S4 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE January 18, 2006 Ms. MURKOWSKI. Under the order CERTIFICATE OF APPOINTMENT stitute the minority party’s membership on just entered, the Senate will return for The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The the following standing committees for the 109th Congress, or until their successors are regular business on Wednesday, Janu- Chair now lays before the Senate the ary 25. On Tuesday, the Judiciary Com- chosen: certificate of appointment of Senator- Committee on Banking, Housing and mittee should report the nomination of designate ROBERT MENENDEZ of the Urban Affairs: Mr. Sarbanes (Ranking Mem- Samuel Alito to be an Associate Jus- State of New Jersey. ber), Mr. Dodd, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Reed, Mr. tice of the Supreme Court of the Without objection, it will be placed Schumer, Mr. Bayh, Mr. Carper, Ms. United States. The leader has an- on file and the certificate of appoint- Stabenow, and Mr. Menendez. nounced we will proceed to consider ment will be deemed to have been read. Committee on Energy and Natural Re- the nomination when it is available for The certificate follows. sources: Mr. Bingaman (Ranking Member), Mr. Akaka, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Wyden, Mr. floor debate and that will be on STATE OF NEW JERSEY, Wednesday. We will remain on the Johnson, Ms. Landrieu, Mrs. Feinstein, Ms. OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, Cantwell, Mr. Salazar, and Mr. Menendez. Alito nomination until we are able to Trenton, NJ, January 17, 2006. Special Committee on Aging: Mr. Kohl vote on the confirmation. We hope to CERTIFICATE OF APPOINTMENT (Ranking Member), Mr. Jeffords, Mr. Wyden, have an organized debate to allow all To: The President of the Senate of the Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Bayh, Mr. Carper, Mr. Nel- Members to speak. We will try to line United States son of Florida, Mrs. Clinton, and Mr. up an order next week when we begin. This is to certify that, pursuant to the Salazar. The majority leader reiterates that power vested in me by the Constitution of Committee on the Budget: Mr. Conrad Senators should be ready next week for the United States and the laws of the State (Ranking Member), Mr. Sarbanes, Mrs. Mur- this historic debate and that everyone of New Jersey, I, Jon S. Corzine, the gov- ray, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Feingold, Mr. Johnson, should keep a flexible schedule so we ernor of said State, do hereby appoint Robert Mr. Byrd, Mr. Nelson of Florida, Ms. Menendez a Senator from said State to rep- Stabenow, and Mr. Menendez. can vote at the first available time. Select Committee on Ethics: Mr. Johnson Mr. REID. If the distinguished Sen- resent said State in the Senate of the United States until the vacancy therein caused by (Vice Chairman), Mr. Pryor and Mr. Salazar. ator will yield. Select Committee on Intelligence: Mr. my resignation from the Senate is filled by The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Rockefeller (Vice Chairman), Mr. Levin, Mrs. election as provided by law. Senator from Nevada. Witness: His excellency our governor, Jon Feinstein, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Bayh, Ms. Mikul- Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have re- S. Corzine, and our seal hereto affixed at ski, and Mr. Feingold. ceived calls from a significant number Trenton this 17th day of January, in the year The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- of Senators. Senator FRIST is right, we of our Lord 2006. ator from Alaska is recognized. will have a dignified debate. It will be By the governor: Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I organized. We will do whatever is ap- JON S. CORZINE, suggest the absence of a quorum. propriate according to who wants to Governor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The speak. Most all Democratic Senators f clerk will call the roll. will want an opportunity to speak in ADMINISTRATION OF OATH OF The assistant legislative clerk pro- regard to the nomination of Samuel OFFICE ceeded to call the roll. Alito. We look forward to that some- Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I time next week. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The ask unanimous consent that the order I also ask that following the swear- Senator-designate will present himself for the quorum call be rescinded. ing in of Congressman MENENDEZ, the at the desk and the Chair will admin- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without only two speakers allowed in the Sen- ister the oath of office as required by objection, it is so ordered. the Constitution and prescribed by law. ate on this day are Senator MENENDEZ f and Senator LAUTENBERG, the two Sen- The Senator-designate, ROBERT ators from New Jersey. This is in keep- MENENDEZ, escorted by Mr. LAUTEN- SENATOR ROBERT MENENDEZ ing with the agreement I have with BERG, advanced to the desk of the Vice Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I Senator FRIST. I ask consent that be President; the oath prescribed by law thank the leadership for according me the case. was administered to him by the Presi- an opportunity to present my new col- The PRESIDENT pro tempore. With- dent pro tempore, and he subscribed to league. All of us are going to be miss- out objection, it is so ordered. the oath in the Official Oath Book. ing Jon Corzine, a dear friend and Ms. MURKOWSKI. I suggest the ab- The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Con- former colleague who served this body sence of a quorum. gratulations. very well but responded to the call of The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The (Applause, Senators rising.) duty when things in New Jersey needed clerk will call the roll. f a leading hand. Jon Corzine responded The assistant legislative clerk pro- MAKING MINORITY PARTY AS- and took up the assignment. ceeded to call the roll. SIGNMENTS TO COMMITTEES In Senator Corzine’s place, we are Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I fortunate to be able to have a can- ask unanimous consent that the order FOR THE 109TH CONGRESS didate of the skill and knowledge that for the quorum call be rescinded. Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have a Senator ROBERT MENENDEZ has. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. With- resolution at the desk. I ask for its BOB MENENDEZ is a typical American out objection, so ordered. consideration. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. story. He was born in America of par- f ents who had immigrated from Cuba. COBURN). The clerk will report. LETTER OF RESIGNATION The assistant legislative clerk read He has worked his way through the The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The as follows: system very well. As a very young Chair lays before the Senate the letter A resolution (S. Res. 348) making minority man—high school age—he challenged of resignation of Senator Jon Corzine party assignments to certain Senate com- the mayor and the leadership of the of New Jersey. mittees for the 109th Congress. community in which he lived in New Without objection, the letter is There being no objection, the Senate Jersey and fought his way to making deemed read and spread upon the Jour- proceeded to consider the resolution. certain they were going to be cleaning nal. Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unan- up some of their bad habits in Union The letter follows. imous consent that the resolution be City, such that he had to at times wear U.S. SENATE, agreed to, the motion to reconsider be a bulletproof vest when he was 17 years Washington, DC, January 13, 2006. laid on the table, and there be no inter- old. He, thusly, had a place in the po- Hon. RICHARD B. CHENEY, vening action. litical mainstream as a very young President of the U.S. Senate, U.S. Senate, The The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without man. Capitol, Washington, DC. objection, so ordered. He became mayor of Union City, NJ, DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: I hereby give notice and then served in our general assem- of my resignation of the office of the United The resolution (S. Res. 348) was States Senator from the State of New Jer- agreed to as follows: bly from 1987 until 1991 and in the New sey, effective 11:59 a.m. on January 17, 2006. S. RES. 348 Jersey Senate—he has been through all Sincerely, Resolved, that notwithstanding the provi- of the steps to leadership—from 1991 to JON S. CORZINE. sions of Rule XXV, the following shall con- 1993. He then came to the U.S. Congress

VerDate Aug 31 2005 05:26 Dec 27, 2006 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4637 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORDCX\T37X$J0E\S18JA6.REC S18JA6 mmaher on PROD1PC69 with CONG-REC-ONLINE January 18, 2006 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5 and was soon appointed—he worked Jersey, but he represents the contribu- I certainly say to my distinguished hard to get it. I should strike the word tion that Latino Americans make to colleague, the new Governor of New ‘‘appointed’’ and say he worked his way this country. BOB MENENDEZ will be the Jersey, our former colleague whom we so that he became the third most pow- third person to join this Senate with a all hold in high esteem, we wish him erful member on the Democratic side Hispanic background—Senator MAR- well in his responsibilities. The Sen- in the House of Representatives. TINEZ, Senator SALAZAR, and now Sen- ator mentioned that, of course, he de- I look forward to working with BOB. ator MENENDEZ. It is so appropriate parted to take on this authority. You BOB comes from Hudson County, one of when such a large portion of our popu- know, there is a precedent in your our most populated counties in the lation has that cultural background. State for recycling back here. It seems most densely populated State in the They are wonderful contributing citi- to me the distinguished senior Senator country. He worked on the issues of zens in our State. We have a very large is here on his second term. transportation, and education is a par- Latino population, and they are all I thank my colleague. ticular interest of his. It can be re- very proud of Senator MENENDEZ. f flected in the fact that his daughter, It is a historic day for the State of Alicia Menendez, was the commence- New Jersey and for the country that CAMBODIA ment speaker at her graduation from one of our terrific colleagues is now the Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, today, I Harvard. Governor of the State of New Jersey. I would like to address a troubling series I was very impressed at the leader- predict he will be looking in the mirror of events that has recently transpired ship provided by her family, by her fa- one of these days and questioning the in Cambodia. In the past year, the gov- ther’s interest in public speaking, and change he decided to make. He has a ernment of Prime Minister Hun Sen in Government. She had to prepare her tough job. There is a lot of debt. We has engaged in a widespread campaign address in a competition to see who had some unfortunate mistakes in gov- to silence his critics, stifle dissent, and would be the student commencement ernance over the past few years. We are enfeeble his political opposition. speaker. Alicia won that competition desperately in need of support for The result of these actions has been a with a very lengthy speech. She then, transportation and other programs. I very disturbing erosion of Cambodia’s contrary to our habits here, was told to think Jon Corzine, with his leadership commitment to democratic principles, put aside her notes, take a microphone, training, having been the chairman and the rule of law, and the protection of and make the speech verbally to the CEO of Goldman Sachs, will make a human rights. graduating class of Harvard, I think it difference. He left here to take on what Nearly a year ago, in February 2005, was 2 years ago. And she did it wonder- he considered a more important, imme- Cambodia’s National Assembly voted fully—again, a reflection of the leader- diate test. We are so pleased that he is to revoke the parliamentary immunity ship that BOB MENENDEZ provided to replaced by someone such as ROBERT from prosecution of opposition leader the family. MENENDEZ, Senator MENENDEZ, who Mr. Sam Rainsy and two of his col- His son Robert is at a university in just walked in. leagues. The alleged offense was defam- North Carolina and is also a very ac- I remember the days—my colleague ing the Prime Minister. complished young man. from Virginia is on the floor. We have Just after this vote, Mr. Rainsy and Mr. MENENDEZ and I will be working been around here a long time. So very one of his colleagues, Chea Poch, man- together on lots of issues that we often the issues of wonderment dis- aged to escape Cambodia to avoid ar- worked on in the past, I as a Senator appear. We are into the nitty-gritty of rest. However, the other opposition and he as a Congressman, particularly, issues and we forget sometimes about parliamentarian and an ally of Mr. again, focused on transportation, envi- the excitement of being able to serve in Rainsy, Cheam Channy, was arrested. ronment, and security. this body. The Presiding Officer knows Several months later, in August 2005, BOB MENENDEZ’s county had the big- exactly what I am talking about, hav- Cheam Channy was sentenced to 7 gest loss of those who perished on 9/11— ing been here only a short time, but years in prison for allegedly forming ‘‘a also having come from the House of over 700 people from New Jersey. BOB secret army to overthrow the govern- Representatives, and note that change. MENENDEZ was there to help provide ment.’’ And, in December 2005, Sam When I spoke to BOB MENENDEZ and some warmth, friendship, and leader- Rainsy was sentenced in absentia to 18 described to him the seat that he would ship to the problems that followed the months in prison for defaming the have, which is the furthest away that loss of those loved ones and the impair- Prime Minister and the President of one can get, he said to me that he is ment that it brought to those families. the National Assembly. happy to have a seat anywhere in this I am so pleased to have someone who The Cambodian Government’s as- Chamber. Sometimes we forget that in understands New Jersey fully, who has sault on its political opposition is only our daily toil. the tip of the iceberg. The Prime Min- lived the traditional dream from very I wound up sitting right near where ister has also carried out a campaign modest working class parents who es- the Senator from Virginia is, and I was caped Cuba in those very dark days and talking to Scoop Jackson. I said: Nice against human rights activists in Cam- lifted himself up by his bootstraps. We seat. He said: Don’t get used to it, bodia. In a period of 5 days, just before and are going to be working together on you’re not going to keep it. In the next issues such as transportation, edu- couple of days, I wound up over in the after the new year, three of Cambodia’s cation, security, and some of the prob- freshman seats. top human rights activists were ar- lems we now see with Medicare. BOB MENENDEZ is a freshman, skilled, rested. These included Mr. Kern Sokha, My State of New Jersey now has able, knowledgeable. We are very ex- president of the Cambodian Center for spent $15 million in the last couple of cited about him being here. He is going Human Rights; Mr. Yeng Virak, direc- weeks trying to help people get their to be a wonderful Member of the Sen- tor of the Community Legal Education prescription drugs as a result of the ate. Center; and Pa Nguon Teang, a jour- enormous change that took place start- I thank the Chair and thank the lead- nalist and the acting leader of Mr. ing in 2006. They could not get the ership for granting me the opportunity Kern Sokha’s human rights organiza- product, and the State of New Jersey to speak today. tion. jumped in, as I would gather almost The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- Again, these activists and critics of every State in this country has done, ator from Virginia is recognized. the Government were detained on and that is to fill in where Medicare Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, first I trumped-up defamation charges. dropped off. commend my good friend, the good These arrests and detentions are just I look forward to working with BOB Senator from the State of New Jersey, the latest in a series of actions aimed MENENDEZ on that issue, and I hope it for his remarks this morning on behalf at silencing the critics of the Cam- will be high on the list—on an urgent of his colleague. I was privileged to at- bodian Government. In addition to list—of matters to which we have to tend what is known here as a reenact- members of the political opposition, attend. ment in the Old Chamber just now and Cambodia’s Government has also tar- Meanwhile, I once again say that BOB had the chance to wish him well. We do geted prominent individuals in the MENENDEZ represents not only New wish him well. media, trade unions, and civil society.

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