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Home , Boston Celtics, Derek Fisher, James Worthy, Josh Powell, Kobe Bryant, Mitch Kupchak

June 23, 2010 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5323 after the Senate has already voted. Tracking System Web site that is only Whereas this marks the Lakers’ 5th NBA This would be even more common dur- available to Members of Congress and championship since 1999, the most by any ing some of the controversial debates staff. It provides a copy of the amend- franchise during that period, and matches that stretch late into the evening. You ment, the purpose of the amendment, the run by the ‘‘’’ Lakers of the 1980’s that featured Hall of Fame players might remember the late evening votes the sponsor of the amendment, and the Earvin ‘‘Magic’’ Johnson, Kareem Abdul- we had on health care reform last De- status of that amendment. Jabbar, and ; cember and again in March where hun- My resolution is this simple: It would Whereas has won more cham- dreds of amendments were filed and simply make this or a similar Web site pionships than any other coach in NBA his- votes were cast well past midnight. available to the public, much like al- tory, recording his 11th championship this In fact, today we make the vote ready is done with the Legislative In- year and 5th with the Lakers; count public on the Internet within an formation System site or the Thomas Whereas the 2010 NBA Championship hour of when a vote takes place. But site at the Library of Congress. marks the 10th for the Lakers owner Gerald Hatten Buss; we might not be able to make the sub- That way, the public gets to see ex- Whereas stance of what we voted on available actly what we Members and our staffs has built a team that has exemplified the until the next day. So we let the public are seeing almost immediately after talent, character, and resilience necessary to see how we voted, but we do not always filing. They get the same information repeat as NBA Champions; let them see what we voted on. Of and can provide their input prior to a Whereas Bryant won his 5th NBA course, that does not make sense. vote. Championship, tying him with Earvin Just last night, Members tried to call There is a lot of distrust of govern- ‘‘Magic’’ Johnson and for the up and pass various amendments. But ment these days. People believe Con- most by a Lakers player; only the most experienced Washington Whereas averaged 28.6 points, gress is ignoring what the public 8.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists during the NBA insider would have been able to actu- thinks and what the public wants. Finals, en route to winning his 2nd consecu- ally find copies of those amendments. Some of this is the result of the poli- tive NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Shouldn’t we have some kind of search- cies that are being considered around Award and becoming just the 8th player to able system for amendments to allow here. But it also has to do with the win the award on multiple occasions; our constituents the same access to in- lack of transparency and account- Whereas Ron Artest, whose hustle and de- formation that some seasoned lobbyist ability in government. fensive tenacity were critical to the Lakers’ or some seasoned congressional staffer I am not saying this resolution is win, recorded 20 points and 5 steals during has? Game 7 of the NBA Finals; going to fix is wrong with that Whereas the frontcourt of , An- Don’t we want to give our constitu- distrust that is expressed—because it drew Bynum, and played sti- ents a chance to see the amendments will not—but this resolution is one fling defense and helped the Lakers out-re- before we vote on them, if they are in- more step toward letting a little more bound the Celtics in the decisive Game 7; terested in reading them? Don’t we sunshine into this Chamber. This Whereas Derek Fisher consistently showed want to know what our constituents straightforward resolution will in- toughness and leadership and scored 16 crit- think about amendments before we crease transparency, it will promote ical points in Game 3 in ; vote on them? accountability, and it will make us all Whereas the Lakers bench scored 25 points in a pivotal Game 6, and players Jordan In order for that to happen, they better representatives of the people we have to know what those amendments Farmar, , Sasha Vujacic, Shan- serve. non Brown, , and DJ Mbenga all are that have been filed. Of course, I I hope the Senate will consider this contributed to the team’s 2010 Champion- am not talking about an amendment resolution at some in the near fu- ship; that might change a word here or a ture, and I also urge my colleagues to Whereas the Lakers posted a record of 57– word there—although those should be support it. The public deserves access 25 during the regular season, the best record publicly available as well. Some to this information on the same basis in the Western Conference and 3rd best in amendments I am talking about are as those of us who are closely con- the NBA; and Whereas the Lakers have dem- hundreds of pages long and even con- nected to this institution—meaning stitute a complete rewrite of an under- onstrated that they are both champions on the Members and our staffs. the court and in the community through the lying bill. f team’s involvement in charity and outreach Today, we will likely see our fifth programs throughout the Southern Cali- version of the extenders bill that is SENATE RESOLUTION 563—RECOG- fornia community: Now, therefore, be it now the pending business on the floor NIZING THE LOS ANGELES Resolved, That the Senate recognizes and of the Senate, and that fifth version LAKERS ON THEIR 2010 NA- congratulates— would be in the form of an amendment. TIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIA- (1) the for winning the But our constituents may not be able TION CHAMPIONSHIP AND CON- 2010 NBA Finals; to see that until tomorrow. GRATULATING THE PLAYERS, (2) the for winning the NBA Eastern Conference Championship and con- Shouldn’t the public be able to see COACHES, AND STAFF FOR tinuing a timeless rivalry; and that amendment as soon as we Mem- THEIR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVE- (3) coach Phil Jackson for winning his bers or our staffs can read that amend- MENTS record-setting 11th championship. ment? This is a representative system Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself and f of government, and it is impossible to Mrs. BOXER) submitted the following represent the American people if they SENATE RESOLUTION 564—RECOG- resolution; which was referred to the NIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY do not have access to the same infor- Committee on the Judiciary: mation we have. OF THE RATIFICATION OF THE In addition to those who will ques- S. RES. 563 TREATY OF MUTUAL SECURITY tion whether this is necessary, others Whereas on June 17, 2010, the Los Angeles AND COOPERATION WITH JAPAN, might wonder whether it is even pos- Lakers won the 2010 National Basketball As- AND AFFIRMING SUPPORT FOR sociation (NBA) Championship with a 83–79 sible, like technically possible. THE -JAPAN SE- victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of CURITY ALLIANCE AND RELA- In fact, we are already doing it. That the NBA Finals; is right. The amendments are already Whereas during the 2010 NBA , the TIONSHIP available electronically to Senate of- Lakers defeated the Thunder, Mr. WEBB (for himself, Mr. INHOFE, fices almost immediately after they , , and Boston Celtics Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. DODD, and Mr. are filed, but they are not available to en route to the storied franchise’s 16th BOND) submitted the following resolu- the public—not necessarily inten- championship and 11th in Los Angeles; tion; which was referred to the Com- tionally hidden from the public, but Whereas the 2010 Lakers honored the fran- mittee on Foreign Relations: chise’s tradition of excellence that dates the public cannot get them like every- back to its establishment in 1947 in Min- S. RES. 564 body in the Senate and in our offices neapolis, Minnesota, where the Lakers were Whereas Japan became a treaty ally of the can get them. named for the ‘‘Land of 10,000 Lakes’’ and United States with the signing of the Treaty I have a chart in the Chamber that won 5 championships before moving to Los of Mutual Cooperation and Security on Jan- shows there is already an Amendment Angeles in 1960; uary 19, 1960;

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