E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 110 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 153 WASHINGTON, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2007 No. 141 House of Representatives The House was not in session today. Its next meeting will be held on Monday, September 24, 2007, at 12:30 p.m. Senate FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2007 The Senate met at 9:15 a.m. and was APPOINTMENT OF ACTING the vote occurring at 10 a.m. At 10 called to order by the Honorable SHEL- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE a.m., that will be the only vote to DON WHITEHOUSE, a Senator from the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The occur today. State of Rhode Island. clerk will please read a communication I very much appreciate the coopera- to the Senate from the President pro tion of all Senators, Democrats and Re- PRAYER tempore (Mr. BYRD). publicans, that we worked out our The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- The legislative clerk read the fol- problems on Monday so that we can fered the following prayer: lowing letter: vote on the very long-standing issue. Let us pray. We should have done it, but we didn’t, U.S. SENATE, God of all nations, Lord of all people, PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, but I am glad we are doing it now—the thank You for a land where we can be- Washington, DC, September 21, 2007. WRDA bill. It is bipartisan; Senators lieve that our rights and freedom come To the Senate: BOXER and INHOFE worked on it very from You. We praise You for Your gifts Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, hard. We are going to finish this Mon- of life, liberty, and dreams, and for of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby day night. There will be work done on those who make daily sacrifices for appoint the Honorable SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, the Defense authorization bill on Mon- freedom. Forgive us when we fail to a Senator from the State of Rhode Island, to day. People can come and offer amend- live up to our high heritage, and infuse perform the duties of the Chair. ments, debate measures—whatever the ROBERT C. BYRD, us with a grace that transforms us into President pro tempore. managers feel is appropriate. Hopefully instruments of Your purposes. we can clear some amendments on that Empower our Senators to protect and Mr. WHITEHOUSE thereupon as- occasion. sumed the chair as Acting President guard the foundations of our liberty so f that America will bless the world. pro tempore. When our lawmakers are weary, replen- f RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME ish their spirits with the inspiration of RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Your presence, and never forsake them LEADER pore. Under the previous order, the in their hour of need. Bellow the flick- leadership time is reserved. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- ering embers of their hearts until they f are white-hot again with the fires of pore. The majority leader is recog- NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZA- patriotism, vision, service, and hope. nized. TION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008 As many people prepare for Yom f Kippur, we thank You for Your atoning SCHEDULE The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- sacrifice that purchased our freedom. pore. Under the previous order, the We pray in Your marvelous Name. Mr. REID. Mr. President, this morn- Senate will resume consideration of Amen. ing the Senate will immediately re- H.R. 1585, which the clerk will report. sume consideration of the Defense De- The legislative clerk read as follows: f partment authorization measure and A bill (H.R. 1585) to authorize appropria- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE conclude debate on the Levin-Reed tions for fiscal year 2008 for military activi- The Honorable SHELDON WHITEHOUSE amendment. Debate time until 9:50 this ties of the Department of Defense, for mili- led the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: morning is equally divided and con- tary construction, and for defense activities I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the trolled between Senators LEVIN and of the Department of Energy, to prescribe United States of America, and to the Repub- MCCAIN. The two leaders will control military personnel strengths for such fiscal lic for which it stands, one nation under God, the time between 9:50 and 10 a.m., with year, and for other purposes. indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. myself controlling the last 5 minutes, Pending: ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S11919 . VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:40 Sep 22, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A21SE6.000 S21SEPT1 bajohnson on PRODPC61 with SENATE S11920 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 21, 2007 Nelson (NE) (for Levin) amendment No. begin to draw our forces down, as Gen- willing to act, that we act to change 2011, in the nature of a substitute. eral Petraeus has announced? I think the course, to provide a strategy and a Warner (for Graham/Kyl) amendment No. most people would suggest probably policy that is consistent with our in- 2064 (to amendment No. 2011), to strike sec- not. terests, with our resources, and with tion 1023, relating to the granting of civil rights to terror suspects. So we are left with the reality on the our ideals that will help us move for- Levin/Reed amendment No. 2898 (to amend- ground and the reality here at home— ward. ment No. 2011), to provide for a reduction waning support for a policy that the I hope in the next several minutes as and transition of U.S. forces in Iraq. American people believe is misguided this vote comes to the floor that the Kyl/Lieberman amendment No. 3017 (to and has been incompetently executed message of the American people will be amendment No. 2011), to express the sense of by the administration. We have to heard and heeded and that we will the Senate regarding Iran. change the mission, and the core of the adopt the Levin-Reed amendment. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Levin-Reed amendment is to change I yield my time. pore. Under the previous order, the that mission, to go away from an open- Mr. LEVIN. I suggest the absence of time until 9:50 a.m. will be equally di- ended ‘‘we will do anything you want, a quorum and equally divide the time. vided between the Senator from Michi- Mr. Maliki, even if you don’t do any- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- gan, Mr. LEVIN, and the Senator from thing we want’’ to focused counterter- pore. Without objection, it is so or- Arizona, Mr. MCCAIN. rorism, training Iraqi security forces, dered. The clerk will call the roll. Who yields time? and protecting our forces. It also recog- The legislative clerk proceeded to Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I suggest nizes that we have to have a timeframe call the roll. the absence of a quorum. in which to do those things. Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I ask The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- I am encouraged and I think all unanimous consent that the order for pore. The clerk will call the roll. should be encouraged that a year ago the quorum call be rescinded. The legislative clerk proceeded to when we started talking about initi- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- call the roll. ating withdrawal of forces from Iraq, pore. Without objection, it is so or- Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I ask that was an item which was not only dered. unanimous consent that the order for hotly debated on the floor but severely Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I yield the quorum call be rescinded. criticized. myself 4 minutes. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- General Petraeus has told us he will There is a lot of disagreement about pore. Without objection, it is so or- propose and will probably implement a Iraq policy, how we got into the quag- dered. withdrawal of forces before the end of mire we are in there, the failure to Mr. LEVIN. I also ask unanimous this year. That is part 1 of the Levin- plan properly, the disbanding of the consent that the time of the quorum be Reed approach. The second is to begin Iraqi Army, the lack of a plan for the equally divided and that apply retro- a transition to these missions, and we aftermath and a number of other issues actively. hope that can be accomplished in a which have been the subject of great The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- very short period of time. Finally, we debate. pore. Without objection, it is so or- would like to see these missions fully There is a consensus on a number of dered. vetted, fully set out and implemented issues. It is that consensus which Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I yield 5 on the ground, moving away from the drives the Levin-Reed amendment. minutes to the Senator from Rhode Is- open-ended approach within a fixed pe- There is a consensus that we have an land. riod of time. This approach, together important stake in a stable and inde- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- with a very aggressive diplomatic ap- pendent Iraq. Everyone agrees on that. pore. The Senator from Rhode Island is proach, we believe is the key to con- The opponents of this amendment like recognized. tributing not just to the stability of to suggest that somehow or other the Mr. REED. Mr. President, I thank my Iraq but to the long-term interests of proponents are not interested in a sta- colleague, Senator LEVIN, for yielding the United States in the region and the ble and independent Iraq.