E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 111 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 155 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2009 No. 111 Senate The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was U.S. SENATE, I will later today meet with the dis- called to order by the Honorable TOM PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, tinguished Republican leader and make UDALL, a Senator from the State of Washington, DC, July 22, 2009. some decisions as to how we will finish To the Senate: New Mexico. Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, our work the rest of this week and the of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby next 2 weeks and to find out if we will PRAYER appoint the Honorable TOM UDALL, a Senator have to work any weekends. We have a The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- from the State of New Mexico, to perform number of things we are required to do. fered the following prayer: the duties of the Chair. I gave the Republican leader last week Let us pray. ROBERT C. BYRD, an idea of what I think we need to ac- President pro tempore. Spirit of God, descend upon our complish. Without going into detail hearts and bless the Members of this Mr. UDALL of New Mexico thereupon now, I will be meeting with him later body in their ministry of legislative assumed the chair as Acting President to see if we can figure out a way to do work. Give them the ethical and spir- pro tempore. it as easily as possible. We have two itual insight to see beyond the faulty f weekends until the August recess. I and superficial so that they will ac- RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY hope it is not necessary that we work complish Your will on Earth. Lord, LEADER weekends, but it is certainly possible. I hope we can end when we need to end. turn their weights into wings by in- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- We have some things we have to do be- creasing their strength and gladdening pore. The majority leader is recog- fore we leave. I hope that can be ac- their spirit. Open doors of opportunity nized. for them to render service that will complished. I am confident that with empower the powerless and unshackle f some cooperation it can. the oppressed. Make them eager to ex- SCHEDULE f tend the helping hand of kindness and Mr. REID. Mr. President, following HEALTH CARE REFORM friendship that will send rays of hope leader remarks, the Senate will resume far down the future’s broadening way. consideration of the Department of De- Mr. REID. Mr. President, the choices Give them Your wisdom to make cre- fense authorization bill. The time until in this health care debate should be ative decisions and Your power to off- 12 is for debate on the Thune amend- about which ideas contain the best so- set the pressures of the demanding life ment, with the time equally divided lutions to fix a severely broken system. they are called to live. and controlled between Senators The choices in this health care debate should be about how best to lower costs We pray in Your sacred Name. Amen. THUNE and DURBIN or their designees. At 12 today, the Senate will proceed to while increasing quality of care and f a rollcall vote in relation to the Thune how best to bring security and sta- amendment. Under an agreement bility back to health care. The choices in this health care debate should be PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE reached a couple of days ago, there will be 60 affirmative votes required for the about how to make it easier to stay The Honorable TOM UDALL led the adoption of the amendment. healthy. But for some, the choice Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: As a reminder to all Senators, there seems to be whether we should do any- I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the will be a live quorum at 2 p.m. today thing, whether to act at all. This is a United States of America, and to the Repub- for the Court of Impeachment of Sam- false choice. That is not a choice we lic for which it stands, one nation under God, have. Not acting is not an option. indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. uel Kent. Senators should be in the Chamber at that time. There will be a A week or so ago, the Republican leader in the House of Representatives f delegation from the House that will ap- pear at that time. said: Additional rollcall votes are expected I think we all understand that we’ve got APPOINTMENT OF ACTING throughout the afternoon as the Sen- the best health care system in the world. PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE ate considers amendments to the De- Unlike the vast majority of Ameri- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The fense authorization bill. Yesterday, the cans, he seems pretty content with the clerk will please read a communication managers, Senators LEVIN and MCCAIN, status quo. to the Senate from the President pro asked for an 11 a.m. filing deadline for Just this week, the junior Senator tempore (Mr. BYRD). first-degree amendments. We hope this from South Carolina said that we just The assistant legislative clerk read will be accomplished with a consent need to ‘‘get out of the way and allow the following letter: agreement this morning. the market to work.’’ In other words, ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S7809 . VerDate Nov 24 2008 00:00 Jul 29, 2009 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD09\S22JY9.REC S22JY9 mmaher on MIKETEMP with CONG-REC-ONLINE S7810 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 22, 2009 he says: Let’s do nothing. Let’s repeat lead us back to recovery, prosperity, crats in the health care debate seemed the same mistakes of the past and dig and good health. to echo yesterday when he said that ourselves deeper and deeper into this f the critical test isn’t whether we meet hole the Obama administration inher- a certain deadline but whether we get RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY ited. this reform right, whether it stands the LEADER That is not responsible and is not test of history. legislating. That approach does noth- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- We know Americans reject an artifi- ing to help the millions of Americans pore. The Republican leader is recog- cial deadline on closing Guantanamo who live just one accident, one illness, nized. without a plan on what to do to keep or one pink slip away from losing their f us safe from the detainees who are health coverage. That posture cer- HEALTH CARE WEEK VII, DAY II housed there. And they regret accept- tainly does nothing to help the mil- ing a rushed and artificial deadline on lions of Americans who have no health Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, yes- the stimulus. Health care is simply too insurance to begin with. If we just get terday, the President, to his credit, ac- important to rush, just to meet a date out of the way, as the Senator sug- knowledged what the American people someone picked out of the air. gests, health care costs will get higher have been telling us for weeks: that the The arguments we have heard in and more people who have health care Democratic health care proposals cur- favor of rushing just don’t square with this year will not be able to say the rently making their way through Con- reality. same next year. Today, 14,000 people in gress aren’t where they need to be. I The administration and some in Con- America will lose their health insur- couldn’t agree with him more. gress say that we have to pass these ance. Yesterday, 14,000 people already All of us recognize the need for re- bills right away because rising health lost their health insurance. Tomorrow, form. That is not in question. And that care costs are an imminent threat to 14,000 people will lose their health in- is why day after day, I have come to the economy. Yet the Democrat plans surance. No weekends off, no holi- the floor of the Senate and proposed we have seen so far would make the days—14,000, 7 days a week. concrete, commonsense reforms that problem worse. According to the inde- If we let the market work its will, as all of us can agree on, reforms that pendent Congressional Budget Office, the Senator suggests, less than a dec- would increase access, decrease costs, the Democrat proposals would very ade from now you will have to spend al- and guarantee that no one in this coun- likely increase overall health care most half of the family’s income on try would be forced to give up the care spending, not reduce it. There goes health care. That is not sustainable. If they currently have. that argument. we sit this one out, as the Senator sug- As I have said repeatedly, we should Others say we need to pass these bills gests, more parents will decide they reform malpractice laws; encourage right away because people can’t live can’t take their children to the doctor wellness and prevention programs that under the current system a day longer. when they are hurt or sick because it encourage healthier lifestyles like Yet many of the proposals we have simply costs too much to pay the med- quitting smoking and fighting obesity; seen wouldn’t even go into effect for at ical bills, and more small businesses promote more competition in the pri- least another four years.