Congressional Record UNUM

E PLURIBUS

United States

of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 110th

 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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S10681 

Vol. 154 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2008 No. 177 

Senate 

The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was 

called to order by the Honorable MARK

L. PRYOR, a Senator from the State of 

Arkansas. 

PRAYER

The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, offered the following prayer: 

Let us pray. 

Lord of creation, You establish day 

and night and the orderly movements 

of the seasons. That same Providence 

orders the lives of our Senators, our 

Nation, and our world. As our lawmakers seek to do what is right, give 

them the wisdom to discern what is 

best. Show them the pitfalls to avoid 

and the opportunities to seize. Keep 

them from becoming weary in their 

pursuit of Your purposes as they remember Your promise to bring a bountiful harvest. May they cling to the enduring principles of Your truth that 

will lead them to their desired destination. 

We pray in Your wonderful Name. 

Amen. 

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PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 

The Honorable MARK L. PRYOR 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. 

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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. BYRD). 

The legislative clerk read the following letter: 

U.S. SENATE, 

PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, 

Washington, DC, November 20, 2008. 

To the Senate: 

Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, 

of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby 

appoint the Honorable MARK L. PRYOR, a 

Senator from the State of Arkansas, to perform the duties of the Chair. 

ROBERT C. BYRD, 

President pro tempore. 

Mr. PRYOR 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. 

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SCHEDULE 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, following 

leader remarks the Senate will proceed 

to a period of morning business. Senators will be allowed to speak for up to 

10 minutes each. 

Following morning business, the Senate will resume the motion to proceed 

to H.R. 6867, which is the emergency 

unemployment compensation legislation. Yesterday, cloture was filed on 

that motion to proceed to the measure. 

Senators will be notified when a vote is 

scheduled. Senators should be prepared 

for a rollcall vote today—or maybe 

votes. 

We are in a situation where we do not 

know, procedurally, what we are going 

to be able to accomplish today. This 

doesn’t ripen until tomorrow. So we 

could pass unemployment compensation legislation today, to give relief to 

people who are desperately in need of 

these checks. But we may not be able 

to do that until tomorrow. We hope 

that at least on this measure we would 

be able to get consent to pass this. 

After that, we have some procedural 

roadblocks. I have spoken to a number 

of Senators today. Of course, the desire 

is we complete all of our actions until 

we come back on January 6, but that 

may not be possible. We have the 

Thanksgiving recess. I have had calls 

from staff and Senators. They are having trouble making new arrangements, 

if, in fact, we have any to be made. So 

it may be necessary that we come back 

after Thanksgiving. I have not had an 

opportunity to converse with my Republican counterpart, but I will do 

that. I have a meeting scheduled later 

today with the Speaker. 

Everyone stay tuned, and we will do 

the very best we can to let Senators 

know where we are at any given time. 

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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 for up to 1 hour, with 

Senators permitted to speak therein 

for up to 10 minutes each. 

The Senator from Oklahoma is recognized. 

Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I ask 

unanimous consent to be recognized in 

morning business for whatever time I 

shall consume. 

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

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BAILOUT DEMANDS 

Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, Americans are once again being asked to foot 

the bill for yet another very urgent 

bailout, as it is termed. In October, 

Congress voted for an unprecedented 

$750 billion bailout of Wall Street. Now 

much of the same alarmist rhetoric is 

being employed to pressure Members to 

act quickly. 

The latest bailout demand making 

the rounds of Washington is for the Big 

Three in the auto industry. The Democrats would have you believe the proposed bailout is all about saving jobs. 

But having been in Washington long 


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