21470 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE, Vol. 155, Pt. 16 September 14, 2009 Faith-Based Czar—. quickly. We have a number of appro- Mr. JOHANNS. I ask unanimous con- Great Lakes Czar—Cameron Davis. priations bills we want to complete be- sent that the order for the quorum call Green Jobs Czar—Van Jones (resigned on fore the end of September deadline. So be rescinded. Sept. 6). we ask our colleagues to get their The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Guantanamo Closure Czar—Daniel Fried. Health Czar—Nancy-Ann DeParle. amendments up, and we will move pore. Without objection, it is so or- Information Czar—Vivek Kundra. through them as quickly as we can. dered. International Climate Czar—Todd Stern. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- AMENDMENT NO. 2355 Mideast Peace Czar—George Mitchell. pore. The Senator from Missouri. Mr. JOHANNS. Mr. President, I ask Pay Czar—Kenneth Feinberg. Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I echo that amendment No. 2355 be called up. Regulatory Czar—Cass Sunstein.* what the chairman of our sub- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Science Czar—. pore. The clerk will report. Stimulus Accountability Czar—Earl committee, the Senator from Wash- Devaney—statutory position. ington, has said. We have had it out The assistant legislative clerk read Sudan Czar—J. Scott Gration. now. We have had this bill out. It has as follows: TARP Czar—Herb Allison. been on the floor since Thursday. We The Senator from Nebraska [Mr. JOHANNS] Terrorism Czar—John Brennan. had Friday and the weekend to look at proposes an amendment numbered 2355. Technology Czar—. it. A number of my colleagues, many Mr. JOHANNS. I ask unanimous con- Urban Affairs Czar—Adolfo Carrion Jr. on this side of the aisle, have talked sent that reading of the amendment be Weapons Czar—Ashton Carter. about offering amendments. I hope WMD Policy Czar—Gary Samore. dispensed with. they will be ready to bring those The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- *Nomination was sent to Senate on April amendments down. I think one or two 20, no action yet taken. pore. Without objection, it is so or- are going to be offered this afternoon dered. Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I so we can have votes scheduled at 5:30, The amendment is as follows: suggest the absence of a quorum. as the majority leader has suggested. It (Purpose: Prohibiting direct or indirect use The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- is not only the majority leader, it is of funds to fund the Association of Commu- pore. The clerk will call the roll. the Senator from Washington and I nity Organizations for Reform Now The legislative clerk proceeded to who are urging people to come down. (ACORN)) call the roll. This is a very important bill. Every- After section 414, insert the following: Mrs. MURRAY. I ask unanimous con- body has transportation needs, con- SEC. 4ll. None of the funds made avail- sent that the order for the quorum call cerns, and issues. Housing is such a sig- able under this Act may be directly or indi- be rescinded. nificant challenge right now, given the rectly distributed to the Association of Com- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- munity Organizations for Reform Now situation in the financial markets and (ACORN). pore. Without objection, it is so or- the situation with housing. We have Mr. JOHANNS. Mr. President, I rise dered. many people who are dependent upon today to discuss an amendment per- f federally supported housing. We need taining to ACORN, otherwise known as to make sure we have the funds made CONCLUSION OF MORNING the Association of Community Organi- available to take care of their needs. BUSINESS zations for Reform Now. We have special needs projects such The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Records will indicate that ACORN as the VASH program for veterans with has received $53 million in Federal pore. Morning business is closed. assisted housing that the Chair and I f funds—taxpayer money—since 1994. In have entered into. That is very impor- the current transportation and housing TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND tant for bringing our service men and appropriations bill, ACORN is eligible URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RE- women home and giving them the right to add to that number, to receive mil- LATED AGENCIES APPROPRIA- kind of accommodation. All of these lions more in taxpayer funds from sev- TIONS ACT, 2010 things are in the context of significant eral different accounts and purposes. It financial problems in the Federal The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- could receive money through mortgage Housing Administration. FHA, if you pore. Under the previous order, the counseling, it could receive money read the papers, is at a crisis point. I Senate will resume consideration of through CDBG, community develop- have described it as a ticking H.R. 3288, which the clerk will report. ment block grants, and it could receive timebomb. Regrettably, I think that is The assistant legislative clerk read money from the Neighborhood Sta- still an accurate calculation. We have as follows: bilization Program. funds to provide to HUD and to the The people of Nebraska sent me to A bill (H.R. 3288) making appropriations Secretary of HUD, to the IG and oth- for the Departments of Transportation, and Washington to protect them from ers, to deal with problems before they Housing and Urban Development, and related waste and fraud and abuse, and they agencies for the fiscal year ending Sep- become more serious. So we need to get asked me to change the status quo. I tember 30, 2010, and for other purposes. this bill passed. take that responsibility very seriously. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- I hope our colleagues would bring That is why my amendment would pro- pore. The Senator from Washington. their amendments forward. We will hibit one more penny—one more Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, we are only be able to vote until 3 o’clock to- penny—of taxpayer money from going again here on Monday afternoon talk- morrow afternoon. We would appre- to ACORN in the transportation and ing about a very important bill that ciate them bringing as many amend- housing appropriations bill. came to the floor last Thursday. That ments as they can forward before then, The recent news surrounding ACORN is the investment in infrastructure, this afternoon and tomorrow, so we can is alarming, at a minimum. In fact, it transportation, and housing across the go about the business of conferencing is outrageous. Last week, Miami-Dade country. We have many issues impor- with the House, getting a measure that prosecutors issued arrest warrants for tant to many Members who want to get will get to the President so he can sign 11 ACORN employees. The employees this bill passed and to the President as it and put these critically important are charged with falsifying voter reg- quickly as possible so we can move for- funds to work. istration cards. A total of 1,400 voter ward. My colleague from Missouri and I yield the floor. registration cards were turned in, and I have worked very hard to put the bill Mrs. MURRAY. I suggest the absence 888 of those cards were found to be a together. We are here this afternoon of a quorum. fake. This means almost three-quarters ready and waiting for our colleagues to The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- of the voting cards were fraudulent. offer amendments so we can get to pore. The clerk will call the roll. Then, damaging news surfaced regard- final passage. I know the majority The assistant legislative clerk pro- ing hidden videotapes at the Baltimore leader wishes us to finish this fairly ceeded to call the roll. and Washington, DC, ACORN offices.

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