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, JUNE 5, 2008 No. 92 Senate The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Rev. Steven Ailes from Peru, IN. Rev- called to order by the Honorable MARK The Honorable MARK L. PRYOR led erend Ailes has served in seven church- L. PRYOR, a Senator from the State of the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: es in Indiana. He is a civic leader in Arkansas. Peru as president of the Rotary Club I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Repub- and has been the chairman and a mem- ber of many foundations. He has PRAYER lic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. brought students to this Capitol from The PRESIDING OFFICER. Today’s f Peru, IN, with regularity. opening prayer will be offered by guest I have known Reverend Ailes well be- APPOINTMENT OF ACTING Chaplain Rev. Steven N. Ailes, Main cause of his son Justin who is a distin- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE Street United Methodist Church, Peru, guished graduate of the University of IN. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Indianapolis and who came onto my clerk will please read a communication The guest Chaplain offered the fol- staff and served for many years as a to the Senate from the President pro lowing prayer: very able public servant. It has been a tempore (Mr. BYRD). privilege to be reunited this morning Let us pray. The legislative clerk read the fol- with Justin and with his dad. Gracious God, Lord of all that is good lowing letter: Let me say that Reverend Ailes is a and beautiful and perfect, we come to U.S. SENATE, genuine Hoosier, born in Valparaiso, pray for Your blessing upon this gath- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, IN. He completed his undergraduate de- ering of U.S. Senators. We ask for the Washington, DC, June 5, 2008. grees at Lawrence University in Apple- guidance of Your holy spirit upon the To the Senate: ton, WI, but came back to Ball State work they do for this one Nation under Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, and has served there likewise in addi- of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby God. We pray for Your inspiration in tion to these distinguished churches in appoint the Honorable MARK L. PRYOR, a their hearts and minds and souls. We Senator from the State of Arkansas, to per- our State. ask for Your grace in their work and form the duties of the Chair. I thank the Chair for allowing me to deliberation, that this might be an ex- ROBERT C. BYRD, make this special word of greeting and tension of Your sustaining presence in President pro tempore. commendation to a very distinguished our life together as citizens of heaven Mr. PRYOR thereupon assumed the pastor and a very dear friend. I thank and of these United States of America. chair as Acting President pro tempore. the Chair. While we pray for these elected rep- f f resentatives of our Nation, we remem- RECOGNITION OF THE ACTING ORDER OF PROCEDURE ber the families and staff who are such MAJORITY LEADER an integral part of their service to our Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask Nation and to the world. May all be The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- unanimous consent to speak as in the touched by Your love and respect for pore. The assistant majority leader is place of our leader, Senator REID, who all people; from all nations, in all con- recognized. couldn’t be with us this morning. ditions, in all Your creation. Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, it is my The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- understanding the Senator from Indi- pore. Without objection, it is so or- O Holy God, be with us all in these ana wishes to comment on the chaplain dered. moments, that our work may be di- who is kind enough to join us today. I f rected by Your peace—a peace that sur- yield to him for that purpose. SCHEDULE passes mere human understanding and The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- encompasses care and compassion for pore. The Senator from Indiana is rec- Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today the entire world. May You lead these ognized. following my remarks and the remarks Your servants with a passion for jus- f of Senator MCCONNELL, there will be a tice and righteousness, wisdom and in- period of morning business for up to 2 sight, mercy and love; with strength to WELCOMING THE GUEST hours with Senators permitted to do that which is right and honorable CHAPLAIN speak for up to 10 minutes each, with and in accord with Your holy way. Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I thank the time equally divided and controlled God, bless America, and may Your my distinguished colleague. between the two leaders or their des- will be done in this gathering and in It is a special privilege to see the ignees. The Republicans will control our lives. Amen. Senate open with a prayer today by the first 30 minutes and the majority ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S5127 . VerDate Aug 31 2005 02:05 Jun 06, 2008 Jkt 069060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A05JN6.000 S05JNPT1 smartinez on PROD1PC64 with SENATE S5128 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE June 5, 2008 will control the next 30 minutes. Fol- hours, our staff had to stand and read the virtues of wooden matches and read lowing morning business, the Senate every word of this bill into the RECORD. chapters from his book about his home- will resume consideration of S. 3044, This bill—the substitute—had been town: ‘‘Searchlight: The Camp That the Consumer First Energy Act. available for days and the concepts be- Didn’t Fail.’’ That was a 9-hour recita- Last night cloture was filed on the hind it for weeks. There was no ele- tion from a book that our good friend Boxer substitute amendment to the cli- ment of surprise, no necessity for this the majority leader engaged in on the mate change legislation. Under rule reading, other than to burn off an en- very subject of judicial confirmations. XXII, there is a 1 p.m. filing deadline tire day in the Senate where little or Yesterday’s tactic of slowing down for first-degree amendments to the nothing was accomplished. Now we face the Senate obviously is not unique. It Boxer substitute No. 4825. The cloture virtually the same thing again. was not, however, about trying to con- vote is scheduled to occur tomorrow Although 89 percent of the people in firm a few district court nominations morning—Friday morning. America say that global warming is an which the majority begrudgingly At 4 o’clock this afternoon, there will important issue that should be ad- agreed to last night around 12:00 or be up to 1 hour for debate on the farm dressed by the Senate, this week there 12:30. Rather, it was about the impor- bill, H.R. 6124, prior to a vote. Under an have been repeated efforts to make tance of keeping one’s word in this agreement reached last night, Senator sure we never reach that point. Those body, whether it be a commitment to DEMINT will control 30 minutes; Sen- who oppose this bill should stand and meet the total number of circuit court ator COBURN, 20 minutes; and Senators vote accordingly. Those who have confirmations that have occurred in HARKIN and CHAMBLISS will control a amendments should bring them for- prior Congresses—and we are familiar total of 10 minutes. Therefore, the vote ward. We are still waiting for a list of with what that commitment was; it on passage of the farm bill will begin amendments to the global warming bill was to do 17 during this Congress, around 5 p.m. today. from the Republican side. We have which has been repeated time and time f given them a list of our amendments, again; everybody knows what the com- including a bipartisan amendment of- mitment was—or a commitment to MEASURE PLACED ON THE fered by Senator LUGAR, who just confirm a specific number of circuit CALENDAR—H.R. 6049 spoke on the floor, and Senator BIDEN. court nominations by a specific time; Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I under- We have tried to engage the minority and that was the commitment made stand that H.R. 6049 is at the desk and in a debate on this critically important back in May by my good friend the ma- due for a second reading. bill, but instead, they have engaged in jority leader, that we would do three The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- delay tactics, including 8 hours wasted circuit court nominations before the pore. The clerk will report the bill by in the Senate yesterday reading this Memorial Day recess. In fact, we did title. bill in its entirety. one. Keeping one’s word in this body is The legislative clerk read as follows: We finally adjourned at about 12:15 important. A bill (H.R. 6049) to amend the Internal a.m. this morning to return today. I We are far behind the pace that is Revenue Code of 1986 to provide incentives guess it is the intention of the Repub- necessary for us to reach the goal the for energy production and conservation, to licans to stop us from considering the majority leader and I set for this Con- extend certain expiring provisions, to pro- global warming issue, but that will not gress.