopholes, those tax individuals, and another $30 billion from cor- gressional Budget Office tells us by 2037 preferences. porations engaging in offshore tax evasion. our publicly held debt will be 200 per- Here is a quote from one of the most Abusive tax shelters add tens of billions of cent of our gross domestic product if conservative economists in America— dollars more. we fail to act. Martin Feldstein, professor of econom- My family and I, we pay what we How did we get into this cir- ics at Harvard, Chairman of the Coun- owe. The vast majority of people in cumstance? This says it very clearly cil of Economic Advisers under Presi- this country pay what they owe. We

VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:15 May 31, 2012 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\S01AU1.REC S01AU1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE S5166 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 1, 2011 have a few people—unfortunately, it is economic growth. Clinton, who actu- idea that you can’t raise revenue or it a growing number and they tend to be ally paid down debt, had the best will kill jobs, you can’t cut spending or people with much greater resources— record of economic growth—3.8 percent it will kill jobs has not proven to be who are not paying what they owe. We on average. Bush 2, who put in place right. In the real world, the Clinton ad- shouldn’t permit it. That should come the massive tax cuts that ballooned the ministration raised revenue, cut spend- to a screeching halt. deficits into debt, had the worst record ing to get our debt under control, and The bipartisan groups proposing com- of economic growth, averaging 1.6 per- they had the strongest record of job prehensive and balanced plans with cent. creation, the strongest record of eco- spending cuts and new revenue include Let’s connect the dots. There was a nomic growth of any of the four Presi- the fiscal commission, the Bipartisan big increase in debt during the Reagan dents during that period by far. Policy Center, and the Group of 6. administration but pretty good eco- I would just say I wish I could have These are the only bipartisan plans nomic growth; he took the No. 2 spot. participated in that debate last night. I that have come from anywhere, and all Bush 1: massive increase in deficits and missed it, but I wanted to set the of them recommended a balance be- debt, and economic growth faltered. record straight. tween spending cuts and revenue. Al- The Clinton administration has by far I yield the floor. most all of them focused on reducing the best record on deficits and debt and Mr. BLUMENTHAL. The Senator tax expenditures—the loopholes, the also the best record of economic from New Jersey. exclusions, the preferences, the tax ha- growth. Bush 2, who had huge tax cuts Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I vens—in order to raise revenue, to re- never offset by an adjustment, as wanted to come to the floor to talk about the deal the Senate will vote on duce rates, and make America more Reagan did, had the worst record of sometime later tonight or tomorrow. competitive but also to raise addi- economic growth. Before I do, I want to say to my distin- tional revenue to dump this debt. Finally, on job creation, during the The other day there was a spirited Reagan administration, 16 million jobs guished colleague from North Dakota, debate on the floor between the senior were created—quite a strong record of the chairman of the Budget Com- Senator from Arizona and the senior job creation during his 8 years. During mittee, as always, what an exceptional Senator from Illinois. I arrived at the the first Bush administration, only 3 job he has done in laying out fact from fiction, the realities of the choices be- end of that debate and didn’t have a million jobs were created. During the fore us. I only hope that the revenue chance to participate. There were a Clinton administration—by far the possibilities he clearly expressed exist number of assertions made there by my winner on the jobs derby—23 million as part of an equation to a solution friend, Senator MCCAIN, and I wish to jobs were created, and he had the best could be invoked, but I am concerned set the record straight. If we look at record of deficit and debt reduction and the best record on economic growth. based upon what the other side says. the records of Reagan, Bush 41, Bush We have a deal before us that is a re- Do you know what. He raised taxes and 43, and Clinton, with respect to defi- sult of a manufactured crisis. The debt cut spending. Wow. Our friends on the cits, the record is very clear. limit has historically been raised as a Here it is: During the Reagan admin- other side said, when President Clinton matter of course by both Republicans raised taxes and cut spending, it would istration, deficits exploded, and we can and Democrats, both sides, without crater the economy. I was here. I heard see on the graph the deficits that aver- conditions. Ronald Reagan did it 18 the majority leader on that side say aged about $200 billion a year. During times without conditions. George W. the first Bush administration, the defi- that proposal would crater the econ- Bush did it 7 times without conditions. cits actually got worse and ended up omy. Republicans repeated that line all But, no, not this time. still in the range of $200 billion a year. across America. The Clinton plan to For days, for weeks, this Congress President Clinton inherited deficits of get the deficits and debt down by rais- has been held hostage by a radical $200 billion a year, but we can see by ing revenue and cutting spending, they few—a band of tea party tyrants—who the last 4 years of his administration, all said, would crater the economy. believe their opinions, their values, he was in the black. The budgets were They were wrong. Then it came time their view of the world, their vision of balanced, and for 2 or 3 of those years, for the Bush administration, and he government must be America’s vision. he actually stopped using Social Secu- had massive tax cuts, and they all said It is not. In their world, there is no rity money to fund government oper- that would be a huge job creator and room for reasonable compromise, there ations. Then, of course, we see what fire up the engines of economic growth. is no room for fair and balanced budget happened in the second Bush adminis- They were wrong again. approaches, the kinds of approaches to tration: Deficits absolutely exploded— The record is clear. Look at the dif- budgets I and many on this side have absolutely exploded. ference. There were 16 million jobs cre- worked for and voted for throughout The second Bush administration was, ated under Reagan, 3 million under our careers in Congress. by far, the worst on record for deficits Bush 1, 23 million under Clinton, and 3 I have voted for balance going in, and and debt of any of these administra- million under Bush 2. Clinton had the I was looking for balance in the final tions; and, by far, the best was the biggest reductions in deficits and debt agreement or the hope of balance that Clinton administration. by far of any of them. He had the best the American people themselves have But we can look at it a different way. economic growth, and he had the best expressed clearly they wanted to see: This chart shows, in dollar terms, what job creation. And the second Bush ad- spending cuts but also ending those tax happened to the debt. We can see in the ministration comes and they say big loopholes and creating revenue. Reagan administration the debt more tax cuts—that is going to fire up eco- I have voted for $2.4 trillion in cuts than doubled. The Bush administration nomic growth, that is going to fire up in the Reid amendment, with the inclu- took it up much further. The Clinton job creation. They were wrong. sion of a joint committee process—Sen- administration actually started bring- When Clinton had a proposal to raise ator CONRAD was talking about that— ing down the debt. President Clinton revenue and cut spending, they said it that could include revenues, a balanced was actually paying off debt during his would crater the economy. Yet Clinton approach. administration. Then we saw what hap- had the best record on economic I have supported increasing the debt pened in the second Bush administra- growth and the best record on job cre- limit in a responsible way, a balanced, tion: The debt absolutely skyrocketed, ation. They were wrong again. During responsible, fair approach that imple- going up well over 21⁄2 times. the second Bush administration, at the ments significant but responsible de- Mr. President, when we then look at end—has everybody forgotten?—we ductions. the record of economic growth under were on the brink of financial collapse. I voted in 2010 to establish the Bipar- those different Presidents, it is very in- I was called to a special meeting in this tisan Task Force for Responsible Fiscal teresting. Reagan, who more than dou- building with the Bush administra- Action—the precursor to the Bowles- bled the debt, had a pretty good record tion’s Secretary of Treasury, and I, Simpson Commission—to review all as- of economic growth—3.5 percent. Bush along with other leaders of the House pects of the financial conditions of our 1, who ran the debt up even further, and Senate, was told we were days government, including tax policy and had a pretty paltry record—2.1 percent away from a financial collapse. This entitlement spending.

VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:15 May 31, 2012 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\S01AU1.REC S01AU1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE August 1, 2011 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5167 I voted to protect Social Security those tax cuts and make them the hall- interest costs. On the other side, making the from being used to balance the budget mark of his reelection campaign? I economy weaker now will also hurt its long- when it hasn’t contributed to our debt. don’t think so. run prospects, which will in turn reduce fu- I voted in favor of the Pryor amend- While I know that if we go to the ture revenue. So those demanding spending cuts now are like medieval doctors who ment to reduce the budget deficit by at automatic sequestered cuts, nearly $1 treated the sick by bleeding them and there- least $154 billion with a balanced ap- trillion of those automatic cuts will by making them even sicker. proach to cutting our deficits that in- come supposedly from defense, what And then there are the reported terms of cluded discretionary spending, entitle- guarantees are there that we won’t use the deal, which amount to an abject sur- ments, and revenues. the overseas contingency fund of $1 render on the part of the president. First, I have supported budget enforcement trillion to meet the defense side of the there will be big spending cuts, with no in- crease in revenue. measures, such as the statutory pay- cuts—the very fund which Republicans, Then a panel will make recommendations go, to pay as you go when you come up in the budget passed in the House, put for further deficit reduction—and if these with a new idea for spending or a tax in their budget and which virtually all recommendations aren’t accepted, there will break, to control both spending and of my Republican colleagues here in be more spending cuts. revenues. the Senate voted on, and they voted on I described before the possibility of I led the effort in this Chamber to it as cuts. If that isn’t the case, what getting revenue in that equation with cut $21 billion in unwarranted Big Oil makes us think that supplemental the appointments being made by the subsidies and supported saving almost emergency appropriations won’t be of- authorities making them, saying they $6 billion this year alone by cutting fered on the defense side while will appoint no one who will consider ethanol subsidies. warfighters are in the field, leaving us revenues. There will be, therefore, even I have voted five times in the past to with no real defense cuts but a hard $1 more spending cuts. That is a Nobel increase the debt limit in a responsible trillion in cuts on domestic programs Prize economist. way. such as education, student loans, No, there is no balance in this agree- But this eleventh-hour deal, with so health care, renewable energy, research ment, no real compromise. It simply many strings attached that it has be- and development? And the list goes on. does not force the shared sacrifice the come a tangled web of conservative so- For those who suggest that this com- American people have demanded. Oil cial values, is nothing more than a con- mission and the threat, the sword of companies will make $143 billion in cession to the radical right of one those automatic cuts will make people profits this year, the Big Five. They party, and it flies in the face of our val- act responsibly, what makes us think will keep picking the pockets of Amer- ues as a nation. It would mean drastic that the old paradigm, which I long for, ican taxpayers with a ridiculous hand- and dramatic cuts to one side of the that people will be responsible will out while they earn those billions in ledger, overwhelmingly from non- take place given what we have seen in profits. Ethanol millionaires will be off defense spending, and no balance—I re- which we have a manufactured crisis the hook with this deal. There is no peat, no balance—on the revenue side. that has brought us to the verge of an balance in this deal. There is no fair- I know their suggestion is that the economic crisis that is not only na- ness. There is nothing but concessions to the radical rightwing of the Repub- commission can look at revenue. Yes, tional but international in proportion? lican Party that is holding the Amer- it can look at revenue, but that com- If people have been willing to bring us ican economy hostage, with a gun to mission which is going to be appointed to that point, what makes us think its head, threatening to pull the trig- with an equal number of Republicans this negotiation as proposed by the leg- ger if they don’t get their way. and Democrats and appointed by the islation will work? leadership in both Houses pretty much Yet no one on the right seems to be They will continue to look for deeper happy. They want more. They believe tells you where it is going to end up. and deeper cuts to those basic services they have not gotten enough. When is Speaker BOEHNER has said he won’t we as a party and as a nation have enough, enough? How far do we have to appoint anyone to the committee who fought for. We will spend the next year bend before we break? How much do we would accept revenue as part of the headed into the national decision- have to give of our values, our beliefs, mix. Senator MCCONNELL has said making that will take place next No- our vision of America? How much do there will be no new revenue. They get vember forced to debate deeper cuts, we have to give of the promises we appointments to that commission. refight old battles, debate a balanced have made as a nation to hard-work- That is half of the commission. Even budget amendment and the Bush tax ing, middle-class families struggling to Gene Sperling, the President’s eco- cuts, instead of talking about creating make ends meet, struggling to pay the nomic adviser, said there will be no jobs, which is what Americans want to bills, the mortgage, pay for health new revenues for the next 18 months, see again, and helping middle-class care, tuition to put their children which is a clear reflection of what families who are struggling to make through college, and give them a Speaker BOEHNER and Minority Leader ends meet. chance at a better life? MCCONNELL have said. But don’t listen to me on that. Listen How about those whose lives would Since they won’t accept revenue ex- to Paul Krugman, a Nobel Prize-win- be shattered except for the govern- cept maybe in the context of tax re- ning economist who wrote today that ment’s protection? We are their voice. form, which the joint committee has this deal is a disaster—his words—for I speak for them when I say this is not said it can’t do by the end of the year, the economy. He said: a fair deal, but it is the deal before us. which is when this commission is Start with the economics. We currently What is fair is fair, but this plan is not called upon—by Thanksgiving—to have a deeply depressed economy. We will al- fair to the American people. I cannot come forth and make a presentation, most certainly continue to have a depressed in good conscience support a plan and we Democrats will have members economy all through next year. And we will where soldiers, seniors, students, and on the commission who will be respon- probably have a depressed economy through working families must endure trillions sible and want to strike a deal, we will 2013 as well, if not beyond. in cuts while oil companies, billion- end up either having to accept the The worst thing you can do in these cir- cumstances is slash government spending, aires, corporate jet owners are not commission’s spending cuts without since that will depress the economy even fur- asked to pay one cent toward shared revenue, leaving us with trillions of ther. Pay no attention to those who invoke sacrifice. dollars in nondefense and entitlement the confidence fairy, claiming that tough ac- The Republicans turned a relatively cuts, or automatic sequestered cuts tion on the budget will reassure businesses routine vote to meet America’s obliga- that are even more Draconian. and consumers, leading them to spend more. tions into a crisis threatening the Does anyone in this Chamber really It doesn’t work that way, a fact confirmed world’s economy. In response, the Reid believe that the Bush tax cuts for the by many studies of the historical record. plan met them 80 percent of the way by top-tier, the richest, the wealthiest Indeed, slashing spending while the econ- omy is depressed won’t even help the budget proposing $2.4 trillion in cuts, creating people—millionaires and billionaires— situation much, and might well make it a process where a bipartisan commis- which will expire in 2012, will be on the worse. On one side, interest rates on Federal sion could find a balanced approach to table in an election year, that the borrowing are currently very low, so spend- deficit reductions that would go be- President will issue a veto threat for ing cuts now will do little to reduce future yond that and that would meet the

VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:15 May 31, 2012 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\S01AU1.REC S01AU1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE S5168 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 1, 2011 American people’s call for shared sac- truth is, we are all responsible, and we do not want to play that game with our rifice from those who have not only the are only going to get out of this hole economy and our financial future. I greatest wealth in the country but also and get the American government and think it would have hurt us. So it those who seem to have the privilege the American people out of this hole if avoids that. Second, it does begin to and the power to fashion the Tax Code we work together to solve the prob- cut some spending and put some caps in a way that benefits them but doesn’t lems, just as we have together caused on. Third—and maybe this is the most benefit working-class families in our these problems. hopeful—it creates a special joint com- country. I saw some numbers recently—I mittee of Congress to recommend fur- No, that was not enough for the tea think I have them right; I know I have ther cuts in this so-called second party, nor for the party they now con- them almost right—that express very tranche of cuts. trol. No, instead they have insisted on simply what happened over the last But it does not do two other things, a process where oil companies, billion- decade. In fiscal year 2001, the last year and as a result, this proposal before us aires, offshore tax havens, and the cor- of the Clinton administration, the Fed- now is unfair. What doesn’t it do? It porate elite are completely protected eral Government tax revenues—reve- seems to me that in reaching this from making shared sacrifices. That is nues—were at about 19.6 percent of the agreement, each political party yielded simply not fair. I cannot support it. gross domestic product. Federal Gov- to the other party’s highest priority The thought that because our soldiers ernment spending in that year was political and ideological interest. So will join seniors, students, and work- about a point lower, 18.5 or 18.6 percent this agreement does not deal with enti- ing-class families on the chopping of the gross domestic product. So you tlement reform at all, including Medi- block that Democrats should flock to are raising about 1 percent more of the care reform, which is a priority for Democrats, and it does not raise reve- this plan is wrongheaded. Eliminating GDP than you are spending, and you nues, which is a priority for Repub- troubled DOD weapons systems is one have a surplus. licans. Why do I say it is unfair? It is thing, but across-the-board cuts will What is it now? It is startling how unfair because it sets before us a solu- punish those who are bravely serving the change has occurred. Spending is tion to the problem that only asks of our country in a time of war. Adding up close to 25 percent of the gross do- mestic product, and revenues are down the discretionary spending lines in our these cuts just makes what was a pain- budget. to about 15 percent. Now you have a ful plan a totally unfair, unbalanced, What I mean to say here is that dis- gap of about 10 percent of spending, as and unacceptable plan. cretionary spending in fiscal year 2010 I supported the majority leader’s a percentage of GDP, over revenue, and represented about 35 percent of all gov- plan. I have shown I am serious about we have this enormous deficit and ernment spending. Mandatory spend- deficit reduction. I have supported a debt—$14 trillion. If you said to me ing, the so-called entitlements, was al- fair deal as described by people in New when I came to Congress in 1989 that most 60 percent. So 35 percent discre- Jersey and across our country, a rea- our government would one day have a tionary, 60 percent mandatory. Interest sonable deficit-reduction plan that debt of over $14 trillion, I would have payments were about 5.5 percent. So if truly represents compromise, a deal said: Impossible. But here we are. And you are taking the mandatory spending that fulfills the commonsense idea of it is growing at $1 trillion a year and off the table and you are not going to shared sacrifice. more. That is the problem we have. add any revenues, then you are left I know shared sacrifice. This is not When you think about those percent- with taking all the savings that this shared sacrifice. This is capitulation to ages I cited, speaking very simplis- agreement proposes to achieve—almost a radical fringe of the Republican tically, the way we are going to get out $3 trillion, maybe at best $3 trillion— Party that will not bend until they of the hole we are in is by cutting you are taking it all out of discre- break this economy or get their own spending and raising revenues. We tionary spending. In doing that, you way. I have been for deficit reduction. would like to do that in a way that also are going to end up having a dev- I have voted for fair approaches to def- gets us back to economic growth. That astating effect on our security and I icit reduction. I know fairness, but this is the critical third factor. If we are believe on our prosperity and also on deal is not fair, and I will not support growing economically, the revenue sys- our future, on the capacity of our gov- it. tem we have will raise more money and ernment to take care of those who are I yield the floor and suggest the ab- help us to close this gap. most vulnerable and on the capacity of sence of a quorum. But doing these two things that are our government to help the economy The PRESIDING OFFICER. The critical to solving the national crisis grow. clerk will call the roll. we have—which is to raise revenue and To better explain this, I just want to The bill clerk proceeded to call the cut spending—is difficult politically, say very briefly, what is discretionary roll. very hard politically. It is not what a spending? Well, there is the defense Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I lot of politicians think our constitu- side, which is the Department of De- ask unanimous consent that the order ents want us to do. But I think today fense. In some cases in the agreement, for the quorum call be rescinded. the American people are so anxious it is described as security, and that The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. about the national debt, so anxious would include Homeland Security and COONS). Without objection, it is so or- about the economy, and so frustrated the Veterans’ Administration. The dered. and angry with Members of Congress nondefense discretionary includes most Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I that they would like us to do what is of what most people see as our govern- rise to speak on the proposed debt cri- counterintuitive, which does not seem ment: education, health, administra- sis agreement. The first thing I would like traditional politics, which is to ac- tion of justice, energy, environment, like to do is express my appreciation— tually do together what will solve the agriculture, commerce, community I think I would actually say empathy problem—stop the partisan politics, and regional development, science, to the President, the Vice President, solve the problem. They know we have space, technology research. All of those and the bipartisan leadership of both to cut some spending, we have to raise will suffer devastating cuts under this Houses of Congress who have had to some revenues, and they want us to do proposal because we have not been able deal with this enormously significant it fairly. That is the difficult dilemma to deal with entitlements, particularly and difficult problem for our Federal the White House and the bipartisan Medicare. Government because the obvious fact is congressional leadership faced in deal- Why do I cite Medicare? I believe in we have worked our way into a very ing with this problem, and it results in Medicare. I think it is a great program. deep hole of debt. When I say ‘‘we,’’ I the agreement. But, look, it is on course to do two mean we, all of us—succeeding Presi- I thank the leaders and the White things: One, it is going to go bankrupt dents of different parties, Members of House for the agreement because it soon, according to the report of its own both parties in both Houses of Con- does do some significant things. No. 1, trustees, no later than 2024 but as soon gress. There is a tendency, when you it avoids the unknown risk of a default as 4 or 5 years from now. The hospital have a problem such as this, to want to for the first time in our history. Some part of Medicare is going to go bank- point and blame everybody else. The people think it would not be so bad. I rupt. It is not going to have enough

VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:15 May 31, 2012 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\S01AU1.REC S01AU1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE August 1, 2011 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5169 money. Why? Because though people The Department of Defense is work- missions our country is asking of them put money, through their payroll ing on that. GEN Martin Dempsey, in a way that maximizes their ability taxes, into hospital insurance, the re- soon to be Chairman of the Joint to succeed and protects them, I do not ality is that the average beneficiary of Chiefs, testified before the Senate think anybody in the military can say Medicare takes $3 or $4 out for every $1 Armed Services Committee, said he yes. I could not say yes, if that was the put in. You cannot do that and have it was working on that. He thought he case. be sustained over the long haul. And could accomplish it, but it was not So I am disappointed. I will say one over the next decade, approximately 20 going to be easy. other thing because we are all so fo- million more Americans are going on He was asked: What would happen if cused on jobs and the economy. The to Medicare because of the baby boom- you were demanded to go beyond the American military does not just pro- er generation. So it is the single larg- $400 billion in cuts from defense over tect our security and advance our est, fastest growing element of our the next 10 years? He said it would be ideals, as it does, and live by our Federal budget. extraordinarily difficult and involve ideals, as it does, but it also has a tre- It seems to me—again, I support very high risk to our national security. mendous positive impact on our econ- Medicare. I voted against the Ryan He is not against cuts in defense. I am omy. It is the American military that budget. I do not want to privatize it. not against cuts in defense. But they is the foundation of an international But you cannot protect Medicare as it have to be reasonable because, in the system of stability and security that is and expect it to stay as it is. You are end, the first responsibility of our na- has undergirded, that has been the pre- only going to protect Medicare by tional government is to protect our se- condition of the enormous growth that changing it, and this budget does not curity. has happened in America and a lot of touch that at all. I could say more If we do not have security, we do not other places in the world, where hun- about that, but that is enough for the have anything else. We do not have dreds of millions, probably billions, of moment. freedom. We do not have prosperity. We people have come out of poverty be- So the end result of all this is that of do not have anything else. The world is cause they could rely on the safety of the approximately $1 trillion in the so- full of people who want to do us dam- the sea lanes, they could rely on order called first phase or tranche of cuts age, who want to kill us, who want to in the world in places such as Asia, Eu- adopted by this plan, they are pretty bring down our civilization, who are in- rope, and throughout the world. much all from discretionary spending, volved in an ideological—some sense If the American military is cut as defense and nondefense—Head Start, theological—clash with us. I am just much, in the worst case as this pro- Pell grants, education, and defense. saying that if the joint committee, the posal would cut it, it is the beginning The second phase is the part that special committee, cannot reach agree- of the end of America as a great inter- bothers me and really worries me, I ment or reaches agreement and Con- national power. It is the beginning of the end of this system of international would say. The proposal before us sets gress rejects its proposals, there will be security that has undergirded our pros- up a committee, 12 Members of Con- an automatic cut in defense of an addi- perity and so much of the prosperity of gress equal in terms of party alloca- tional $500 to $600 billion over the next the world. Which other nation will as- tion. They have the opportunity to decade. Add that to the $350 billion al- sume the responsibility we have? We deal with the problems that are left ready in the first phase mandated by have benefitted from it greatly. It is a out of this and have this be a fairer this proposal, we have $1 trillion in statement that we are prepared to de- proposal to get America back in bal- cuts. We are not going to be protected, cline as a country. ance; that is, to deal with the entitle- as we have to be. I come back and say again, that to It is as simple as that. It is unfair— ments and deal with the revenues—tax get us out of the fiscal hole we in the not only unfair, it is irresponsible. Ad- reform, entitlement reform, whatever Federal Government have put this you want to call it. But will they? And miral Mullen was in Afghanistan over country into, everybody is going to if they do not, if the two parties’ pri- the weekend. He had a conversation have to give. Everybody is going to ority political and ideological interests with some of our troops that got a lot have to take cuts. That includes de- are reflected in the committee and stop of attention from the media. One of the fense, and there is a lot that can be cut it from dealing with entitlements and soldiers got up and said: Admiral out of defense. But there is also a lot revenues or are reflected on the floor, Mullen, we were following the debt de- that has to be changed in entitlement then there is an automatic mechanism bate in Congress. Can you promise us spending. for cutting an additional $1.2 trillion to we will get paid regularly in the com- There are people who are getting $1.5 trillion, and that all comes out of ing weeks? away with tax loopholes who ought to discretionary spending, defense and Admiral Mullen quite honestly said: I be paying more in taxes. Everybody nondefense. do not know. Because it was not clear has to contribute to solve this national Some of my other colleagues have whether we were going to come to an crisis. Right now, this proposal is un- come to the floor to describe the im- agreement and avoid a default. fair because it adds contributions, cuts, pact on nondefense discretionary I will tell you, if this full package sacrifice only from the recipients of spending, really most of what we know goes forward and the joint committee discretionary spending, and that means as government: education, health care, does not reach a different result and while all of them should be paying— environmental protection, transpor- recommendation and $1 trillion of cuts should be accepting cuts, they are tation, et cetera, et cetera. are imposed on our national security- being asked to take cuts that are un- I am on the Armed Services Com- Defense Department budget over the fair and counterproductive to our secu- mittee. I am on the Homeland Security next 10 years, whoever is Chairman of rity, to our liberty, to our prosperity, Committee, privileged to be chair. My the Joint Chiefs of Staff when this goes to our morality as a country that has priority in my service in the Senate into effect—it will be General always taken care of people who could has been our national security. I will Dempsey—he will still be there, fortu- not take care of themselves. tell you this: If that sequester ever nately, in January of 2013—when they If these discretionary cuts go into ef- went into effect, it would have a dev- are asked: Will we get paid, I believe fect, all that will be jeopardized. So I astating impact on the ability of our they are still going to say: I do not have come to say this to my colleagues men and women in uniform and their know. Some of you will. We may have and to say, frankly, that I have not de- leaders to protect our security in what to have a reduction in end strength in cided how I am going to vote. I under- remains a dangerous world. the force, the number of people we have stand the proposal does prevent the de- The initial $1 trillion of cuts man- protecting our country. If families of fault, it does begin some process of dated in this proposal includes $350 bil- men and women in uniform for the cuts, and it has this committee which lion over the 10 years from defense, as United States ask, if this total package offers the most hope. I understand the numbers. President of cuts goes into effect on defense, if But on the other hand, I see in front Obama had earlier directed the Depart- their families of the military ask: Are of me a mechanism set up which I ment of Defense to cut $400 billion from our loved ones in uniform going to be think—if it goes through its conclu- their spending over the next decade. given the equipment to carry out the sion—will have not a net positive effect

VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:15 May 31, 2012 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\S01AU1.REC S01AU1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE S5170 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 1, 2011 on our future, if the committee’s work Jake from Minneapolis writes: The sooner we can come together to is not good and accepted by Congress, In these upcoming days, as you are faced agree on the next stage of this pack- but a net negative effect on America’s with difficult decisions, I implore you to age, the better for our economy and future. work with your colleagues on both sides of the better for our country. I yield the floor. the isle to finalize the budgetary issues fac- I believe we should look at things The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- ing the United States at this time. As a hus- such as closing the loopholes for oil ator from Minnesota. band who is supporting his wife as she at- subsidies. I believe we should look at Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I tends a graduate program at the University of Minnesota, I am very concerned about things such as tax cuts on the wealthi- rise today to speak about the debt ceil- what a default of United States loans would est expiring at the end of 2012. These ing agreement that was reached last mean in regards to our finances. are things that should be in the mix as night. I am faithfully paying down student loans we move forward. Over the past week I have heard from and my wife and I will begin to pay down the It is time to put our political dif- countless Minnesotans who want Con- student loans that she has incurred to pay ferences aside to work on an agenda gress to come together and reach a for her education as she finishes her program that strengthens our economy, pro- in May. Paying off loans is never fun; it compromise on the debt ceiling. motes fiscal responsibility, and in- They did not want their interest means cutting some things out of our budget (things that we like such as going out to eat creases global competitiveness. rates to rise, the value of the dollar to or to the movies) and compromising on dif- If we insist on using the debate as a fall, or to see their retirement savings ficult decisions. vehicle for rhetoric only, we will not decimated again because some in I hope that as decisions are made regarding just be doing ourselves a disservice, we Washington believe that if they refuse the financial situations facing the United will be cheating our children and to compromise, the resulting crisis will States you will be a person who reaches grandchildren out of knowing the score them political points. across the aisle, with a willingness to com- America in which we grew up. I would like to share with you some promise and to make difficult decisions. We already know much of what will of the comments I received from Min- Marilyn from Buffalo writes: need to be done. Our failure to act has nesotan’s throughout the State. As an independent voter I am asking you not been because we lack solutions but Judy from Rochester writes: to compromise on the budget issue. I am also because, too often, Congress has lacked As senior citizens, we understand where asking you to use a balanced approach to re- duce the budget deficit. the political will to get behind a con- our country is compared to where it has been sensus proposal. in the last 50 years or so, and we appreciate Jay and Bonnie from Moorhead In the Senate, we have had this work that sacrifices must be made. It is almost write: going on. We have had bipartisan too far back to remember when people all We would like to see a timely resolution to groups of Senators, including the Gang pulled together, including congress, to solve both the debt limit issue and deficit reduc- our corporate issues. tion by means of genuine negotiation result- of 6, working together to find a solu- . . . all the American people want is for ing in a nonpartisan compromise which will tion. We need to now take that work you to represent us and make the best deci- keep our country financially solvent. and make sure that gets included in sions for us . . . using your best judgment. Kim from Duluth writes: the consideration by this committee. Not prejudice or narrow viewpoint, but the It is time for us to work together and I am writing to add my voice to the grow- best judgment. tell the American people what they Paul from Rochester writes: ing number of citizens worried about Wash- ington’s inability or perhaps unwillingness need to hear. We need to show them This is not the place for partisan political to get done the work you were elected to do. that Washington isn’t broken; that, in- stubbornness. It is the time for our elected In my opinion as a working class American, stead, we are willing to put aside our officials to work together for the good of the I believe we ALL are expected to com- partisan politics to do what we were United States. promise in hopes that we can further the elected to do—to do what is right for Louis from Lakeville writes: good work of our nation. I firmly believe all America. It is time for all you legislators to put of America needs to be accountable to the PASSING AN FAA EXTENSION your political affiliations aside and act as economic disaster we have known was ap- Americans and do what is right for all Amer- proaching these many long decades. So Mr. President, I will turn to another icans not just those who voted for you. We please, in the vernacular, ‘‘suck it up’’ and issue I hope we can resolve before the have a tremendous fiscal mess in this coun- get the job done! end of this week, which is to pass an try and we cannot waste time blaming each While no one feels the agreement we FAA extension. other. It was jointly created and must be will soon vote on is the perfect solu- I rise today to speak about the ur- jointly resolved. tion, we are in the bottom of the ninth gent need to pass a Federal Aviation Bonnie from Osseo writes: here, the time has come to break Administration extension. The Federal Please put your ideologies aside and work through the partisan stalemate and Aviation Administration not only in a collaborative effort to restructure our pass something to provide certainty so keeps our airways safe but it also en- debt and to give the USA the opportunity to we can move our country forward. sures that our air transportation runs continue to prosper. This is why I plan on voting for this effectively by overseeing grants for Marla from St. Paul writes: agreement as it will ensure our coun- critical construction projects at our It is so frustrating to see the same game of try does not default on our obliga- airports. political budgetary chicken playing out at tions—something that would have As you know, Congress allowed the the national level that happened in the state caused real pain for Minnesota families FAA’s most recent extension to expire level in Minnesota. and businesses—while also providing a on July 22. This has resulted in a par- Tom and Mary from St. Paul write: down payment on deficit reduction. tial shutdown of the FAA. If you wanted to wake us up as citizens, Unfortunately, this debate has once While the current partial shutdown you certainly have. We’ve been told that if again shown we need to change the way of the FAA is not affecting the safety you allow a default, that will cost our 401K Congress conducts its own business. of our airways, it is still having some to lose $9,000. Our stock portfolio and retire- I come from county government and detrimental effects on our country’s ment savings will likely take a 6 percent hit. If ever a situation called for compromise, I can tell you local governments do not air service. this is it. Raise the debt ceiling, and not just operate this way. The lack of an extension means the for 6 months, (Reagan did it many times) but Minnesota is home to more Fortune FAA doesn’t have the authority to col- make real promises to deal with the debt, 500 companies per capita than any lect the fees and taxes the aviation sys- and then make the real fight where it be- other state. After fielding many calls tem needs to fund ongoing construc- longs, over the next budget, not paying for over the past few weeks from business tion and improvement projects at our our current obligations. Do you really want leaders from the biggest businesses in airports. This is approximately $200 the Chinese to call in all our debts now? our State, like General Mills, to the million a week. Have a phased, sane plan for bringing down The fees and taxes have nothing to do the debt, not a forced/false crisis. We’re just smallest, one, two, three-person oper- hard working Americans trying to go on ations, they do not run their businesses with the current debt issues we have with our lives. We never write these kinds of this way. been debating over the past few weeks. messages. This is scary and we won’t forget. And there is no doubt, this is not how These fees and taxes go into a trust Get it done please. families balance their budgets. fund that is self-funded and separate

VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:15 May 31, 2012 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\S01AU1.REC S01AU1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE August 1, 2011 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5171 from the budget that has been in the Americans could not find full-time em- Federal funding in investment—a crit- news. ployment. Let me repeat that: over 25 ical engine sustaining our sputtering The trust fund pays for construction million Americans are effectively out economy—it could easily plunge Amer- projects such as a new terminal at the of work. This includes those formally ica back into recession. Duluth Airport in Minnesota. This new looking for work and those so discour- Please read your history, see what terminal is critical to the Duluth area. aged that they are no longer looking happened in 1937 and 1938. We were The terminal will allow more flights in but want to work. State and local gov- coming out of the Depression and all of and out of the airport, which is vital as ernments continue to slash funding for a sudden Congress decided to tighten more and more businesses are moving jobs at a stunning pace, destroying an down the screws and plunged us right to Duluth. estimated 500,000 jobs in the last 2 back into higher unemployment. Unfortunately, the airport at this years. Let me repeat that: In the last 2 Secondly, I have always advocated a time is waiting for a $5.2 million grant years, State and local governments balanced approach to deficit reduction, that has already been awarded from have destroyed an estimated 500,000 including both spending cuts and rev- the FAA. For each day that the airport jobs. Those are consumers too. Those enue increases. This deal—the one we waits to receive its grant money, the are people who shop and buy cars and are going to have before us this risk is higher that the airport will be clothes and houses and go out to eat at evening, I guess—rejects a balanced ap- forced to delay the terminal project for restaurants and things such as that. proach. It rejects any sense of equity 1 year. Why is that? Why can’t they go According to an article in today’s and fairness. through constructing things in Decem- Wall Street Journal, in the first half of As my friend, the Senator from New ber and January in Duluth? It is pretty 2011, all government spending fell at a Jersey, Mr. MENENDEZ, said earlier on cold in Duluth then, and it is hard to 3.5-percent annual rate, enough to the floor: This is not fair. Are we con- do the construction, if not impossible. knock three-quarters of a percentage cerned about fairness or is that just That is why it is so critically impor- point off the GDP. On top of this sort of passe? Is that something we tant that we get this money in Duluth wreckage, this so-called budget deal is should even be concerned about, wheth- immediately. Such a delay will not just proposing to slash funding in invest- er something is fair? I think we ought be inconvenient, it will cause the cost ment by $2.4 trillion over the next 10 to be concerned about fairness. This is of the project to significantly increase. years—an unprecedented step that will the message that is coming across loudly and clearly in the phone calls Duluth is not the only airport suf- further destroy demand and directly coming into my office and the e-mails fering. Construction projects are being kill millions of public- and private-sec- I am getting from Iowa and around the halted throughout the country. The As- tor jobs. sociated General Contractors estimates This is what Mohamed El-Erian, country. This deal offends people’s basic sense that 70,000 construction workers in re- chief executive of the bond investment of fairness—that Congress would slash lated fields have been affected by this firm of PIMCO, said just yesterday on funding for things such as student one of the network shows in regard to shutdown. loans and cancer research and Head I know there are political issues sur- this budget deal: Start programs and Vista and legal rounding Congress’s inability to pass Unemployment will be higher than it services or cut essential funding for an FAA extension. However, these would have been otherwise. seniors—senior volunteer programs, issues have nothing to do with the con- Speaking of this budget deal we are senior centers, and Meals on Wheels— struction projects such as the Duluth talking about, he said unemployment cutting support for people with disabil- terminal, the 4,000 furloughed FAA em- will be higher because of it. ities, cutting the safety net for a lot of ployees, or the 70,000 construction Growth will be lower than it would be oth- the most vulnerable people in our soci- workers just trying to make a living. erwise, and inequality will be worse than it ety, hurting the middle class. We can would be otherwise. I appreciate the bipartisan work that do that, but we simply can’t ask for has gone on in the Commerce Com- He added: one more dollar of shared sacrifice mittee and in this Chamber with Sen- We have a very weak economy, so with- from the millionaires and billionaires ator ROCKEFELLER from West Virginia drawing more spending at this stage will who have made so much money in the make it even weaker. and Senator KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON last decade and who have received, from Texas. I continue to support them For months now, Washington politi- thanks to this Congress, huge tax in their efforts to get this FAA exten- cians have been distracted by the breaks. sion done. phony manufactured crisis about rais- This deal is not fair. I urge my colleagues to pass the FAA ing the debt ceiling. This city has been Third, I oppose this deal for the sim- extension. The lack of one is hurting obsessed with this. The rest of the ple reason that I oppose paying ransom our aviation system and our economy. country, for a very good reason, is to hostage takers. Since the 1930s, Con- Mr. President, I yield the floor. more concerned with a far more urgent gress has routinely raised the national The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- deficit than the budget deficit. They debt 89 times, including 7 times during ator from Iowa. are more concerned about the jobs def- the recent Presidency of George Bush, Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, are we icit—25 million people out of work. In a and 18 times under Ronald Reagan. Did in a quorum call? recent CBS News-New York Times poll, Democrats hold the economy hostage? The PRESIDING OFFICER. We are 53 percent of the public polled named Did we say: Oh, no, we are not going to not. jobs and the economy as the most im- raise the debt unless you do this, this, Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, the debt portant problem, while only 7 percent this, and this? No. Did we filibuster? ceiling agreement that will soon come named the deficit. No. before the Senate is a clear and present So I oppose this misbegotten, mis- Oh, there is always a skirmish on danger to the fragile—indeed, fal- guided deal they have conjured up in raising the debt ceiling. Ever since I tering—economic recovery. To say this return for raising the debt ceiling. I have been here, for the past 35 years is the wrong policy at the wrong time don’t oppose raising the debt ceiling. I that I have been here, 36 years now, is a gross understatement. One has to wish to make that clear. I believe we there is always a skirmish on it. But do ask the question: Is anyone paying at- have a constitutional obligation to pay you know how it has always worked? tention? We just learned economic our debts and to make good on our The majority always has to come up growth fell to a 1.3-percent annual rate debts, as we have done since the Revo- with the votes so there is no default. in the second quarter. The first quarter lutionary War. What I am objecting to Well, that is not the way it is working growth was revised downward sharply is the deal that was put together in this time. to just four-tenths of 1 percent—vir- order to permit us to perform our con- This time congressional Republicans tually flat. stitutional obligation. are holding our Nation hostage, threat- The economy created a meager 16,000 I oppose it for four reasons: Reason ening to default on our national debt jobs in the month of June—again flat, No. 1 is this deal will destroy millions and plunge America into an abyss that not even keeping up with population of jobs, as I have said, in both the pub- we don’t even know what would pos- growth. Last month, over 25 million lic and private sector. By shutting off sibly happen; that would affect our

VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:15 May 31, 2012 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\S01AU1.REC S01AU1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE S5172 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 1, 2011 bond rating for years in the future, af- Obama preemptively took this option So Franklin Roosevelt concluded a fect the interest rates that everyone off the table. lend-and-lease program. That is what it pays on their car loans, their student Throughout history, where meaning was called, the lend-and-lease program. loans, housing, and everything else. is unclear, where precedent was non- Even President Roosevelt at that time They would plunge America into that existent, the American people, through said in his writings he considered this unless their demands are met. their elected officials and through probably unconstitutional. But he had Let’s be clear. This is not a negoti- their President, have acted boldly to to do it to save our country because it ating tactic; this is blackmail. Repub- protect the interests of the United was a crisis, and he acted boldly to do licans have basically said: We will in- States and to save our country. it. flict grievous harm on the economy if I have heard it said that people There was no clear authority for him Democrats do not meet our demands. around the President at the White to do that, but, as I point out, there Well, President Obama said it earlier. House—well, they got attorneys to was no prohibition against him doing We are not going to go into default. So weigh in on this and the Justice De- that either. There was no prohibition with this kind of a lopsided deal, the partment. I understand that the Vice explicitly in the Constitution to pro- ransom is paid, the hostage is released. President said this morning to the hibit Thomas Jefferson from making But what a terrible precedent this sets. House caucus that the authority was the Louisiana Purchase. There was no Make no mistake, Republicans will use unclear as to whether the President express prohibition against Lincoln these same despicable tactics down the could take such action. signing the Emancipation Proclama- road in the future. Again, I repeat: Where there is no tion. There was no express prohibition Now, if I sound like I am picking too precedent, where the meaning is un- against Franklin Roosevelt signing the much on Republicans, let me just say, clear, we can’t run across the street to lend-and-lease deal. with this kind of precedent, I can see a the Supreme Court and ask for an advi- So, again, I point out, where meaning Republican President—and there will sory opinion. They don’t give those ad- is unclear—and in the 14th amendment be another one sometime, but I hope visory opinions. But when the country the meaning is kind of unclear. But we not too soon. But there will be a Re- is in a crisis mode and our future is at do have a court case, Perry v. U.S., publican President and there will be a stake, I believe the President can act 1935. Read what Chief Justice Hughes Democratic Congress, and Democrats boldly, should act boldly, must act wrote in his opinion. He said quite will use this as a precedent: We will boldly, both to prevent the country clearly that Congress has the power to hold it hostage. from falling into a crisis but also to borrow money. He said that is a good Is this the way we want to start run- prevent this kind of hostage taking, thing. It may be used to save our coun- ning our country? What a terrible this kind of blackmail that we either try sometime. But, he says, Congress precedent this sets. It reminds me of do it this way or we will not raise the does not have the authority to alter or the precedent that was set starting debt ceiling. destroy those obligations. We cannot back in the 1980s with the use of the fil- I pointed out in my speech Saturday, alter or destroy those obligations once ibuster in the Senate. and I point out again, Thomas Jeffer- we make them. Now, I say to the President that I son concluded the treaty with the Lou- So as I argued Saturday, and I con- have for years advocated that we do isiana Purchase—and he himself wrote tinue to argue, if Congress either away with the filibuster over a short letters, and I have copies of those let- through action or inaction destroys or period of time; that we allow things to ters. I have read them, letters to Sen- alters those debt obligations, then I be slowed down but not be stopped be- ator Breckenridge anguishing over think it is up to the President of the cause of a filibuster. I didn’t just say whether he had the constitutional United States to step into the breach. this now; I said it in 1990s. It was right right to do this. Is there clear authority for the Presi- after Democrats had lost control of the In one letter he said: I believe Con- dent to do this? No. I submit there is Senate and Republicans had taken gress is going to have to pass a con- no clear prohibition against him, ei- over, and I even advocated doing away stitutional amendment and send it to ther, to do this. So when I cast my vote with the filibuster then because I said the States for their ratification before later today against this deal, I am not it was escalating. It was a tit-for-tat. I can do this. But, finally, Jefferson casting a vote to send our country into When the Republicans were in charge, came to the realization that if he default. I would not do that. If I we filibustered; and then when we got didn’t take this action, the whole west- thought that my vote was the deter- in charge, they filibustered, but they ern part of the United States at that mining vote to send this country into added a few more. Then when we got in time might never become part of the default, I would not do that. That is charge, we filibustered, but we did it a United States. Think about that. We not the way I see it, Mr. President. The little bit more than what they did. might have been facing a part of the way I see it is even if we turn this This went back and forth. United States that belonged to France. down, the President can use his Presi- I predicted in 1995 that if we didn’t So Jefferson acted boldly. In fact, dential power and authority to sign an nip that in the bud, it was going to get there were critics at that time who Executive order getting rid of the debt out of hand. Sure enough, it got out of said he didn’t have the authority to do ceiling so that, constitutionally, we hand. That is what I mean. That is that, and they had a vote in the House make good on our debt obligations. what happens. You set a precedent like of Representatives, by the way. I think Read Perry v. U.S. I think you can that, and there is no end to it. it carried by a couple votes. see it there. So if this deal goes down So I think the precedent that has Abraham Lincoln signed the Emanci- either in the House or the Senate, the been set bodes ill for our country, not pation Proclamation. There is nothing President can act before tomorrow to just for Republicans but for Democrats in the Constitution that gave him the save this country. He may not want to too. power or the authority to do that, but do it, but he should do it. And he President Obama had an alternative, he did it. He did it to help save the should have put that out there a long however, to capitulating to the Repub- country and to right an egregious time ago. licans’ hostage taking and their black- wrong. Each one of the three cases I men- mail. In remarks in the Senate on Sat- More recently, Franklin Roosevelt— tioned, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roo- urday and many times, I have urged you can read about it in the history sevelt, three great Presidents, took ac- the President to respond to this un- books. In the 1930s, it was clear if we tion to save the country, and they did precedented threat by taking the un- didn’t come to the assistance of Great the right thing. precedented action under the 14th Britain, it was going to fall to Nazi Mr. President, my fourth reason for amendment to the Constitution of basi- Germany—not that they needed our opposing this deal is because, in truth, cally eliminating the debt ceiling. I men but they needed our material. it is not about reducing the deficit. know the occupant of the chair, the They needed the kind of material that First and foremost, this deal is about distinguished Senator from Delaware, we could supply in a short amount of preserving hundreds of billions of dol- has advocated this for some time also. time so they could defend Great Brit- lars in tax breaks for corporations and It is deeply regrettable that President ain against Nazi Germany. the wealthiest in our society. Bear in

VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:15 May 31, 2012 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\S01AU1.REC S01AU1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE August 1, 2011 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5173 mind this is the singular purpose and ety was. I respectfully disagree. Head inequality as normal. Here is maybe goal of today’s Republican Party: not Start a failure? It was a Great Society what he was talking about. From 2005 reducing the deficit but preserving and program. Medicaid? Of course Medicaid to 2009, the median net worth of His- expanding tax breaks for the wealthy. now is exempted out of this measure. panic households went down 66 percent. Here is why I say that. How about the Elementary and Sec- The median net worth of African- Back last December when Repub- ondary Education Act, title I, where we American households went down 53 per- licans demanded the deal to preserve have agreed to put money out to the cent. The median net worth of White— the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy, States to help low-income students and Caucasian—households went down 16 that deal added a whopping $800 billion schools in poor areas? That is a Great percent. The median net worth right to deficits in just 2 years: this year Society program. How about the High- now of a White—Caucasian—family in 2011, next year 2012. Here we have it. er Education Act? Student loans help a America is 20 times that of an African- We are being asked to raise the debt lot of kids go to college. American family and 18 times that of a ceiling. A big portion of that is to pay I have here a list of some of the Hispanic family. This is twice the gap for tax breaks to the wealthiest just in Great Society programs: the Civil since before the recession, and it is the 2 years because of that deal last De- Rights Act of 1964; the Voting Rights biggest gap since this data was col- cember where the Bush-era tax cuts Act of 1965; the Age Discrimination and lected by the Bureau of Labor Statis- were extended for 2 years, the wealthy Employment Act of 1967; Job Corps— tics in 1984. can get billions in tax breaks for 2 that is another one which is going to Do you see what is happening? Our years. So now what we are being asked get slashed because of this, Job Corps; country is pulling apart. There are to do is to pay for these 2 years’ of tax VISTA; Upward Bound; food stamps, fewer and fewer people at the top get- breaks to the wealthiest by slashing now called the SNAP program, which ting more and more wealth and more funds to the most vulnerable in our so- enables low-income people to have a and more people at the bottom, de- ciety. decent diet during economic down- stroying the middle class. So that is the game here. The game turns; LIHEAP, the Low Income Home From 2005 to 2009, the median net here is to preserve those tax breaks Energy Assistance Program; the com- worth—I keep stressing ‘‘median net even though we have to slash funding munity action programs that do so worth.’’ What that means is you take for the most vulnerable. much for the elderly and the poor. I all the things you own—your house, In December, Republicans’ No. 1 pri- mentioned the Elementary and Sec- car, TV sets, all the stuff you own—and ority was preserving tax breaks for the ondary Education Act, the Higher Edu- you subtract that from all your debts wealthy even if that meant adding hun- cation Act of 1965, the Bilingual Edu- and obligations—mortgage, things such dreds of billions of dollars to the def- cation Act to help kids—learners of as that for the middle household with icit. So last December Republicans English as a second language. I men- half having more and half having less. said: We have to extend the Bush-era tioned Medicare and Medicaid. How The median net worth from 2005 to 2009 tax breaks for 2 years. That tax bill about the Clean Water Act, the Clean of African-American households went added $800 billion to our deficit. I Air Act, the Land and Water Conserva- from $12,124 to $5,677. The median net didn’t hear a peep out of them, not one tion Act and on and on. I am not going worth of Hispanic households went peep from the Republicans about the to read them all. These are all parts of from $18,359 to $6,325. Keep those fig- impact on the deficit. the Great Society programs. They ures in mind—median net worth of Af- Now, in recent weeks and months Re- made our country what it is today. rican-American households in 2009, publicans have repeatedly rejected But, they do cost money. $5,677; Hispanic households, $6,325. That grand bargains to reduce future deficits We have cleaner air, cleaner water, is their net worth. That is everything. by nearly $4 trillion. Why did they re- better educated kids, better health White households, in 2009—from 2005 to ject the Reid proposal and proposals by care, better cancer research—all kinds 2009, the net worth went from $134,992 the administration and others? Be- of research done at the NIH. These pro- to $113,149. So as of just 2 years ago, cause each one would have required grams, along with Social Security, un- the median net worth of White house- some modest sacrifice from million- dergird the middle class in our society. holds was, indeed, 20 times that of Afri- aires and billionaires to help pay for They create a ladder of opportunity to can-American households and 18 times those tax breaks they got. Republicans allow disadvantaged Americans to that of Hispanics. Here is Hispanic adamantly opposed this. work, move upward, and become part households: net worth, $6,325; median In his remarks last evening announc- of the middle class. These programs de- for Whites, $113,149. Again, that wealth, ing this debt ceiling bad deal, as I call fine America as decent, compassionate, as I say, is the sum of all their assets— it, President Obama said the result and, yes, as a great society. their houses, their cars, their bank ac- ‘‘would be the lowest level of annual The President is sorely mistaken if counts—minus their debts, including domestic spending since Dwight Eisen- he believes the American people want mortgages, loans, and credit card debt. hower was President.’’ That bears re- to slash the budget to the level of the The share of wealth? In 1988, the top peating. President Obama said the re- Eisenhower years and turn back the 5 percent of Americans, in terms of sult ‘‘would be the lowest level of an- clock on half a century of progress. wealth, had $8 trillion in assets. That nual domestic spending since Dwight Mr. President, I hope that is not was 1980. In 2010, that top 5 percent had Eisenhower was President.’’ what you meant. I hope that is not $40 trillion in assets. That is more than For the record, the American people what you meant. To turn spending 60 percent of the national wealth. The do not want to take down Federal fund- back to the level of the Eisenhower other 95 percent of America has the re- ing and investment to the level of the years is not a bragging point. That is maining 40 percent. Eisenhower years. To do so would be not something positive. To me, that is Jim Wallis, president of Sojourners, tantamount to repudiating what we a big negative. Rev. Jim Wallis, said, ‘‘A budget is a have done since then to make our What we need is to have a better and moral document.’’ country better and more fair, to make more fair tax system to pay for all the ‘‘We are making choices,’’ he added, our country more of a middle-class so- things that make our society great. We such as whether to cut $8.5 billion for ciety, more a country where people are not having the right debate here. low-income housing or whether to re- born into poverty can aspire to be in We have not had the right debate for a tain a similar amount in tax deduc- the middle class to get a good edu- long time. The debate ought to be tions for mortgages on vacation homes cation, good health care, decent hous- about what is happening to our society. for the wealthy. ing, a ‘‘Head Start.’’ I just read a recent interview with As Senator MENENDEZ said earlier, it To return to the spending of Dwight Bill Moyers. Bill Moyers was asked is not fair. This is the debate and dis- Eisenhower would be tantamount to re- what his greatest fear was. His greatest cussion we should be having in Amer- pudiating the Great Society programs. fear was that we in America would ac- ica, in the Senate, and in the House. We always hear from Republican cept greater and greater inequality, There is this huge disparity in wealth friends how the Great Society was a wealth inequality, as the norm; that in this country, and it is getting worse failure, what a failure the Great Soci- we would accept a greater and greater year by year. Yet our Republican

VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:15 May 31, 2012 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\S01AU1.REC S01AU1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE S5174 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 1, 2011 friends say: Give more tax breaks to nization, analyzed it and said we had to jobs and boost our economy, that will those at the top. put in taxpayers’ money, $3.8 billion build the middle class. This bill is a job The American people get it. They un- worth of tax dollars into this. In the killer. This debt ceiling deal is a job derstand this. They know there are last 10 years, the private sector—be- killer. A lot of economists agree with over 25 million of them out of work. cause of this research that was done in that. We should reject it. They know that wealth disparity is mapping and sequencing the human Mr. President, you have the pen, and opening up a huge gap. The middle gene—has put in over $790 billion in in- you have the Executive order and you class is being destroyed in our country, vestment, creating thousands of jobs can get rid of that debt ceiling. Take a and this so-called budget deal is going all over this country, making huge bold action to save our country and to make it even harder for anyone to breakthroughs in the genetic causes of say: No, we are not going to let any succeed in becoming a middle-class so many diseases and finding interven- group of Congressmen or Senators of person. tions to help cure diseases and keep any political party take our nation I just want to say that the most im- people healthy. Private investment hostage again. portant thing we can do right now, the never would have been done if we had I ask unanimous consent the time single most important thing we can not put $3.8 billion into the NIH to map until 8 p.m. be equally divided between do—I hate to say this—is not ‘‘balance and sequence the human gene. the two leaders or their designees, with the budget,’’ which is not what we are The Interstate Highway System Senators permitted to speak for up to going to do now—this is raising the would never have been completed by 10 minutes each. debt ceiling. That is not the most im- any private company. We did, through The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. portant thing. Slashing government the power of the Federal Government. SHAHEEN). Without objection, it is so spending is not the most important You know what. It was not Federal ordered. thing right now. The most important Government workers out there work- Mr. HARKIN. I yield the floor. Mr. CARPER. Madam President, you thing is to marshal the forces of the ing on that highway. It was young kids have only been in the chair for a couple Federal Government to put people back like me. When I was a kid, I was work- of minutes. I was going to ask you to work, to get jobs going in our soci- ing out on the Interstate Highway Sys- what is going on today, but I think I ety. tem making summer money to go to have a pretty good idea. You and I have There is a lot of work to be done. college in the fall. I didn’t work for the spent a fair amount of time discussing There are highways to be built and government; I worked for a private and thinking through what we ought to bridges to be built and schools to be re- contractor. do in light of these big deficits. We had modeled, new technologies, new power There are plenty of jobs that need to the privilege of serving together as systems, new clean energy, a smart be done, and we need to put people to Governors for a number of years. We grid, cleaning up the environment. work. That is the single most impor- had a requirement to submit balanced tant thing we can be about. Yet what Anyone who has suffered through the budgets and to balance the outflows we are doing, as I quoted earlier, is we heat wave in the last couple of weeks and revenues in an ongoing basis. In are actually going to make it harder. knows something is going on in this some cases we had pretty good fiscal Economists say the deal could com- country. Something is going on. We controls in place to help us. The rules plicate the task of putting people to need more clean energy. were in place to help us, whether con- We need to make sure those children work. There is broad agreement that stitutional or statutory. In some cases who are born today whose parents do the United States needs to pay down not. not have anything, whose net worth is its debts, but most economists say the Your State and, I think, my State so little they don’t have anything, we government should have waited a year have a reputation for being fiscally need to make sure that they have de- or more for the economy to strengthen. sound operations. I was elected State cent health, that they have early edu- We sure missed a big window of oppor- treasurer and became State treasurer. cation programs and Head Start Pro- tunity to reduce our debt in our strong In 1976 to 1977—as the Presiding Officer grams. We need to make sure that years when the asset prices were boom- has heard me say before—we had the every child has the best school and the ing. This time it is different. Instead worst credit rating in the country, and best teachers in America, make sure we are stuck trying to do it now when we managed to climb from there until that our streets and our neighborhoods the economy is so weak, and we should the time when I finished my last term are safe so families can go out and not be cutting and slashing. We should as Governor to have a AAA credit rat- walk in the evening or at night and feel be investing and putting people to ing. I am very proud of that. safe. We need to make sure the food we work. I am relieved, if you will, that today eat is duly inspected so we can have a Again, I urge my colleagues to reject it looks as though we have in place a high assurance we are not going to get this misguided, counterproductive debt course that will enable us to preserve sick and make sure the drugs we need ceiling deal. Let’s stop this precedent the AAA credit rating for our country are available, that the medicines we of taking a hostage of the United and, hopefully, for our States around need, are affordable. States until we get what we want. the United States. One of our members There are a lot of jobs that need to be Mark my word, if we do this, it is going of our caucus said something the other done in this country, and we can put a to happen again. Then maybe some- day that really struck a chord with me lot of people to work. That should be time when there is a Republican Presi- with respect to deficits and the debt the role of the Federal Government. dent and the Democrats are in charge, ceiling. He said: We need a solution, Some people say—I have heard it said then the Democrats will turn on the not a deal. That is what he said. He many times: Government doesn’t cre- screws and we will hold them hostage said: We need a solution, not a deal. ate wealth, only the private sector cre- for something. It is a terrible way to I could not agree more. I could not ates wealth. The government consumes run a country. It is a terrible way to agree more. While I am going to vote wealth, it doesn’t create it. run a democracy. for what has been represented to us I had a hearing in my committee I urge my colleagues to reject this probably tomorrow, I do not regard about a month ago or so, the HELP misguided, counterproductive debt this as a solution in the true sense. It Committee, and we had the head of the ceiling deal. Let’s join together to pass is closer to a deal. Some may argue National Institutes of Health down, Dr. a truly balanced approach to bring whether it is a good deal or a not-so- Francis Collins. The head of NIH had deficits under control, one that first in- good deal, but I see it as a deal, not a an interesting story to tell. It had to vests in putting people to work. Then solution. do with the Human Genome Project, as the economy begins to grow and the What is difficult for me is there is a mapping and sequencing the human private sector begins to invest, then we solution out there. There is a solution gene. We did it. It was a tremendous start cutting spending, reducing the that a lot of people worked on very scientific accomplishment. Dr. Collins deficit. Let’s have a balanced approach hard, including the guy who helped headed that effort. So we mapped and that will allow us to continue to invest craft the last bipartisan deficit-reduc- sequenced the human gene. The Batelle in education, infrastructure, research, tion plan in the Congress in 1997, Er- organization in Ohio, a research orga- and the other things that will create skine Bowles, then-President Clinton’s

VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:15 May 31, 2012 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\S01AU1.REC S01AU1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE August 1, 2011 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5175 Chief of Staff. He worked with a lot of still should have been; that is, the def- don’t know if the Supreme Court or if folks—a Republican-controlled House, icit commission’s recommendations, the Federal courts are going to over- a Republican-controlled Senate. One of which is broad-based and a real solu- turn the health care reform. We don’t the people he worked with was a guy tion and not just a deal. That is not know if we are going to do something named Alan Simpson, a Republican going to happen. Whether we like it or about our infrastructure, transpor- from Wyoming. He was a pretty good not, it is not going to happen. tation or otherwise. Businesses are re- deficit hawk in his day and still is. The question is, What do we do? The luctant to spend money until we ad- The two of them and others came up suggestion is that we do at least more dress those uncertainties. with the deficit-reduction plan that led of what we are already doing; that is, One of the things I loved about the to several balanced budgets at the end trying to get better results for less deficit commission’s recommendation, of the Clinton administration. A lot of money out of the Federal programs, all refined by the Gang of 6, is they would people forget we actually balanced our kinds of Federal programs, the kind of have addressed uncertainty with re- budget a dozen years ago—not just thing you and I did as Governors of our spect to the spending plan and getting once, not just twice, but several times. States, the kind of thing we are trying us on the right track for deficit reduc- We can do this sort of thing. to do in the Federal Financial Manage- tion. It would have been bipartisan, The deficit-reduction plan they came ment Subcommittee which I chair, for- and it would have been comprehensive. up with then was not just revenues, it merly chaired by TOM COBURN. We It would take a big step toward pro- was not just spending. I don’t think it work across party lines. It is a pretty viding expectations and predictability was just domestic discretionary spend- good example of how we ought to work and certainty with respect to our Tax ing or defense spending. As I recall, on how to get things done. Democrats Code, and we could use both of those. pretty much everything was on the and Republicans on the subcommittee I was talking today and listening a table, and they came up with a deficit- work together. We work on the OMB, little bit to the news, and they were reduction package—50 percent revenues we work with the General Account- talking about who is winning because and 50 percent spending—and as I said ability Office, we work with the inspec- of this debate and who is losing. I earlier managed to balance the budget tor generals and all of the departments would like to think that Democrats are several times in a row. of the Federal Government across the not big winners or Republicans are big I like to say there are four ways to landscape. We also work with non- winners. I hope the American people, balance the budget. The first of those profits such as Citizens Against Gov- the people we represent, are at least is to cut spending. The second way is ernment Waste. modest side winners. to raise revenues. A third way is to What are we working on? We are One of the things the President grow the heck out of the economy. The working on how to get better results didn’t want to do was have us go into fourth way is to look in every nook and for less money. How do we not just default. He was willing to bargain long cranny of the Federal Government, in- identify fraud, but how do we get rid and hard in order to avoid default, and cluding every kind of program—defense it? How do we put a spotlight on agen- I commend him for that. The President programs, domestic programs, entitle- cies and departments and Federal folks doesn’t want to have another debate ment programs—and ask this question: who are doing a good job with good re- over the debt ceiling until we get past Is there a way to get better results for sults for the money they are spending, the next election, and for him that was less money or better results for the and how do we put a spotlight on those important. He wants to be able to run same amount of money? who are not and make sure we get the administration. If we pass this agreement and what is more good behavior and less bad behav- As a Governor, I remember how hard being presented to us that is before the ior. it was for us in Delaware to work in House this evening, and we actually Almost everything I do I know I can the Governor’s Office on more than two pass it in the Senate and the President do better. I think the same is true of or three big things at a time. It is hard signs it into law, we are going to see all of us. The same is true with our to do. This administration had their not the promise of the deficit commis- Federal programs. We have to go for it. hands full on this issue for months and sion’s recommendations, which was co- I like to try to find an opportunity in were unable to work on some of the chaired by Erskine Bowles and Alan adversity. Albert Einstein used to say other things they needed to be doing to Simpson. We are not going to see the in adversity lies opportunity. I have help run our country and move us for- opportunity to reform or overhaul enti- been looking at this deal and trying to ward. tlements, to reform the Tax Code, to see where is the opportunity. The op- The other thing I think is important raise some revenues—not by raising portunity is to just do a better job in to the President is he wanted to get taxes but by broadening the base, lim- evaluating performance, demanding started or continue on the deficit-re- iting some of those $15 trillion of tax high performance, and working hard to duction side and finding more savings expenditures. It is what it is. get that performance and working with in reduction. He didn’t want to slam on One of the things we are going to the administration and those Demo- the brakes right now. If I could use a have the opportunity to do and prob- crats and Republicans in the Senate. car analogy of driving down the road, ably a greater need to do is this: We One of the reasons I like the deficit we have been driving down the road for are going to need to redouble our ef- commission’s proposal is because it ad- the last couple of years to try to come forts to look at programs—domestic, dresses some of the uncertainty that out of this recession with both feet on defense entitlements—and ask that currently faces the business commu- the accelerator. What the President question: How do we get better results nities in our Nation, whether they hap- didn’t want, and what I don’t want, is for less money? pen to be large or small. I have heard— to go from both feet on the accelerator We have one former Governor, the and I am sure the Presiding Officer has to both feet on the brakes. Presiding Officer, Senator SHAHEEN heard—from all kinds of businesses One of the values of the plan that is leaving, replaced by another former that one of the things they need from being presented is that we don’t make Governor, Senator MANCHIN, now the us is some certainty, some predict- that transition. We do start tapping on Presiding Officer, who knows what it is ability. Businesses need certainty and the brake and eventually we do put the like to make these tough decisions. He predictability. brakes on, but it is not just like that. has had to do them for 8 years. I have had any number of CEOs and So there are some things important to Just as an aside, I would like to say businesses, large and small, who say to the President. this: There are two Senators born in me that the reason we are sitting on a On the Republican side, they wanted West Virginia. That is the two of us, pile of cash and not investing our deficit reduction; they wanted it to be two Senators who were former Gov- money is because we don’t know what real, they did not want it to be illu- ernors and former chairs of the Na- we are going to do with the budget. We sory—neither do we—and they are un- tional Governors Association. So we don’t know if we will have a default. willing to raise any revenues, even by share a very special bond. We don’t know what will happen with reducing some of those $15 trillion Madam President, I am talking about the Tax Code. We don’t know if we are worth of tax expenditures—tax breaks, what could have been and what I think going to have an energy policy. We tax loopholes, tax credits, and so forth.

VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:15 May 31, 2012 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\S01AU1.REC S01AU1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE S5176 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 1, 2011 So we get, I think for the Republicans dent Obama for his first couple years, across the country, many Republicans, who are focused on spending and who Rahm Emanuel, now the mayor of Chi- and even some Democrats, were listen- didn’t want to do any kind of revenues, cago, has a saying, and I think it is his ing to what they were saying and made even revenues that were being provided original saying. He likes to say: ‘‘Never strong commitments that if they were by dividing the base and lowering the waste a good crisis.’’ Sometimes it elected to the House or the Senate, rates, they weren’t willing to go there. takes a crisis around here to get some- they would come and get control of the I think, for them, they can maybe de- thing done. He likes to say: ‘‘Never spending and the borrowing and the clare victory. waste a good crisis.’’ We have wasted debt and try to return to some fiscal The question is, How about the rest this crisis, and we should not have sanity, some concept of constitutional of us? How about the people who don’t done that. We should have taken the limited government that we promise work here, the people who don’t focus bull by the horns. I wish the President people when we take our oath of office that much on partisan politics, how did had embraced his own deficit commis- and that we would stand by it. So we they make out? For them, it is sort of sion sooner, more robustly. I wish our saw many new Republicans come to the a mixed bag. It is a mixed bag. If I were own leaders, Democratic and Repub- House and to the Senate with a com- a teacher giving a grade in a class, I lican, here and over in the House, had mitment to get control of the spending think I would assign it incomplete be- said: That is a pretty good idea. Let’s and debt, to save our country from this cause we have plenty of work to do. give that a shot. Unfortunately, they obvious bankruptcy we are headed to- This idea of creating this bipartisan chose not to do that. It was bipartisan. ward. committee, joint committee, of 10 peo- It was bicameral. It is unfortunate. The tea party was involved with that. ple, 6 Senators, 6 House Members—the But it is what it is. We need to move It is hard for me to listen to a lot of total would be 12, 6 Democrats and 6 forward. I just hope colleagues will be the criticism of the tea party and their Republicans, I hope that works. I given the opportunity to offer a lot of desire to balance the budget. There is think—my preference would have been input to this bipartisan joint com- no one tea party. What we are talking taking the Gang of 6, the people who mittee that is being created, and about are thousands of citizen groups worked for 1 year on a deficit reduction maybe, in their wisdom, reporting back across this country who are being vigi- plan, which I think is a whole lot bet- to us at the beginning of December, lant about their government, which is ter, and just make them—if we are there will be some of the elements in what our Founders asked them to be. going to have a special committee— deficit reduction that were captured by They are not radical people. They are make them the folks on the com- that deficit commission that are miss- very commonsense people, and they un- mittee. That isn’t going to happen, un- ing in this deal that is before us today. derstand what we are doing in Wash- fortunately. They would have been my If that happens, this will have been a ington is about to destroy the country. nominees, my appointees, but it is not better outcome than I might have oth- The tea party is being used a lot to my decision to make. erwise hoped for. suggest it is a small, radical group that But, anyway, we are going to create With that, I yield the floor and yield is controlling some in the Republican this joint committee. Sometimes I to my friend from South Carolina. Party. Over 70 percent of Americans think if we can’t come to consensus on The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. agree with them—that we should bal- good public policy, what we are in- MANCHIN). The Senator from South ance our budget, that we should cut clined to do around here is just to do Carolina. spending and send a balanced budget more process. I hope and pray this isn’t Mr. DEMINT. Thank you, Mr. Presi- amendment to the States to ratify. For more process. I hope, at the end of the dent. every person who says they are part of day, the men and women who serve on The last 2 years—21⁄2 years—have a tea party, there are hundreds of this joint committee will be open to been remarkable in a lot of ways. We Americans who feel the same way who our input and certainly open to the have seen a lot of things around our share those ideals of constitutional input of some of the Senators, includ- country that are beginning to change limited government and the concern ing the Democrats and Republicans the political landscape in Washington. and real fear that what we have been who served on the deficit commission After President Obama’s election, doing in Washington is taking our and who went on to be a part of this with a lot of fanfare and hope attached, country literally to the brink. Gang of 6. we saw a lot of changes begin in Wash- It is deeply disturbing to hear the The last thing I think I want to say ington—a lot of new spending with Vice President refer to tea parties as is this: A lot of times in government— huge stimulus plans that clearly have terrorists, as he did today, holding a I hope we weren’t quite as guilty of not worked. We have seen a takeover of gun to the heads of Republicans and this in State government as here—but the health care system and the finan- forcing us to make cuts. Clearly, Vice a lot of times in government we focus cial system. President BIDEN and many here are not on symptoms of problems. We don’t But what we saw across America is listening to what Americans are say- focus on the underlying disease or the what encouraged me. We saw millions ing, and they are trying to diminish cause of the problem. I like to use the of Americans, from all spectrums of what Americans are saying by sug- patient analogy. The patient is exhib- politics, united, coming together for gesting this is part of one small group. iting certain symptoms and sometimes tea party rallies and townhalls. They The President showed right away we can look at those symptoms and fig- were concerned about our country. this year, even after the November ure what the cause of the problem is They were concerned about the spend- election, that he wasn’t listening. He and try to cure the patient. Here the ing and the borrowing and the debt. In sent a budget to Congress that in- symptom has been all along the debt these groups were liberals and Lib- creased the debt another $10 trillion by ceiling, but that is the symptom the ertarians and Independents and Repub- his measures but actually another $15 patient is exhibiting or is facing. The licans and Democrats—people with all trillion if we look at it in any kind of underlying cause of the disease is the political beliefs who knew intuitively, objective way. When the Republicans way we spend money and raise money. instinctively, in their guts, that, in in the House demanded that they keep I think we have been treating the Washington, we couldn’t keep spending their commitment to cut $100 billion symptom—avoiding the default on the more than we were bringing in without the first year, what did the President debt ceiling—but I am not entirely bankrupting our country. do? He said he would meet halfway, at pleased that we are curing the patient, I joined a lot of those groups around $30 billion. He doesn’t think we need to taking the steps to cure the patient. the country, and these were hardly rad- cut anything. He thinks we need to in- That is sort of where I see us. I will ical people. They were commonsense crease spending, and that is what he close with these words. I see Senator Americans from all walks of life who has been doing. DEMINT waiting to speak, so I will were just concerned about what we This is the second crisis we have had wrap up. A guy who never served in the were doing in Washington. They want- this year. The first was that year’s Senate, served over in the House, ed us to get control of the spending and budget, where we came right to the Rahm Emanuel from Illinois, Congress- debt. We saw a lot of people in Wash- edge of closing the government because man and later Chief of Staff to Presi- ington ignore what was going on. But the President and the Democrats did

VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:15 May 31, 2012 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\S01AU1.REC S01AU1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE August 1, 2011 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5177 not want to cut anything—at least in Even though this bill passed the lem. It certainly does not solve Amer- the negotiations we see. If they are House by a large number, with some ica’s job problem, and it does nothing going to meet us halfway between 100, Democratic support, and it gave the but add another $10 trillion to our debt they start below zero if they end up at President a $2.4 trillion increase in the if we are able to go that far. 30. They are not with us, and it is hard debt limit but only if we cut spending I will be voting against this bill be- to negotiate with people who don’t un- and controlled it and created some per- cause I do not believe we have 10 years derstand that we truly do have a prob- manent accountability, we sent it to to try to get it right. I think it is very lem. the Senate, and the leader of the likely, over the next year or two or Washington, as Senator RUBIO said, Democratic Party would not even three, that we are going to reach a has a debt problem, but America has a allow it on the floor for any debate be- very real debt limit when no one will jobs problem. One of the things we need cause he saw the polls. He saw that al- lend us any more money. to understand is, if we could stop grow- ready, within just a couple days, that Today, in America, we have to bor- ing the government, we could start 70 percent or nearly 70 percent of row $140 billion a month in order to growing the economy. More jobs would Americans supported the approach of pay our regular bills. The people who mean more tax revenue and less debt. cutting and controlling spending and are adding to that debt every month But, unfortunately, this President con- creating some permanent account- think it is extreme to balance their tinues to make things much worse. He ability. So it was pushed aside so we checkbook. It is time we get our House wants to continue to spend and borrow, could make some more backroom in order and force this Congress, by the but he will not take responsibility for deals, with no transparency, no ac- Constitution, to balance its budget. We his spending. He has failed to lead and countability, no leadership. cannot continue to spend more than we he loves to blame others. Sure, he in- I commend Speaker BOEHNER, Leader are bringing in and expect to reduce herited some problems—every Presi- MCCONNELL, the Republicans who have our debt. That is the inside Washington dent does. George W. Bush before him worked through this process. Dealing mentality. inherited a recession. Reagan inherited with people who will not put a plan on This deal is not a good deal for Amer- double-digit inflation, double-digit in- the table is very difficult. The Repub- ica. It may be the best deal Washington terest rates. Yet they moved to solve licans passed cut, cap, and balance. can come up with, with the current the problems. The difference is, Obama Then they followed up with another leadership, but it puts our country at continues, after 21⁄2 years, to blame risk. But in a Washington where there others and his policies continue to plan that was not so good, but it was a is no leadership in the White House, make things worse. plan, and it did not even get past the Let’s talk about this debt ceiling for front door in the Senate. there is no accountability, and there is a minute, this debt crisis, and try to For 6 months, no plan from the Presi- someone sitting in the Oval Office who set the record straight. Clearly, Presi- dent, no plan from the Democrats. Now will not take responsibility for any- dent Obama has failed to lead in this we have gotten a deal with a partner thing, this may be a deal we have to whole process. We do need to remem- who does not want to cut spending, accept for now. I intend to vote against it because it ber, while he is trying to blame others after a November election where we for this debt ceiling problem, that it were sent here, and the country plead- is important we tell America the truth; was a Democratic Congress and the ed with us to get control of spending, that this puts our country at risk. It is President who signed into law the cur- borrowing, and debt. time we do what is best for America, rent debt limit we have. This was not a We can look at this deal two ways. not what makes the best deal in Wash- Republican-created problem that we There are two realities. From any ington. I would encourage my col- Washington standard, this is a historic leagues to vote against this deal, even have. Then, for the last 41⁄2 years, Obama and the Democrats had control sea change in the way we do business. though I know they already have the of spending, so they set the debt limit, Instead of what we were doing last votes. But I hope when this is passed, and they have spent the money to take year, where we were talking about how we will not think for 1 minute we have us up to the debt limit. much more we could spend and how solved the problem, we will not try to We have known for the last 6 months much porkbarrel bacon we could take convince Americans that now we have that we needed to deal with this prob- home, at least this year we are talking a few more years to spend and borrow lem. Yet the President submitted no about the fact that we need to cut without any repercussions. plan at all. He just asked Congress to spending. So we can say the deal makes We need to immediately get back to rubberstamp an increase of $2.4 trillion progress in that respect. the debate that was getting America in our debt, to borrow another $2.4 tril- But in the real world, a dollars and involved in the last election, which was lion, and, he said, with no strings at- cents world, we have to realize our balancing our budget and getting some tached. He didn’t want to cut anything country is on a path toward bank- fiscal sanity in Washington. While we when this whole debate started—no ruptcy right now. We are projecting are in desperate straits in our country leadership; 6 months, no plan, just adding another $10 trillion or $15 tril- right now, and we see our economy get- speeches, trying to shift the blame. lion to our debt. No one is going to ting worse because of the policies of He likes to ignore the fact that the lend us that amount of money. We do this administration, the good news is House passed a bill that would solve not have 10 years. This deal does not this: We can solve this problem with our problem. It was a bill called Cut, change that trajectory at all. We will one more good election. That is what I Cap, and Balance. It cut spending right still borrow $10 trillion or more in the am looking forward to: taking my case now, it controlled spending out over next 10 years. We will still add $1 tril- to the American people and the case the next 10 years, and it sends a bal- lion a year to our debt. they sent us here to make to this Con- anced budget amendment to the Con- We cannot call this a debt reduction gress, that we need one more election stitution to the States to ratify. The bill. We can not even call it a spending to finish the job they started in 2010. If response from the Democrats in the reduction bill. For the next couple they want us to get control of spending Senate and President Obama was truly years, it hardly cuts anything. When and borrowing and debt, we need a few astounding. The President says he we talk about cutting in Washington, more good people, such as the House wants a balanced solution, but he does we are not cutting spending from freshmen who have stood their ground not want a balanced budget. He has ac- where it is today; we are reducing the on this whole debate and those who tually called us extreme for wanting to rate of increase that is planned. So it is have come in here in the Senate and balance the budget, and, he said, we important we tell the truth to the have led the way for a balanced budget. can do our job without a constitutional American people that while this deal It is that day I am looking forward to requirement to balance the budget. We may be the best we can do—with the because on that day, we will once can do a job on America, but we are leadership in the White House, or lack again, hopefully, listen to America, get not doing the job we were sent to do, thereof, as well as the leadership, or our House in order, balance our budget, and we certainly have proved we can- lack thereof, in the Senate—it may be and do what is best for our country. not control spending unless it is by law the best political solution we can get, I yield back. that requires us to do that. but it does not solve America’s prob- I suggest the absence of a quorum.

VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:15 May 31, 2012 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\S01AU1.REC S01AU1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE S5178 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 1, 2011 The PRESIDING OFFICER. The turing company that focused on bulk the two and just did it. That was clerk will call the roll. pharmaceuticals and her smarts made Agnes. The bill clerk proceeded to call the her incredibly successful. She was one of the Metropolitan Op- roll. Agnes was a pioneer and a leader in era’s—in New York City, one of the Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask the pharmaceutical industry. As presi- greatest operas in the world—she was unanimous consent that the order for dent and founder of Agvar Chemicals one of its most generous and engaging the quorum call be rescinded. and Aegis Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Varis board members. She was committed to The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without worked tirelessly to increase the acces- bringing opera, typically, again, to the objection, it is so ordered. sibility of lifesaving pharmaceuticals widest possible audience, including REMEMBERING DR. AGNES VARIS for people in the United States and those who could not afford tickets. In Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, first, I around the world. 2006, she funded the enormously pop- know the Presiding Officer cares a lot She was one of the founders of the ular Agnes Varis and Karl Leichtman about Dr. Agnes Varis as well, and as modern generic drug industry and a Rush Tickets program, which offered soon as I finish speaking, I will take key player in the adoption of the Wax- expensive orchestra seats for $20, $25— the chair so the Presiding Officer may man-Hatch Act of 1984, which created a affordable to one and all. say a few words about her. streamlined approval process for ge- In 2009, Dr. Varis was appointed by I would like to say some words about neric pharmaceuticals. It is the reason President Obama to the President’s a great American, a wonderful New affordable generics exist. Commission on the Arts and Human- Yorker, and a dear friend, Dr. Agnes Today, just about every one of us ities. Varis. takes generic drugs. They are low cost, She was a great lady, a rare lady, Sadly, for all of us, Agnes died last save people money, and, even more im- someone who combined so many dif- Friday, July 29. She fought a relentless portantly, it makes those drugs acces- ferent attributes and made a powerful disease for more than 2 years. She did sible to people who might not other- impression, even if one only met her not want a funeral, a memorial service wise afford them. In this way alone, for 10 minutes. or an obituary, but those of us who Agnes probably saved the lives of hun- Agnes, we will miss you. But all your knew and admired Agnes could not dreds of thousands, if not millions, of good works and all the possibilities and allow this passing to go unremarked. opportunities you made for others will Agnes was a miracle worker, and I people. She was the one who introduced me, allow your spirit to live on. would like to take a few moments just along with a few of her friends, to the God bless you, Agnes Varis. to share a small fraction of the wonder- issue of generic drugs and why they are I yield the floor. ful things she accomplished in her life The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. of over 80 years. so important. I have worked very hard SCHUMER). The Senator from Ohio Dr. Varis was an incredible woman on that issue for over a decade—a dec- Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I who founded a generic drug company 40 ade and a half—and it was Agnes al- only wanted to add my voice to yours years ago, when a woman CEO was very ways importuning me on. about Agnes Varis. I appreciate the uncommon. After great success in busi- She was always generous, as well as junior Senator from West Virginia giv- ness, she turned her time and support being a skillful and savvy business- ing me a moment or two. to people and issues she cared about. woman. Nearly 1,000 unemployed serv- I have known Agnes for many years. From her tireless support for afford- ice workers who lost their insurance in I worked with her on generic drug able drugs to her generous and unwav- the aftermath of September 11 got issues for the last decade—more than ering assistance to students, artists, Agvar generic drug plan cards, which that—when I was in the House of Rep- musicians, and animals, Agnes was an were good for 1 year, and they gave free resentatives. She had a commitment angel to so many. generic drug prescriptions at any Agnes was a woman who did not take Duane Reade pharmacy in New York and a compassion for the underdog that no for an answer. She fought for bat- City. is rare in this world, especially rare for tered women of Bergen County, NJ, Isn’t that amazing? No one asked her someone as successful as she was. helped out music lovers seeking to do this. She heard it somewhere or I remember years ago hearing her affordably priced tickets, supported other that there were people who lost story as a Greek immigrant and with a and cheered on women in politics, and their jobs, and she knew they needed mother who actually could not read generously improved veterinary drugs, so she bought them a drug card. and write and how Agnes was so impor- science and animal shelters. At the height of the AIDS epidemic tant to that family after her father When one met Agnes, one saw she in Africa, Agnes helped broker an ar- died when Agnes was a very young was a powerful woman and a caring rangement between the Clinton Foun- woman—a girl still—and how Agnes woman. She combined both those fea- dation and an Indian generic pharma- went to Brooklyn College and was, I tures in a beautiful human being. ceutical company to provide affordable believe, the only woman there at the She came from humble beginnings, AIDS medications to African nations time. and maybe that is why she never at a very low cost. And something else Agnes did—and I stopped making a difference in the This was written up in all the news- apologize to the Senator from New lives of those around her. She would papers but not Agnes’s name. She did York, now the Presiding Officer, for see somebody whom she hardly knew not want her name out there. She just not hearing all of his remarks. Agnes and hear about their plight and then wanted to do good, help people who really stepped up after Hurricane move heaven and Earth to help them. needed help, save lives. Katrina and helped by not just giving She was a generous soul. Agnes and her husband Karl were some of her wealth to these musicians She knew education, success, and great music lovers. They loved clas- who did not have jobs because of the culture were essential ingredients to a sical music. Just as she brought afford- destruction of New Orleans but stepped happy life, and she brought all those able drugs to market, Agnes supported up and actually hired these musicians gifts and opportunities to thousands, if the arts and made music and concerts so they were actually working, not just not millions, of people. more affordable to all. getting help from her, hired them to go Dr. Agnes Varis was born in Massa- She donated the Agnes Varis Per- around to the schools and through chusetts in 1930 and was raised in formance Stage to Jazz at Lincoln Cen- much of Louisiana and play for stu- Brooklyn, NY, my hometown. She was ter and sponsored the Jazz Foundation dents and teach students music and, if the only one of eight children of Greek of America’s national educational chil- nothing else for those students who had immigrant parents to attend college. dren’s Jazz in Schools Program, which the musical talent that most of us She earned her degree in chemistry and employs elderly jazz musicians. Just have, which is limited, helped those English from Brooklyn College and like Agnes: She knew there were elder- students appreciate music and appre- later in her career attended NYU’s ly jazz musicians who were out of work ciate jazz. So she was a terrific woman Stern School of Business. and struggling. She knew bringing jazz whom I last saw maybe a month and a Right out of school, she took an to young children would be a great half ago. I miss her. I miss her already. entry-level job in a chemical manufac- thing for many of them. She combined I miss her laugh and her smile and her

VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:15 May 31, 2012 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00024 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\S01AU1.REC S01AU1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE August 1, 2011 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5179 service not to just New York and New of a partial shutdown of the Federal have refused repeated requests to pass Jersey, where she lived, but much of Aviation Administration. I know the a clean extension, some here in the this country. Congress, the President, and the Amer- Senate, mostly all in the House, all of I yield the floor. ican people have been focused on the the leadership in the House. So I want The PRESIDING OFFICER. The jun- debt and deficit crisis, but behind that, to outline how we have, in fact, in my ior Senator from West Virginia is rec- and not in the shadows to those of us judgment, come to this point. ognized. who care about aviation, I want people The chairman of the House Transpor- Mr. MANCHIN. Thank you. It is hard to understand that what has been hap- tation and Infrastructure Committee, to add to the Senator’s recognition of pening to the FAA is causing enormous which is called T and I—that chairman Agnes, and also my colleague, the Sen- pain throughout the country, and the is my counterpart on the Commerce ator from Ohio. You can tell Agnes pain will only grow because of an ap- Committee. He has certain jurisdic- touched quite a few of us in so many parent shutdown of the attempts to tions, and I have certain jurisdictions. different ways. pass the Federal aviation bill, pri- They are not always the same. He is Agnes was a friend of mine and also marily because of the House. transportation and infrastructure; that a friend of my family’s. She was a dear Because Congress has failed to pass doesn’t comport exactly with the juris- mentor to my daughter Heather, who is the 21st short-term extension of the diction of the Commerce Committee. in the industry. We are all going to FAA—do you understand what that But in any event, he seems willing to mourn her passing. Heather introduced means? It is simply saying: I would shut down the FAA, you know, is cer- me to Agnes about 10 years ago, and like to have a clean bill of extension. tainly going to stick it to the FAA em- from the first day I met Agnes, she was That is all. No policy, just a clean bill. ployees, and there will be many more the type of person I always heard my Give us another several weeks to work of them by the time this has ended. grandmother would say: People don’t on some of the complicated issues. It is a tragedy that never had to hap- know how much you care until they So 20 times we have done that over 4 pen. It is a tragedy about ego, about know how much care. years, and there has been no objection. bullying, about an attempt to prove The thing about Agnes was it was not The 21st time, there is content—sud- one side would cave. It is sort of the how much you had here, but it was denly, policy is injected into the re- worst kind of political bickering the what you had in your heart. Agnes was quest for a clean extension, or the re- American people are so sick of, but this that type of person who was truly re- sponse to the request. In this time, time, they are going to pay a terrible markable. She lived an astonishing nearly 4,000 hard-working Federal avia- price. life, Mr. President, as you referred to. tion employees have been furloughed. They are insisting on antiworker lan- She represented the best in our coun- That means they go without pay. If guage. It has to do with the National try, and she truly lived the American things follow their current course, as I Mediation Board. They know full well dream. believe they will, they will go at least this was destined never to happen in Agnes was a first-generation Amer- another month or more without pay. I the Senate. They knew full well the ican and went to college at a time do not know how many of them con- President of the United States had al- when few women attended college. She tinue to stay in their jobs. ready said publicly a number of times started at the very bottom rung of the It has halted critical airport safety that he would veto anything which chemical industry and worked her way capacity and air traffic control contained this kind of language for the up the ladder to the top. She was truly projects. To be quite honest with you, National Mediation Board, basically an entrepreneur. She and her husband the whole prospect of NextGen, that is, changing 75 years of labor law. Karl loved the arts, but they also took the GPS system of tracking planes and To be just a little bit explicit about a risk. They took their life savings to- how far they are from each other—once this because it is interesting, what gether of about $50,000 to start Agvar we have that like every other industri- they want to do is have a system Chemicals. alized country, they will be able to wherein if, when—you are voting to Agnes was a fortunate American. She land quickly and more efficiently and join a union or whatever, and let’s say used her wealth to support the causes with fewer delays. I am a worker but my mother is very she most believed in, especially the They have suspended payments to sick, so I am at home taking care of arts, women’s issues, and caring for the hundreds of small businesses dependent her, so I do not vote. The fact that I did workers in New York after September upon reimbursement from contracts not vote does not mean I just did not 11 and, as we heard from our colleague they have made with the FAA for their vote; it means I voted no, thus helping from Ohio, after Katrina. work. So that just stops. Things just the company, thus tilting, in a very Agnes was always telling my daugh- come to a dead halt. Runways, control odd way, very un-American way, what ter Heather that you can see a lot more towers, whatever—they just stop, and an election is all about. from the edge than the middle, and it they will stay stopped. They will re- We have not had a formal conference. was the few who were willing to be on main stopped, as things are going now, Senator HUTCHISON and I have resolved the edge who created the right middle. throughout the month of August and over—and MARIA CANTWELL, JOHN That deep and poetic statement is a the early part of September. THUNE—we have resolved over 250 dif- piece of wisdom many in this country They have forgone more than $250 ferences between the House and the could benefit from hearing. Agnes had million in aviation tax revenue that is Senate, and now there are only about such a generous spirit, and over the critical to supporting our aviation sys- 12 that remain to be resolved, all of years, my daughter Heather sought her tem. That is about $25 million a day which can be resolved. But that is of no ‘‘agvice,’’ as she called it, many times. that is meant to go into the airport consequence. Our entire family and all of my col- trust fund that does not, and by the I also sent over suggested language leagues, I know, who knew Agnes well time we return, that will be about $1.2 for a significant program such as the are definitely going to miss her. Our billion. Essential Air Service Program, 6 weeks thoughts and prayers are with her and Very shortly, I will seek unanimous ago, to the chairman, Chairman MICA, her family. I am glad we had a chance consent to pass a clean extension of the that reforms in a way that saves $71 to honor Agnes on the floor of the Sen- FAA, and it will be objected to by the million each year for the 4 years of the ate. I know she would be so proud. I Senator from Utah. In some ways, you bill in the Essential Air Service Pro- thank my colleagues for recognizing can say it is a futile gesture, but it is gram. her also. all I have left. It is all I have left in Six weeks ago, the House passed a I yield the floor. trying to take this incredible process clean, short-term extension—the 20th— The PRESIDING OFFICER. The sen- which we have been working on, Sen- like every other extension that has ior Senator from West Virginia is rec- ator HUTCHISON and myself, forever— gone on around here forever—passed it ognized. forever. clean, no policy, nothing in it, just ex- UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST H.R. 2553 With so much damage being caused, tend it so we have more chances to Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, you might ask why not all of my Re- talk—but then they promptly left on a we are entering the second workweek publican colleagues but some of them week tour of European and Middle

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What I want the airlines to be wants to count an employee who Since they returned, I have been told thinking about over the next number doesn’t vote as voting for big labor. that unless and until the Senate ac- of weeks, until we can get back at Somehow, organized labor is able to cepts House language on their proposed this—unless everything suddenly claim that it is democratic to appro- changes to the National Mediation changes tonight, but I doubt that—is priate someone else’s vote without that Board, they would negotiate no fur- how they are going to divide up be- person’s input and participation, even ther, and that message was reaffirmed tween themselves the $1.2 billion they though the rule I am talking about has in the strongest terms this afternoon. will owe to the airport trust fund. been in place for 75 years. They just You know, this all started with Delta I commit to the President of the Sen- changed it in favor of the unions. Air Lines. Delta Air Lines is out of At- ate and my colleagues that I will do ev- Unions win—at least the NLRB pro- lanta, GA. They do not have any erything I can to make sure that not ceedings. They win 60 percent of the unions. That is their business, not just the $250 million, which they have unionizing attempts. mine. They have had four elections. already vanquished out of the airport I personally have not had any com- Unions have tried to organize four trust fund, which we depend upon for munication with anyone in the indus- times. everything, but the billion above that. try. I am here because I think what the Four times the unions have lost. So That will happen at $25 million a day, NMB did is absolutely wrong, and it would appear their chances are not because they didn’t want to give up someone needs to stand up to them. very good in the future. But that anything so they could have their Na- This issue is much larger than the doesn’t stop Delta. They want to make tional Mediation Board stacked the NMB itself, and the airlines and rail- sure we put in place a structured sys- way they wanted it, and in a most un- roads impacted by the NMB ruling. If tem that is out of kilter to a fair elec- fair and most un-American way. NMB succeeds, and the administration tion, and other purposes with other Having said that, I ask unanimous is allowed to put their thumb on the unions. consent that the Senate proceed to the scale in favor of big labor in contra- What they then did is sent over an consideration of Calendar No. 109, H.R. distinction to 75 years of labor law Essential Air Service policy rider on 2553; that a Rockefeller-Hutchison sub- practice, every small businessperson the extension—unprecedented—with stitute amendment, which is at the anywhere will be at risk. which we didn’t agree. Therefore, when desk, be agreed to; that the bill, as The long-term House FAA reauthor- you don’t do it in the first place, or if amended, be read the third time and ization bill does not create a new hur- you do it, both sides have to agree be- passed; and that the motions to recon- dle to unionization; instead, it restores fore you send it over—and it is easy to sider be laid upon the table with no in- the longstanding ability of airline em- say we will extend it and include that tervening action or debate. ployees to make decisions for them- policy because both sides agreed to it. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. selves—and not just a few of them but But they sent over an Essential Air MANCHIN). Is there objection? all of them. Service program essentially targeting Mr. HATCH. I object. In a few minutes, I will ask unani- rural communities in the States of The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec- mous consent for an amendment that Democratic Senators. If the House was tion is heard. includes NMB language from the origi- serious about reforming Essential Air The Senator from Utah. nal House-passed long-term FAA reau- Service, they would have stayed at the Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, for the thorization, and this whole problem negotiating table. They would have third time in a week, I must object to would go away. Again, in a few min- welcomed the chance to come back. another short-term Federal Aviation utes, I am going to ask unanimous con- The House-passed extension is not Administration extension. I want to sent for an amendment that includes about policy; it is about politics, and make it absolutely clear that a long- NMB language from the original everybody knows that. So here we are term FAA reauthorization is a priority House-passed long-term FAA reauthor- on the eve of the August recess, and we for this country, and it is a priority for ization. have a choice tonight. We can pass a me. The current lapse in FAA taxes My critics will point out that both clean extension and put people back to and expenditure authority from the times I have previously asked consent, work—all the 4,000 people who are fur- Airport and Airway Trust Fund is a it has been for legislation that didn’t loughed and have gone through some detrimental situation brought on by include the removal of the NMB’s period of time without paychecks. the Senate majority’s refusal to engage heavy new hand. However, I have spo- They would automatically be taken in substantive negotiations on a long- ken frequently on this issue, and I bet back and life would be as it was before term FAA reauthorization bill, which, my position is very well known. I was through September 16. So that is an- by the way, did pass the House. Addi- hopeful my earlier request for consent other month and a half of wages they tionally, it is not clear to me that the would stimulate discussion on a long- would have to feed their families, and legislation just offered would avoid a term reauthorization and the issues contractors could go back to work, and retroactive tax increase on travelers. I preventing a long-term reauthorization projects at airports and related facili- didn’t set out to cause FAA taxes to from taking place. ties could continue. It is very impor- expire, but reinstating them on a retro- My concern is that the White House tant. active basis is more than I am willing and their allies in Congress will con- Aviation is 10 percent of the Amer- to subject taxpayers to. tinue to hide behind a perpetual series ican economy—the GDP. We have in- As I have already said, I share House of short-term extensions, rather than flicted far too much damage on our Transportation and Infrastructure working toward an actual bill. This is aviation system for the needs of one Committee Chairman MICA’s frustra- why I have decided to ask unanimous airline—one airline. tion, and the frustration of Republican consent for an amendment containing I urge my colleagues to allow this leadership in both the House and Sen- the NMB language, because it is clear consent agreement to go forward. It ate, that favors to organized labor have this is the only way to move this issue won’t. But if you believe in the goal of overshadowed the prospects for long- forward—by NMB language getting the having an FAA system that is funded, term FAA reauthorization. law back to where it really has been for and is well, and which can take on the Last year, the National Mediation 75 years. As my critics will point out, incredible technological needs that we Board changed the rules under which this wasn’t my first choice. But as my have to—in particular, the Next Gen- employees of airlines and railroads are critics have made clear, this is the only eration system, which is not just able to unionize. For decades, the way to actually acknowledge and deal ground-based, but avionics have to be standard has been that a majority of with the issue. placed in every single plane that flies. employees would have to agree in an Mr. President, I ask unanimous con- That is a major undertaking. election to form a union. However, the sent that the Senate proceed to the im- What they have done by their deci- new NMB—National Mediation Board— mediate consideration of H.R. 2553, sion is to take $25 million a day out- rules change that standard so that all which was received from the House; side, away from the airport trust fund. it takes to unionize is a majority of that the Hatch amendment at the desk

VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:15 May 31, 2012 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00026 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\S01AU1.REC S01AU1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE August 1, 2011 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5181 be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, ment on among all of the parties. It is been let. That money is going to have be read the third time and passed; that really the NMB issue that is causing to be spent. the motion to reconsider be laid upon the House to shut down the FAA. So I cannot think of anything more fis- the table; and that any statements re- the entire FAA—not the air traffic con- cally irresponsible than to tax the lating to the bill be printed in the trollers, thank goodness but 3,492 em- users, not put it in the aviation trust RECORD. ployees of the FAA have been shut fund and have to replace that money at The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there down, and this affects 35 States. They some point. objection? are on furlough without pay, through I am a fiscal conservative, and I am Mr. ROCKEFELLER. I object. no fault of their own. trying to make the cuts that are nec- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec- And interestingly, airports that were essary, trying to do the things that are tion is heard. in the midst of building runways or right. But I have to question those who Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, adding to their infrastructure or re- are saying we are going to not be for may I make a further comment? pairing their infrastructure also have essential air service—which has a total The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- had work stoppages because of the budget of about $200 million—but we ator from West Virginia. House action. The Associated General are going to waste $1 billion to not let Mr. ROCKEFELLER. I made one mis- Contractors of America has estimated a bill go through that keeps the avia- take in my remarks—which is very un- that 70,000 construction and related tion trust fund and the FAA going. usual. The repeal of the National Medi- jobs are at risk because the House put That just doesn’t add up. ation Board’s decision language did in an Essential Air Service amendment on If we are going to be sincere about fact pass the House. I said it didn’t. It a clean extension of the FAA. the wise use of our taxpayer dollars, I never passed the Senate and has never Mr. President, I want the House posi- don’t think it is right taking money been debated in the Senate. The com- tion to prevail. But we are getting from people who are traveling on the mittee of jurisdiction has never ready, in the next day or so, to leave airlines and who are thinking that brought it up, never had a hearing, and probably for the month of August and money is a ticket tax to pay for airport it was not raised during any of the then come back after Labor Day. We infrastructure when, in fact, it is going floor considerations in the Senate. should not shut down the FAA because into the airlines’ pockets, and then I suggest that if we were operating of a rider put on the extension of the having the taxpayer make up that under the rules the Senator from Utah FAA legislation that has not been ne- money because these contracts have al- wants to see happen, I don’t think any gotiated. ready been let. Is that fiscal responsi- of us would be here. I don’t think there In fact, Mr. President, the House has bility? would be any mayors, Governors, or not even appointed conferees. The Here we are on the eve of trying to Senators, because most people don’t chairman of the House committee has show fiscal responsibility and do the vote. They would all be voting no. One not called a meeting of the chairman of right thing for our country. I don’t way or another, we would not be here. the Senate, plus the two ranking mem- think so, Mr. President. It doesn’t pass It is ludicrous. bers. There has been no full negotia- the smell test. I regret very much that this card is tion with the principals. Yet the House I hope my colleagues, before we being played. I regret even more the put this extraneous amendment on the leave—and the House of Representa- fact the business community and the bill, and the FAA is shut down and the tives and the people who are sup- airline community, in particular, led lives of 70,000 people are at risk. porting them in the Senate—will relent by Delta, was so quiet during all of We got a letter from Boeing because and let the FAA keep operating. Let’s this. they are trying to get their new Boeing come back in the month of September I got a message in the middle of this 747–8 certification, but the workers are and negotiate an FAA bill as we nor- afternoon that the American Transpor- not there to do it. So in addition to the mally do in this Congress. If we can’t tation Association, which is a legacy of work stoppages—and the FAA has now come to an agreement, then, on the the big airlines association, and Delta issued a total of 219 stop-work orders NMB—and I am certainly going to sup- in particular, wanted to pass a clean across the country—we also are seeing port changing the decision that was bill of extension. the certification of a great new air- made—maybe we can talk harshly and Well, that doesn’t work, Mr. Presi- plane also on hold. That may start dis- throw down the gauntlet, but not with- dent. It is so easy to say we would like rupting the capability for the airlines out any notice, adding it to this FAA to have it passed. But it is much too that have purchased these planes to be extension without ever negotiating on late to do anything about it. There are able to start flying the airplanes and it. That is not the way we ought to op- no phone calls. The whole thing is real- upgrading their services. erate. It is enough to make the people ly a sham. It is very painful, and poten- This just does not make sense. We of our country think: You know what. tially very threatening, to West Vir- are going to lose $1 billion in the avia- We expect better. We expect better, and ginia. I therefore object. tion trust fund if we leave this Con- I expect better. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- gress for the month of August and we I cannot believe my colleagues would ator from Texas is recognized. don’t extend the FAA—$1 billion of rev- let the FAA shut down and jeopardize Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I enue paid by passengers in a ticket tax. 70,000 jobs and take money from airline have not wanted to pursue this issue, They are paying it, but it is just not travelers—when on their ticket it says because the debt ceiling issue has ab- going to the aviation trust fund. It is ticket tax for aviation trust fund—and sorbed all of the air in the room and in going to the airlines in the form of a defraud them because that tax is not the United States, as it should; it is a higher ticket price. It should be going going to the aviation trust fund. Is huge priority. But I have to set the to the aviation trust fund because that that going to make the people of our record straight a little bit about how is what we use to build the runways country believe Congress is doing the this came about. and to make the repairs and to keep right thing? It doesn’t pass the smell First, I agree with the House posi- our airports operating. So we are going test. tion. I would reverse the NMB decision to lose $1 billion in revenue. It is time for the airlines of this because I think it is wrong. However, Here we are, on the brink of cutting country to stand up and say: We need a what happened here is that, after 20 ex- spending and raising the debt ceiling clean extension of the FAA, and we tensions of the FAA bill because of dis- and trying to put our fiscal house in need for the House and Senate to meet, agreements on several issues, the order. Yet we are going to let $1 billion as we normally do, in a conference and House decided to put this one—well, ac- be lost that rightfully should go to the take up the issues. As I said, I am tually, to be honest, the House didn’t aviation trust fund. The users are going to support the reversal of the even bring up NMB; they put another going to pay for it anyway, and that NMB decision, and I am going to sup- issue on the extension language, and it money is going to have to be made up. port a reform of essential air service in is the Essential Air Service language, How is it going to be made up? It is the context of negotiating perimeter which we have been trying to negotiate going to have to come from general rule and other issues that are in con- but have not yet come to a full agree- revenue because contracts have already tention, which is the honorable way to

VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:15 May 31, 2012 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\S01AU1.REC S01AU1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE S5182 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 1, 2011 proceed. But I don’t feel very good cause problems. Well, I would suggest where it is more fair and where it right now about what the Senate is both sides get together and try to re- makes sense. If we do that, I don’t see doing in supporting the House in an ir- solve those issues. But this is not some why this would be held up for 10 sec- responsible position that is defrauding little, small issue. This is a big issue. onds. the airline passengers of this country It even becomes bigger when you con- So I call on both sides to try to re- right now because they are collecting a sider the National Labor Relations solve this issue. I don’t feel good being ticket tax that is not going to the avia- Board, run 3-to-1 by Democrats, and in the middle of it just because I hap- tion trust fund. the President will not appoint the rec- pened to be on the floor at the wrong It is wrong, Mr. President. I hope in ommended Republican to make it an time. All I can say is that, having got- the next few hours our colleagues will even 3-to-2, so it is 3-to-1. They are ten in the middle of it, as much as I come to their senses, do the right running ramshackle fast over labor love and admire the distinguished Sen- thing, pass a clean extension, and send laws in this country. This kind of op- ator from Texas and appreciate and ad- it to the House, where I hope they, too, pressing is something they will do, if mire and love my friend from West Vir- will act so that we can have a con- they can, in a nanosecond. They have ginia—and I do—this could be resolved, ference committee and work out the been saying they are going to do it. and there is no reason we shouldn’t re- issues with honor and integrity. They have been trying to enact card solve it. This is an important issue, Mr. President, I yield the floor. check for years. In fact, they have been and all I can say is that I would like to The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- trying to enact labor law reform— help get it resolved, if I can, and if I ator from Utah. which I fought back in 1977 and 1978— can, I will. But both sides have to get Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I under- for years so they can give the unions a together, and that includes both sides stand the anguish of my dear friend decided advantage that should not be of Capitol Hill. I think this problem from Texas, and I don’t disagree, ex- given under any circumstances in could be resolved, but these are not lit- cept for one thing. The tax is not being union elections. tle issues. charged, and that should be a savings If this gets through—the NMB—then With that, I yield the floor. to the customers and consumers who what would stop the National Labor The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. are using the air services. But whether Relations Board, which handles mil- MERKLEY). The Senator from Texas. it is or isn’t, that takes away from the lions of employees—millions of em- Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I major issue, and there may be another ployees—from doing the same and con- thank the Senator from Utah, and I ap- issue on essential air service, I don’t tinuing to do things that are just out- preciate his passion for the issue. I know, because I am not on these com- rageous, like they are doing? They are agree with him on the issue. mittees. I have been asked by our lead- usurping the ability of this legislature, The way for us to get together and ership to make these objections. the Congress of the United States, to resolve it is to have a conference com- What is important here—and it is not run these issues the way they should be mittee, to have the conferees appointed some itty-bitty little thing—is that we run. They should not be acting as a on the House side. The conferees are have labor law regulators out of con- superlegislature, enacting laws from a appointed on the Senate side already, trol. When the NMB—the National Me- partisan board to do these things. and we are ready to negotiate this bill. diation Board—which is run by a bunch This is not some little issue. This is And I am going to be for the same posi- of Democrats—comes out and does a big issue. I wish I wasn’t in the mid- tion as the Senator from Utah because away with 75 years of labor law with dle of it. I just happened to be here one I don’t think NMB made the right deci- just the stroke of a pen and makes em- day when I was the last one here, and sion. I think it is a terrible over- ployee votes not important, that is not I had to object. But I knew when I did stretch, overreach of that board to some little itty-bitty issue. That is a object it was the right thing to do change the law or change the regula- big-time issue. under the circumstances. tion about what is a union election. I For 75 years unions have been win- If we allow these boards to usurp our think they are wrong. ning union elections by getting a ma- powers of the legislative branch of gov- But we cannot solve the issue with jority of the employees in a firm, not ernment and do anything they want to the House sending an extension of the by getting a majority of those who do because they have a supermajority— FAA with a rider that is completely vote. Those other people, whether they a superpartisan majority—then this separate from that issue. NMB is not in vote or not—and they may be sick, country can’t last, and the freedoms we the rider, it is not in the rider at all, they may be ill, they may not have all value will not last. but that is the issue everybody is nego- been able to be there, they may have The freedoms we all value won’t last. tiating unilaterally here. The House been out of town—their votes are im- I don’t want to see anybody not paid. I has sent over a bill that has an essen- portant as well. The unions have al- don’t want to see anybody not be able tial air service amendment that also ways had to get a majority, and they to do their job. But, by gosh, I don’t has not been negotiated, but what they have done that year after year after want to see a runaway National Medi- are negotiating on is the National Me- year in most situations and in most ation Board, either, or a National diation Board. Well, if that is con- union elections. Labor Relations Board that will use a fusing, there is a reason—because it is Let me give an example: Let’s say precedent such as this in ways it really confusing. you have a company with 1,000 employ- shouldn’t be used. So these are not So why don’t we unconfuse and have ees and only 100 show up, and 51 of small issues. a conference committee the way we them vote for the union. Is it right to I hope we can get together. I hope the normally do here, and let’s hash out bind all 1,000 employees in the com- two committees will get together and these issues. If we would have a chance pany itself when only 51 out of the 1,000 resolve this issue. I am not on either of to actually have a conference, nego- employees have voted for it? Of course, the committees. I am just someone tiate all the issues, and then if some- it is not. This is a very important who around here has had to stand up on one is not satisfied, there are proce- issue. some of these labor union issues—not dures that are honorable to blow up a All those who propose getting this against unions. I am one of the few per- bill that you don’t like, but it is not long-term extension, or even a short- sons in this whole Congress who actu- honorable for the House to send an ex- term extension, have to do is correct ally earned a union card and became a traneous amendment on an FAA exten- the National Mediation Board. Get skilled tradesman and worked for 10 sion and shut down airports that are union elections back to where a major- years in the building construction being repaired and built in our coun- ity of employees are a requisite in trade union, and I am proud of it. But try, jeopardizing an estimated 75,000 order to have a union, and I don’t think I have to say that I am going to call on jobs, jeopardizing the certification of a there would be any problem in solving both sides to get this problem solved major new airplane that wants to get this problem. It would be solved in a and get rid of allowing the National out there and start being used and an nanosecond. Mediation Board to usurp the powers of aviation trust fund that will lose over Now, maybe this essential air service the legislative branch of government $1 billion because we are not collecting language is something that might and get the law back where it was, the tax, and the airlines are pocketing

VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:15 May 31, 2012 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\S01AU1.REC S01AU1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE August 1, 2011 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5183 the money by having a higher ticket the Chair lay before the Senate the We have gone now 824 days without a charge, mostly. They may not all be House message to accompany S. 365 at budget under the Democratic majority doing that, but most of them are. That 9:30 a.m. tomorrow morning, August 2. in the Senate at a time when we have is just not right, and we are going to There will be no rollcall votes tonight. had the largest deficits in American have to make that up because there are The first one will be tomorrow at noon. history. At this extremely important contracts pending that are going to Mr. President, I would suggest the time we do not have a budget. They have to be paid for. absence of a quorum. said it would be foolish to have a budg- It is not fiscally responsible, and it is The PRESIDING OFFICER. The et. My questions is, Why would it be not honorable, and it is time for us to clerk will call the roll. foolish? Because, if you pass a budget— pass a clean extension of the FAA. The assistant legislative clerk pro- and one can be passed with a mere 50 Let’s negotiate until September 30, and ceeded to call the roll. votes. It is given an expedited proce- then, if we can’t agree, we won’t sign a The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- dure. It cannot be filibustered, it is ator from Alabama. conference report and it won’t come guaranteed a vote in 50 hours, but you Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, we do back. I will stand there and not sign a have a right to file amendments. When conference report, but it is kind of hard have a financial crisis in our country. The debt limit we will be considering you file and get a vote on amendments, to do that if you are not doing the then people are held accountable for right thing by sitting down and talk- tomorrow is the thermometer, the ca- nary in the coal mine that tells us we their yea or nay. ing. We have had a lot of people say we are at a dangerous level. For example, I yield the floor. would like to do more. Maybe if we had we have reached it faster and at higher The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma- a budget we would have had a chance levels than we ever have, the result of jority leader. to vote on spending. which is that our debt rise is telling us Mr. REID. Before the distinguished The problem is a decision was made we have to raise our debt limit. Those Senator from Texas leaves the floor, I that it would be too difficult to execute things happen periodically, but this wish to express my appreciation for her the normal, regular order in the Sen- one would be the largest debt limit in- bipartisanship in working through this ate, to bring forth a budget and actu- crease in our history. We have never difficult issue. ally have amendments filed and Sen- Everyone understands that the labor had such a surge. ators do what they are paid to do. I issue is something that is overhanging The deficit for this single fiscal year think that is particularly problematic this very important piece of legisla- ending is expected to be $1.5 trillion. tion, but it shouldn’t be hanging over The largest deficit President Bush ever in light of what happened in the last an extension of the bill. Tens of thou- had, and it was large, was $450 billion. election. The American people are not sands of people are not working be- The last 2 years have been $1.2 trillion, happy with us. They rightly believe cause of this. Actual safety of our air- $1.3 trillion, and this year it is ex- that Congress cannot justify a situa- ports is a concern to me. FAA is doing pected to be $1.5 trillion. Under the tion in which 42 cents of every dollar everything it can to make sure it is President’s budget, we will go from in- we spend is borrowed. Congress cannot safe and sound, but 4,000 people who terest on our debt this year of $240 bil- justify a $1.5 trillion deficit this year. work for the Department of Transpor- lion to $940 billion in the tenth year. People are not happy about that. I tation are off work, in addition to the That is for a single year. have been to town meetings and people tens of thousands of people who have For example, our education and say: You work for me. I am not happy. construction jobs. We have a new air- transportation budgets have greatly You have seen that on television in port control tower in Las Vegas being expanded. Spending $940 billion on in- the last election. It was a shellacking constructed. They worked about 2 terest will crowd out tremendous por- for those who thought that business as weeks, and they are now all laid off. It tions of the good things we would like usual ought to continue in the United is not fair. to do with taxpayers’ money. Instead States of America; that money could This extension should go forward and of being able to improve our infrastruc- just be borrowed, borrowed and spent, be resolved in conference with the ture or do other things we think could and when the problems hit we would other body. It is so unfair. But this is be good, we will be sending that money just raise taxes on the American people not the last word. There will be more to debtholders abroad to pay them and they would have to pay for our said about this. This is wrong. back for the money they have loaned spending binge. People are not happy We are going to be leaving town leav- us that we have been spending now. As with this. ing up to 80,000 people who are con- I speak, 42 cents of every dollar we They were demanding, among other struction workers out of work. We need spend will be borrowed. things, accountability. They were de- those jobs. I can’t stress enough how This is a very real situation. I have manding that we in Congress be re- much we need those jobs. So it is too always felt that we have a responsi- sponsible for what we do. We should be bad. bility to be honest with our constitu- transparent and willing to answer at I do thank my friend, the Senator ents, and we are going to need to raise home for what we had done. That is a from Texas, for being so forward-lean- the debt limit. It places too much risk fair request in a great Republic such as ing on this and not being partisan. I on our economy not to raise it. But I ours. I have been critical of the absence appreciate that very much. want to share some thoughts about of a budget. We will not vote on one. Mr. President, I ask unanimous con- why I am uneasy about the legislation We had the Reid proposal and the sent that when the Chair lays before that is before us and why I will not be Boehner proposal and finally this com- the body the House message to accom- able to support it. promise proposal. Our colleagues, the pany S. 365, I be recognized to move to I have been warning for months now Democratic majority, brought up the concur in the House amendments; that that we are heading to a situation in House budget so they could vote it the time until noon, Tuesday, August which we will have a last-minute, elev- down. It was a historic budget. They 2, be for debate on the motion to con- enth-hour bill; that the Senate will be did it publicly. They voted on the floor. cur, equally divided between the two asked to pass it without adequate time There were amendments. The House leaders or their designees; that at to review it; that other bad items could plan reduced spending by as much as $6 noon, the Senate proceed to vote on be included in this debt limit increase. trillion. They changed the debt course the Reid motion to concur; that the Additionally, it is not the kind of proc- of America. I would have liked to have motion to concur be subject to a 60- ess we need to pursue. seen them go further because even that vote threshold; that no amendments, Our Democratic leadership decided plan to alter the debt trajectory of points of order, or other motions be in they did not want to bring up a budget. America, bringing down our deficits, order to the message prior to the vote. They instructed the Budget Committee still did not balance in the 10th year. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there chairman—of which I am the ranking People say the House was radical and objection? member—not to bring up a budget. they did strange things. Not so. Read Without objection, it is so ordered. When asked about it, the majority that budget. It was an honest budget Mr. REID. For the information of all leader said it would be foolish to have based on good numbers. It changed the Senators, it is my intention to have a budget. debt course of America. But even that,

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As a legislation was finally put together. It Instead, we have a bill to raise the result, I think we as Members of the was brought forth to the floor of the debt limit. We are here because we Senate need to ask ourselves if we are Senate. We will vote on it tomorrow spent so much money. We are up at the getting pretty far away from the tradi- morning, maybe noon, after a couple of limit and if we do not raise the debt tions of this body when you do not hours of debate tomorrow. I am really limit there will be substantial reduc- have public debate on a budget, you uneasy about that. I am uneasy about tions in spending occurring pretty create a committee of limited numbers what is contained in it. quickly. That is where we are. of people to produce legislation that What does it do? The good part is it I believe this bill raises serious ques- cannot be amended and will only be up- reduces our spending by about $2.1 tril- tions about the Senate and how we do or-down and no ability to have a super- lion, maybe $2.4 trillion. A more solid business. As I said, I warned that we majority vote, but a 50-vote, contrary belief is we will reduce spending if Con- would be at the eleventh hour when it to the normal process of this body. gress adheres to the guidelines. Over a all came forward. For those reasons I believe, as a Sen- period of years we tend to figure ways One thing particularly concerning to ator and a ranking member on the around the limits and constraints that me as the ranking member of the Budg- Budget Committee who has wrestled are put on spending, but the plan is to et Committee is that this bill deems with this for some time, I will not be reduce spending by $2.1 trillion. certain budget numbers and in a way able to support the legislation, al- It is a step. It is better than more gets around, again, the budget process. though I truly believe it is a step for- spending like we have been doing. In It is going to give my colleagues, the ward, and I respect my colleagues who the last 2 years under President Democratic majority, additional ave- worked hard to try to bring it forward. Obama, when the Democratic majority nues to avoid producing a budget for I yield the floor. had 60 Senators in the Senate, non- the third consecutive year. I do not be- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma- defense discretionary spending went up lieve that is a healthy process. jority leader. 24 percent. The budget that the Presi- Second, I ask my colleagues to think f dent submitted this year calls for a 13.5 about this, and I will wrap up. I don’t MORNING BUSINESS percent increase in education for next need to go into great detail about it. Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unan- year. Beginning October 1, fiscal year We are being asked to allow our leaders imous consent the Senate proceed to a 2012, when we are in the worst financial to select up to 12 people, 12 people who period for mornings business with Sen- shape ever, a 13.5 percent increase in will be on a special committee and will ators permitted to speak for up to 10 spending? Is that common sense? Does have almost complete jurisdiction to minutes each. that make reasonable judgment? Is work on any issue they choose. After they reach an agreement, if they do, The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without that a reasonable judgment for Amer- objection, it is so ordered. ica, when we are in a situation such as that agreement will be presented to this? both Houses of Congress. There will be f It proposes a 9.5 percent increase in only 30 hours of debate, no opportunity EAST AFRICA FAMINE the Energy Department. It proposes a to amend it, and there will be an up-or- Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, many of 10.5 percent increase in the State De- down vote. I have to say the chance of us undoubtedly remember the heart partment. It proposes a 60-percent in- an up-or-down vote being successful is wrenching images of starving Ethio- crease in the Highway Department. very high, because the product that pian and Somali children in the 1980s And I’m told there will be a tax. I ask will come out of that committee will and 1990s. Those haunting images are them: Mr. Secretary, what tax? be in harmony with what the leaders hard to forget. It will not be a gas tax. who appointed the members of the Unfortunately, I am compelled to I say: OK, we agree, it is not a gas committee desire, because the power to come to the floor to draw attention to tax. What is the tax? appoint is the power to control. a tragic famine again confronting that We will talk about that. The committee will come back with part of the world. The Congressional Budget Office said this leadership proposal. It will be on On July 21, the United Nations de- that is no income. You cannot say you the floor and it will be for an up-or- clared ‘‘famine level food insecurity’’ have income to offset a big increase in down vote and it is very likely to pass. in two regions in southern Somalia. high-speed rail and things like that if Hopefully, it will have some good What does ‘‘famine level food insecu- you do not have a source of revenue. things in it. But it is unlikely that it rity’’ mean? That is the situation in which we would go past $1.5 trillion in reduced It means three tragic conditions are find ourselves. We have a deep, philo- spending over 10 years. That is roughly all occurring at the same time. First, sophical disagreement. The majority in what they have been given. That on top malnutrition rates exceed 30 percent. this Senate and the President believe of the $900 billion that would go into Second, access to food and water is in spending. When I said 24 percent in- effect immediately with the passage of below subsistence levels for extended crease, that did not include the almost the legislation would result in about a periods of time. And third, more than $1 trillion in the stimulus package. It $2.4 trillion total. 2,000 to 10,000 people are dying of hun- did not include that, all of which, every I believe that is an insufficient num- ger each day. penny, was borrowed because we are in ber. It is not close to what we have to Or more simply—a severe famine debt. When you spend this extra do given our expected debt. Over 10 threatens the lives of 11 million people money, you borrow the money. We do years the debt of the United States will in east Africa today. The area affected not have it to spend. increase an additional $13 trillion. Re- by famine is expected to expand in However, we have a disagreement ducing it $2 trillion is not enough. We coming weeks—and if not addressed about where we are heading in our have heard the economists and others soon—in coming months. country. We should have had a full, testify before the Budget Committee. These millions of men, women, and glorious debate in the Senate. The Fi- Republicans and Democrats, say those children in Somalia and around the nance Committee should be looking at reductions are not sufficient. Many Horn of Africa are literally starving to how to deal with taxes. The Appropria- economists said the absolute minimum death. These are children who will tions Committee should be asking how was $4 trillion, and this will be half never reach their full potential because can we reduce expenditures. Every au- that. they do not have simple nutrients to thorizing committee needs to be look- That legislation will then come be- fully develop—nutrients we take for ing at what they can do to do the job fore us. We will have an up-or-down granted.

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