November 19, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S10633 

This list of accomplishments underscores Senator DOLE’s commitment to 

serving the public at large. 

Again, I have appreciated the opportunity to work with Senator DOLE and 

wish her well as she leaves the Senate. 

f 

BUDGET SCOREKEEPING REPORT 

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I rise to 

submit to the Senate the budget 

scorekeeping report for fiscal year 2008 

prepared by the Congressional Budget 

Office pursuant to section 308(b) and in 

aid of section 311 of the Congressional 

Budget Act of 1974, as amended. This is 

my final report for fiscal year 2008. 

This report shows the effects of congressional action through October 1, 

2008. Since my last report, dated September 12, 2008, the Congress has 

cleared and the President has signed 

P.L. 110–329, the Consolidated Security, 

Disaster Assistance, and Continuing 

Appropriations Act, 2009. The estimates of budget authority, outlays, 

and revenues used in this report are 

consistent with the technical and economic assumptions of S. Con. Res. 70, 

the 2009 budget resolution. 

The estimates show that current 

level spending is below the budget resolution by $5.2 billion for budget authority and $2.4 billion for outlays while 

current level revenues are above the 

budget resolution by $3 billion. 

I ask unanimous consent that the 

letter and accompanying tables from 

CBO be printed in the RECORD. 

There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the 

RECORD, as follows: 

U.S. CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, November 19, 2008. 

Hon. KENT CONRAD, 

Chairman, Committee on the Budget, 

U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The enclosed report 

shows the effects of Congressional action on 

the fiscal year 2009 budget and is current 

through October 1, 2008. This report is submitted under section 308(b) and in aid of section 311 of the Congressional Budget Act, as 

amended. 

The estimates of budget authority, outlays, and revenues are consistent with the 

technical and economic assumptions of S. 

Con. Res. 70, the Concurrent Resolution on 

the Budget for Fiscal Year 2009, as approved 

by the Senate and the House of Representatives. 

Since my last letter, dated September 11, 

2008, the Congress has cleared and the President has signed the Consolidated Security, 

Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009 (Public Law 110–329). Division B of the act provided $22.9 billion for 

disaster relief and recovery for 2008; the entire amount was designated as an emergency 

requirement pursuant to section 204(a) of S. 

Con. Res. 21. Amounts so designated are exempt from enforcement of the budget resolution. As a result, the enclosed current level 

report excludes these amounts (see footnote 

2 of Table 2 of the report). 

Sincerely, 

ROBERT A. SUNSHINE

(For Peter R. Orszag, Director). 

Enclosure. 

TABLE 1.—SENATE CURRENT LEVEL REPORT FOR SPENDING AND REVENUES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008, AS OF 

OCTOBER 1, 2008 

[In billions of dollars] 

Budget resolution 1

Current 

level 2

Current 

level over/ 

under (¥) 

resolution 

ON-BUDGET 

Budget Authority ...................... 2,456.2 2,451.0 ¥5.2 Outlays ..................................... 2,437.8 2,435.3 ¥2.4 Revenues .................................. 1,875.4 1,878.4 3.0 

OFF-BUDGET 

Social Security Outlays 3 .......... 463.7 463.7 0.0 Social Security Revenues ......... 666.7 666.7 0.0 

1 S. Con. Res. 70, the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 

2009, assumed $108.1 billion in budget authority and $28.9 billion in outlays for overseas deployment and related activities. The Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (P.L. 110–252) designated funding for these activities 

as an emergency requirement, pursuant to section 204(a) of S. Con. Res. 

21, the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2008. Such 

emergency amounts are exempt from the enforcement of S. Con. Res. 70. 

Since current level totals exclude the emergency requirements enacted in 

P.L. 110–252 (see footnote 2 of table 2), budget authority and outlay totals 

specified in S. Con. Res. 70 have also been reduced for purposes of comparison. 2 Current level is the estimated effect on revenue and spending of all legislation, excluding amounts designated as emergency requirements (see 

footnote 2 of table 2), that the Congress has enacted or sent to the President for his approval. In addition, full-year funding estimates under current 

law are included for entitlement and mandatory programs requiring annual 

appropriations, even if the appropriations have not been made. 3 Excludes administrative expenses of the Social Security Administration, 

which are off-budget, but are appropriated annually. 

SOURCE: Congressional Budget Office. 

TABLE 2.—SUPPORTING DETAIL FOR THE CURRENT LEVEL REPORT FOR ON-BUDGET SPENDING AND REVENUES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008, AS OF OCTOBER 1, 2008 

[In millions of dollars] 

Budget authority Outlays Revenues 

Previously Enacted 1

Revenues ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... n.a. n.a. 1,879,400 

Permanents and other spending legislation .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1,441,010 1,394,887 n.a. 

Appropriation legislation ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1,604,649 1,635,118 n.a. 

Offsetting receipts ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ¥596,805 ¥596,805 n.a. 

Total, Previously enacted ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2,448,854 2,433,200 1,879,400 

Enacted this session: 

Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (P.L. 110–252) 2 ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 0 7 0 

Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (P.L. 110–275) .................................................................................................................................................... 1,942 1,924 1 

Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (P.L. 110–289) 2 ............................................................................................................................................................................... 203 203 ¥968 

Higher Education Opportunity Act (P.L. 110–315) ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... ¥10 0 0 

2,135 2,134 ¥967 

Total Current Level 234 ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2,450,989 2,435,334 1,878,433 

Total Budget Resolution 5 .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2,564,237 2,466,678 1,875,401 

Adjustment to the budget resolution for emergency requirements 6 ......................................................................................................................................................................... ¥108,056 ¥28,901 n.a. 

Adjusted Budget Resolution ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 2,456,181 2,437,777 1,875,401 

Current Level Over Budget Resolution ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ n.a. n.a. 3,032 

Current Level Under Budget Resolution .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 5,192 2,443 n.a. 

SOURCE: Congressional Budget Office. 

Note: n.a. = not applicable; P.L. = Public Law. 

1 Includes the following acts that affect budget authority, outlays, or revenues, and were cleared by the Congress during this session, but before the adoption of S. Con. Res. 70, the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 

2009: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (P.L. 110–181), Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 (P.L. 110–185), Andean Trade Preference Extension Act of 2008 (P.L. 110–191), Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans 

Act of 2008 (P.L. 110–227), Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (P.L. 110–229), Strategic Petroleum Reserve Fill Suspension and Consumer Protection Act of 2008 (P.L. 110–232), Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (P.L. 

110–234), SAFETEA-LU Technical Corrections Act of 2008 (P.L. 110–244), and Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Act of 2008 (P.L. 110–245). 2 Pursuant to section 204(a) of S. Con. Res. 21, the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2008, provisions designated as emergency requirements are exempt from enforcement of the budget resolution. The amounts so 

designated for fiscal year 2008, which are not included in the current level total, are as follows: 

Budget authority Outlays Revenues 

Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (P.L. 110–252) ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 115,808 35,350 n.a. 

Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (P.L. 110–289) .................................................................................................................................................................................. 4,106 187 n.a. 

Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009 (P.L. 110–329) ................................................................................................................. 22,859 0 n.a. 

142,773 35,537 n.a. 

3 For purposes of enforcing section 311 of the Congressional Budget Act in the Senate, the budget resolution does not include budget authority, outlays, or revenues for off-budget amounts. As a result, current level excludes these items. 4 The scoring for P.L. 110–318, an act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to restore the Highway Trust Fund, does not change current level totals. P.L. 110–318 appropriated approximately $8 billion to the Highway Trust Fund. 

The enactment of this bill followed an announcement by the Secretary of Transportation on September 5, 2008, of an interim policy to slow down payments to states from the Highway Trust Fund. The Congressional Budget Office estimates 

that P.L. 110–318 will reverse this policy and restore payments to states at levels already assumed in current level. Thus, no change is required. 5 Periodically, the Senate Committee on the Budget revises the totals in S. Con. Res. 70, pursuant to various provisions of the resolution: 

Budget authority Outlays Revenues 

Original Budget Resolution ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2,563,262 2,465,711 1,875,392 

Revisions: 

For the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Fill Suspension and Consumer Protection Act of 2008 (SPR Act) (section 323(d)) ................................................................................. ¥950 ¥950 0 

For the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008 (Heroes Act) (section 323(d)) ........................................................................................................................ 0 0 8 

For adjustment to debt service for the SPR and Heroes acts (section 323(d)) .................................................................................................................................................. ¥7 ¥7 0 

For the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (sections 221(f) and 227) ................................................................................................................. 1,942 1,924 1 

For the Higher Education Opportunity Act (section 222) ...................................................................................................................................................................................... ¥10 0 0 


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S10634 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 19, 2008 

Budget authority Outlays Revenues 

Revised Budget Resolution ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2,564,237 2,466,678 1,875,401 6 S. Con. Res. 70 assumed $108,056 million in budget authority and $28,901 million in outlays for overseas deployment and related activities. The Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (P.L. 110–252) designated funding for these activities as an emergency requirement, pursuant to ’section 204(a) of S. Con. Res. 21. Such emergency amounts are exempt from the enforcement of S. Con. Res. 70. Since current level totals exclude the emergency requirements enacted in 

P.L. 110–252 (see footnote 2), budget authority and outlay totals specified in S. Con. Res. 70 have been reduced for purposes of comparison. 

SOURCE: Congressional Budget Office. 

Note: n.a. = not applicable; P.L. = Public Law. 

HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES 

CORPORAL SCOTT DIMOND

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I rise 

today to honor Cpl Scott Dimond of 

Franklin, NH. On Monday, October 13, 

2008, Corporal Dimond was tragically 

taken from us when his vehicle struck 

an improvised explosive device and his 

patrol was engaged in small-arms attack in Kandahar, Afghanistan. My 

deepest sympathy, condolences, and 

prayers go out to Scott’s family and 

loved ones who have suffered this 

grievous loss. At 39 nine years old, 

Scott will always be remembered as a 

dedicated citizen who consistently put 

others before himself. 

Scott enlisted in the U.S. Marine 

Corps during his senior year in high 

school but was medically discharged 

after a serious football injury. Still determined to serve his fellow citizens, 

Scott began a career in law enforcement. He served 18 years with the 

Franklin Police Department, retiring 

in 2006 as a sergeant. Upon his retirement, Scott’s unwavering determination to serve others remained. He enlisted in the New Hampshire National 

Guard while working toward a degree 

as a registered nurse, enabling Scott to 

assist others in a new way—the health 

care profession. To any observer, 

Scott’s professional pursuits will forever echo selflessness, sacrifice, and 

patriotism, and for that, we are eternally grateful. 

As a member of an embedded tactical 

training team, there is no doubt that 

Scott’s law enforcement background 

and his willingness to help others successfully contributed to the mentoring 

and strengthening of the Afghan army 

and police force, accelerating the eventual return of American military personnel from the battlefield. Consistent 

with the rest of his life, Scott routinely put his country and his fellow 

soldiers before himself. Because of his 

devotion and sense of duty, the safety 

and liberty of countless Americans is 

more secure. Unquestionably, Scott is 

a shining example of the highest caliber of person that New Hampshire, and 

this country, can produce. We are honored to speak of his contributions, spirit, and dedication. In the words of Daniel Webster—‘‘what a man does for others, not what they do for him, gives 

him immortality.’’ May God bless Cpl 

Scott Dimond, his family, and all those 

who are currently serving in uniform. 

f 

PROTECTIVE FORESTS AND 

WILDLIFE IN SUMATRA 

Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I want to 

take a moment to call attention to the 

recent action of the Government of Indonesia to preserve the endangered 

rain forests an ecosystems of Sumatra. 

On October 10, 2008, the Indonesian 

Government, in cooperation with the 

World Wildlife Fund, WWF, announced 

an agreement between the 10 provincial 

governors of Sumatra to protect biodiversity on the world’s sixth largest 

island. Although long overdue, this is 

an important first step towards conservation of a unique habitat at a critical time. 

Sumatra is the only place on Earth 

where tigers, elephants, rhinos, and 

orangutans co-exist. It has also gained 

a reputation for having lost almost 

half of its natural forest cover since 

1985. The rapid expansion of palm oil 

and pulpwood plantations, as well as 

rampant illegal logging, have been 

largely to blame. These activities have 

contributed to the precipitous decline 

in numbers of these endangered species, whose habitat has become a 

patchwork of disconnected small parcels of forest. 

This action to protect the forests is 

important not only for Indonesia but 

for the rest of the world. Thirteen percent of Indonesia’s remaining forests 

grow on peat soil, which emits large 

amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere when trees are felled. Further destruction of these forests will 

contribute to global warming at a time 

when we should be doing everything 

possible to reduce greenhouse gases. 

This agreement represents a significant change of attitude and policy, for 

which President Yudhoyono and his 

government deserve credit. Implementing the agreement will be difficult, requiring additional resources 

for alternative economic opportunities 

for people living in these areas, and for 

enforcement, and I urge the U.S. Agency for International Development and 

other donors to support it. 

f 

MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE 

CORPORATION 

Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, as Chairman of the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, I want to take a 

moment to speak about the budget of 

the Millennium Challenge Corporation, 

MCC. 

The fiscal year 2009 State and Foreign Operations bill, reported by the 

Appropriations Committee on July 18, 

2008, recommends $254 million for the 

MCC. Since this is substantially less 

than the $2 billion requested by the 

President, it was predictable that the 

Senate committee’s action would cause 

concerns among the MCC and many of 

its supporters, as well as governments 

that seek MCC funding. Those concerns 

have been expressed and I want to address them briefly today. While differences are inevitable in the legislative process, it is important that such 

differences not be based on a misunderstanding or confusion about the facts. 

During the past several months, I 

have heard that some of those who 

have complained about the Senate 

committee’s action have suggested 

that it was motivated by an antipathy 

towards the MCC and a desire to close 

it down or dramatically curtail its 

functions. That is incorrect. 

To begin with, we have commended 

the MCC for what it has accomplished 

since its inception 4 years ago. Several 

compacts are beginning to show tangible results, including the implementation of agriculture, infrastructure 

and other projects. Ambassador John 

Danilovich, the MCC’s CEO, has been a 

strong leader at a critical time, and I 

commend him as well as deputy CEO 

Rodney Bent. They have both done a 

fine job of representing the MCC, both 

here and abroad. 

Earlier this year, when the subcommittee was dividing up funds allocated to State and Foreign Operations, 

we faced many difficult choices. Our 

fiscal year 2009 allocation was $2 billion 

below the President’s budget request, 

and the President underfunded or failed 

to fund many critical programs of interest to both Democrats and Republicans. For example, he cut funding for 

family planning/reproductive health by 

over $100 million below the fiscal year 

2008 level. He cut the U.S. contribution 

to the global fund to fight AIDS, TB 

and malaria by $350 million. He shortchanged humanitarian relief programs, 

peacekeeping, democracy programs, 

environment and energy programs. 

There are many other examples. 

We also considered the fact that Congress had appropriated $7.5 billion for 

the MCC, and by July 18 only $235 million had been disbursed of which a significant portion was for administrative 

expenses. While we made clear that we 

were not advocating faster disbursements, we do not support additional 

compacts until more of the funds we 

have already appropriated produce sustainable results. 

Many compacts were slow getting off 

of the ground, in some cases because 

the MCC rightly insisted that governments make further refinements, or because the contracting process took 

longer than expected. These kinds of 

delays are predictable and do not reflect poorly on the MCC. Unfortunately, I have heard that some MCC 

personnel in country are being urged to 

disburse funds more quickly. As we 

have said before, this is not our intent, 

particularly if it risks short-cutting 

procurement guidelines or other safeguards, or otherwise negatively affects 

the quality of implementation of compacts. 

I do not know what the optimal rate 

of disbursement is for the MCC. It may 

be disbursing funds at the right rate. 


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