E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 109 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 152 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2006 No. 130 House of Representatives The House was not in session today. Its next meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 5, 2006, at 10 a.m. Senate THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2006 The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was The legislative clerk read the fol- accomplish. It is still a very long list called to order by the Honorable JOHN lowing letter: in terms of appropriations bills, in E. SUNUNU, a Senator from the State of U.S. SENATE, terms of the United States-India nu- New Hampshire. PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, clear agreement, in terms of poten- Washington, DC, November 16, 2006. tially other trade agreements. We have PRAYER To the Senate: tax extenders and a whole range of Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, issues. The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby fered the following prayer: appoint the Honorable JOHN E. SUNUNU, a The Democratic leader and I will go Let us pray. Senator from the State of New Hampshire, into a quorum call very shortly and we Almighty God, give us Your wisdom to perform the duties of the Chair. will finalize the plan for today. But as when our vision fails, our under- TED STEVENS, President pro tempore. we stated yesterday, before we leave standing is darkened, and the ways of this week—either tomorrow or we life seem difficult. Deepen our faith Mr. SUNUNU thereupon assumed the could finish later tonight—we do need when our sight is dim. Guide our chair as Acting President pro tempore. to finish the United States-India nu- thoughts when we lack understanding. f clear agreement. We talked yesterday Bless our Senators. Infuse them with in our own conference about the impor- quiet confidence and patient trust in RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY tance of that particular piece of legis- You. Reinforce their courage with the LEADER lation, legislation that all our col- knowledge of Your loving providence. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- leagues are familiar with, and we have When they are frustrated, remind them pore. The majority leader is recog- a unanimous consent agreement to pro- that You are still holding things to- nized. ceed to that with a fixed number of gether. amendments. If you look at the amend- f We pray in Your holy Name. Amen. ments, it is clear that we won’t have to f SCHEDULE do all of those amendments on that legislation. So I am confident that we Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I again PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE can and we will finish that bill before want to congratulate the new leader- we leave. The Honorable JOHN E. SUNUNU led ship in the Senate for the 110th Con- the Pledge of Allegiance as follows: gress. Democrats 2 days ago elected We do have an understanding that we I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the their leadership and the Republicans will go to the agriculture appropria- United States of America and to the Repub- yesterday elected our leadership. A lot tions bill as well. At some point I want lic for which it stands, one nation under God, of planning is underway for the 110th to be able to do that and hopefully we indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Congress. As everyone knows, we have can work out the details on how we can f before us the objective of finishing the accomplish at least starting that par- business of the 109th Congress, both ticular bill, with the objective of fin- APPOINTMENT OF ACTING over the course of today and possibly ishing the United States-India nuclear PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE tomorrow, and then in a period that agreement before we leave. So in the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The will begin the week of December 4, and next few minutes we will be coming clerk will please read a communication possibly continue into the week fol- back with an announcement of that to the Senate from the President pro lowing that. Both the Democratic lead- schedule as agreed to, but we will fin- tempore (Mr. STEVENS). er and I have outlined what we have to ish that bill before we leave. ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S10977 . VerDate Aug 31 2005 05:29 Nov 17, 2006 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A16NO6.000 S16NOPT1 hmoore on PROD1PC68 with HMSENATE S10978 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 16, 2006 RECOGNITION OF THE MORNING BUSINESS House of Representatives, when our DEMOCRATIC LEADER The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- country was young, President Jefferson The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- pore. Under the previous order, there was participating in worship services pore. The Democratic leader is recog- will be a period for the transaction of held there. Even now, 207 years later, nized. morning business with Senators per- we still begin each day’s session here in mitted to speak for up to 10 minutes the Senate, as they do in the House, with a prayer. We have Bible study f each. groups that meet on Thursday with the The Senator from Delaware is recog- Senate Chaplain, Barry Black. We have UNITED STATES-INDIA NUCLEAR nized. AGREEMENT done that for a number of years. Sen- f ator COLEMAN, who has been one of our Mr. REID. Mr. President, I think it is ORDER OF PROCEDURE leaders in a Wednesday morning prayer so important that we do whatever we breakfast, and MARK PRYOR from Ar- can to pass this nuclear agreement Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, the Sen- kansas have led that for a number of that has been negotiated with India. ator from Minnesota, Mr. COLEMAN, years. India is the largest democracy in the and I would ask unanimous consent for So faith, from the beginning of our world and we have had such tremen- each of us to sort of pool our 10 min- foundation as a country, has been im- dous relations with them over the last utes apiece and take maybe the next 20 portant to us, to guide us as a nation, number of years. I think it would send minutes to share—and some of our col- and to guide us today in our own per- a great sign to the rest of the world leagues who are going to come by and sonal lives. that we are able to work on issues of talk as well—about the role our faith When the Constitution was written this importance and actually get it plays in the work we do here. If that and the Bill of Rights was written, the done. I surely hope we can do this. I might be acceptable, I would ask unan- idea was not to establish an organized feel confident we can. There are imous consent. religion; the idea was to make sure amendments and people can debate The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- people were free to practice whatever them. When the managers of the bill pore. Is there objection? Without objec- faith they wanted, and to be respectful have heard enough, if necessary they tion, it is so ordered. of people of different faiths and the fact that people can worship as they can move to table, or whatever it takes f to move these along. Senator BIDEN on see fit or choose not to worship at all. Tuesday said there are a lot of these NATIONAL BIBLE WEEK One of the strengths of our Nation is amendments he is aware of that they Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, the our faith, but another of the strengths could work out or accept. elections are behind us now and we are of our Nation is the respect we have for So I am hopeful we can finish today, looking forward to the next Congress people of different faiths. We have peo- tonight, or tomorrow, and there is no which will be seated on January 4—the ple in this body who are Protestant, reason we shouldn’t be able to. We have 110th Congress. We have in town a Catholic, and Jewish. We worship the a number of amendments that have number of newly elected Senators and same God, just a bit differently. One of the things we try to do during been locked in and there is no way this their spouses. A number of us—Senator the course of the week is to use our matter should not be completed. I ALEXANDER, Senator VOINOVICH, Sen- faith. Whether we happen to be Pres- think it is very important that we go ator PRYOR, and myself—have been in- byterian, Mormon, or Jewish, how do into the Thanksgiving period with volved, along with the Secretary of the we use that faith to help guide us in knowing that we have been able to Senate, in holding orientation for new the policies we adopt for our country work out something between two great Senators and their spouses. On Tues- and for the people we represent? I feel democracies. day night we were over at the National fortunate to live in a country where we Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I will be Archives and we had the opportunity to back with the plans here shortly after are free to worship God as we see fit.