E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 108 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 150 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 2004 No. 57 Senate The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE hope we can stay late and finish the called to order by the President pro The PRESIDENT pro tempore led the bill. tempore (Mr. STEVENS). Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: Mr. President, I briefly wish to com- The PRESIDENT pro tempore. To- ment on the first two cloture votes, I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the day’s prayer will be offered by our United States of America, and to the Repub- opening with the fact that I am a guest Chaplain, Pastor John Bengston, lic for which it stands, one nation under God, strong supporter of the ethanol provi- of All Saints Lutheran Church in indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. sion that the Democratic leader has Bowie, MD. f pulled out of the Energy bill and of- fered as an amendment to the original PRAYER LEADER TIME language of the Internet tax bill. In The guest Chaplain offered the fol- The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under fact, I joined the minority leader in of- lowing prayer: the previous order, there will now be a fering very similar language to the En- Let us pray. period of leader time under the stand- ergy bill when it was considered on the Lord God, Sovereign of the universe ing order. Senate floor last summer. and giver of holy love to each person, f While I do support the renewable receive our thanks for the gift of this fuels standard as a matter of policy, day, the opportunity we have to be RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY there are many other important provi- alive, mobile, well fed and clothed, and LEADER sions included in the Energy bill that gathered with purpose. Help us, we The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The at this point I am not prepared to humbly pray, that each of us live in majority leader is recognized. abandon. concert with Your purpose of mercy f We in the United States need a com- and justice, love and grace. We also prehensive national energy policy. We thank You for ordaining government in SCHEDULE have gone on for way too long without the human family so that the human Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, today the that policy, and we see the con- community might live with order, dig- Senate will be in a period of morning sequences of that every day. We see it nity, respect, and care under Your de- business for up to 90 minutes. The first in our rising dependence on foreign oil. sign and will. 30 minutes will be under the control of We see it in last summer’s blackout in Thank You for those who serve in the the Democratic leader or his designee, the Northeast and today’s record high Senate as elected Members and as the second 30 minutes will be con- gas prices, and in skyrocketing natural staff. You have placed upon them all an trolled by this side of the aisle, and the gas prices, which are hurting farmers awesome responsibility, so we ask You final 30 will be divided between Sen- and manufacturers and consumers to give them comparable discernment, ators MCCONNELL and FEINSTEIN. alike. courage, and concern for their calling. Following that morning business pe- The slimmed-down Energy bill that Bless all who work within these walls riod, the Senate will resume consider- Chairman DOMENICI has offered as a that Your Spirit may inspire, guide, ation of S. 150, the Internet access tax second-degree amendment addresses and prod each one to serve You first. measure. There will be an additional each of these issues. It lays out a bal- Bless also those citizens who will visit hour for debate prior to the first of the anced national energy policy that will the gallery today, observing the work- scheduled cloture votes. The first vote lessen our reliance on foreign energy, ings of Government and the delibera- will be on invoking cloture on the thereby enhancing both our economic tions of this body. Thank You for their Daschle ethanol amendment to the security as well as our national secu- interest, and may they be able to per- Internet bill. If cloture fails, we will go rity. Senator DOMENICI’s plan will help ceive Your hand at work in the discus- immediately to a cloture vote on the diversify our energy supply and encour- sions and decisions of the United Domenici energy package. Finally, if age the use of renewable energy States Senate. cloture has not been invoked to that sources such as wind and solar energy This world faces tremendous chal- point, the Senate will proceed to a clo- and ethanol, all of which decreases our lenges, O Lord of the nations. Please ture vote on the pending McCain sub- reliance on foreign oil and increases give to all, especially those who bear stitute regarding the Internet tax mor- our own energy independence. the responsibility of office here and atorium. Moreover, it will facilitate the con- elsewhere, the patience necessary to Having said that, it has been my goal struction of the Alaska natural gas seek harmonious resolution of those from the start to finish this Internet pipeline. This is perhaps the single challenges. Hear our prayer and give legislation. This week has been set most important thing we can do to in- ear to our supplications. Amen. aside for consideration of this matter. I crease our supply of natural gas, by ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S4625 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 22:29 Jan 29, 2014 Jkt 081600 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\2004SENATE\S29AP4.REC S29AP4 mmaher on DSKCGSP4G1 with SOCIALSECURITY S4626 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE April 29, 2004 transporting it from Alaska’s North the higher standards in No Child Left to the 1930s. Between 500 and 600 stu- Slope to the lower 48 States. Behind. They are worried as well that dents attend classes in them. Two The Domenici amendment will also the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the years ago, Crow Creek’s middle school strengthen our electricity grid and Department of Education may be plac- was condemned and replaced with mod- make it easier to build transmission ing too much emphasis on testing stu- ular trailers. An elementary school lines. With these improvements we will dents and labeling schools—and not also need to be replaced. The high be better able to prevent blackouts enough emphasis on helping schools school gym is in such poor structural such as the one last summer that correct problems. They’re concerned condition that it can only be used for blanketed 50 million Americans from about preserving native cultures and limited purposes; the district has to the Northeast to the Midwest. languages. rent gym space from other schools for The Domenici plan promotes clean These are all legitimate concerns. We basketball games. They don’t know coal technology, hydrogen fuel cells, need to pay attention to them. That is where they will hold their graduation clean nuclear energy, and domestic oil why I have asked the Senate Indian Af- this year. and gas production consistent with fairs Committee to hold hearings on Crow Creek Tribal Chairman Duane protecting the environment. It also en- how the No Child Left Behind Act is Big Eagle has been lobbying for money courages conservation and energy effi- being implemented in Indian Country. I to fix the schools on the reservation for ciency. have not received a reply yet from the 25 years. Two months ago, he drove We need all of these components in committee chairman, but I am hopeful 4,000 miles to try to find someone in order to have an effective national en- that there will be agreement on the im- the Federal Government who would ergy policy. While the ethanol mandate portance of holding such a hearing. I help him. He drove first to the BIA fa- is vitally important, we need a com- know he cares deeply about the need cilities and construction office in Albu- prehensive plan that addresses all of for the Federal Government to honor querque. When he found no help there, our energy needs. That is why I urge its trust and treaty obligations regard- he drove to BIA headquarters in Wash- my colleagues to oppose cloture on the ing education. ington, DC. Daschle amendment and to support clo- President Bush has proposed three Senator TIM JOHNSON and I met with ture on the Domenici amendment. We Federal budgets since he signed the No Chairman Big Eagle while he was in should not break apart the Energy bill Child Left Behind Act. All three have Washington, and I have since spoken and attempt to pass it piecemeal. shortchanged No Child Left Behind. with BIA officials about the Crow America needs an energy plan that in- The President’s proposed budget for Creek schools. I am pleased to report creases our economic security, our en- next year—fiscal year 2005—underfunds that the BIA has agreed to provide $2.5 ergy independence, and adequately the new law by $9.4 billion. Schools million for a new 17,000-square-foot meets the demands of the 21st century. serving Indian children are among the gymnasium. But there are still schools all over In- I yield the floor.