E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 110 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 154 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, JULY 31, 2008 No. 129 Senate The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was appoint the Honorable MARK L. PRYOR, a trolled between the two leaders or called to order by the Honorable MARK Senator from the State of Arkansas, to per- their designees, with Senators per- L. PRYOR, a Senator from the State of form the duties of the Chair. mitted to speak therein for up to 10 Arkansas. ROBERT C. BYRD, minutes each, with the majority con- President pro tempore. trolling the first half of the time and PRAYER Mr. PRYOR thereupon assumed the the Republicans controlling the second chair as Acting President pro tempore. The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- half. fered the following prayer: f The Senator from Wisconsin. Let us pray. RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY f Loving God, our mighty rock and for- LEADER SOMALIA tress, we have no secrets from You. You know us far better than we know The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I rise ourselves. Help the Members of this pore. The majority leader is recog- to express my deep concern about the body to humble themselves before You nized. continued crisis in Somalia and my and find in Your love a very present f dismay at the failure of the United States and also the international com- help in times of trouble. Touch every SCHEDULE person in the Senate with grace and munity to give this situation the at- love and healing. Forgive and restore Mr. REID. Mr. President, following tention and resources it deserves. wherever there is need in heart and of- leader remarks, if any, there will be a Time and again, I have called for a fice and home. Help us to see that it is period of morning business until 10:30, comprehensive, coordinated U.S. strat- our weakness that qualifies us for Your for 1 hour, with Senators permitted to egy to bring security and stability to strength. speak for up to 10 minutes each. The Somalia. Yet despite Somalia’s contin- Lord, we commit this day to live and majority will control the first half, the ued collapse, the administration has work for You, inviting the indwelling Republicans the second half. Following clung to a clumsy set of tactics that power of Your spirit to control our morning business, the Senate will re- have done little to quell the relentless minds and give us discernment. We sume consideration of the motion to violence or to enhance our own na- pray in the Name of Him who never proceed to S. 3001, the Department of tional security. fails to supply our needs. Amen. Defense authorization bill. The time According to the U.N. High Commis- from 10:30 until 12:30 will be controlled f sioner on Refugees and the U.N.’s in alternating 30-minute blocks of time Under Secretary General for Humani- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE between the majority and Republican tarian Affairs, the crisis in Somalia The Honorable MARK L. PRYOR led sides, with the Republicans controlling has become the world’s worst humani- the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: the first 30 minutes. We hope to be tarian crisis. Yes, let me repeat that: I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the able, later today, to turn to the Con- the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. United States of America, and to the Repub- sumer Product Safety Commission con- Ongoing violence, a poor harvest, lic for which it stands, one nation under God, ference report and the higher education drought, rising food prices, and sky- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. conference report. We assume there rocketing inflation have created a per- f could be votes throughout the day. fect storm. Over 2.6 million or 35 per- APPOINTMENT OF ACTING f cent of Somalis are currently in need PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE of aid, with that number likely to in- RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME crease to 3.5 million or nearly 50 per- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- cent of the population by the end of the clerk will please read a communication pore. Under the previous order, the year. Simultaneously, the fighting has to the Senate from the President pro leadership time is reserved. forced an estimated 1 million Somalis tempore (Mr. BYRD). f from their homes into overcrowded and The legislative clerk read the fol- squalid camps both within the country lowing letter: MORNING BUSINESS and in northern Kenya and Ethiopia. U.S. SENATE, The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- In the midst of this disaster, those PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, Washington, DC, July 31, 2008. pore. Under the previous order, there individuals working courageously to To the Senate: will now be a period for the transaction provide aid to the battered population Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, of morning business until 10:30 a.m., have themselves become targets. I have of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby with the time equally divided and con- been deeply troubled by the recent ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S7805 . VerDate Aug 31 2005 02:20 Oct 23, 2008 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD08\S31JY8.REC S31JY8 mmaher on PROD1PC76 with CONG-REC-ONLINE S7806 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 31, 2008 killings of aid workers, including the active effort to hold accountable all tragic day, and our front-line dip- head of the U.N. Development Program those who perpetrate violence and vio- lomats continue to pay the price as in Mogadishu and three Somali elders late human rights. This includes they scramble to respond to the prob- who were shot while they were distrib- strengthening the existing arms em- lems of weak states caught up in a vi- uting food to displaced communities. bargo and pressuring regional actors cious and turbulent cycle of collapse. According to the New York Times, at who undermine a sustainable political They aren’t the only ones paying the least 20 aid workers have been killed solution. It won’t be easy, but it is crit- price, however, as those failed states and 17 kidnapped since January. This is ical to begin laying the groundwork for breed insecurity and conditions favor- unacceptable. The international com- long-term peace and security. able for terrorism. Ten years on, the munity, with the U.S. leading the way, The need to bring stability to Soma- United States still does not have a must make clear that attacks on hu- lia is imperative not only to avert hu- long-term strategy to bring peace and manitarian workers will not be toler- manitarian catastrophe, but also for stability to the Horn of Africa. We ated. Moreover, we must make sure our national security. Next week, on have tremendous diplomatic, military, that aid agencies, including the World August 7, we will commemorate the 10- intelligence, and foreign assistance re- Food Program, have sufficient re- year anniversary of the terrorist at- sources at our disposal, but they are sources to respond to the escalating tacks on the U.S. Embassies in Nairobi ineffective in the absence of a coordi- needs on the ground. and Dar-es-Salaam, which left 224 peo- nated and balanced strategy that in- Humanitarian assistance, however, ple dead, including 12 U.S. citizens and corporates both the short- and long- only stops the bleeding temporarily. dozens of other Embassy employees. term goals. This is no more evident Transforming the underlying causes of That was a tragic day in American his- than in Somalia. Somalia’s instability requires a polit- tory. While some of those responsible It is not too late to chart a new path ical solution leading to a national gov- have been brought to justice, there is and prevent future suffering, but we ernment that is both representative still work to be done to ensure that the must act decisively. As we remember and reconciliatory. As I said shortly remaining suspects are held to account those who lost their lives 10 years ago, after it was brokered last month, the for their involvement in these heinous many doing diplomatic work in some of Djibouti agreement—between the Tran- acts and that victims receive fair and the most demanding postings in the sitional Federal Government and a just compensation. world, let us commit to honor their moderate faction of the opposition Meanwhile, Somalia remains a safe legacy by ensuring that our country is group for the Alliance for the Re-Lib- haven for terrorists, as we know from no longer vulnerable to the terrorists eration of Somalia, ARS—was a posi- the recent designation of the al- who attacked us a decade ago. tive step forward. I applaud the U.N. Shabaab and periodic Defense Depart- Mr. President, I yield the floor. Representative of the Secretary Gen- ment strikes against terrorist targets. f eral for taking a lead role and the U.S. But neither these strikes, nor other ad Special Envoy for Somalia, Ambas- hoc or fragmented actions, can sub- RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY sador John Yates, for ensuring the U.S. stitute for a sustained, comprehensive LEADER was actively involved—but now it is strategy. We must act aggressively The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- time to get down to business.