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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S10789 

Vol. 154 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2008 No. 183 

House of Representatives 

The House was not in session today. Its next meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 9, 2008, at 11 a.m. 

Senate 

MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2008 

(Legislative day of Thursday, November 20, 2008) 

The Senate met at 3 p.m., on the expiration of the recess, and was called to 

order by the Honorable JIM WEBB, a 

Senator from the Commonwealth of 

Virginia. 

PRAYER

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

Let us pray. 

Almighty God, Your joy in our heart 

promised us to praise You. Thank You 

for the opportunity to serve You and 

country. Thank You for unsung heroes 

and heroines on Capitol Hill, staffers 

and others who work diligently and 

skillfully to safeguard our freedom. Remind them that You see their faithfulness and will reward their dedication. 

May their faithfulness produce a harvest that will bring deliverance and security to our Nation and the world. 

Lord, during this season of anticipation and appreciation, transform our 

gratitude into unselfish service. May 

our service to humanity be a candle 

that will dispel darkness and illuminate the road ahead. 

We pray in the Name of the Light of 

the World. Amen. 

f 

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 

The Honorable JIM WEBB 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. 

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, December 8, 2008. 

To the Senate: 

Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, 

of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby 

appoint the Honorable JIM WEBB, a Senator 

from the Commonwealth of Virginia, to perform the duties of the Chair. 

ROBERT C. BYRD, 

President pro tempore. 

Mr. WEBB thereupon assumed the 

chair as Acting President pro tempore. 

f 

RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY 

LEADER 

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

f 

SCHEDULE 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, following 

leader remarks, the Senate will proceed to a period of morning business 

with Senators allowed to speak for up 

to 10 minutes each. We will be in a period of morning business for up to 1 

hour. 

AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY LOAN 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I can say 

with certainty that not one of the 100 

Members of the Senate approaches the 

work ahead of us this week with a 

sense of glee. 

The past American century has been 

defined, in no small part, by the manufacturing ingenuity, raw power, and 

limitless possibilities embodied by our 

automobile industry. 

Packard, Nash, Studebaker, Hudson, 

Plymouth, they are all gone. There are 

others. Ford, General Motors, and 

Chrysler are American icons. Yet we 

now see that all three teeter on the 

brink of collapse, due in no small part 

to their own ineptitude. 

Although the blame for this desperate state falls squarely on the 

shoulders of those who run the Big 

Three, the consequences of their failures could broadly impact our entire 

country. The jobs of millions of American workers are at stake, along with 

the financial security of millions of 

families. So while we take no satisfaction in loaning taxpayer money to 

these companies, we know it must be 

done. 

Today, the stock market, which will 

be open for a few minutes more, a little 

over an hour, today was up by more 

than 300 points as I walked into the 

Chamber today. Why? Because Congress is trying to save Detroit. We 

must act, not to reward the executives 

of the Big Three for their failures but 

to invest in the millions of Americans 

who could face the consequences of 

their failures. 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with SENATE