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, JULY 8, 2008 No. 111 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was U.S. SENATE, be no votes tomorrow during that pe- called to order by the Honorable JON PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, riod of time. Having said that, we are Washington, DC, July 8, 2008. TESTER, a Senator from the State of going to do everything we can to com- To the Senate: Montana. plete all the votes before the Repub- Under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, lican caucus tomorrow. If we do not of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby PRAYER appoint the Honorable JON TESTER, a Sen- finish, we may have a vote after lunch. We will do that. The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- ator from the State of Montana, to perform Around 4 o’clock tomorrow after- fered the following prayer: the duties of the Chair. ROBERT C. BYRD, noon, we are going to have another Let us pray. President pro tempore. vote on the Medicare doctors fix, which O maker of the seas and the Earth, Mr. TESTER thereupon assumed the is so important to our country. We speak to our hearts today that we may chair as Acting President pro tempore. hope by 4 o’clock tomorrow afternoon cling to things that cannot fail. Speak we will pick up another vote, that we to our lawmakers that they may em- f will have the 60 votes. That certainly brace Your purposes and do Your will. RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY would be good news for senior citizens, Give them rest—not from labor but LEADER all those people on Medicare, and the strength for the work before them. doctors who want to take care of those And, God, we also ask You to bless this The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- patients. land. Defend it from the forces that pore. The majority leader is recog- f seek to destroy our freedoms. May its nized. citizens never forget that ‘‘righteous- f MEASURE PLACED ON THE ness exalts a nation, but sin is a re- CALENDAR—H.R. 6377 SCHEDULE proach to any people.’’ Mr. REID. Mr. President, I under- Today, be with the family members Mr. REID. Mr. President, following stand that H.R. 6377 is at the desk, and of former Senator Jesse Helms as they the leader remarks, the Senate will be it is due for a second reading. mourn his death. Give traveling mer- in a period of morning business for an The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- cies to our Senators who will attend hour, with Senators permitted to speak pore. The clerk will read the bill by the funeral. for up to 10 minutes each during that title for the second time. We pray in Your compassionate morning hour. Following morning busi- The assistant legislative clerk read Name. Amen. ness, the Senate will resume consider- as follows: ation of the FISA legislation. We will A bill (H.R. 6377) to direct the Commodity f offer and debate amendments to the Futures Trading Commission to utilize all bill today and begin voting sometime its authority, including its emergency pow- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE tomorrow morning. When we come in ers, to curb immediately the role of exces- sive speculation in any contract market The Honorable JON TESTER led the tomorrow morning, there will be 105 within the jurisdiction and control of the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: minutes left of debate time. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, on I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the As previously announced, to accom- or through which energy futures or swaps are United States of America, and to the Repub- modate Senators wanting to attend the traded, and to eliminate excessive specula- lic for which it stands, one nation under God, funeral of Jesse Helms, there will be no tion, price distortion, sudden or unreason- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. votes today. We do that to honor our able fluctuations or unwarranted changes in prices, or other unlawful activity that is departed friend Jesse Helms. So there f causing major market disturbances that pre- will be no votes today. That will work vent the market from accurately reflecting out just fine. It is appropriate that we the forces of supply and demand for energy APPOINTMENT OF ACTING do that and have no votes today. commodities. PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE We will be in recess from 12:30 to 2:15 Mr. REID. Mr. President, I object to The PRESIDING OFFICER. The today to allow our weekly Democratic any further proceedings on this legisla- clerk will please read a communication caucus luncheon. Republicans, who tion at this time. to the Senate from the President pro normally have theirs the same time we The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- tempore (Mr. BYRD). do, will have theirs tomorrow. I have pore. Objection has been heard. The bill The assistant legislative clerk read indicated to the Republican leader that will be placed on the calendar under the following letter: we will protect his caucus. There will rule XIV. ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S6371 . VerDate Aug 31 2005 00:39 Jul 10, 2008 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 J:\CRONLINE\2008BA~3\URGENT~1\RECFILE\S08JY8.REC S08JY8 mmaher on PRODPC24 with CONG-REC-ONLINE S6372 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 8, 2008 RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME the significance of the Declaration and tained; and when so suspended, he has The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- its timeless value. utterly neglected to attend to them. ‘‘He has refused to pass other Laws pore. Under the previous order, the I ask unanimous consent that Sen- for the accommodation of large dis- leadership time is reserved. ator LIEBERMAN and myself may enter into a colloquy on the reading of the tricts of people, unless those people f Declaration of Independence and that would relinquish the right of Represen- MORNING BUSINESS following our colloquy, Senators tation in the Legislature, a right ines- WHITEHOUSE, MURKOWSKI, WEBB, MAR- timable to them and formidable to ty- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- TINEZ, and LIEBERMAN be, in that order, rants only.’’ pore. Under the previous order, the speakers for the remainer of morning Mr. LIEBERMAN. ‘‘He has called to- Senate will proceed to a period of business. gether legislative bodies at places un- morning business for up to 1 hour, with The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- usual, uncomfortable, and distant from Senators permitted to speak therein pore. Without objection, it is so or- the depository of their public Records, for up to 10 minutes each. dered. for the sole purpose of fatiguing them The Senator from Oklahoma is recog- Mr. COBURN. ‘‘When in the Course of into compliance with his measures. nized. human events, it becomes necessary for ‘‘He has dissolved Representative Mr. COBURN. Mr. President, 232 one people to dissolve the political Houses repeatedly, for opposing with years ago the Declaration of Independ- bands which have connected them with manly firmness his invasions on the ence established that humans have the another, and to assume among the rights of the people. ‘‘He has refused for a long time, after right to self-government because of powers of the earth, the separate and such dissolutions, to cause others to be their unalienable rights to life, liberty equal station to which the Laws of Na- elected; whereby the Legislative pow- and the pursuit of happiness. Pre- ture and of Nature’s God entitle them, ers, incapable of Annihilation, have re- serving these principles requires the a decent respect to the opinions of turned to the People at large for their same wisdom, courage and spirit of sac- mankind requires that they should de- exercise; the State remaining in the rifice that characterized many 18th clare the causes which impel them to mean time exposed to all the dangers century Americans. the separation.’’ of invasion from without, and convul- ‘‘What will our children say,’’ wrote Mr. LIEBERMAN. ‘‘We hold these Boston attorney Josiah Quincy II in sions within.’’ truths to be self-evident, that all men Mr. COBURN. ‘‘He has endeavored to 1768, ‘‘When they read the history of are created equal, that they are en- these times, should they find we tame- prevent the population of these States; dowed by their Creator with certain for that purpose obstructing the Laws ly gave away, without one noble strug- unalienable Rights, that among these for Naturalization of Foreigners; refus- gle, the most invaluable of earthly are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of ing to pass others to encourage their blessings? . let us . swear we will Happiness.—That to secure these migration hither, and raising the con- die, if we cannot live freemen!’’ rights, Governments are instituted ditions of new Appropriations of Lands. Indeed, the Americans chose to fight among Men, deriving their just powers ‘‘He has obstructed the Administra- nobly and courageously. After the Brit- from the consent of the governed.— tion of Justice, by refusing his Assent ish surrender at the Battle of Saratoga, That whenever any Form of Govern- to Laws for establishing Judiciary pow- Lord Chatham, a member of the British ment becomes destructive of these ers. House of Lords, concluded, ‘‘I know ends, it is the Right of the People to ‘‘He has made Judges dependent on that the conquest of English America alter or to abolish it; and to institute his Will alone, for the tenure of their is an impossibility.