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, MAY 20, 2008 No. 83 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was appoint the Honorable JON TESTER, a Sen- gency supplemental. As previously an- called to order by the Honorable JON ator from the State of Montana, to perform nounced, the time from 11 a.m. until 12 TESTER, a Senator from the State of the duties of the Chair. noon tomorrow will be set aside for Montana. ROBERT C. BYRD, tributes to former President Lyndon B. President pro tempore. Johnson on the centennial of his birth. PRAYER Mr. TESTER thereupon assumed the chair as Acting President pro tempore. f The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- fered the following prayer: f TEMPORARY EXTENSION OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION ACT OF 1965 Let us pray. RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY Almighty God, sovereign Lord of all, LEADER Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unan- help our Senators to remember that imous consent that the Senate proceed The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- they are here because of Your sov- to the consideration of S. 3035. pore. The majority leader is recog- ereign providence and are accountable The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- nized. to You for their work. Give them Your pore. The clerk will report the bill by wisdom to wrestle with complex issues. f title. Provide them with clarity in debate SCHEDULE The assistant legislative clerk read and courage of conviction as they vote. as follows: Mr. REID. Mr. President, following Lord, keep them from compromise that A bill (S. 3035) to temporarily extend the sacrifices principle, as You lead them leader time, there will be a period of programs under the Higher Education Act of in making just and compassionate de- morning business until noon, with Sen- 1965. ators permitted to speak for up to 10 cisions. Free them from judgmental There being no objection, the Senate minutes each, with the Republicans categorizations that make them resist- proceeded to consider the bill. controlling the first half and the ma- ant to listening to people with whom Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unan- jority controlling the second. At 12 they expect to differ. May Your grace imous consent that the bill be read noon, the Senate will proceed to execu- guide their deliberations and Your three times and passed, the motion to tive session to consider the following blessings crown their efforts. reconsider be laid upon the table, with nominations: Michael McGinn, of Min- We pray in Your great Name. Amen. no intervening action or debate, and nesota, to be U.S. Marshal for the Dis- any statements relating to this matter f trict of Minnesota; Ralph E. Martinez, be printed in the RECORD. of Florida, to be a member of the For- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- eign Claims Settlement Commission of The Honorable JON TESTER led the pore. Is there objection? the United States; and G. Steven Agee, Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: Without objection, it is so ordered. of Virginia, to be U.S. circuit judge for I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the The bill (S. 3035) was ordered to be the Fourth Circuit. United States of America, and to the Repub- engrossed for a third reading, was read The time from noon until 12:30 is lic for which it stands, one nation under God, the third time, and passed, as follows: indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. equally divided and controlled between S. 3035 Senator LEAHY and Senator SPECTER. f The Senate will recess from 12:30 until Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- APPOINTMENT OF ACTING 2:15 p.m. for the weekly caucus lunch- resentatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE eons. At 2:15, there will be 15 minutes SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF HIGHER EDUCATION The PRESIDING OFFICER. The for debate equally divided and con- PROGRAMS. clerk will please read a communication trolled between Senators WARNER and (a) EXTENSION OF PROGRAMS.—Section 2(a) to the Senate from the President pro WEBB or their designees. At 2:30, the of the Higher Education Extension Act of tempore (Mr. BYRD). Senate will proceed to a rollcall vote 2005 (Public Law 109–81; 20 U.S.C. 1001 note) is The assistant legislative clerk read on the confirmation of the Agee nomi- amended by striking ‘‘May 31, 2008’’ and in- the following letter: nation. Upon confirmation of the Agee serting ‘‘June 30, 2008’’. (b) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in U.S. SENATE, nomination—and I am confident that will take place—the other two nomina- this section, or in the Higher Education Ex- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, tension Act of 2005 as amended by this Act, Washington, DC, May 20, 2008. tions will be confirmed by consent. shall be construed to limit or otherwise alter To the Senate: Following executive session, we ex- the authorizations of appropriations for, or Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, pect to consider the House message ac- the durations of, programs contained in the of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby companying H.R. 2642, the 2008 emer- amendments made by the Higher Education ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S4425 . VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:07 May 22, 2008 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 J:\CRONLINE\2008BA~2\URGENT~1\RECFILE\S20MY8.REC S20MY8 mmaher on PROD1PC76 with CONG-REC-ONLINE S4426 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 20, 2008 Reconciliation Act of 2005 (Public Law 109– thought of that request. They took it focused on the political calendar to ig- 171), by the College Cost Reduction and Ac- up, hollowed it out, and filled the shell nore these pressing needs, but ignoring cess Act (Public Law 110–84), or by the En- with a raft of unrelated domestic them really does not make them go suring Continued Access to Student Loans spending projects and policy proposals away. Act of 2008 (Public Law 110–227) to the provi- sions of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and that did not include a dime for the I hope the Senate will do its duty the Taxpayer-Teacher Protection Act of 2004. troops in the field. House Democrats this week. The majority leader just in- dicated it is challenging. Of course, it f took a request meant for the troops and used it to fuel their own domestic is always challenging to do that. But SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS spending habits. Then they sent this we need to do our duty this week. Our Mr. REID. Mr. President, I just fin- piece of legislation over to the Senate forces in Baghdad and Ramadi will not ished a meeting to try to lay out to a on the eve of Memorial Day and told us be taking a week off for a recess. number of Senators what we are going to vote for it. The Senate was being Mr. President, I yield the floor. to be doing on the supplemental appro- asked to vote not on troop funding but The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- priations bill. It is going to be ex- on two other amendments. One in- pore. The majority leader is recog- tremely difficult for us to get from cluded unemployment benefits and a nized. where we are today to completing this Medicaid proposal. The other sought to Mr. REID. Mr. President, I say re- legislation in a timely fashion. There undermine the constitutional powers of spectfully to my friend that the logic are some very complicated issues, some the Commander in Chief by proposing a of his statement is really without foun- very strong feelings by a lot of dif- withdrawal date from Iraq. dation. Keep in mind, the complaint he ferent Senators. Unfortunately, our Democratic has is the House sent us a bill that did As highly controversial as is this war friends in the Senate made it even not have war funding in it. Bingo. and this war funding, we are going to worse. Taking up what they got from Why? Because 132 Republicans walked have to work together; otherwise, we the House, they added even more unre- out—did not vote. One hundred thirty- are going to walk away from here this lated policy proposals. In the name of two Republicans in the House did not week with nothing done. That, I as- combat readiness, Senate Democrats vote for war funding. Don’t blame it on sume, is one alternative. It is not one also sought to restrict the ability of the Democrats. Had 132 Republicans I think most want, but that is an alter- our military commanders to deploy voted, there would have been war fund- native. forces, ignoring the fact that the surest ing. But they decided not to vote. The other problem we have, because way to degrade troop readiness is to So don’t blame the House for sending of longstanding commitments, includ- delay the delivery of funds that are us only conditional aspects of the war ing the wedding of one of our Members, used to prepare and train our forces in and sending us some other things, like is we are going to start losing Senators the first place. the GI bill of rights. We have funded very quickly. Because of that, there Taken together, it seems the only this war on borrowed money, spending are two Senators who are going to issue unaddressed by the Democratic $5,000 a second on this war—borrowed leave sometime Thursday.