E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 112 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 158 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012 No. 149 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was COONS, a Senator from the State of Dela- A bill (S. 3637) to temporarily extend the called to order by the Honorable CHRIS- ware, to perform the duties of the Chair. transaction account guarantee program, and TOPHER A. COONS, a Senator from the DANIEL K. INOUYE, for other purposes. State of Delaware. President pro tempore. Mr. REID. Mr. President, I would ob- Mr. COONS thereupon assumed the ject to any further proceedings with re- PRAYER chair as Acting President pro tempore. spect to this bill at this time. The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- f The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- fered the following prayer: RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY pore. Objection is heard. The bill will Let us pray. LEADER be placed on the calendar. Eternal God, the source of our joy, Mr. REID. Mr. President, this is one thank You for this opportunity to call The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- of the must-do pieces of legislation we on Your Name. You have sustained this pore. The majority leader is recog- have to do before this calendar year Nation through the seasons of its exist- nized. ends. ence, and we are depending on You, f FINDING COMMON GROUND Lord, to guard our future with Your might. NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZA- Mr. REID. Mr. President, too often it As our Senators seek to do the work TION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR is a challenge to find common ground of freedom, deepen their love for those 2012—MOTION TO PROCEED—Re- here in Washington. But as we nego- on life’s margins. Give our lawmakers sumed tiate a path back from the fiscal cliff, this day the gift of Your spirit as they Mr. REID. Mr. President, I now move we should also recognize when Demo- give thanks to You in all things. to proceed to Calendar No. 419, S. 3254, crats and Republicans agree. We agree Lord, we believe You will lead us the Defense authorization bill. taxes should not go up for anyone mak- through all our tomorrows as You have The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- ing less than $250,000 a year. Now, 97 led us through our yesterdays. pore. The clerk will report. percent of small businesses and 98 per- We pray in Your merciful Name. The legislative clerk read as follows: cent of middle-class families would benefit from that. Amen. Motion to proceed to the bill (S. 3254) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2013 With common ground in sight, we f for military activities of the Department of should be able to act today to avert the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Defense, for military construction, and for fiscal cliff for millions of families and defense activities of the Department of En- businesses. Even if we disagree on The Honorable CHRISTOPHER A. COONS ergy, to prescribe military personnel whether to extend tax breaks for the led the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: strengths for such fiscal year, and for other wealthiest 2 percent of Americans, we I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the purposes. should agree to hold the middle class United States of America, and to the Repub- SCHEDULE harmless and do it today, do it now. A lic for which it stands, one nation under God, Mr. REID. Mr. President, we are indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. single vote in the House of Representa- going to recess, as we normally do on tives would get the job done now. Un- f Tuesdays, from 12:30 to 2:15 to allow for fortunately, there is one obstacle our weekly caucus meetings. APPOINTMENT OF ACTING standing between Congress and com- We are going to begin consideration PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE promise: Grover Norquist. For years of the disabilities treaty this afternoon Norquist has bullied lawmakers willing The PRESIDING OFFICER. The whether with a vote or with permis- to put their oath of office or their clerk will please read a communication sion. It is a simple majority vote to promise to serve constituents ahead of to the Senate from the President pro move to this most important piece of their pledge to this antitax zealot. His tempore (Mr. INOUYE). legislation. brand of ideological extremism has The legislative clerk read the fol- MEASURE PLACED ON THE CALENDAR—S. 3637 been bad for Congress and even worse lowing letter: Mr. REID. Mr. President, I am told for the country. So I was pleased to see U.S. SENATE, that S. 3637 is due for its second read- Republicans in Congress distance PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, ing and is at the desk. themselves from Norquist this week. I Washington, DC, November 27, 2012. To the Senate: The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- appreciate that very much. So do the Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, pore. The clerk will read the bill by American people. I am sure their con- of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby title for the second time. stituents do. Several Republican law- appoint the Honorable CHRISTOPHER A. The legislative clerk read as follows: makers have said revenue should be on ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S6909 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 00:14 Nov 28, 2012 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A27NO6.000 S27NOPT1 jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with S6910 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 27, 2012 the table during the fiscal cliff negotia- let me suggest that if the President All this reflects a very clear philos- tions. How common sense is that? Ab- wants a solution to the challenges of ophy: For Washington Democrats, solutely. It is so clear to everyone ex- the moment, the people he needs to be every dollar that has ever been secured cept Grover Norquist. It is time now talking to are the members of his own for anything is sacred—every dollar for the Republicans to turn this happy party so he can convince them of the that has ever been secured for anything talk into action. need to act. We are not going to solve is sacred—and they will defend it to President Obama and Senate Demo- this problem by creating villains and the death regardless of what it means crats ran on a promise to end the Bush drumming up outrage. We will solve for jobs or the economy. But those tax breaks for the wealthy. President the problem by doing the hard work of days are over because you do not elimi- Obama did not hide that in the last sitting down and figuring out a solu- nate trillion-dollar deficits by taxing year of his campaign. Every place he tion that involves tough choices on all the rich—not even close. It may be an went, that is what he talked about. sides. effective talking point, but as a matter Americans, when they voted, raised That gets at another point I made of policy it is a minor deal, and the their voices and supported our pledge. yesterday. In the past, Democrats have Democrats know it. So, as we move Congress must act in accordance with demanded tax hikes now for spending into the final stretch, it is time, as I the will of the American people. cuts that never actually happen. Not have said, to put the talking points An agreement to avoid the fiscal cliff this time. A balanced approach means away and get serious about striking a must give economic certainty to mid- real spending reductions now. And I am deal. dle-class families and must protect im- not saying this because it is the Repub- The first step to recovery is to admit portant tax deductions for families and licans’ position, although it is. I am you have a problem. If borrowing more businesses still struggling to recover not saying this because I have any- than 40 cents for every dollar you from this great recession. It must take thing against the government, which I spend does not convince you you have a balanced approach to reduce spend- do not. I am saying this because it is a spending problem, frankly, I do not ing. But it must also ask the richest of the only approach that has any chance know what will. If Democrats cannot the rich to pay a little bit extra to re- of working. No credible deficit reduc- admit we have a spending problem, duce the huge deficit we have. tion plan we have seen over the past they need to talk to their constituents Any balanced agreement will require few years excludes real cuts. If we want more. They need to get real. That difficult concessions from both sides—I to prevent this crisis, Democrats need means changing the way things have said both sides. Clinging to the kind of to be as serious about cutting spending been done around here for the past few ideological purity Grover Norquist ped- as they are about spending. It is that years. dles, saying he will never bend or com- simple. Independent budget experts have promise, is easy. Cooperating with By the way, this is an approach been telling us for ages that our long- those with whom you disagree is hard. Americans overwhelmingly support. term budget deficits are driven by the Doing what is right for the country de- According to a recent AP poll, voters unsustainable health care entitle- spite personal cost is hard.