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SENATE—Sunday, December 6, 2009

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SENATE—Sunday, December 6, 2009 29580 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE, Vol. 155, Pt. 22 December 6, 2009 SENATE—Sunday, December 6, 2009 The Senate met at 12:30 p.m. and was SCHEDULE votes. The Gregg amendment says called to order by the Honorable MARK Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, fol- Democrats can’t raid Medicare, which BEGICH, a Senator from the State of lowing leader remarks, the Senate will is already in serious trouble, in order Alaska. resume consideration of H.R. 3590, the to pay for their $2.5 trillion bill. The health care reform legislation. The money going out of Medicare’s hospital PRAYER time until 3:15 p.m. will be equally di- insurance trust fund already exceeds The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- vided. The majority will control the its annual income. It is already drying fered the following prayer: first hour, the Republicans will control up. By 2017, the hospital insurance Let us pray. the next hour. The remaining time will trust fund will not be able to pay full Eternal Lord God, the source of our be equally divided and controlled be- benefits, and that is before our col- strength, as we labor this weekend, we tween the two leaders or their des- leagues get their hands on it. This pro- are grateful for Your keeping power. ignees. gram needs to be fixed, not pillaged to Lord, You sustain us and this land we At 3:15 p.m., the Senate will proceed create another one. love through dangers seen and unseen. to vote in relation to the Lincoln So the Gregg amendment prohibits Your faithfulness and mercy astound amendment, No. 2905, related to execu- using money from Medicare to pay for us, for throughout our Nation’s his- tive compensation, to be followed by a any new government programs, for ex- tory, Your loving providence has guid- vote in relation to the Ensign amend- panding existing programs, or for sub- ed us through sunshine and storms. ment, No. 2927, relating to attorney’s sidies. Instead, it directs that any Today, accompany our Senators in fees. money from Medicare be put back into their work. May they feel Your pres- We are working on the next amend- Medicare to strengthen and preserve it ence, hear Your whisper, and follow ments in order and hope to have them for future generations so we can keep Your leading. Remind them of the mo- ready for votes this afternoon. Sen- our promises. Frankly, this is common mentous nature of the work they seek ators will be notified if additional sense. to accomplish, as they remember that votes are scheduled after the votes at Americans don’t want this bill to history will critique their labors. Help 3:15 p.m. pass, and they certainly don’t want it them also to take solace in the fact to pass at the expense of the roughly 40 f that they are ultimately accountable million American seniors who depend to You. We pray in Your great Name. RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY on Medicare. The Gregg amendment Amen. LEADER would keep that from happening. A f The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- vote for the Gregg amendment is a vote pore. The Republican leader is recog- to keep our promise to seniors. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE nized. We are also going to have a vote The Honorable MARK BEGICH led the today on the Ensign amendment. The Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: f amendment is simple: It is designed to I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the HEALTH CARE REFORM ensure that injured patients—not their United States of America, and to the Repub- lawyers—receive the vast majority of Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, lic for which it stands, one nation under God, any settlement in a medical mal- first, I wish to extend a welcome to the indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. practice suit. It says that since law- President, who is coming to the Capitol suits should benefit patients, not law- f today to meet with Democrats on the yers, lawyers can’t take more than subject of the health care bill. APPOINTMENT OF ACTING one-third of the recovery their clients So far, they have voted to cut Medi- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE receive. In other words, the lawyers care three times—cuts they previously The PRESIDING OFFICER. The can’t take more than one-third of what described as immoral and irresponsible; clerk will please read a communication the client gets. cuts that made it impossible for the to the Senate from the President pro President to keep his pledge that peo- These are responsible limits. More- tempore (Mr. BYRD). ple who like their plans can keep them; over, they were written by a Democrat The legislative clerk read the fol- cuts that will reduce the quality of and supported in the past by 21 of our lowing letter: home health care; cuts that will reduce current Democratic colleagues, as well U.S. SENATE, benefits for nearly 11 million American as the Vice President, and they would PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, seniors on Medicare Advantage; cuts drive down costs, which was the origi- Washington, DC, December 6, 2009. that raid Medicare instead of fixing it; nal purpose of reform. To the Senate: The independent Congressional Budg- Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, and cuts the American people vehe- of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby mently oppose. et Office has said comprehensive liabil- appoint the Honorable MARK BEGICH, a Sen- Democrats are in a tough situation ity reforms would save the taxpayers ator from the State of Alaska, to perform on this bill. They want to expand the more than $50 billion. The Ensign the duties of the Chair. government’s reach into health care, amendment is a step in that direction. ROBERT C. BYRD, but they do not have the money, and We will offer a better, step-by-step President pro tempore. they don’t have the support, more im- reform to end junk lawsuits against Mr. BEGICH thereupon assumed the portantly, of the American people. So doctors and hospitals later in the con- chair as Acting President pro tempore. what did they do? They decided to take sideration of this bill. I am hopeful my f the money they need out of Medicare, Democratic colleagues will support it and that has only made their health again, since so many of them have sup- RECOGNITION OF THE ACTING care plan even less popular with the ported it in the past. MAJORITY LEADER American people. I yield the floor. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- The Gregg amendment, which we will The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- pore. The Senator from Illinois is rec- vote on later this afternoon, will help pore. The Senator from Illinois is rec- ognized. reverse the damage of last week’s ognized. ● This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. VerDate Mar 15 2010 14:12 Aug 30, 2012 Jkt 079102 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0686 Sfmt 0634 E:\BR09\S06DE9.000 S06DE9 rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with BOUND RECORD December 6, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE, Vol. 155, Pt. 22 29581 Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask with respect to amendment No. 2905, they get sick, end up in the emergency unanimous consent to speak as in lead- offered by the Senator from Arkansas, room, we know they are getting that er time. Mrs. LINCOLN; and amendment No. 2927, care at the most expensive place while The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- offered by the Senator from Nevada, the rest of us pay. That is a hidden tax. pore. Without objection, it is so or- Mr. ENSIGN, with the time equally di- On average, in this Nation, that hid- dered. vided and controlled, with Senators den tax is $1,000 per family’s health in- surance policy. I can tell you, in my f permitted to speak for up to 10 min- utes, with the majority controlling the State of Florida it is even higher. It is HEALTH CARE REFORM first 60 minutes and the Republicans $1,400. In Florida, a family with a group Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, Senator controlling the next 60 minutes. insurance policy is paying $1,400 more per year to take care of those folks REID contacted me earlier today and The Senator from Florida. said he was unable to be here for the Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. Presi- who do not have insurance but end up opening of the session, and I told him I dent, I wish to speak on the bill and, in getting sick, and that bill is paid by ev- would be here to open. part, respond to the minority leader. erybody else. What I have described is a system I would like to say, briefly, in re- At the end of the day, why are we stay- that is in tilt. It is not working. The sponse to the comments that have been ing around the clock discussing this whole purpose of this bill is to try to made by the minority leader, Senator bill with the intent that we are going to pass the bill? It is simply that we make it work so, No. 1, it is affordable; MCCONNELL, who continues to raise the No. 2, that health insurance is avail- question about the future of Medicare, cannot continue as we are. We are in a system whereby insurance is not solv- able. At the end of the day, we are that I hope the Senator is sensitive to going to pass it.
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