S5158 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 1, 2011 reduction of debt. It is bipartisan, it is o’clock shall be equally divided and sends me little notes and comments honest, it achieves real debt reduction, controlled between the two leaders or during meetings and wants to make and it does it in the fairest possible their designees, with Senators per- sure I am connected to what he is way. It puts everything on the table— mitted to speak for up to 10 minutes doing back home. But this debate we everything. There are no sacred cows. each. are having—this moment in time—to Everything is on the table. It means it Who yields time? If no one yields figure out where we are going is about goes beyond spending cuts to the enti- time, the time will be charged equally the Jacobs and the other children of tlement programs, which makes those between the parties. his age and those not yet born. It is of us on the Democratic side particu- The Senator from Illinois. about what we are going to do for larly nervous. But it also goes to rev- Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I sug- them. The Presiding Officer and I have enue—new revenue—to reduce the def- gest the absence of a quorum and ask already experienced and enjoyed many icit, which makes those on the other that the time under the quorum call be years of our life, and hopefully we will side of the aisle nervous. But what we equally divided between both sides. enjoy many more, but really it is about The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without should be nervous about is a con- Jacob and the other children. objection, it is so ordered. The clerk tinuing deficit and a weakening econ- When I go back home, I get a chance will call the roll. to talk with the kids. I am sure the omy and a debt left to our children. The assistant bill clerk proceeded to Presiding Officer has done the same, I believe this proposal that is before call the roll. us now—this agreement of the lead- Mr. BEGICH. Madam President, I ask where you go into an elementary ers—should be adopted in a timely unanimous consent that the order for school—I know the Presiding Officer fashion. I hope we can move to it the quorum call be rescinded. was a teacher in Sunday preschool— today. We are working out with the Re- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. you go in and have conversations with publicans a schedule when these mat- HAGAN). Without objection, it is so or- the kids, and in their own way, which ters will be considered. There will be dered. is sometimes very brutally honest, those on the right and the left who will Mr. BEGICH. Madam President, I they tell you all about what they think be critical, and I can understand their have come to the floor and talked is going on. And I will give a quote thinking. It doesn’t serve either side many times of my constituents back here in a second of what my son said to particularly well. But it is a com- home in Alaska and the importance of me. He doesn’t understand everything promise and a consensus. ensuring we have a balanced approach we are doing, but he understands it is I think of all the people who con- in how we deal with this incredible an intense time here because I am not tacted my office from Illinois and be- debt crisis we are in and how we man- home. I am not with him. So he knows yond during the last several weeks, age to create some certainty not only it is important, what we are doing begging us to do something, to not let for today but in the years to come. We here, as we debate this solution and this economy fail, to work together want to make sure we not only create what will be the next step. and compromise and find a way to re- certainty but we also do what we can Is what we have come up with a per- solve our differences. I think this is a to protect working families, honor our fect solution? No. Are there some reasonable attempt to do that. I will commitment to seniors and veterans, issues about which I am still con- support it, with some misgivings. But I and let our small businesses know that cerned? Yes. But does it move us down believe it gives us the way to get we stand behind them, we want them a path to start dealing with the spend- through this crisis and to move to a to be successful, and we want to create ing, the deficit, and the debt, creating better place where we deal with this some certainty out there so they can certainty and protecting those who deficit and debt in a responsible, bipar- expand their operations and oppor- need protection, such as our seniors tisan manner, asking for shared sac- tunity. and our veterans? Yes. rifice from all those across America I am sitting here in Washington, DC, This proposal produces about a $1 who can make a sacrifice. That is the and it is whatever temperature it is trillion downpayment on our deficit nature of our Nation. It is the nature of outside right now—maybe 100 degrees, and debt. It lays out a process by which our history, where time and again we with 80 or 90 percent humidity—and we can achieve another $1.5 trillion in have rallied as a nation to face even sometimes I think we could have got- debt reduction if this joint committee more daunting challenges in the past. ten this done quicker if we had just can come back with a proposal. Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I turned off the air-conditioning. We In the process of all this, we will cre- suggest the absence of a quorum. probably could have gotten things done ate certainty in the marketplace. We The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- quicker, with better results. But we are will create certainty for that small pore. The clerk will call the roll. where we are. We are in the last 24 businessperson who has been thinking The assistant bill clerk proceeded to hours or so before we have to make a about expanding their business. They call the roll. decision as to what to do with the pro- can do that because the markets will Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I posals, the solutions that have been respond positively. ask unanimous consent that the order presented. We will create certainty for the indi- for the quorum call be rescinded. I am here, but I wish I were home, to vidual who was thinking about buying The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- be frank with you. This last weekend, a house or a car because now there will pore. Without objection, it is so or- my son was celebrating his ninth birth- be stable rates. dered. day, and as a parent every birthday is For those who are putting money f huge and makes a difference. I know aside for the education of their young the Presiding Officer knows that very family, as I have been putting aside for RECESS well. So while I am here, they were en- Jacob for his college, we will know now The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- joying life, and it made me think about that the markets are better and safer, pore. Under the previous order, the a lot of things. the bonds we invest in are safer, and Senate stands in recess until 12:30 p.m. I wanted to put this poster up be- our children’s future is a little more se- Thereupon, at 11:01 a.m., the Senate cause I think it is a great poster. I got cure if we do the right thing over the recessed until 12:30 p.m. and reassem- this text during a committee meeting. next 24 hours, still knowing it is not bled when called to order by the Pre- This is my son, who just turned 9, with the perfect deal. siding Officer (Mr. WHITEHOUSE). a real fish. For those who can’t see it, The proposal evenly splits cutting be- f it is the same height as he is. He tween half in discretionary and half in caught this fish with his mother a few Pentagon waste, ensuring we still are a ESTABLISHING THE COMMISSION days ago. It is a 40-pounder king salm- secure nation and protecting our de- ON FREEDOM OF INFORMATION on. It is what we call a real fish. We fenses but cutting what I would con- ACT PROCESSING DELAYS—Con- consider this small in comparison to sider opportunities within the Pen- tinued some others we catch. tagon to reduce. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under But when I got this text—and that is As we sit here today, I think about the previous order, the time until 2 what is so great about technology: He Jacob’s future and the futures of all VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:15 May 31, 2012 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\S01AU1.REC S01AU1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE August 1, 2011 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5159 the kids I see back home. There is an scams and shams that people have from—and focus on what is good for enormous amount of opportunity for taken advantage of so they don’t have this country.