13758 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE, Vol. 152, Pt. 10 July 10, 2006 SENATE—Monday, July 10, 2006 The Senate met at 2 p.m. and was like to offer amendments so these The price of gas this past week has called to order by the President pro amendments can be scheduled for the gone up 11 cents a gallon. The average tempore (Mr. STEVENS). appropriate time. price now in Nevada is over $3 a gallon, f more than 50 cents a gallon than it was PRAYER just a year ago. Families are pouring RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY their savings into their gas tanks, but The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- LEADER fered the following prayer: this Republican Congress has done Let us pray. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The nothing to help them—and I mean Lord of creation, lead us through this Democratic leader is recognized. nothing. day. Control our thoughts, words, and f While they have been quick to ad- dress nonissues that the far right deeds as we serve as Your ambassadors. SENATE AGENDA wants—and these issues have no hope Show us the tasks that deserve our at- Mr. REID. Mr. President, in Roll Call tention. Keep us from the wrong focus. of passing—they spend valuable time today, we learned that the Republican on the Senate floor sending a message Continue to sustain the Members of majority is going to attempt to finish this body. Answer their prayers; pro- to their base, is what we are told. earlier than we anticipated. In fact, the For example, have we done anything tect them from dangers; keep them quote is that the majority leader and about alternative energy? Nothing— faithful. the majority whip have ‘‘scrapped nothing to harness the sun, the wind, Help us all to remember that those plans to keep the Senate in session geothermal. who take refuge in You will never be through the beginning of October, and Have we done anything to look at put to shame. will instead look to wrap up work on as global warming? No, nothing. Bless our military men and women. many appropriations bills and other Today in Nevada and across the West Be their light in darkness. In Your must pass measures before September and, in fact, across the world, really, great mercy defend them from perils 27.’’ people are talking about how the and dangers. We pray in Your holy This new adjournment date means weather has changed. In the West, in Name. Amen. the Senate has only 8 more weeks in Nevada, we are concerned about early f which it will be in session, 40 business wildfires burning hundreds of thou- days. If we subtract Labor Day, that sands of acres already. New research PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE makes 39 days. If we subtract Mondays seems to link these to the change in The PRESIDENT pro tempore led the and Fridays—which seem to be what climate patterns. But has the adminis- Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: we subtract on a weekly basis—there tration or this Republican Congress I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the are 23 legislative days left in the 109th taken steps to reduce the risk of global United States of America, and to the Repub- Congress—23 days and so much to do. climate change? No. This administra- lic for which it stands, one nation under God, For months, this what others have tion doesn’t even acknowledge it ex- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. deemed the do-nothing Republican ists. f Congress has wasted time on issues When the documentary ‘‘Inconven- such as the nuclear option, the mar- ient Truth’’ came out, which is a tre- RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME riage amendment, drilling in the Arc- mendous movie showing the problems The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under tic Wildlife Refuge, flag burning, bank- we have with global warming—ice caps the previous order, the leadership time ruptcy class action, and, of course, dropping into the ocean, weather pat- is reserved. time and again, the estate tax repeal. terns that have changed significantly, As a result, here we are with only a and they are documented—when the f handful of weeks remaining—in fact, a President was asked if he was going to RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY handful of days, 23—to do so much and watch the movie, he said: Doubt it. In LEADER to address the priorities of the Amer- a cavalier fashion: I doubt it. No, not ican people. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The ‘‘I doubt it,’’ ‘‘Doubt it.’’ I had a wonderful week last week in As I have indicated, they are more majority leader is recognized. Las Vegas, in Searchlight. I traveled than willing to debate pet issues of the f the State. I spent it all in southern Ne- far right, such as the definition of mar- vada. The concerns I heard from my SCHEDULE riage—afraid, I guess, of angering their constituents are the same concerns White House or political base by inves- Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, today we this Republican Congress has been ig- tigating and taking action on global will begin with a 1-hour period for noring for the last 18 months. warming. morning business. At 3 o’clock this For example, I traveled a few miles These are tough issues relating to afternoon, we will start debate on H.R. out of Las Vegas. Years ago it seemed global warming. We have to do some- 5411, the Department of Homeland Se- as though it was a long way out of Las thing. It is not going to be easy. curity Appropriations Act. Chairman Vegas. From downtown Las Vegas, it is Health care is the same story. Today GREGG will be here to manage the bill, less than an hour to a place called Coy- in Nevada there are almost 450,000 indi- and we hope that Members will come ote Springs. It is partially in Lincoln viduals without health insurance; more forward to offer amendments today. We County and partially in Clark County. than 100,000 of them are children. Has will not have any rollcall votes during We were there talking about a new de- this Republican Congress done any- today’s session, although I encourage velopment. At that place in the desert, thing in the last 18 months to help? No. Members to come forward with their they are going to build 159,000 new We had Health Week that really wasn’t opening remarks. We need to finish homes—159,000 new homes—creating a health week. this bill this week and, therefore, Sen- half a million jobs. Those people who We have 23 legislative days remain- ators should be ready as soon as pos- are going to be living in those homes ing and a list of items we need to ac- sible if they intend to offer amend- and building those homes are con- complish that is a mile long. To say we ments. I again encourage Senators to cerned about the price of gasoline, as need to get to work is an understate- contact the bill managers if they would well they should be. ment. ● This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. VerDate Sep 11 2014 14:27 Mar 27, 2017 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0686 Sfmt 0634 E:\FDSYS\BOUNDRECORD\BR10JY06.DAT BR10JY06 ejoyner on DSK30MW082PROD with BOUND RECORD July 10, 2006 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE, Vol. 152, Pt. 10 13759 It is my hope that the majority will are home in Searchlight, we go to new energy sources and increasing pro- make time for these important issues Boulder City to church. He is in a duction, but I have been concerned before we adjourn. But this afternoon, wheelchair. He tapped me on the shoul- about the role of government. At a I want to focus on just two issues that der. I turned around, and he said: H.R. time when the oil companies are mak- must come to the floor this month: the 810. ing record profits and charging record Voting Rights Act and stem cell legis- It took me a while to think what it prices, Congress has still been making lation. was, and then I remembered. He has available record subsidies. To get some There is no reason we have not dealt Parkinson’s disease. He has hope that clarity on this issue, I believed it was with these issues already. The House this will help him, as do people who are important to get the Congressional Re- passed H.R. 810, the stem cell research inflicted with diabetes, Lou Gehrig’s search Service, the independent au- bill, more than a year ago. The original disease, and Alzheimer’s. thority, to look at these issues, to ana- timetable for extending the Voting In 23 days we need to do this. This lyze the question of exactly where the Rights Act was May, the majority lead- has to be part of our program this oil companies are putting this gusher er telling us he would bring the stem month, July: the Voting Rights Act of revenue they have accumulated re- cell bill before the Senate came more and stem cell legislation. cently. The findings in the new report than a year ago. But here we are with So I hope my friend, the distin- the Congressional Research Service has 23 days left, and there is still no spe- guished majority leader, in scheduling given to me are striking.