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, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2007 No. 129 Senate The Senate met at 12:01 p.m., and was U.S. SENATE, The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- called to order by the Honorable ROB- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, pore. Without objection, it is so or- ERT P. CASEY, Jr., a Senator from the Washington, DC, September 4, 2007. dered. To the Senate: State of Pennsylvania. Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unan- of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby imous consent that a speech I am going PRAYER appoint the Honorable ROBERT P. CASEY, Jr., to give not be counted against leader The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- a Senator from the State of Pennsylvania, to time. That will give the morning busi- fered the following prayer: perform the duties of the Chair. ness the full hour requested. Let us pray. ROBERT C. BYRD, The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- President pro tempore. O God of us all, who is above all, yet pore. Without objection, it is so or- in us all, make us ever sensitive to all Mr. CASEY thereupon assumed the dered. chair as Acting President pro tempore. the expressions of Your grace. Thank f f You for the glory of a sunrise and sun- SCHEDULE set, for the refreshment of the breezes RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME Mr. REID. Mr. President, under the that invigorate, and for the technicolor The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- in trees, shrubs, sky, and sea. May the order that was entered, the Senate will pore. Under the previous order, the conduct a period for morning business challenges of our times never blind us leadership time is reserved. to life’s wonders. for 60 minutes, with the time con- As we reconvene after our August re- f trolled between the two sides as I read. cess, prepare our lawmakers for today’s RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY Following this period for morning busi- journey. May they strive to stay within LEADER ness, the Senate will proceed to the the circle of Your will, as You guide The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Military Construction and VA appro- their steps. Help them to be ready to pore. The majority leader is recog- priations bill. This is a very critical, solve problems, receiving inspiration nized. important message for our military and for our veterans. I hope we can from the creative power of Your love. f Let business be done on Capitol Hill consider this bill in a very expeditious that will address itself to the real ORDER OF PROCEDURE manner. issues and not to games. May the work Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unan- At approximately 2:30 this afternoon, of our Senators become an expression imous consent that the period for the Senate will proceed to executive of Your truth, righteousness, and jus- morning business extend for 60 min- session and consider the Nussle nomi- tice. utes, equally divided and controlled be- nation for a period of 3 hours. The We pray in Your great Name. Amen. tween the two leaders or their des- chairs and ranking members of the ignees, with Senators permitted to Budget and Homeland Security Com- f speak during that period of time, with mittees will each be recognized as indi- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE the majority controlling the first 30 cated in the matter I just read before minutes and the majority time being the Senate. There will be 30 minutes, The Honorable ROBERT P. CASEY, Jr., equally divided between Senators as indicated, on each side, with Sen- led the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: BROWN and BAUCUS, and that the Re- ator SANDERS controlling 1 hour. A I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the publicans control the final 30 minutes; vote on the nomination is expected to United States of America, and to the Repub- that the Senate proceed then to the occur about 5:30 this afternoon. lic for which it stands, one nation under God, Military Construction appropriations I spoke with the distinguished Re- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. bill; further, that with respect to the publican leader this morning and indi- f debate time on the Nussle nomination, cated what we were going to accom- the time for the Chair and ranking plish before we leave for the Jewish APPOINTMENT OF ACTING member be equally divided and con- holiday, which is 1 week from this PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE trolled between the chairs and ranking Wednesday—1 week from tomorrow. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The members of the Budget and Homeland We are going to take up and complete clerk will please read a communication Security Committees, with Senator the Nussle nomination this afternoon. to the Senate from the President pro SANDERS retaining the hour previously Prior to that being completed, Sen- tempore (Mr. BYRD). provided him, with all other provisions ators JACK REED and KAY BAILEY The assistant clerk read the fol- of the previous order governing the HUTCHISON, who are the managers of lowing letter: Nussle nomination remaining in effect. the appropriations bill that will come ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S10999 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 21:17 Mar 13, 2014 Jkt 081600 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\2007SENATE\S04SE7.REC S04SE7 mmaher on DSKCGSP4G1 with SOCIALSECURITY S11000 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 4, 2007 before the Senate, will manage that Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I members of that committee. He bill. It is an extremely important piece appreciate the majority leader’s call worked with conservatives, he worked of legislation. We are going to do our this morning. He basically covered the with liberals, he worked with Demo- very best to complete that bill and items he has gone over. We will be co- crats, and he worked with Republicans. then move to Foreign Operations. I operating, to the maximum extent pos- To show his ability to do the right don’t know how anyone can object to sible, to move forward with the work in thing, one needs look no further than the foreign operations matter because the Senate. I, such as he, will have an his own State of Virginia. There was a it is hundreds of millions of dollars opening statement as we begin this ses- hotly contested race for the Senate for under what the President requested. It sion shortly after the majority leader the State of Virginia. JOHN WARNER is something that is extremely impor- completes his statement. supported the Democratic candidate tant. The President feels very strongly f rather than the Republican candidate. about this legislation, and we should That is the kind of person he is. TRIBUTE TO SENATOR JOHN move forward on it. I have such great admiration for Following that legislation, we are WARNER JOHN WARNER. He is, in my opinion, going to move to the reconciliation Mr. REID. Mr. President, I begin my what a public servant should be. He is matter which deals with education. I remarks on this fall calendar in a posi- a gentleman and has served the people told my friend, the senior Senator from tion of wanting to get a lot of business of Virginia and our Nation with dis- Kentucky, that we may have to work done. But first I wish to make a few re- tinction for 30 years or more. Senator this weekend, or part of this weekend, marks about two of our most distin- WARNER’s impact on this institution the reason being, as I mentioned, we guished colleagues, Senator WARNER of will not be forgotten. I will sorely miss have two appropriations bills, and they Virginia and Senator KENNEDY of Mas- his warmth and friendship. My wife should move quickly. We have a statu- sachusetts. Landra and his wife Jeanne are friends. tory time on the reconciliation matter A few days ago, Senator WARNER an- They have been working together. dealing with education. nounced he will not seek reelection Every year the Senate spouses have a Next week, everyone should under- when his term ends, which is in 2008. First Lady’s luncheon. Two years ago, stand we are going to have votes Mon- JOHN WARNER’s career in public service my wife was chairperson of that. Last day morning—Monday morning. It is a began when he was 17 years of age when year, she was. They are good friends very short week, and we are going to he enlisted in the U.S. Navy during and we will miss them a lot. They are take up next week the Transportation World War II. He did not have to enlist. a wonderful couple. I have to say JOHN appropriations bill. In light of all the His father was a distinguished physi- WARNER is top of the line. I have so attention focused on the deteriorating cian in Virginia. He did it because it much admiration for him. infrastructure of this country, that is a was the right thing to do. f very important piece of legislation, After an honorable discharge, he, SENATOR KENNEDY’S 15,000TH and we need to complete it. again feeling the call of duty, inter- The Jewish holiday starts sundown rupted his law school studies to join VOTE on Wednesday. It was originally my in- the Marine Corps during the Korean Mr. REID. I also want to say a few tent to work until sundown on Wednes- war.