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, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2008 No. 158 House of Representatives The House was not in session today. Its next meeting will be held on Thursday, October 2, 2008, at 12 p.m. Senate TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2008 (Legislative day of Wednesday, September 17, 2008) The Senate met at 10:01 a.m., on the RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY ward on doing what is right for our expiration of the recess, and was called LEADER country. Yesterday’s drop on Wall to order by the Acting President pro The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Street amounted to a loss of more than tempore (Mr. WEBB). pore. The majority leader is recog- a trillion dollars—about $1.2 trillion, to nized. be exact. Most of that money doesn’t PRAYER Mr. REID. Mr. President, I suggest come from Wall Street titans but from The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- the absence of a quorum. the pensions of people who have retired fered the following prayer: The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- and who have worked for city govern- Let us pray. pore. The clerk will call the roll. ment, county government, State gov- God of all the worlds that are, re- The assistant legislative clerk pro- ernment, or in some business they deemer of humanity, govern our Nation ceeded to call the roll. worked at for many years, or people and world. Lord, may the dawning of Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unan- who have frugally worked during their Rosh Hashanah provide all people who imous consent that the order for the lifetime to save a few dollars and put it believe in You with opportunities to re- quorum call be rescinded. into a retirement account. These peo- view past mistakes and to resolve to The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- ple are rightfully worried that the se- make improvements in the days to pore. Without objection, it is so or- curity of their golden years will be come. dered. compromised by what has happened In these tumultuous times, lead our with the irresponsibility in the finan- f lawmakers. Help them not to second- cial sector. So the most important job guess the destinations to which You SCHEDULE we have as Members of Congress is to may take us but to focus on doing what Mr. REID. Mr. President, following safeguard the physical and fiscal secu- is right. Keep them from being reluc- the remarks of myself and Senator rity of the American people. Despite yesterday’s setback in the House of tant to make courageous decisions that MCCONNELL, we are going to move to may take them through valleys before continue on the consideration of H.R. Representatives, this continues to be they see the mountain peaks. May our 2095, the rail safety-Amtrak legisla- our No. 1 goal. Senators seek to do what pleases You, tion. Cloture was invoked on the mo- Last night, I spoke with the Presi- their most important constituent, and tion to concur in the House amend- dent’s Chief of Staff, Josh Bolten. I to work faithfully to do what is best ment yesterday, so we will continue to talked to him again this morning and for America. debate this today during the 30 hours. spent quite a long time with him on You are our Lord and Savior. Amen. There will be no rollcall votes today in the telephone. I spoke to Senator view of the Rosh Hashanah holiday, but OBAMA this morning, who had just f we will have votes tomorrow evening completed a conversation with Presi- after sundown. We are still working on dent Bush. I mention that not to be a PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE an agreement to consider the United name-dropper but to indicate that we are working together to try to resolve The Honorable JIM WEBB led the States-India nuclear agreement. I am Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: quite certain we will finalize that so this important issue. I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the there can be a vote on that tomorrow. Senators BENNETT, CORKER, and United States of America, and to the Repub- Mr. President, on the financial crisis GREGG on the Republican side, as well lic for which it stands, one nation under God, facing our country, the blame game as Senators DODD, BAUCUS, CONRAD, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. needs to end and we need to move for- DURBIN, SCHUMER, and JACK REED on ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S10115 . VerDate Aug 31 2005 00:24 Oct 01, 2008 Jkt 069060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A30SE6.000 S30SEPT1 wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with SENATE S10116 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 30, 2008 the Democratic side, have done an ex- DOMENICI. They know him as a man when that was over, we had a little ceptionally good bipartisan job to who has been a leader in the Senate for heart-to-heart talk. He said: We have move the rescue legislation forward decades on energy issues, and he was to work together. If we are going to here in the Senate. Their work con- the chairman of that committee, and work together on this subcommittee, I tinues as we speak. I will also continue on budget issues, and he has been the want to tell you something about how to work closely with the minority lead- chairman of that committee. He is a we do things in the Senate. We do not er, Senator MCCONNELL, as well as our man who has been a leader on the Ap- surprise each other. If you had a prob- counterparts in the House of Rep- propriations Committee. I have known lem with that issue, talk to me. If you resentatives. We are all committed to Senator DOMENICI in that regard, as have the votes, you do not need to try keeping the progress on this rescue have the American people, but what I to embarrass me publicly, you go ahead package moving forward. So in the think is so interesting about PETE and do what you need to do. coming days, I will continue doing ev- DOMENICI is a side that a lot of people I learned a great lesson there. I erything possible to see that this dire don’t know about him. Here is a man learned a lesson that can only come by and avoidable financial crisis moves to who can talk about Wall Street, he can someone teaching you, such as when I the best possible outcome and toward a talk about financial markets, he can practiced law. It is not pleasant to talk future of stability and growth for our talk about the budgetary problems fac- about, but you learn from your mis- country. I am going to have a meeting ing this country, but in a personal, pri- takes in the practice of law. When you within an hour with the Senators I vate conversation, he can talk about make a mistake, you never do that have just spoken about on the Demo- baseball. again. As a result of the teaching mo- cratic side. They have extremely good Here is a man who was a star athlete. ment I had with Senator DOMENICI, I contacts on the Republican side. He was a great baseball player. As a never, ever did that again. So I appre- I wish to say, Mr. President, that I young man, he played American Legion ciate, if for no other reason than that, thought the statement made yesterday Baseball. I played American Legion that one experience with PETE DOMEN- by JUDD GREGG was an extremely good Baseball, but PETE’s team was good. ICI. It made me a better Senator and a statement. JUDD GREGG is the past ETE better person. chairman of the Budget Committee and Mine wasn’t so good. P led his team It was very clear that when Senator someone both sides respect for his to the regional championship. American Legion Baseball used to be DOMENICI realized he would not be play- knowledge of finances. So I commend the baseball for young men. ing for the New York Yankees, even and applaud Senator GREGG for his They did not have all the State tour- statement. though he was a good athlete, he de- I am hopeful and I am confident that naments they had in high schools, so in cided he would become a teacher. Then all sides, House and Senate and White the summer, the best athletes would he went to law school, and after grad- House, will work together to achieve a get together, the best baseball players uating, PETE DOMENICI entered politics. goal that will be good for the American would get together and play American First, he was elected to the city com- people. Legion ball, and the winter regional mission in Albuquerque. Then he championship was significant. climbed up that ladder of local politics f Senator DOMENICI went on to letter and became mayor of Albuquerque and RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY all 4 years, of course, in high school. He was elected in 1972 as a young man to LEADER was a standout pitcher for the Univer- the Senate. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- sity of New Mexico, and he was All My relationship with Senator DOMEN- pore. The Republican leader is recog- Conference.