Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 110 CONGRESS, FIRST 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, FIRST SESSION Vol. 153 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2007 No. 116 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was appoint the Honorable MARK L. PRYOR, a bers can still offer germane amend- called to order by the Honorable MARK Senator from the State of Arkansas, to per- ments with no debate time and have L. PRYOR, a Senator from the State of form the duties of the Chair. them voted on. I am hopeful there will Arkansas. ROBERT C. BYRD, not be a vote-arama at the end of the President pro tempore. time and Members who have amend- PRAYER Mr. PRYOR thereupon assumed the ments will work with the managers to chair as Acting President pro tempore. The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- get those amendments considered dur- fered the following prayer: f ing the time limit. Let us pray. RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME There is no reason we cannot com- Lord of Life, as Senators deal with plete this bill by sometime this after- today’s challenges, purge their hearts The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- noon. of anything that does not honor You. pore. Under the previous order, the On the Homeland Security appropria- Remove from them a spirit of division, leadership time is reserved. tions bill, it is hard to comprehend, but uniting them in the common task of f I had to file cloture on that bill, a bill to fund homeland security for our doing what is best for our Nation and RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY country. There was an objection to our world. When they are tempted to LEADER doubt, steady their faith. When they moving to that bill. I hope an agree- feel despair, infuse them with Your The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- ment is reached where we would not hope. When they don’t know what to pore. The majority leader is recog- have to vote on cloture tomorrow, do, open their minds to a wisdom that nized. which is set. I hope we can complete can change and shape our times accord- f action on this bill early next week. SCHIP. I heard on the radio this ing to Your plan. Replace any cynicism SCHEDULE with civility, empowering them to morning—I had not read the Presi- trust You more fully, live for You more Mr. REID. Thank you very much, Mr. dent’s letter to the Finance Committee completely, and serve You more will- President. members that he was going to veto the ingly. Today we will be on H.R. 2669, the bill. The statement of policy on You are our Lord and Saviour. Amen. education reconciliation measure. vetoing bills, it seems they all fit the There are 10 hours of time remaining same pattern. Anytime it helps people f for that matter. Two amendments were who are incapable of helping them- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE offered yesterday, one by Senator MUR- selves, then the President is anxious to KOWSKI, another one by Senator KEN- step in. The Honorable MARK L. PRYOR led NEDY. We will vote on those amend- I heard on the radio today he wanted the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: ments at around 12 o’clock today. to veto this legislation because he felt I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the For this bill, we have two of the most it should be all handled by the private United States of America, and to the Repub- lic for which it stands, one nation under God, competent managers we could have, sector. We would not need this legisla- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Senators KENNEDY and ENZI. It is a tion if things were handled by the pri- great picture for the country: one Sen- vate sector. We have millions of chil- f ator from the State of Massachusetts, dren in America—not in some other APPOINTMENT OF ACTING who certainly is known worldwide, and country—millions of children in Amer- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE Senator ENZI, who may not be known ica who have no health care. That is worldwide, but the Senator from Wyo- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The what SCHIP is about. ming is one of the most gentle, com- So I appreciate the work being done clerk will please read a communication petent people I have ever worked with. on a bipartisan basis by Senators to the Senate from the President pro He is a wonderful man. I know the rela- GRASSLEY and BAUCUS and HATCH and tempore (Mr. BYRD). tionship he and Senator KENNEDY have OCKEFELLER The assistant legislative clerk read R , the senior members of developed will make it possible to get the following letter: that committee and respective sub- through this with a minimum amount committee. They have come up with a U.S. SENATE, of strife. I admire both of those men bipartisan bill. It is not a bill that ev- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, Washington, DC, July 19, 2007. and how they have worked on this bill. eryone is elated about, but it is a good To the Senate: The managers expect other amend- bill that will help provide health insur- Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, ments to be offered. As Members are ance for as many as 6 million children. of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby aware, once all time is expired, Mem- It is too bad that I assume we are going ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S9533 . VerDate Aug 31 2005 02:29 Jul 20, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A19JY6.000 S19JYPT1 cnoel on PRODPC60 with SENATE_CN S9534 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 19, 2007 to have to file cloture on that. But we This is the largest assistance to mid- We will have better repayment op- are going to work on SCHIP next week. dle-income and working families that tions that cap a borrower’s monthly I would hope we could finish Homeland we have had since the end of World War payment at 15 percent of their discre- Security, and maybe even move to an- II and the GI Bill. This is very substan- tionary income. That means all those other appropriations bill. The Finance tial help and assistance. I think all of who are going to be out there working Committee is meeting this morning to us, when we go home to our States, are never going to pay more than 15 report out a bipartisan bill that we can hear from families who talk about the percent of their discretionary income take to the floor dealing with health increased cost of school, the increased on their student loans. That is particu- care for millions of American children. cost of tuition, and the increased cost larly important in terms of what we Conference reports. The 9/11 con- and burden associated with going to call the public-sector jobs, where there ference report is moving along well. college. is an enormous need in this country— The conferees are meeting today. They We are also very much aware of the enormous need. Our society needs more hope to move this conference quickly necessity of providing additional edu- teachers, more emergency manage- so we can finish it next week. cational opportunities that are so es- ment and law enforcement profes- For the ethics conference, we still do sential for families, so essential for sionals, more public health doctors and not have the appointment of conferees. communities, so essential for States, nurses, more social workers, more li- I am trying to figure out some other countries, and the United States in a brarians, more public interest lawyers, way to complete that; otherwise, we world economy. and more early childhood teachers. will have the necessary cloture votes Education is the equivalent, effec- This bill also offers loan forgiveness to get that to finality. It is a shame it tively, of hope and opportunity for the program for borrowers in public service is being held up. It was the No. 1 bill young people of this country. We are jobs: After they work as a school- we took up this year. Why? Because it making a strong downpayment to help teacher for 10 years, paying no more was the No. 1 problem people identified and assist the sons and daughters of than 15 percent of their discretionary when Congress was elected last Novem- working families. income during that time, all their ber. The culture of corruption was so My State of Massachusetts is blessed debt—all their debt—will be forgiven. These are the key elements of this rampant, that was one of the things with many fine schools and colleges. legislation. We want to show what how people focused on. About 80 percent of all those who go on we have tried to ensure that edu- While it may not be the No. 1 issue to college get some kind of help and as- cational opportunity will be available today because of Iraq stepping ahead of sistance over the course of their time to all of our fellow citizens here in it, it is still an extremely important they are in college, whether they go to America—including middle income and issue, and I think it is a shame we have one of our community colleges, one of particularly the low income families.