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, JULY 8, 2004 No. 93 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was and the second 30 minutes under the countable, Flexible, and Efficient called to order by the President pro control of the Democratic leader or his Transportation Equity Act. It was tempore (Mr. STEVENS). designee. passed by an overwhelming, bipartisan f vote of 76 to 21. The Senate bill would PRAYER authorize $318 billion over 6 years and RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY is revenue-neutral. It is fully paid for The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- LEADER fered the following prayer: and does not increase gas taxes. O God, the King of Glory, Your never The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Nearly 400 organizations, rep- failing providence sets in order all Democratic leader is recognized. resenting the full spectrum of trans- things both in Heaven and Earth. You f portation interests, all support the give comfort to all who seek You. You THE TRANSPORTATION BILL Senate funding level. The Chamber of Commerce, the Asso- have promised to supply all our needs Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, this with riches from Your celestial bounty. ciated General Contractors, the gov- week we have been talking about a fun- ernors, the State legislators—the list You are at work in the events of our damental standard to guide our debates goes on and on. All attest to the need lives, bringing melody from cacophony in the Senate. for this kind of infrastructure invest- and unity from division. As we do our work, we need to ask a Bless our Senators as they trust Your simple question: ‘‘Are we doing right ment. The Senate bill would create over 1.7 mighty power. Bless, also, the members by America?’’ We need to ask that of their families who support them in question on policies affecting farmers, million jobs—new, good jobs for the their arduous work. Remind each of us seniors, and veterans. And we always millions of Americans who are looking that righteousness is the only true na- need to ask whether we are doing right for work. In my State, the Senate bill tional defense. by American families when it comes to would create over 6,500 jobs. It would O God, we wait for You to answer and economic policies. also provide for important transpor- trust You with our future. Help us to While the economy has finally start- tation needs on our rural roads and Na- live by faith, so that we are acceptable ed adding jobs these past few months, tive American reservations, and would to You. May the lives we live tell the this comes after 21⁄2 years in which the allow us to move forward with high- world of Your marvelous deeds. economy lost jobs every month. What priority projects in towns like Sioux Amen. is clear to many of us is that we still Falls, Rapid City, Yankton, and Pierre. These are important projects that sim- f have a long way to go, and we need to do more to help improve our economy. ply will not get completed without the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE That is one of the main reasons it is so assistance of the Federal Government. The PRESIDENT pro tempore led the unfortunate that we have not com- One might ask: ‘‘What was the Bush Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: pleted the long-overdue transportation administration’s response to the Sen- I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the reauthorization bill—legislation that ate’s bipartisan job-creating bill?’’ United States of America, and to the Repub- expired at the end of last September. Their response has been, a veto lic for which it stands, one nation under God, The ability to plan how roads and threat—hardly the answer that Repub- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. bridges will be built has suffered great- licans and Democrats alike were hop- f ly due to Congress’s failure to get this ing for; hardly the response that the bill completed on time. Well over economy needs; and hardly the re- RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME 100,000 jobs have been lost due to this sponse that the infrastructure deficit The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under delay. And each month that we do not we have in this country cries out for. the previous order, the leadership time complete our work brings more job Fast forward to April 2. After a bi- is reserved. losses. partisan House plan to offer a bill at a f Job creation will suffer, too—in $375 billion level was scuttled by the South Dakota and across the country. Bush administration and the Repub- MORNING BUSINESS In my State, because our construction lican House leadership, the House The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under season is short, there is not enough passed H.R. 3550, the Transportation the previous order, there will be a pe- time to plan ahead and put people to Equity Act. This bill authorizes only riod for the transaction of morning work, even if we passed a bill today. $284 billion over 6 years, and is not business for up to 60 minutes, with the But we will not pass a bill today. fully paid for. Again, one might ask: first 30 minutes under the control of Earlier this year, on February 12, the ‘‘What was the Bush administration’s the majority leader or his designee, Senate passed S. 1072, the Safe, Ac- response to the House bill?’’ If it did ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S7775 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 21:49 Jan 29, 2014 Jkt 081600 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\2004SENATE\S08JY4.REC S08JY4 mmaher on DSKCGSP4G1 with SOCIALSECURITY S7776 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 8, 2004 not like the original bipartisan House the President know, that we cannot af- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. MUR- proposal at $375 billion, and it did not ford to fail when it comes to this im- KOWSKI). Without objection, it is so or- like the bipartisan Senate bill at $318 portant bill. dered. billion, how about the reduced bipar- We can do better, and I remain hope- f tisan House bill at $284 billion? The an- ful that the President will confront the THE ECONOMY swer was another veto threat. challenge, reverse his continued oppo- Again, hardly the answer that House sition, and join the Senate in sup- Mr. BENNETT. Madam President, and Senate Republicans and Democrats porting a transportation bill that one of the things that has struck me were hoping for from their President makes sense for our country. since I have been in the Senate is that and hardly the response the economy Mr. President, I also want to address during debate in the Senate, particu- needs. a concern that many of us expressed larly during morning business, Sen- Fast forward one more time to June yesterday about our current cir- ators seem to have no sense of history. 23, when the Senate conferees voted in cumstances, procedurally and They seem to create a crisis out of the the conference committee meeting parliamentarily. moment and have no sense of placing with the House to resolve the dif- The majority leader threw down the their statements in any kind of his- ferences between the two bills. The gauntlet again last night in a very un- toric context. This is an opportunity Senate made a formal offer to the fortunate decision. That decision, of for missing what really is happening. If House in the amount of $318 billion and course, was to file cloture. Having you do not place something in its con- requested that the House respond to filled the tree, which means not only text, you do not understand it prop- the offer at the next meeting on July 7. are Senate Democrats precluded from erly. For that reason, I have decided to So, yesterday, after 2 weeks’ time, the offering amendments before we have talk a little bit about the debates that House and Senate met again. There had even offered the first amendment or have been going on with respect to the been hopeful signs that the House con- had one vote, it is now the majority’s economy, where the economy is, where ferees might be prepared to accept the decision to thwart the effort to have the economy is going. Senate’s funding level, and many of us the kind of debate that all of us antici- Let me take listeners back to the thought we might have a breakthrough pated on class action and, simply said, election of 1992. I have particular focus that would move the bill forward. But we will have wasted an entire week in there because that is the election in what did we hear yesterday? The House what is a very limited legislative pe- which I was first chosen to come to the was not yet prepared to respond to the riod to begin with. Senate. During that election, there was Senate’s offer. There is no question the cloture vote a lot of conversation about the econ- What is clear to many of us is that will be defeated. We will have wasted omy. We were in a recession, everybody unless the White House and the Repub- that week. We could have disposed of said.