S6 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE January 6, 2009 

The concurrent resolution (S. Con. 

Res. 1) was agreed to, as follows: 

S. CON. RES. 

Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That the two Houses 

of Congress shall meet in the Hall of the 

House of Representatives on Thursday, the 

8th day of January 2009, at 1 o’clock post meridian, pursuant to the requirements of the 

Constitution and laws relating to the election of President and Vice President of the 

United States, and the President of the Senate shall be their Presiding Officer; that two 

tellers shall be previously appointed by the 

President of the Senate on the part of the 

Senate and two by the Speaker on the part of 

the House of Representatives, to whom shall 

be handed, as they are opened by the President of the Senate, all the certificates and 

papers purporting to be certificates of the 

electoral votes, which certificates and papers 

shall be opened, presented, and acted upon in 

the alphabetical order of the States, beginning with the letter ‘A’; and said tellers, 

having then read the same in the presence 

and hearing of the two Houses, shall make a 

list of the votes as they shall appear from 

the said certificates; and the votes having 

been ascertained and counted in the manner 

and according to the rules by law provided, 

the result of the same shall be delivered to 

the President of the Senate, who shall thereupon announce the state of the vote, which 

announcement shall be deemed a sufficient 

declaration of the persons, if any, elected 

President and Vice President of the United 

States, and, together with a list of the votes, 

be entered on the Journals of the two 

Houses. 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I move to 

reconsider the vote. 

Mr. MCCONNELL. I move to lay that 

motion on the table. 

The motion to lay on the table was 

agreed to. 

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EXTENDING THE LIFE OF THE 

JOINT CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE ON INAUGURAL CEREMONIES 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have another concurrent resolution at the desk 

and I ask it now be considered. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will report the concurrent resolution by title. 

The legislative clerk read as follows: 

A concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 2) extending the life of the Joint Congressional 

Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, the concurrent resolution is 

considered and agreed to. 

The concurrent resolution (S. Con. 

Res. 2) was agreed to, as follows: 

S. CON. RES. 2 

Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That effective from 

January 6, 2009, the joint committee created 

by Senate Concurrent Resolution 67 (110th 

Congress), to make the necessary arrangements for the inauguration, is hereby continued with the same power and authority provided for in that resolution. 

SEC. 2. Effective from January 6, 2009, the 

provisions of Senate Concurrent Resolution 

68 (110th Congress), to authorize the rotunda 

of the United States Capitol to be used in 

connection with the proceedings and ceremonies for the inauguration of the President-elect and the Vice President-elect of 

the United States, are continued with the 

same power and authority provided for in 

that resolution. 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I move to 

reconsider the vote. 

Mr. MCCONNELL. I move to lay that 

motion on the table. 

The motion to lay on the table was 

agreed to. 

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FIXING THE HOUR OF THE DAILY 

MEETING OF THE SENATE 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have a 

resolution at the desk and I ask it be 

considered. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will report the resolution by 

title. 

The legislative clerk read as follows: 

A resolution (S. Res. 3) fixing the hour of 

daily meeting of the Senate. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, the resolution is considered 

and agreed to. 

The resolution (S. Res. 3) was agreed 

to, as follows: 

S. RES. 3 

Resolved, That the daily meeting of the 

Senate be 12 o’clock meridian unless otherwise ordered. 

Mr. REID. I move to reconsider the 

vote. 

Mr. MCCONNELL. I move to lay that 

motion on the table. 

The motion to lay on the table was 

agreed to. 

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UNANIMOUS CONSENT 

AGREEMENT 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I send to 

the desk en bloc 12 unanimous consent 

requests and I ask for their immediate 

consideration en bloc; that the requests be agreed to en bloc, that the 

motion to reconsider the adoption of 

these requests be laid upon the table 

and that they appear separately in the 

record. 

Before the Chair rules, I would like 

to point out these requests are routine, 

done at the beginning of each new Congress, and they entail issues such as 

authority for the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to meet, authorizing the Secretary to receive reports at the desk, establishing leader 

time each day, and floor privileges for 

House Parliamentarians. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

The requests read as follows: 

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 

that for the duration of the 111th Congress, 

the Ethics Committee be authorized to meet 

during the session of the Senate. 

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 

that for the duration of the 111th Congress, 

there be a limitation of 15 minutes each upon 

any roll call vote, with the warning signal to 

be sounded at the midway point, beginning 

at the last 71⁄2 minutes, and when roll call 

votes are of 10-minute duration, the warning 

signal be sounded at the beginning of the 

last 71⁄2 minutes. 

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 

that during the 111th Congress, it be in order 

for the Secretary of the Senate to receive reports at the desk when presented by a Senator at any time during the day of the session of the Senate. 

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 

that the majority and minority leaders may 

daily have up to 10 minutes each on each calendar day following the prayer and disposition of the reading of, or the approval of, the 

Journal. 

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 

that the Parliamentarian of the House of 

Representatives and his five assistants be 

given the privileges of the floor during the 

111th Congress. 

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 

that, notwithstanding the provisions of rule 

XXVIII, conference reports and statements 

accompanying them not be printed as Senate 

reports when such conference reports and 

statements have been printed as a House report unless specific request is made in the 

Senate in each instance to have such a report printed. 

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 

that the Committee on Appropriations be authorized during the 111th Congress to file reports during adjournments or recesses of the 

Senate on appropriations bills, including 

joint resolutions, together with any accompanying notices of motions to suspend rule 

XVI, pursuant to rule V, for the purpose of 

offering certain amendments to such bills or 

joint resolutions, which proposed amendments shall be printed. 

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 

that, for the duration of the 111th Congress, 

the Secretary of the Senate be authorized to 

make technical and clerical corrections in 

the engrossments of all Senate-passed bills 

and resolutions, Senate amendments to 

House bills and resolutions, Senate amendments to House amendments to Senate bills 

and resolutions, and Senate amendments to 

House amendments to Senate amendments 

to House bills or resolutions. 

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 

that for the duration of the 111th Congress, 

when the Senate is in recess or adjournment, 

the Secretary of the Senate is authorized to 

receive messages from the President of the 

United States, and—with the exception of 

House bills, joint resolutions and concurrent 

resolutions—messages from the House of 

Representatives; and that they be appropriately referred; and that the President of 

the Senate, the President pro tempore, and 

the Acting President pro tempore be authorized to sign duly enrolled bills and joint resolutions. 

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 

that for the duration of the 111th Congress, 

Senators be allowed to leave at the desk 

with the Journal Clerk the names of two 

staff members who will be granted the privilege of the floor during the consideration of 

the specific matter noted, and that the Sergeant-at-Arms be instructed to rotate such 

staff members as space allows. 

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 

that for the duration of the 111th Congress, 

it be in order to refer treaties and nominations on the day when they are received from 

the President, even when the Senate has no 

executive session that day. 

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 

that for the duration of the 111th Congress, 

Senators may be allowed to bring to the desk 

bills, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions, and simple resolutions, for referral to 

appropriate committees. 

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ORDER OF BUSINESS 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I now have 

some brief remarks I am going to make 

of about 10 minutes. It is my understanding the Republican leader is going 


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