Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 112 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 112 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 158 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2012 No. 155 Senate The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was appoint the Honorable KIRSTEN E. GILLI- on record supporting it, even cospon- called to order by the Honorable BRAND, a Senator from the State of New sored it. This treaty, already ratified KIRSTEN E. GILLIBRAND, a Senator from York, to perform the duties of the Chair. by 125 countries, would hold foreign na- the State of New York. DANIEL K. INOUYE, tions to the same high standard and President pro tempore. treatment the United States already PRAYER Mrs. GILLIBRAND thereupon as- maintains for people with disabilities. sumed the chair as Acting President The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- It would safeguard American citizens pro tempore. fered the following prayer: traveling, working, and serving abroad, Let us pray. f and that is hundreds of thousands of people right now. The treaty has the God, You have truly been good to us. RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY support of veterans groups, disability Even when we stumble and fall, Your LEADER mercy continues to sustain us. Lead groups from around the country, vir- our lawmakers to realize that the abili- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- tually all of them. It wouldn’t cost the ties You have given them are only pore. The majority leader is recog- taxpayers a single penny. It wouldn’t maximized when they are used for Your nized. require any changes to existing United purposes. Show them the best way to f States law, and the issue is as bipar- tisan as they come. use their talents and opportunities to SCHEDULE honor and serve You. Lord, keep them Here is what one Senator said about from being so mired in political grid- Mr. REID. Madam President, fol- the treaty: lock that they fail to do what is best lowing leader remarks, the Senate will Protecting the rights of persons with dis- for this land we love. May they speak be in a period of morning business for abilities, any person’s, is not a political up to 4 hours. The reason for that is we issue. It is a human issue, regardless of today words that are constructive and where in the world a disabled person strives helpful, bringing encouragement, as have been on a Defense bill for a con- siderable number of days, and people to live a normal, independent life where well as vision, to their work. Let Your basic rights and accessibilities are available. glory be seen in this place. haven’t had the opportunity to come to Disability rights and protections have al- We pray in Your holy Name. Amen. express their views on a number of dif- ways been a bipartisan issue and ratifying ferent issues, so we are going to extend this treaty should be no different. f that morning business for a longer This wasn’t some ultraliberal speak- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE time than normal. ing, it was Senator JOHN MCCAIN, a dis- Following morning business, about 2 The Honorable KIRSTEN E. GILLI- abled veteran, a hero from the Vietnam o’clock, we will begin consideration of conflict, who broke with extremists BRAND led the Pledge of Allegiance, as H.R. 6156, the Russia trade bill. We follows: and tea partiers and voted to ratify the hope we are able to complete action on treaty. I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the that matter today. United States of America, and to the Repub- The convention also has the strong lic for which it stands, one nation under God, f support from a number of other leading Republicans, including George H.W. indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. DISABILITIES TREATY Bush, the first President Bush. He, by f Mr. REID. Madam President, across the way, of course, was a World War II APPOINTMENT OF ACTING the country Americans are lamenting veteran and did heroic things during PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE the lack of progress in negotiations to that war. avoid a massive tax increase on mid- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The It also has the support of former Sen- dle-class families, and I share that clerk will please read a communication ate Majority Leader Bob Dole, cer- frustration. But for insight into why to the Senate from the President pro tainly a patriot. Senator Dole, a dis- negotiations have been difficult, con- tempore (Mr. INOUYE). abled veteran from World War II, who sider yesterday’s failure of the disabil- The assistant legislative clerk read led the fight to pass the treaty, was ities convention at the hands of the tea the following letter: here yesterday urging Republican sup- party. This shouldn’t have been a bat- port. U.S. SENATE, tle, but extreme elements of the Re- Think about that. Robert Dole, who PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, Washington, DC, December 5, 2012. publican Party picked a fight when was grievously injured in World War II, To the Senate: there was nothing to fight about. Thir- spent more than 2 years in a hospital, Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, ty-eight Republicans voted against the came to this Senate floor, and the first of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby convention, including several who were speech he gave was on disabilities. We ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S7405 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 03:41 Dec 06, 2012 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A05DE6.000 S05DEPT1 smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with S7406 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 5, 2012 need to do something about it. He was control matters on the floor. No one needs to take place. There is a lot of here leading the fight to pass the trea- else does. You have the ability, and give and take that needs to take place. ty, urging Republicans to support it. you are the only one who has the abil- We know what the elements are. But A few Republicans greeted him as he ity, to put this on the floor for a vote. let us do step one, which is something was in his wheelchair here. They greet- He should do that. That would be the overwhelmingly we agree with. The ed this 89-year-old war hero—I repeat, American way. Senate has passed it on a bipartisan a patriot—who just last week was in f basis. There are enough votes in the Walter Reed Hospital. Then one by one House of Representatives. Let us get RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME all but a handful of them voted against that piece done and not hold middle- the treaty, ensuring its failure. But Mr. REID. Would the Chair announce class families hostage to the idea that their professed reasons for opposing it the business for the day? the wealthiest among us should get ad- had no basis in fact—none. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- ditional tax cuts. Let us agree that 98 Most Republicans acknowledged pore. Under the previous order, the percent of families in America should that. Some used an excuse, well, it is a leadership time is reserved. be secure in knowing they are not lameduck, we shouldn’t be doing it in a f going to have $2,200 more taken out of lameduck. I mean, wow. MORNING BUSINESS their pockets next year. There is no justification for sending a Now, we have just a few days to get message that every individual around The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- this done. In fact, right now we have 27 the world who strives to lead a produc- pore. days until middle-class taxes go up. In tive life in spite of a disability does not Under the previous order, the Senate 27 days, we will see taxes go up for mid- deserve the same just treatment. There will be in a period of morning business dle-class families. So this needs to get is no justification for telling disabled for up to 4 hours with Senators per- done now. Americans, especially those who have mitted therein up to 10 minutes each, There are numerous House Members sacrificed their bodies for our freedom, with the majority controlling the first now agreeing with us—Republican our veterans, that they don’t deserve 30 minutes. House Members—and I commend them. the same protections abroad they do Mr. REID. Madam President, I sug- In addition to Representative COLE, here at home. Yet that is the message gest the absence of a quorum. Representative WALTER JONES from 38 of my Republican colleagues sent The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- North Carolina said yesterday that he yesterday. pore. The clerk will call the roll. would vote for the Senate’s middle- TAX INCREASES The assistant legislative clerk pro- class tax cut bill. Representative These are the same Republicans with ceeded to call the roll. STEVE LATOURETTE, Representative whom Democrats are supposed to reach Ms. STABENOW. Madam President, I CHARLES BASS, Representative MARY an agreement to protect middle-class ask unanimous consent that the order BONO MACK, Representative MIKE SIMP- families from a tax increase. It is dif- for the quorum call be rescinded. SON, and Representative ROBERT DOLD ficult to engage in rational negotia- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- have all said the Senate plan is a re- tions when one side holds well-known pore.