SENATE—Tuesday, March 7, 2006
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March 7, 2006 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE 2723 SENATE—Tuesday, March 7, 2006 The Senate met at 9:45 a.m. and was We will be returning to the lobbying side our borders, burning the American called to order by the PRESIDENT pro reform bill today. We will begin consid- flag is intended to intimidate, not to tempore (Mr. STEVENS). ering amendments. Therefore, in addi- engage in constructive speech. tion to the LIHEAP bill, we will have I believe the amendment process is PRAYER votes in relation to the amendments to the appropriate remedy to the Court’s The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- the lobbying reform bill. 1989 decision. As Harvard law professor fered the following prayer. I also expect the Senate to recess Richard Parker explains: Let us pray. from 12:30 until 2:15 for the weekly The amendment process is essential to the Our Father in heaven, today we party luncheons. Constitution’s deepest foundation—the prin- praise You because Your loving kind- I say again to all colleagues who ciple of popular sovereignty affirmed in its ness endures forever. You have blessed want to finish the lobbying bill this first words, ‘‘We the people.’’ Making use of week that we certainly want to allow this process reaffirms and thus preserves this land with freedom and abundance. that foundation. Thank You for spacious skies and adequate time for Members to offer amber waves of grain. amendments. I urge Members to come Since I first came to the Senate in Teach us to be thankful even when forward early. We would like to lock in 1995, I have supported a constitutional we face problems and pain as Your spir- a filing deadline as soon as possible. As amendment to protect our flag. it opens our eyes to Your unfailing a matter of fact, I hope that we could The flag is not only the physical goodness. lock in a filing deadline for today and symbol of our Nation, our pride, and Bless the Members of this body. May therefore give our managers their best our in history, but also of our values: their labors today flow out of a pure opportunity to schedule consideration freedom, justice, independence, equal- heart, a good conscience, and a sincere of the amendments as soon as possible. ity, and, ultimately, we the people. faith. Give them trust and confidence Again, we expect to be working into Protecting the flag won’t stop Ameri- in Your guidance and a reverence and the evening each night in an effort to cans from exercising their first amend- humility in Your presence. finish the bill as soon as possible. ment right to free speech. Countless brave men and women have Keep us all from trying to please f died defending the American flag. It is both others and You. We pray in Your FLAG PROTECTION AMENDMENT holy Name. Amen. but a small, humble act to vote to de- Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, every fend it. f morning we open the Senate by recit- In the words of our esteemed col- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ing, as we just did a few moments ago, league, Senator HATCH: the Pledge of Allegiance. Hand over Whatever our differences of party, race, re- The PRESIDENT pro tempore led the heart, we pay solemn tribute to the ligion, or socio-economic status, the flag re- Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: American flag, that sacred symbol of minds us that we are very much one people, I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the America’s history, values, and prin- united in a shared destiny, bonded in a com- United States of America, and to the Repub- ciples. mon faith in our Nation and the profound be- lic for which it stands, one nation under God, lief in personal liberty that our Nation pro- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. We are reminded that we are but tects. servants, momentary players in the I look forward to bringing the flag f great unfolding of the American story. protection amendment to the floor for The flag—transcendent, noble, still— RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME debate, and I am hopeful that we will commands our humility and binds us in The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under be able to once and for all give the the common project of serving the the previous order, leadership time is American people the opportunity to de- body politic. It is with this under- reserved. fend this noble symbol of our shared standing that, before Congress ad- legacy. f journs for the Fourth of July recess, I f RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY intend to bring the flag protection LEADER amendment to the floor. MAKING AVAILABLE FUNDS FOR The proposed amendment is simple. THE LOW-INCOME HOME ENERGY The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The It is a one-sentence statement that ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, 2006 majority leader is recognized. reads: ‘‘The Congress shall have the The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under f power to prohibit the physical desecra- the previous order, the Senate will re- tion of the flag of the United States.’’ SCHEDULE sume consideration of S. 2320 which the Along with 80 percent of the Amer- clerk will report. ORDER OF PROCEDURE ican public and all 50 of our State legis- The legislative clerk read as follows: Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, today we latures, I believe the Constitution will begin a 1-hour period for debate should allow laws that protect our flag. A bill (S. 2320) to make available funds in- cluded in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 prior to the cloture vote with respect Unfortunately, in 1989, the Supreme for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance to the LIHEAP bill. I ask unanimous Court overturned 200 years of precedent Program for fiscal year 2006, and for other consent that the 1 hour be for debate and struck down all laws that prohibit purposes. only. flag desecration. I believe their deci- Pending: The PRESIDENT pro tempore. With- sion was misguided. In my view, dese- Kyl/Ensign amendment No. 2899, to make out objection, it is so ordered. crating the flag is not speech but an available funds included in the Deficit Re- Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I expect act of physical assault. We know this duction Act of 2005 for allotments to States that vote to occur sometime shortly when we see rioting mobs in foreign for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance before 11 a.m. this morning. If cloture countries setting our flag on fire. We Program for fiscal year 2006. is invoked—and I hope it will be—then can see clearly that they are engaged Inhofe amendment No. 2898, to reduce en- we will be working toward an agree- in a specific act of physical aggression ergy prices. ment that will allow us to finish the against our country and everything for The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. bill as quickly as possible today. which we stand. Whether inside or out- ALLEN). Under the previous order, ● This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. VerDate Sep 11 2014 09:20 Mar 13, 2017 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0686 Sfmt 0634 E:\FDSYS\BOUNDRECORD\BR07MR06.DAT BR07MR06 ejoyner on DSK30MW082PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE 2724 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE March 7, 2006 there will be 1 hour of debate equally tinue to have the emergency funding I think it is important for my col- divided between the Senator from capability in order to disburse that leagues to understand what is at stake. Maine, Ms. SNOWE, and the Senator part of the funding, 75 percent to those All of the funding under low-income from Nevada, Mr. ENSIGN, or their des- States that needed it at that moment fuel assistance would be distributed ac- ignees. in time because there was an emer- cording to a formula. There would be Who yields time? gency. Emergencies are just that— no separate funding for emergency pur- The Senator from Maine. emergencies. poses as we provided in the gulf last Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, first of What the critics are saying about my fall. So four States were able to benefit all, I thank the majority leader for his approach is they now want to change it from the emergency distribution as a considerable effort, patience, and per- for the first time ever and take away result of the President’s action. severance in bringing this legislation the capability of having emergency We need that discretionary capa- to the floor on the basis of the commit- funding under the low-income fuel as- bility because we are not weather fore- ment which the leader made in Decem- sistance. It doesn’t make sense. Be- casters. We do not know what will hap- ber prior to our adjournment that we cause the States are facing an emer- pen in America wherever it is going to would have this legislation to increase gency, they ought to be able to have happen. This is not a regional program. low-income fuel assistance for those their funding. That would be taken This benefits all 50 States. In fact, in States that clearly need it, given the away by the Kyl amendment, and it January 2005, in looking at the dis- rising prices of home heating oil and would be distributed to States irrespec- tribution, all 50 States historically natural gas, given the fact that we are tive of whether they need it, irrespec- have benefited at some point from the in the midst of the winter, and given tive of the fact that no emergency oc- emergency funding.