E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 112 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 157 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2011 No. 136 Senate The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was KIRSTEN E. GILLIBRAND, a Senator from ator said he doesn’t want to vote; he called to order by the Honorable the State of New York, to perform the just wants to hold up the bill. He said KIRSTEN E. GILLIBRAND, a Senator from duties of the Chair. if we put in what we got from the the State of New York. DANIEL K. INOUYE, House and stuck his provision in that, President pro tempore. then he would be happy. Well, I guess PRAYER Mrs. GILLIBRAND thereupon as- anyone would. It is a pretty good way The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- sumed the chair as Acting President to legislate around here—just be a dic- fered the following prayer: pro tempore. tator and say: Either take this or leave Let us pray. f it. That isn’t the way things work As we come into Your presence around here. We have to have votes on RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY today, O Lord, we, like Isaiah of old, issues to find out how people feel. LEADER need to be cleansed from our sinful- I am convinced his issue would lose ness. Forgive us for our failures and The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- overwhelmingly, but he is holding up cleanse us from all unrighteousness. pore. The majority leader is recog- this legislation, and we are in a posi- Today, use our lawmakers so that nized. tion now legislatively that I can’t get their actions will help provide for the f to this bill. We cannot get to this bill prior to Friday, when the FAA expires. security and well-being of all people. SCHEDULE Sustain our Senators with the protec- So it is unfortunate that is the posi- tion of Your providence and give them Mr. REID. Madam President, fol- tion we are in. One Senator is holding Your peace. Give them also a spirit of lowing leader remarks, the Senate will this up, and what it will do is—the unity and the wisdom to have respect be in morning business for 1 hour. The highway bill does not expire on Friday; one for the other. Republicans will control the first half FAA does. But they are a package. If Lord, thank You for the redemption and the majority will control the final this continues, we will have about You provide for Your people. Holy and half. Following morning business, the 80,000 people out of work by Saturday, awesome is Your Name. Amen. Senate will resume consideration of 4,000 who work for the FAA and about the motion to proceed to H.J. Res. 66, 70,000 or 75,000 who are working on air- f which is now a resolution regarding port construction jobs. In Las Vegas, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Burma sanctions and the legislative ve- for example, there is a new tower being The Honorable KIRSTEN E. hicle for additional FEMA funding. We built because of McCarran Field being GILLIBRAND led the Pledge of Alle- expect to be in consideration of this overwhelmed—the old tower can’t han- giance, as follows: legislation today. We also hope to con- dle things well—and those people will sider the FAA and highway extension, I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the be laid off. That is the way it is all United States of America, and to the Repub- which was received from the House yes- over the country. That is very unfortu- lic for which it stands, one nation under God, terday. Senators will be notified when nate. indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. votes are scheduled. I really appreciate, Madam Presi- f f dent, and I have tried to say individ- ually—I have been to each Republican APPOINTMENT OF ACTING FEMA VICTIMS Senator—the Senators who have voted PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE Mr. REID. Madam President, the to help us move forward on funding for The PRESIDING OFFICER. The House sent us a package, and I appre- FEMA, I really appreciate it. As you clerk will please read a communication ciate that very much. It funds the know, we have a majority, but it is not to the Senate from the President pro highway bill for 6 months, and it funds a huge majority, and to get things done tempore (Mr. INOUYE). the FEMA bill for 4 months. That is on issues that are specialized, we need The assistant bill clerk read the fol- terrific. We should move to this as seven Republicans, and we have eight lowing letter: quickly as we can; however, we are told Republicans in this instance who U.S. SENATE, it is going to be held up by the Repub- helped us pass this legislation. All the PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, licans. If someone wants to have a vote Democratic Senators voted for this, Washington, DC, September 14, 2011. on an amendment as it relates to this, and we got those Republicans. This al- To the Senate: I will be happy to discuss this with the lows us now to fund FEMA. Under the provisions of rule I, para- Republican leader and see if we can I have told my friends on the Repub- graph 3, of the Standing Rules of the work something out. In the instance I lican side of the aisle, if it is some- Senate, I hereby appoint the Honorable am talking about, however, the Sen- thing that—if they want to change the ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S5587 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:35 Jun 03, 2012 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\SEPT\S14SE1.REC S14SE1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE S5588 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 14, 2011 numbers around, let’s have a discussion that as quickly as we can so that peo- when I say ‘‘pending,’’ man alive, am I on that. But right now, people are des- ple in Joplin, MO, and other places in emphasizing ‘‘pending.’’ These agree- perate. the country that have been devastated ments have been around a very long Last night around 6 or 6:30, I spoke to can receive the help they deserve from time. And I am referring to Korea, the man who is in charge of FEMA, and the Federal Government. Panama, and Colombia. We all know the benefits of trade in he said we are spending money every f day on Lee and on Irene. These are not the United States. In Nebraska, my a couple of women; one is a tropical RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME home State, more than 19,000 jobs and storm, and the other is a hurricane. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- more than $5.5 billion in revenue were They are not spending money other pore. Under the previous order, the directly tied to exports last year. places. Why? Because they don’t have leadership time is reserved. In trade discussions, we often hear the money. about the need to level the playing f As the Presiding Officer knows, there field. Well, these agreements do ex- are people in her State who have lost MORNING BUSINESS actly that. They eliminate tariffs and a whole host of other barriers on most their homes. This is all up and down The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- agricultural products, including prod- the coast, from the coast of Florida up pore. Under the previous order, the ucts that are important to my State: to Maine, and even places inward. As Senate will be in a period of morning beef, corn, soybeans, and pork. No we talked about yesterday, some of the business for 1 hour, with Senators per- doubt about it, they increase the eco- very severe damage was not on the mitted to speak therein for up to 10 nomic opportunities for Nebraska coastline but, for example, in the State minutes each, with the time equally di- of Vermont, the worst storm likely farmers and ranchers, for businesses vided and controlled between the two and for workers. they have ever had, and those people leaders or their designees, with the Re- are trying to get from one place to the Well, for 3 years, we have heard the publicans controlling the first half and President say the right thing. In fact, next, but they have scores of bridges the majority controlling the final half. that are inoperable. And that money— every time he would say something what money they have left in FEMA— f about this, I thought, finally, the trade agreements are going to bust loose and will run out I think he said on the 25th. MEASURES PLACED ON THE CAL- we are going to have an opportunity to If things keep going the way they are, ENDAR—S. 1549, H.R. 2832, AND on the 25th of this month, they will be vote on them. H.R. 2887 He said in last year’s State of the out of money—no money. Mr. REID. Madam President, there Union: So we need to get this done. Proce- are three bills at the desk due for a sec- durally, we are on this, and I can’t If America sits on the sidelines while other ond reading. Nations sign trade deals, we will lose the move to the highway bill and the FAA The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- chance to create jobs on our shores.