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, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2009 No. 51 Senate The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was appoint the Honorable TOM UDALL, a Senator that we would not be, but there is al- called to order by the Honorable TOM from the State of New Mexico, to perform ready an order to that effect. I wanted UDALL, a Senator from the State of the duties of the Chair. to explain that. New Mexico. ROBERT C. BYRD, President pro tempore. f PRAYER Mr. UDALL thereupon assumed the RECOGNITION OF THE The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- chair as Acting President pro tempore. REPUBLICAN LEADER fered the following prayer: f The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Let us pray. RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY pore. The Republican leader is recog- Most holy and gracious God, who LEADER nized. turns the shadow of night into morn- f ing, thank You for the gift of this new The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- day. As we work for You and country, pore. The majority leader is recog- AMBASSADOR RYAN CROCKER let the light of Your countenance shine nized. Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, it is upon our lawmakers, calming their f appropriate for us to honor, from time to time, outstanding public servants troubled thoughts and guiding their SCHEDULE feet in the way of peace. Lord, give whose work on behalf of the American them the ability to see the small Mr. REID. Mr. President, following people might otherwise be overlooked. things that need their attention and leaders’ remarks, we are going to have Next week, Ambassador Ryan Crock- the courage to see the things that are morning business for up to 1 hour. The er will return home to Washington not and ask ‘‘Why not’’? Turn their first 30 minutes will be controlled by State after a remarkable career pro- minds and hands to the tasks that the Democrats and the Republicans moting America’s interests abroad. In bring glory to Your Name, and may will control the second 30 minutes. a career spanning nearly 40 years, Am- their words and thoughts be acceptable During that time, Senators will be al- bassador Crocker has represented the to You. May the knowledge of Your lowed to speak therein for up to 10 United States in some of the most blessings to our Nation awaken in minutes each. challenging environments. So it is fit- them a deeper commitment to You. Following morning business, we will ting that we pause to honor him for a We pray in Your wonderful Name. proceed to, once again, take up the Na- job well done. Amen. tional Service Reauthorization Act, A graduate of Whitman College in f H.R. 1388. At noon, we are going to vote Washington, Ryan Crocker joined the on the confirmation of David Kris to be Foreign Service in 1971, beginning a ca- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Assistant Attorney General. We have a reer that would take him to diplomatic The Honorable TOM UDALL led the special Democratic caucus from 12:30 to posts in Iran, Qatar, Egypt, Lebanon, Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: 2 p.m. today. The President will be at and Iraq. Ambassador Crocker served I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the that caucus. After the caucus, the Sen- as Ambassador to Syria, Kuwait, Leb- United States of America, and to the Repub- ate will resume consideration of the anon, Pakistan, and, most recently, lic for which it stands, one nation under God, national service legislation. Rollcall Iraq. Clearly, he has not shied away indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. votes are expected to occur throughout from a challenge. And he has excelled f the afternoon. We are not going to be at every one. APPOINTMENT OF ACTING in recess from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Earlier in his career, Ambassador PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE I suggest the absence of a quorum. Crocker served in Lebanon during the The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Israeli invasion of 1982 and the bomb- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The pore. The clerk will call the roll. ing of the U.S. Marine barracks in clerk will please read a communication The assistant legislative clerk pro- 1983—experiences from which he would to the Senate from the President pro ceeded to call the roll. later draw important lessons while tempore (Mr. BYRD). Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unan- serving in Iraq, particularly in 2007, The legislative clerk read the fol- imous consent that the order for the when Shia militias and Sunni insur- lowing letter: quorum call be rescinded. gents fed sectarian tensions and tribal U.S. SENATE, The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- feuds. PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, Ambassador Crocker’s career spanned Washington, DC, March 25, 2009. pore. Without objection, it is so or- To the Senate: dered. the entire Middle East and recent U.S. Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, Mr. REID. Mr. President, we will be history. But he will undoubtedly be re- of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby in recess from 12:30 until 2 p.m. I said membered most for his service in Iraq. ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S3739 . VerDate Nov 24 2008 01:57 Mar 26, 2009 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A25MR6.000 S25MRPT1 wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with SENATE S3740 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 25, 2009 Success in Iraq was never ensured, but President inherited: Record deficits. fice, had a surplus. What happened it was made far more likely by the Record deficits that President George with the Republican rule? Deficits as presence of Ryan Crocker. As Ambas- W. Bush’s own party supported. It is far as the eye can see. These are the sador from March 2007 to February very important that we remember that facts. This isn’t rhetoric—debt of $10 2009, he was instrumental in carrying when George W. Bush got the key to trillion, $11 trillion. out the diplomatic tasks required to the Oval Office, we had surpluses. Then Let’s look at what the Republicans implement the counterinsurgency we saw a 50-percent increase in spend- said about the Clinton budget that we strategy, and to successfully defend ing. We saw a debt that was about to be know, because time has passed, history that strategy before a skeptical Con- put away go up in major proportions. has shown, created 23 million jobs, gress. He also carried out the negotia- We are seeing the playing out of the stopped the deficits, turned them into tion that produced the Status of Forces worst recession since the Great Depres- surpluses, and got the debt going on Agreement, and he helped Iraqis sion, a financial market in crisis, and a the way down. What did our Repub- through provincial elections. In all housing market in crisis because of the lican friends say then? this, Ambassador Crocker forged a deregulation that was the centerpiece Wayne Allard said then as a Rep- strong partnership with GEN David of George W. Bush’s and the Repub- resentative: Petraeus that protected our Nation’s licans’ leadership. In summary, the plan has a fatal flaw—it interests in Iraq at a moment of peril. We are paying the price of those does not reduce the deficit. Ryan Crocker has served his Nation years today. We have a young Presi- Wrong. Wrong. Wayne Allard contin- with honor, and our country owes him dent who came into office and said: Be ued: a debt. He is a diplomat’s diplomat, the patient, we are going to change the So we are still going to pile up some more best of the best, and a tribute to the way we do business in this country. debt, but most of all, we are going to cost State Department that he has served. And we are going to do that. We start- jobs in this country. He is also a very fine man, and I wish ed with the stimulus bill that got not That is what Republican Wayne Al- him well in retirement and the best of one Republican vote on the House side, lard said about the Clinton budget— luck in the future. Ambassador Crock- although some of my Republican ‘‘. we are still going to pile up some er may be leaving the stage, but his friends over there are running around more debt, but most of all, we are service to our Nation will not be for- my State taking credit for the bill they going to cost jobs. .’’ Wrong—23 mil- gotten. voted against. We had three Repub- lion jobs created. I yield the floor. licans over here, whom I praise might- Senator Pete Domenici said of the The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- ily for having the courage to do the Clinton budget that created 23 million pore. The Senator from California is right thing and get this economy back jobs and turned the deficit into a sur- recognized. on track. plus: Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, what is We have seen the loss of 3.3 million It’s just a mockery. the order? jobs in the last 6 months. The Presi- Our friend, Senator ORRIN HATCH, a dent is dealing with two ongoing wars leader of the Republicans, still here f that, by the way, were never paid for in and going strong, I am happy to say, he RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME the budget.