Congressional Record UNUM

E PLURIBUS

United States

of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 112th

 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION

∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.

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S6289 

Vol. 158 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2012 No. 123 

Senate 

The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was 

called to order by the Honorable TOM

UDALL, a Senator from the State of 

New Mexico. 

PRAYER

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Today’s 

opening prayer will be offered by Rev. 

Father Marcel Rainville from St. Michael’s College in Burlington, VT. 

The guest Chaplain offered the following prayer: 

With humble hearts, let us pray. 

Gracious God, You make us stewards 

of Your creation so that in all things 

we may honor the gift of life which 

You bestow on us each day. 

We pray for these our elected officials as they work to perform the sacred mission of service taken up on behalf of all the citizens of this Nation 

that thirsts for God. Guide them with 

good judgments in the exercise of their 

duties. May Your spirit of wisdom 

abide with them in shaping a more benevolent world according to Your great 

love, and may the hearts of Your people, especially these present, be open to 

the needs of all our brothers and sisters. 

We pray in Your great Name. Amen. 

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PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 

The Honorable TOM UDALL led the 

Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: 

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the 

United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, 

indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. 

f 

APPOINTMENT OF ACTING 

PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will please read a communication 

to the Senate from the President pro 

tempore (Mr. INOUYE). 

The legislative clerk read the following letter: 

U.S. SENATE, 

PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, 

Washington, DC, September 13, 2012. 

To the Senate: 

Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, 

of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby 

appoint the Honorable TOM UDALL, a Senator 

from the State of New Mexico, to perform 

the duties of the Chair. 

DANIEL K. INOUYE, 

President pro tempore. 

Mr. UDALL thereupon assumed the 

chair as Acting President pro tempore. 

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RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY 

LEADER 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader is recognized. 

f 

FAMILY AND BUSINESS TAX CUT 

CERTAINTY ACT OF 2012—MOTION 

TO PROCEED 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I move to 

proceed to Calendar No. 499, S. 3521. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the motion 

to proceed. 

The legislative clerk read as follows: 

Motion to proceed to Calendar No. 499, S. 

3521, a bill to amend the Internal Revenue 

Code of 1986 to extend certain expiring provisions. 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I yield to 

my friend from Vermont. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Vermont is recognized. 

GUEST CHAPLAIN FATHER MARCEL RAINVILLE

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I am 

delighted that Father Marcel Rainville 

has offered the opening prayer for the 

Senate this morning, and I thank him 

very much for joining us in doing so. 

Father Rainville is a native of 

Vermont. He is a distinguished member 

of the Society of St. Edmund, an order 

which has a very long history in our 

State. Established in Vermont first at 

Keeler’s Bay in 1891 and then in Swanton in 1895, the Society of St. Edmund 

still has its headquarters in Vermont. 

The society founded St. Michael’s College, which was officially incorporated 

in 1913 as the first Catholic college in 

the State of Vermont with the authority to grant college degrees. The 

Edmundites have long stood for justice 

and civil rights in our country, including in Selma, AL, where they have a 

mission. The society has established a 

successful alternative school for African-American boys in New Orleans. 

The Edmundites have as a major part 

of their vocation the mission to help 

those who are most in need, and we appreciate all of the good work they do. 

Father Rainville was born in Swanton, VT. He was ordained as a priest in 

the Society of St. Edmund, and this 

year marks the 40th anniversary of his 

ordination. Father Marcel spent part of 

his life as a priest serving in the 

Edmundite mission in Venezuela, 

working with and sustaining the impoverished in a barrio in Caracas. He 

currently resides in Winooski Park, 

VT, where he has also served as chaplain. He currently serves as the director of formation for the Society of St. 

Edmund. 

It gives me great pride that he has 

given the opening prayer today in the 

Senate, and all of Vermont appreciates 

the wonderful work he has done. He is 

a kind and gentle human being and is 

much beloved in our State. I thank him 

again for being with us today, and I 

thank the Chaplain for his help in arranging this visit. 

ORDER OF BUSINESS

Mr. REID. Mr. President, last night 

cloture was filed on the substitute 

amendment and the underlying bill, 

the veterans jobs bill. If we are unable 

to reach an agreement to move up the 

timing of the cloture vote, then we will 

have to have these votes as early as we 

can under rule XXII. Under such a scenario, the first rollcall vote on cloture 

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