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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, FIRST SESSION SENATE—Wednesday, December 7, 2011 The Senate met at 11:30 a.m. and was appoint the Honorable KIRSTEN E. GILLI- day and the hundreds of thousands called to order by the Honorable BRAND, a Senator from the State of New more who made the ultimate sacrifice KIRSTEN E. GILLIBRAND, a Senator from York, to perform the duties of the Chair. during World War II. These service- the State of New York. DANIEL K. INOUYE, members are heroes. They set a fine ex- President pro tempore. ample for the men and women who pro- PRAYER Mrs. GILLIBRAND thereupon as- tect our freedoms today, and none of us sumed the chair as Acting President The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- will ever forget their courage. pro tempore. fered the following prayer: Let us pray. f f O mighty God, our hope for years to RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY PAYROLL TAX CUT come, thank You for giving us this day LEADER to use for Your glory. From the morn- Mr. REID. Madam President, the Re- ing Sun until the going down of the The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- publicans like to claim they are the same, Your blessings provide us with pore. The majority leader is recog- party of the tax cuts, but as Democrats confidence that our future is brighter nized. propose more tax relief—we propose it than our past. f every day for working families—Repub- Today, as we remember Pearl Harbor licans every day are showing their true SCHEDULE and a day of infamy, we praise You for colors. They only support tax cuts that giving so generously to this Nation. Mr. REID. Madam President, fol- benefit the rich. Lord, You shower us with blessings lowing leader remarks, the Senate will Speaker BOEHNER and Senator without regard to our worthiness or be in a period of morning business, MCCONNELL say they agree with Demo- importance. As we respond to Your with Republicans controlling the first crats, that we should prevent a $1,000 blessings, infuse our lawmakers with a 30 minutes and the majority the second tax hike on middle-class families. A spirit of hope and purpose that they 30 minutes. person running for President, Mitt may do Your will in these challenging As a reminder to all Senators, clo- Romney, agrees that we should extend times. May Your spirit sustain them as ture has been filed on the Cordray the payroll tax cut. The former Speak- they labor so that justice will roll nomination. That vote is expected to- er who is running for President, Newt down like waters and righteousness morrow morning. Gingrich, says we should extend the like a mighty stream. f payroll tax cut. But it has become Amen. clear that the caucus, led by the PEARL HARBOR f Speaker and by the Republican lead- Mr. REID. Madam President, 70 years er—that those they lead don’t seem to PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ago today the attack on Pearl Harbor be following them. Tea party Repub- The Honorable KIRSTEN E. GILLI- changed our country forever. It also licans oppose our plan to cut taxes for BRAND, a Senator from the State of hardened our resolve to become a bet- nearly every American family. But Re- New York, led the Pledge of Alle- ter, stronger nation, and that we have publican leaders recognize that taking giance, as follows: become. $1,000 out of middle-class pockets dur- I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the An example is the USS Nevada, a ing these hard times is political sui- United States of America, and to the Repub- great battleship that epitomizes the re- cide. lic for which it stands, one nation under God, siliency of our country. While in the There are papers all over the coun- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. port of Oahu on December 7, 1941, the try, but take this one as an example. f battleship Nevada was hit by many ‘‘GOP Is Split On Payroll Tax Cut. Ob- APPOINTMENT OF ACTING bombs and a torpedo. Sixty American jections To Surtax On Rich.’’ Remem- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE sailors died. Less than a year later, ber, the surtax is on the second million that great battleship returned to serv- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The dollars that people make. On the first ice and served valiantly for our coun- clerk will please read a communication million dollars, not a penny. On the try during World War II. to the Senate from the President pro second million dollars, the bill that we Today we honor the living Pearl Har- are going to vote on—probably Friday tempore (Mr. INOUYE). bor veterans for their courage and sac- The legislative clerk read the fol- here, maybe Thursday—has a surtax rifice. Here in the Senate we refer to lowing letter: for people’s second million dollars of our Medal of Honor winner DAN income of less than 2 percent. U.S. SENATE, INOUYE, and Senator AKAKA, and FRANK The headlines go on to say ‘‘Opposi- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, Washington, DC, December 7, 2011. LAUTENBERG. All three served in World tion Could Give Obama a 2012 Issue.’’ To the Senate: War II. Obama doesn’t need a 2012 issue. Mid- Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, We also remember the nearly 2,400 dle-class Americans do not need a tax of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby Americans who lost their lives that increase. That is what this is all about. ● This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a member of the Senate on the floor. 19053 VerDate Sep 11 2014 14:10 Jan 08, 2016 Jkt 099102 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 0685 Sfmt 0634 E:\BR11\S07DE1.000 S07DE1 Lhorne on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with BOUND RECORD 19054 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE, Vol. 157, Pt. 14 December 7, 2011 It is very clear that there is a bitter Americans vulnerable to scams and rip- checks, screenings, and a checkup. division in the House with House Re- offs that are going on as we speak and More than 24 million seniors this year publicans. As you know, they were sup- have gone on in the past. It is shameful got free physicals because of health posed to send us a bill today—or was it that Republicans would leave con- care reform. That is progress of which yesterday? They finally acknowledged sumers in the dark about the risk they America can be proud. face when making financial decisions, late yesterday they could not send us f anything. They cannot get an agree- and they are doing it only to try to ment even among the Republicans. change a law that is the law of this RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY They don’t reach out to the Democrats land. LEADER at all. They want to do it with a major- f The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- ity of the majority, and they cannot AFFORDABLE CARE ACT pore. The Republican leader is recog- get anything done. nized. So it seems to me, faced with this re- Mr. REID. Finally, my first elected bellion in the two caucuses, Republican job, many years ago, was to an organi- f zation called the Southern Nevada Me- leaders have two options: They can PEARL HARBOR work with us to forge a compromise morial Hospital. It was the largest hos- Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, that will pass or they can move even pital in the State. It was the largest as the majority leader has noted, today further to the right to appease the tea hospital district. People ran at-large is the 70th anniversary of the Japanese party, because that is what this is all from Clark County, the Las Vegas attack on Pearl Harbor. I have cer- about. As we have seen before, when area, and I was elected to that. It was tainly had the opportunity, and many faced with a choice between the middle my first elected job. When I took that Members of the Senate may have as class and the tea party, Republicans job, there was no Medicare. In that well, of visiting World War II era vet- will choose the tea party every time. hospital, when someone came who was erans when they come to Washington We have seen before, when faced with a old and did not have money, someone on what are called the honor flights, choice between the middle class and had to sign for them—a husband, a where veterans groups raise the funds the richest of the rich, the Republicans wife, father, mother, brother, sister, to get these World War II vets up here choose the richest of the rich. neighbor; someone signed. If that per- son did not pay after agreeing to pay, to see the World War II Memorial. It is f we had a large collection agency and a great inspiration to see these mem- CONSUMER FINANCIAL we would go after those people. It was bers of the ‘‘greatest generation’’ who, PROTECTION BUREAU very difficult sometimes to collect that indeed, saved America during World Mr. REID. Madam President, tomor- money, difficult in the sense it was War II. row the Senate will vote on whether to hard to do, but, more importantly, it I remember in particular talking to move forward with confirmation of was difficult to do because you hated an elderly gentleman—obviously they Richard Cordray, the nominee to head to go after people to pay these large are all elderly at this point—who was the Consumer Financial Protection Bu- hospital and doctor bills.

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