Congressional Record—Senate S415
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
January 11, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S415 Maahdi army and will refuse to ade- Vitter amendment No. 10 (to amendment ator DEMINT is talking about some- quately supply hospitals in Sunni No. 3), to increase the penalty for failure to thing that goes way beyond the debate areas. We have repeated examples comply with lobbying disclosure require- that led to this particular bill. We are ments. not talking in his amendment about where the ministries of Iraq are not Leahy/Pryor amendment No. 2 (to amend- only nonfunctional but deliberately so. ment No. 3), to give investigators and pros- money that goes to non-Federal enti- Until they help them, or someone helps ecutors the tools they need to combat public ties—private companies, for example— them, there won’t be a government to corruption. or States or local units of government. rally around for the Iraqi people be- Gregg amendment No. 17 (to amendment Senator DEMINT now tells us that we cause the Government provides noth- No. 3), to establish a legislative line item have to go through an elaborate proc- ing to them. veto. ess when we decide, say, within the De- This is a long list of items that has The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- partment of Defense bill that money in to be accomplished. I am not confident, ator from Illinois. an account is going to a specific Fed- after the President’s speech, that any AMENDMENT NO. 11 eral agency or installation. That is an of this will be done by the Iraqi Gov- Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I come expansion which goes way beyond any ernment, nor am I confident at all that to the Chamber to discuss DeMint abuse which has been reported that I an additional 20,000 troops in Baghdad amendment No. 11 which relates to ear- know of. Frankly, it would make this a will make a decisive military dif- mark reform. very burdensome responsibility. ference. I believe the President has to First, let me say that I welcome the If I asked the chairman, for example, go back to the drawing board to craft a Senator’s efforts to strengthen this to devote more funds to the Food and truly changed strategy that will be bill. We certainly all have a mutual in- Drug Administration to improve food consistent with our strategic objec- terest in making this process more safety—think of that, food safety, tives in the region, consistent with our transparent. Senator DEMINT, in his which is one of their responsibilities— resources, and consistent with the will amendment language, adopts the lan- that is automatically an earmark and desires of the American people. I guage passed by the House in several under the new DeMint amendment, hope he does that. important ways. As we move through subject to broad reporting require- I yield the floor and suggest the ab- the process, we are going to work to- ments. No one can be shocked by the sence of a quorum. gether to ensure that the earmark pro- suggestion that the Food and Drug Ad- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The visions are carefully crafted and as ministration is responsible for food clerk will call the roll. strong as possible. safety. They share that responsibility, The assistant legislative clerk pro- Unfortunately, overall the DeMint but it is one of theirs under the law. So ceeded to call the roll. language is not ready for this bill. The if I am going to put more money into Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask DeMint amendment defines earmarks food safety, why is that being treated unanimous consent that the order for to include amounts provided to any en- as an earmark which has to go through the quorum call be rescinded. tity, including both non-Federal and an elaborate process? I think that begs The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Federal entities. The Reid-McConnell the question. Every request, every pro- objection, it is so ordered. definition which is before the Senate gram, money for No Child Left Behind, Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, at this covers only non-Federal entities. On its for medical research at the National time I yield back any remaining morn- face, the DeMint language may sound Cancer Institute, for salaries for sol- ing business time. reasonable. After all, I have no problem diers, for combat pay for those serving The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without announcing to the world when I have in Iraq, for veterans health programs, objection, it is so ordered. secured funding for the Rock Island Ar- every one of them is now considered at f senal in my State. But the DeMint lan- least suspect, if not an odious earmark, guage is actually unworkable because under the DeMint amendment. It is not CONCLUSION OF MORNING it is so broad. workable. It goes too far. BUSINESS What does the Appropriations Com- In other instances, the DeMint The PRESIDING OFFICER. Morning mittee do? It allocates funds among amendment does not go far enough. To business is closed. programs and activities. Every appro- pass this amendment at this time f priations bill is a long list of funding could, down the road, harm the Sen- priorities. In the DeMint amendment, ate’s efforts to achieve real earmark LEGISLATIVE TRANSPARENCY every single appropriation in the bill— reform. AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2007 and there may be thousands in any Many of us on the Appropriations The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under given appropriations bill—would be Committee happen to believe that the the previous order, the Senate will re- subject to this new disclosure require- provisions in tax bills, changes in the sume consideration of S. 1, which the ment, even though in most cases the Tax Code, can be just as beneficial to clerk will report by title. money is not being earmarked for any an individual or an individual company The legislative clerk read as follows: individual entity. How did we reach as any single earmark in an appropria- A bill (S. 1) to provide greater trans- this point in the debate? tions bill. If we are going to have parency in the legislative process. There is a concern expressed by some transparency in earmark appropria- Pending: that there is an abuse of the earmark tions, I believe—and I hope my col- Reid amendment No. 3, in the nature of a process. When you read the stories of leagues share the belief—that should substitute. some people who have been indicted, also apply to tax favors, changes in the Reid amendment No. 4 (to amendment No. convicted, imprisoned because of ear- Tax Code to benefit an individual com- 3), to strengthen the gift and travel bans. marks, it is understandable. There was pany or a handful of companies. The DeMint amendment No. 11 (to amendment a corruption of the process. But as a DeMint amendment does not go far No. 3), to strengthen the earmark reform. member of the Senate Appropriations enough in terms of covering these tar- DeMint amendment No. 12 (to amendment Committee, I tell my colleagues that No. 3), to clarify that earmarks added to a geted tax benefits. The language al- conference report that are not considered by by and large there is a race to the press ready in the Reid-McConnell bipartisan the Senate or the House of Representatives release. Once you put an earmark in to bill strengthens the earmark provi- are out of scope. benefit someone in a bill, you are quick sions passed by the Senate last year by DeMint amendment No. 13 (to amendment to announce it—at least I am because I also covering targeted tax and trade No. 3), to prevent government shutdowns. have gone through a long process eval- benefits. The Reid-McConnell language DeMint amendment No. 14 (to amendment uating these requests and come up with on targeted tax benefits is superior to No. 3), to protect individuals from having what I think are high priorities. So the DeMint amendment. The DeMint their money involuntarily collected and used for lobbying by a labor organization. there is transparency and there is dis- amendment, in fact, weakens this Vitter/Inhofe amendment No. 9 (to amend- closure. whole aspect of targeted tax credits ment No. 3), to place certain restrictions on The purpose of our debate here is to and their disclosure. the ability of the spouses of Members of Con- consider reasonable changes in the Reid-McConnell covers ‘‘any revenue gress to lobby Congress. rules to expand that disclosure. Sen- provision that has practical effect of VerDate Mar 15 2010 21:50 Mar 13, 2014 Jkt 081600 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\2007SENATE\S11JA7.REC S11JA7 mmaher on DSKCGSP4G1 with SOCIALSECURITY S416 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE January 11, 2007 providing more favorable tax treat- weakens it—first, in exempting more to the American people that we are ment to a particular taxpayer or a lim- targeted tax credits instead of being ready to accept our responsibilities and ited group of taxpayers when compared more inclusive; second, in weakening not avoid them. with other similarly situated tax- reporting requirements already in this I yield the floor. payers.’’ That is the language from amendment; and finally, tying the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- which we are working. Consider what it hands of conferees by adopting House ator from South Carolina is recognized. says: favorable tax treatment to a par- language that has already been enacted Mr. DEMINT. Mr. President, I am not ticular taxpayer or a limited group of by that body. quite prepared to make all of my re- taxpayers compared to others similarly The Reid-McConnell substitute is an marks about the amendments, but I did situated.