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, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2008 No. 25 Senate The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was Senator from the State of Arkansas, to per- have been longer days, as I indicated called to order by the Honorable MARK form the duties of the Chair. last night. L. PRYOR, a Senator from the State of ROBERT C. BYRD, I hope people will come and offer Arkansas. President pro tempore. amendments. That is what we need to Mr. PRYOR thereupon assumed the do. We need to move through this legis- PRAYER chair as Acting President pro tempore. lation. We have been told that Mem- The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- f bers who have amendments are waiting fered the following prayer: to offer them. I hope they will do that. RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY Let us pray. We are going to finish the bill this LEADER Almighty God, who desires truth in week. We have a break coming next the inward parts, keep our lawmakers The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- week. We really would like to get the in Your care. As they dedicate their pore. The majority leader is recog- work done. We could finish it today. I talents to the Nation’s well-being, nized. hope we can do so. Mr. President, I suggest the absence make our Senators faithful to each f challenging duty, loyal to every high of a quorum. claim, and responsive to the human MEASURES PLACED ON THE The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- needs of this suffering Earth. Set a seal CALENDAR—S. 2633, S. 2634, S. 2636 pore. The clerk will call the roll. The legislative clerk proceeded to upon their lips that no thoughtless Mr. REID. Mr. President, there are call the roll. words shall sting or harm another. three bills at the desk due for their sec- Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unan- Strengthen them to meet this day’s ond reading. imous consent that the order for the waiting tasks with kindness and good The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- quorum call be rescinded. will. Lord, give them strength of will, pore. The clerk will report the bills by The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- steadiness of purpose, and power to do title for the second time. pore. Without objection, it is so or- good for the glory of Your Name. The legislative clerk read as follows: dered. We pray this in the Name that is A bill (S. 2633) to provide for the safe rede- f above every name. Amen. ployment of United States troops from Iraq. A bill (S. 2634) to require a report setting RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME f forth the global strategy of the United The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE States to combat and defeat al Qaeda and its pore. Under the previous order, the affiliates. The Honorable MARK L. PRYOR led A bill (S. 2636) to provide needed housing leadership time is reserved. the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: reform. f I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the Mr. REID. Mr. President, I object to INDIAN HEALTH CARE IMPROVE- United States of America, and to the Repub- any further proceedings with respect to MENT ACT AMENDMENTS OF 2007 lic for which it stands, one nation under God, these bills, and I object en bloc. indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- pore. Under the previous order, the f pore. Objection is heard. The bills will Senate will resume consideration of S. APPOINTMENT OF ACTING be placed on the calendar. 1200, which the clerk will report. PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE f The legislative clerk read as follows: The PRESIDING OFFICER. The A bill (S. 1200) to amend the Indian Health SCHEDULE Care Improvement Act to revise and extend clerk will please read a communication Mr. REID. Mr. President, following that Act. to the Senate from the President pro my remarks and any the Republican Pending: tempore (Mr. BYRD). leader wishes to make, we will resume The legislative clerk read the fol- Bingaman/Thune amendment No. 3894 (to consideration of the Indian Health Care amendment No. 3899), to amend title XVIII of lowing letter: Improvement Act. Senator DORGAN and the Social Security Act to provide for a limi- U.S. SENATE, Senator MURKOWSKI are here. I believe tation on the charges for contract health PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, this is our fourth day. Someone told services provided to Indians by Medicare pro- Washington, DC, February 14, 2008. viders. To the Senate: me yesterday: But they were short Vitter amendment No. 3896 (to amendment Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, days. The only reason they were short No. 3899), to modify a section relating to lim- of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby is because nobody has been here to itation on use of funds appropriated to the appoint the Honorable MARK L. PRYOR, a offer any amendments. They would Service. ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S993 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 22:08 Mar 19, 2014 Jkt 081600 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\2008SENATE\S14FE8.REC S14FE8 mmaher on DSKCGSP4G1 with SOCIALSECURITY S994 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 14, 2008 Brownback amendment No. 3893 (to amend- priations bills separately, as we are set Now we are going to be starting soon ment No. 3899), to acknowledge a long his- up and plan to do, they cannot pass trying another series of 12 appropria- tory of official depredations and ill-con- them individually. Because they are so tions bills to try to pass them before ceived policies by the Federal Government far behind, all the bills are cobbled to- October 1. regarding Indian tribes and offer an apology to all Native peoples on behalf of the United gether in an omnibus bill and moved at Last year, it took 325 days from the States. one time, which creates so much mo- release of the President’s budget until Dorgan amendment No. 3899, in the nature mentum that it is difficult to stop a the appropriations process was com- of a substitute. bill such as that. It is certainly almost pleted on December 26. Now, only 40 Sanders amendment No. 3900 (to amend- impossible to read and know what is in days later, the process has begun again ment No. 3899), to provide for payments it. On average, these spending packages with the submission of the President’s under subsections (a) through (e) of section have combined 7.6 regular appropria- new budget on February 5. 2604 of the Low-Income Home Energy Assist- By limiting budget decisions to every ance Act of 1981. tions bills. So the average omnibus bill Gregg amendment No. 4022 (to amendment is 7.6 of the 12 appropriations bills piled other year, Congress would have con- No. 3900), to provide funding for the Low In- all together in 1 bill and passed, basi- siderably more time to spend passing come Home Energy Assistance Program in a cally rammed through the Senate and critical legislation. Whether it be im- fiscally responsible manner. the House. migration reform, which we need to do, Barrasso amendment No. 3898 (to amend- Last year, Congress enacted a $555 tax cuts, or legislation addressing our ment No. 3899), to require the Comptroller billion, 1,600-page omnibus package Nation’s housing problems, Congress General to report on the effectiveness of co- that combined 11 of the 12 required ap- could focus more on important legisla- ordination of health care services provided propriations bills in 1. It was passed in tive matters rather than just always to Indians using Federal, State, local, and tribal funds. late December, not long before Christ- every year backed up, jammed up with mas, when people were anxious to go appropriations debates, arguing over Mr. REID. I suggest the absence of a home. I am sure that is part of the pork and earmarks, among others. quorum. plan. It all moved forward. Mr. Presi- Some will argue that 2-year budg- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- dent, 1,600 pages—it is unlikely many eting would increase the need for en- pore. The clerk will call the roll. Members of this Senate read it. Basi- acting supplemental spending. They The legislative clerk proceeded to cally, what they would do is send out say we will have more supplemental call the roll. their staff to determine if something emergency spending. As such, we will Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I ask they especially cared about was in it, not save a lot of time, and it still will unanimous consent that the order for and if what they wanted was in it, they not be a healthy process. the quorum call be rescinded. would vote for the bill. That is the way I ask this: How much more supple- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- things have gone around here. It is not mental emergency spending can Con- pore. Without objection, it is so or- a good policy. The package we passed gress do? dered. last December was the largest omnibus Over the last 10 budget cycles, even Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I ask bill since 1988, when we enacted a $598 though we are passing regular appro- unanimous consent that I be allowed to billion package that included all 13 priations bills every single year, Con- speak as in morning business.