Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 110 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 110 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 154 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2008 No. 31 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was Mr. TESTER thereupon assumed the which we have to deal. I am going to called to order by the Honorable JON chair as Acting President pro tempore. talk to the distinguished Republican TESTER, a Senator from the State of f leader, Senator MCCONNELL, as to time Montana. limits. RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY I was thinking to myself, Mr. Presi- LEADER PRAYER dent, as the prayer was being offered The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- by our wonderful Chaplain, Admiral fered the following prayer: pore. The majority leader is recog- Black, that one thing I could use a lit- Let us pray. nized. tle help on is this scheduling. I mean, O God of perfect goodness, give us f it is really not funny, even though it is today a vision of You that we might be MEASURES PLACED ON THE CAL- kind of funny. One Senator has to leave renewed by Your forgiving love and ENDAR—S. 2663, S. 2664, AND S. at a certain time, one has to be back at challenged by Your righteousness. 2665 a certain time, and another doesn’t Inspire the Members of this body want us to do anything. So it is hard to with Your presence. Give them such Mr. REID. Mr. President, I believe make everyone happy, and that is one confidence in Your providential leading there are three bills at the desk due for of my jobs: to try to make everyone that they will find rest from their bur- a second reading. happy. Sometimes it is impossible. So I The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- dens. Let peace reign in their hearts, would maybe alert the Chaplain that pore. The clerk will report the bills by thoughts, and conversations, as You maybe he should start praying for a lit- order their steps and direct their paths. title for the second time. The assistant legislative clerk read tle scheduling ease sometime in the Sovereign God, You know better than near future. we what is best for us and our world; so as follows: use us today for Your glory. We pray in A bill (S. 2663) to reform the Consumer f the Redeemer’s Name. Amen. Product Safety Commission to provide RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY greater protection for children’s products, to LEADER f improve the screening of noncompliant con- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE sumer products, to improve the effectiveness The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- of consumer product recall programs, and for pore. The Republican leader is recog- The Honorable JON ESTER T led the other purposes. nized. Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: A bill (S. 2664) to extend the provisions of I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the the Protect America Act of 2007. f United States of America, and to the Repub- A bill (S. 2665) to extend the provisions of FEINGOLD AMENDMENTS lic for which it stands, one nation under God, the Protect America Act of 2007 until July 1, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. 2009. Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, this afternoon we will indulge in a little bit f Mr. REID. I object, Mr. President, to any further proceedings with respect to of nostalgia with another vote on the APPOINTMENT OF ACTING Feingold bill to cut off funds for our PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE these bills en bloc. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- troops in Iraq. I don’t know what our The PRESIDING OFFICER. The pore. Objection is heard. The bills will friends on the other side expect to ac- clerk will please read a communication be placed on the calendar. complish, but if past experience is any to the Senate from the President pro The majority leader is recognized. guide, we already know the outcome. Last May, 67 of us voted against the tempore (Mr. BYRD). f The assistant legislative clerk read proposal to cut off funds for our troops the following letter: SCHEDULE in the field. Mr. President, 4 months U.S. SENATE, Mr. REID. Mr. President, following later, 70 Senators—3 more—voted PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, my remarks and those of my colleague, against it the second time. Two weeks Washington, DC, February 26, 2008. Senator MCCONNELL, the Senate will after that, 68 Senators voted against it To the Senate: resume consideration of S. 1200, the In- for a third time. And in December, 71 of Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, dian Health Care Improvement Act. We us—more than three-fourths of the of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby will have a series of probably only four Senate—voted no once again to cutting appoint the Honorable JON TESTER, a Sen- ator from the State of Montana, to perform votes, and those votes should start mo- off funds for troops in the field. the duties of the Chair. mentarily. So the outcome of the final vote on ROBERT C. BYRD, Following our caucus luncheons, the Feingold bill is obvious: The Sen- President pro tempore. there are three cloture votes with ate is on record not once but four times ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S1149 . VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:56 Feb 27, 2008 Jkt 069060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A26FE6.000 S26FEPT1 ccoleman on PROD1PC77 with SENATE S1150 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 26, 2008 that it will not cut off funds while our Pending: The fact is, we ought to have a hear- troops are in the field. Vitter amendment No. 3896 (to amendment ing, but there has been no hearing. I All the more so will we oppose it No. 3899), to modify a section relating to lim- don’t understand what section B when the fight in Iraq, by all accounts, itation on use of funds appropriated to the means, nor does the author, I believe. is showing clear-cut tactical progress, Service. Having said all that, again, this is and now, at last, some important polit- Dorgan amendment No. 3899, in the nature not a debate about whether Federal of a substitute. dollars should be used for abortion ical progress is also apparent over in Smith amendment No. 3897 (to amendment Iraq. No. 3899), to modify a provision relating to services. Current law already prohibits This bill does give us an oppor- development of innovative approaches. the use of Federal funds for abortion tunity—an opportunity to step back Murkowski (for DeMint) amendment No. services, and the underlying bill con- and highlight the remarkable progress 4015 (to amendment No. 3899), to authorize tains a provision that relates to cur- that has been made in Iraq since the the Secretary of Health and Human Services rent law and continues the same pol- first time our friends proposed cutting to establish an Indian health savings ac- icy. off funds last May. It gives us a chance count demonstration project. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Murkowski (for DeMint) amendment No. pore. All time has expired. The Senator to highlight why we were wise to reject 4066 (to amendment No. 3899), of a perfecting it even when the outcome in Iraq was nature. from Louisiana. unclear, much less now when progress Mr. VITTER. I ask unanimous con- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- is clearly being made. sent for 30 additional seconds. pore. The Senator from North Dakota. Two months ahead of another visit Mr. DORGAN. I will agree, provided I by General Petraeus and Ambassador AMENDMENT NO. 3896 am allowed 30 additional seconds fol- Crocker, we should acknowledge the Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I be- lowing Senator VITTER. heroic sacrifices of our men and women lieve by previous unanimous consent The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- in uniform and the important turn- the Senate will now consider the Vitter pore. Without objection, it is so or- around they have achieved in Iraq on amendment. dered. behalf of the American people. The The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, I do this brave Iraqis who have stood with them pore. The Senator is correct. There are to ask the distinguished Senator about also deserve our praise. All of this is in 2 minutes of debate equally divided. the provision he is talking about. our Nation’s long-term security inter- The Senator from Louisiana. Maybe we can have a discussion about ests. Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, I strong- it rather than him vaguely alluding to The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- ly urge all of my colleagues to support it without pointing out the language pore. The majority leader is recog- this mainstream amendment. The and claiming nobody knows what it nized. Vitter amendment codifies the Hyde means. Mr. REID. Mr. President, I will make amendment and simply says in Indian Mr. DORGAN. Well, Mr. President, a statement prior to the Iraq votes, health care no taxpayer funds will be the appropriate place for that kind of and I will be happy to lay out why we used to support abortions, with the discussion would have been a congres- are doing this. We are doing this be- normal exceptions of the Hyde amend- sional hearing. That is where you dis- cause the majority of the American ment. cuss what provisions mean and how people recognize this war in Iraq is Up to now, this has been the practice they are written.