November 17, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S10537 

RECOGNITION OF THE 

REPUBLICAN LEADER 

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

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SENATE GOALS 

Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, 

first, I would like to congratulate 

President-elect Obama on his victory. 

It is a rare honor for the Senate to 

send one of its own to the White House. 

In fact, I think it has only happened 

two other times, Warren G. Harding 

and John F. Kennedy, who went directly from the Senate to the White 

House. Regardless of party, every one 

of us, I am sure, feels a certain institutional pride in the event. 

I called the new President shortly 

after his victory to offer my congratulations, and he was gracious in congratulating me on my own victory 

when he returned the call. As it happened, when he returned the call, I was 

grocery shopping in the local Kroger 

and enjoying the people passing by saying ‘‘Congratulations.’’ 

There I was in front of the cereal 

talking to the new President on my 

cell phone. What I told him was we 

would all be here to work with him 

once he takes office. I think both of us 

are eager to confront the challenges 

ahead. I told him he can expect cooperation on the confirmation of qualified nominees to key Cabinet posts. 

Faced with two wars overseas and a 

complex financial crisis at home, the 

American people should not have to 

worry about a power vacuum at places 

such as the Pentagon, the State Department, Treasury or the Department 

of Homeland Security. 

Now, history offers a fairly clear 

path to success or failure for new 

Presidents. It is there for every new 

President who comes in to observe. The 

path I have discussed with the President-elect is one that can lead to success. As I see it, we face a simple 

choice: We can either work together to 

confront the big issues, the big issues 

of the day that neither party is willing 

to tackle on its own or the majority 

can instead focus on narrow partisan 

issues that appeal to a tiny sliver of 

the populace but which lack the support of the American mainstream. 

In my view, the choice is rather simple, but the work that follows will not 

be. So I hope President-elect Obama 

will go after the big things and go after 

them early. If he does, our chances of 

achieving a positive result for the 

American people will be greatly increased. 

We can start with some of the things 

President-elect Obama spoke about on 

the campaign trail, such as cutting 

spending, paying down the national 

debt, providing speedy tax relief, committing to a long-term strategy for energy independence, and reining in our 

out-of-control entitlement spending 

that threatens to consume 70 percent 

of the Federal budget in 9 years. Let 

me say that again: Our out-of-control 

entitlement spending will consume 70 

percent of the Federal budget in 9 

years. 

These are the challenges on which 

Senator Obama campaigned. They also 

happen to be issues upon which Republicans and Democrats should be able to 

reach some agreement. The American 

people are looking to us to resolve 

these issues, and Senate Republicans 

are eager to get that work done. 

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

Mr. REID. Mr. President, let me say 

through the Chair to my distinguished 

counterpart, congratulations on your 

victory. As George Will, the esteemed 

columnist, wrote over the weekend, he 

compared your victory to Henry Clay, 

and I know the Senator is from the 

State of Kentucky. So I congratulate 

you on years of hard work. 

Mr. MCCONNELL. I thank my friend, 

the majority leader. 

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RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the 

leadership time is reserved. 

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MORNING BUSINESS 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the 

Senate will proceed to a period of 

morning business, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes 

each. 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I suggest 

the absence of a quorum. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk the will call the roll. 

The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. 

Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I ask 

unanimous consent that the order for 

the quorum call be rescinded. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered. 

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OHIO’S VETERANS 

Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, Ohio is 

home to more than 1 million veterans, 

dedicated men and women who have 

served in every branch of our Nation’s 

Armed Forces and every major conflict 

in the modern era. They have served to 

keep our freedoms, so our Nation could 

remain secure. Ohioans have a longstanding tradition of service to our 

country. Ohio’s veterans include Presidents and generals, from Grant to 

Sherman, and pioneers of American advancement, such as Neil Armstrong, 

John Glenn, and James Lovell. 

But for every well-known American 

veteran, there are, of course, many 

more heroes who have quietly served 

this Nation and my State of Ohio with 

honor and distinction. 

As our Nation looks forward to the 

return of our loved ones from the battlefield, all of us remember the tremendous contributions our veterans have 

made to Ohio and to our country. We 

are humbled by their patriotism and 

their bravery. 

On Veterans Day and every day, it is 

my honor to thank Ohio veterans and 

their families for their service to our 

great State and our great Nation. 

The Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame was 

created in 1992 to recognize the lifetime contributions of veterans, not 

just those who serve their country in 

the Armed Forces but also those who 

continue to give back since they left 

the service. I honor, congratulate, and 

salute all of them. 

The Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame 

Class of 2008 is made up of several men 

and women whose stories I would like 

to briefly tell. 

Samuel Arnold, from Butler County, 

is a U.S. Army veteran, Vietnam war. 

Arnold is a member of the Veterans of 

Foreign Wars Post 4369 board of trustees and provides dentistry to veterans 

who reside at Joseph House at little or 

no cost. 

Paul Baldridge, Jr., from Franklin 

County, is a U.S. Navy veteran. 

Baldridge has served in a number of 

veterans organizations, including the 

Navy League of the United States, 

where he has held positions as State 

president, national director, and vice 

president. 

Oscar Decker, Jr., from Union County, is a U.S. Army veteran, Army National Guard and Army Reserve in 

World War II and Vietnam. Decker organized the Union County Military 

Family Support Group in 2003 and was 

awarded the Legion of Honor Award 

from the Chapel of the Four Chaplains 

and the American Legion of Merit. 

Rebecca Eden, a registered nurse 

from Cuyahoga County, is a U.S. Army 

Nurse Corps veteran, World War II. 

Eden is a lifetime member of Gold Star 

Wives and AMVETS. She was presented 

with the Veterans Affairs Commendation given by the Ohio Veterans Commission for helping veterans pursue 

educational goals in 1982. 

Eugene Fitzthum, from Erie County, 

is a U.S. Army veteran, World War II. 

Fitzthum was presented the John L. 

Smith AMVET of the Year Award for 

all his volunteer work for AMVETS 

Post 17 in 2008 and Volunteer of the 

Year from the Ohio Veterans Home in 

2006. 

Nada Fleming, a registered nurse 

from Cuyahoga County, is a U.S. Navy 

veteran, Desert Shield/Desert Storm. 

Fleming is a past commander of Seven 

Hills VFW Post 7609 and was appointed 

as National VFW Nurse of the Year for 

2006–2007. 

Robert Haas, from Stark County, is a 

U.S. Army veteran, Korean war. Haas 

served as the volunteer liaison officer 

for the U.S. Military Academy, West 

Point, for the past 29 years. He is a 

founding member and past president of 

the Greater Cleveland Chapter of the 

Korean War Veterans Association No. 

69. 

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