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, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2009 No. 186 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was Lord, make them willing to listen, to the Senate from the President pro called to order by the Honorable JEFF even to people with whom they expect tempore (Mr. BYRD). MERKLEY, a Senator from the State of to differ, united by the desire to rep- The legislative clerk read the fol- Oregon. resent You with exemplary conduct. We pray in Your great Name. Amen. lowing letter: PRAYER U.S. SENATE, f The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, fered the following prayer: PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Washington, DC, December 11, 2009. To the Senate: Let us pray. The Honorable JEFF MERKLEY led the Gracious God, through the power of Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby Your spirit, empower us to live vibrant I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the lives that glorify You. Awaken our United States of America, and to the Repub- appoint the Honorable JEFF MERKLEY, a Sen- lawmakers to the opportunities all lic for which it stands, one nation under God, ator from the State of Oregon, to perform around them. Help them to hear Your indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the duties of the Chair. ROBERT C. BYRD, call to move forward and to accomplish f the things that honor You, as You President pro tempore. guide them in the pursuit of wisdom APPOINTMENT OF ACTING PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE Mr. MERKLEY thereupon assumed and truth. May they confidently face the chair as Acting President pro tem- their duties, knowing that You are The PRESIDING OFFICER. 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Members of Congress desiring to purchase reprints of material submitted for inclusion in the Congressional Record may do so by contacting the Office of Congressional Publishing Services, at the Government Printing Office, on 512–0224, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. daily. By order of the Joint Committee on Printing. CHARLES E. SCHUMER, Chairman. ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S12971 . VerDate Nov 24 2008 03:56 Dec 12, 2009 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 8633 E:\CR\FM\A11DE6.000 S11DEPT1 jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with SENATE S12972 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 11, 2009 RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY ready with two important amend- makers almost seem to be flouting LEADER ments. their ability to spend taxpayer money. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- One of those amendments, by Sen- This bill contains many worthy pore. The majority leader is recog- ator CRAPO, would enable the President projects. Unfortunately, the majority nized. to keep one of the pledges he made as has piled on so much spending, so much a candidate and as President about debt and new controversial policies f what the Democratic plan for health that I certainly can’t support it. SCHEDULE care reform would look like. He said As you may know, the Senate is con- that no family making less than Mr. REID. Mr. President, following sidering a bill that would make basic $250,000 a year and no individual mak- leader remarks, the Senate will be in a changes in the country’s health care ing less than $200,000 a year would see period of morning business. Senators system. We have been debating it for a tax increase of any kind. The Crapo will be permitted to speak for 10 min- weeks. What I keep hearing on the motion would ensure that promise is utes each during that period. Repub- other side is no reference to what the kept. licans will control the first 30 minutes, American people think. I hear these ar- An amendment by Senators and the majority will control the next guments about making history. Ignor- HUTCHISON and THUNE would ensure ing the public is not a great way to 30 minutes. We will continue work on that none of the taxes imposed by this an agreement to vote in relation to the make history. We have not seen poll bill would go into effect a day earlier data for months that indicate the drug reimportation matter, the Crapo than the benefits. In other words, you motion to commit, and the side-by-side American people support the Reid bill. don’t get taxes before you get benefits. The most devastating one came out to the Crapo motion. These amend- This is a commonsense amendment. ments and the motion are with respect last night. A CNN opinion research poll You certainly wouldn’t ask someone to taken December 2 and 3, this week— to H.R. 3590, the health insurance re- pay for the mortgage on a house 4 form legislation. not exactly a bastion of conservatism— years before they were allowed to move indicates that 61 percent of the Amer- Yesterday, we filed cloture on the in. In the same way, we should not tax bill we got from the House, the appro- ican people oppose this health care bill people for a benefit they don’t get for 4 and only 36 percent favor it. priations bill, H.R. 3288, which includes long years. Commerce-Justice-Science, Military We are looking for one courageous The Hutchison-Thune amendment Member of the other side of the aisle— Construction, Labor-HHS, Transpor- also aims to keep government honest, tation, financial services, State and just one—to stand up and say he or she because most Americans have a hard will not ignore the overwhelming opin- Foreign Operations. We are going to time believing Washington would col- have at least two rollcall votes on mo- ion of the American people, he or she lect taxes on one thing for 4 years and will not be so arrogant as to assume we tions to waive with respect to the ap- actually have the discipline not to use propriations conference report today. have the right answer here and 61 per- the money on something else. This cent of the American people somehow Senators will be notified when these amendment would guard against that. votes are scheduled. don’t know what they are talking For the moment, the majority has about. I direct this question through the decided to take us off health care. It Chair to my friend from South Dakota. The American people are pretty has moved to an Omnibus appropria- smart. They have been watching this I offered a unanimous consent request tions bill that has all the hallmarks of yesterday evening that set up a sched- carefully. This health care bill, like no all the other bloated spending bills we other issue, affects every single Amer- ule of votes on the Crapo motion and, have seen this year. It is really out- of course, the Dorgan amendment. Last ican regardless of age. Everybody is in- rageous, actually. At a time of double- terested in the subject. They have night, I was told the Republicans were digit unemployment, at a time when not ready yet. I ask my friend, are the watched the debate closely. They are Democrats are talking about increas- telling us: Please, Congress, please do Republicans ready to vote? ing by nearly $2 trillion the amount of Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, the Re- not pass this bill. money the government is legally al- I yield the floor. publican leader has just arrived. I re- lowed to borrow, the majority has serve any statement for him. moved us off of one $2.5 trillion spend- f Mr. REID. I suggest the absence of a ing bill and on to a 1,000-page omnibus RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME quorum. that would cost the American taxpayer The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- another $1⁄2 trillion right in the middle pore.