S10620 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 19, 2008 

Delaying is not acceptable. And so I 

ask all Senators, every Senator, to do 

the right thing for this country—your 

country, our country—and support this 

measure. 

Madam President, I ask unanimous 

consent to have printed in the RECORD

information related to rule XLIV of the 

Standing Rules of the Senate for title I 

of S. 3689. 

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

RECORD, as follows: 

CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING ITEMS 

Account Project Funding Member 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES 

Department of Agriculture: Farm Service Agency. ......... Agricultural crop disaster assistace .................................................................................................................... ........................ Senators Landrieu, Hutchison, and Vitter. 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT 

Department of Energy .................................................... Extend a certain cooperative agreement to carry out the FutureGen program .................................................. ........................ Senators Durbin and Bond 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT 

GSA ................................................................................. District of Columbia, DHS Consolidation and development of St. Elizabeths campus ...................................... $346,639,000 The President, Senators Lieberman and Collins 

Mr. BYRD. I yield the floor. I suggest 

the absence of a quorum. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will call the roll. 

The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. 

Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, 

I ask unanimous consent that the order 

for the quorum call be rescinded. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

f 

TRIBUTE TO SENATORS 

ELIZABETH DOLE

Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, 

it is my sad task today to say farewell 

to our friend, the Senator from North 

Carolina, ELIZABETH DOLE. It is hard to 

know where to begin with a woman 

who has done it all and is admired 

across America. 

There is an old saying that all politics is local. That is true even for the 

Senator from North Carolina, who was 

the first viable female candidate for 

President, held two different Cabinet 

positions, and worked for four Presidents. You see, ELIZABETH’s first campaign was for the presidency of her 

third grade Bird Club. She won that 

race. 

ELIZABETH began impressing many 

early on as she earned her bachelor’s 

degree from Duke University and both 

a master’s and a law degree from Harvard. Of the 550 members of her Harvard Law class, only 29 were women. 

From there, ELIZABETH went to the 

White House Office of Consumer Affairs, and then the Federal Trade Commission. In 1972, she met a Senator 

from Kansas when she lobbied him on a 

consumer-affairs issue. 

In 1975, ELIZABETH and Bob Dole were 

married in Washington Cathedral, creating one of the most prominent and 

successful partnerships in American 

public life. 

ELIZABETH later headed President 

Reagan’s Public Liaison Office, and 

then in 1983 became his Secretary of 

Transportation. She served for 41⁄2

years, longer than any previous transportation secretary at that time. And 

as transportation secretary, she was 

fond of pointing out that she was the 

first woman to ever head a branch of 

the Armed Services: the Coast Guard. 

When her husband Bob introduced 

ELIZABETH at her confirmation hearings, he displayed some of his trademark wit by remarking, ‘‘I only regret 

that I have but one wife to give for my 

country’s infrastructure.’’ 

When ELIZABETH had her turn at the 

microphone, she got him right back. 

She assured the committee that she 

knew all about airbags, because she 

had been driving around with one for 

years. 

In 1989, ELIZABETH became one of the 

few Americans honored to lead more 

than one Federal department by becoming the first President Bush’s Secretary of Labor. Among the highlights 

of her tenure there was playing a key 

role in resolving a bitter 11-month coal 

strike in southwest Virginia. 

I would even go so far as to say that 

ELIZABETH was the second-best Secretary of Labor this country’s ever 

had. 

ELIZABETH went on to become the 

president of the Red Cross, and revitalized that important institution. And of 

course, she became a familiar face to 

all Americans in 1996 when Bob became 

the Republican nominee for President 

of the United States, and when ELIZABETH blazed yet another trail in 2000 as 

the first viable female candidate for 

that same office. 

During her time here in the Senate, 

ELIZABETH used the same desk her husband used. From behind that desk, she 

has been a powerful advocate for her 

State and her country. 

North Carolinians can be proud of her 

record to strengthen our military and 

to support military personnel and veterans. She worked to craft a farm bill 

to benefit North Carolina agriculture. 

She has done much to address hunger 

in America, by championing tax incentives to encourage volunteerism and 

charitable giving, and through grant 

programs to benefit food banks and relief organizations. 

The ‘‘Dole’’ in the McGovern-Dole 

International Food for Education and 

Child Nutrition Program may be for 

her husband, Bob, as the program is 

named after him and former Senator 

George McGovern. But it was ELIZABETH DOLE who secured more than $400 

million for the McGovern-Dole program to go toward school-feeding and 

child-nutrition programs in the world’s 

poorest countries. 

Let me take this moment to say, on 

behalf of my wife Elaine and myself, 

that ELIZABETH and Bob have been dear 

friends of ours for many years. In fact, 

had it not been for ELIZABETH, Elaine 

probably never would have come to 

Washington in the first place, therefore 

I obviously never would have met her, 

so I feel a special obligation to—and 

thanks to—Senator DOLE for that. We 

value their friendship, and I know we 

will continue to do so for many years 

to come. 

ELIZABETH, I want to thank you for 

always bringing wisdom, grace and integrity to this chamber. Over decades 

of accomplishments in many prominent posts, you have served the people 

of America and of North Caroline extremely well. 

I know your constituents are proud, 

and Bob is proud, of your service. 

Elaine and I wish you both well in 

whatever the future has in store for 

you. And we look forward to hearing 

all about it. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Carolina is recognized. 

Mrs. DOLE. Madam President, I wish 

to express my deepest thanks for the 

very kind words of the distinguished 

‘‘gentleman’’ from Kentucky. I feel 

very close to this gentleman because 

we have been very good friends for so 

many years. Certainly your wife, 

Elaine Chao, who is doing a tremendous job as Secretary of Labor, has 

been a friend for many years. In fact, 

we worked together at the Department 

of Transportation as colleagues and 

then also when she was president of 

United Way and I was president of the 

American Red Cross. So our paths have 

continued to cross in terms of our professions but also in terms of personal 

relationships and the warmth and 

friendship. 

MITCH, I can’t tell you how proud I 

am of your leadership as the Republican leader, and I am so proud you 

have been reelected by your colleagues. 

You do a tremendous job. You are a 

master of the Senate. Through the 

years, you and I have had a chance to 

work together on many issues. Of 

course, it was my privilege early on—I 

believe in my first year in the Senate— 

to visit the University of Louisville 

and the McConnell Center for Political 

Leadership and to speak to the McConnell Scholars. That is just one of many 

things you are doing to help others 

outside the Senate as well as the tremendous work within the Senate. 

Just know I treasure your friendship. 

I look forward to being in close touch 


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November 19, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S10621 

and hope there will be many other initiatives on which we can work together, Elaine and Bob and I, in the 

years to come. Thank you so much for 

those most kind words wishing me 

well. I wish you all the very best. 

Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, 

you just witnessed the classic ELIZABETH DOLE. I came out here to do a 

tribute to her, and she turned around 

and did a tribute to me. This is, I 

would say, indicative of the way Senator DOLE has conducted herself in 

public life throughout her service. We 

are going to miss her in the Senate, 

but I know she will continue to make 

important contributions to our country. 

We revere your legacy and look forward to continuing our friendship in 

the coming years. 

Mrs. DOLE. Thank you so much. 

GORDON SMITH

Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, 

I rise with sadness to say goodbye to 

our friend the Senator from Oregon, 

GORDON SMITH. For 12 years, he has 

made the people of Oregon proud by 

serving as a model legislator: thoughtful, independent, and focused on getting results for our country and his 

State. 

GORDON heard the call to serve others 

early in life, becoming an Eagle Scout 

as a boy and taking a 2-year mission to 

New Zealand for his church. He earned 

his bachelor’s degree at Brigham 

Young University and his law degree at 

Southwestern University. 

He then bought back the family business, a frozen vegetable company, and 

transformed it into one of the largest 

and most profitable in the country. 

With GORDON’s departure, we are losing 

the Senate’s only member of the Frozen Food Hall of Fame. 

GORDON’s desire to serve led him to 

run for the Oregon State Senate in 

1992. His peers recognized the star in 

their midst when they elevated him 

first to minority leader, then to Senate 

president during his first term in office. 

GORDON then entered a special election to fill a vacant U.S. Senate seat. 

Election day fell in January 1996, and 

GORDON lost that race—the winner was 

our colleague, his fellow Senator from 

Oregon. 

But then GORDON did something no 

one else has ever done, and proved to 

the people of the Beaver State how 

much he cared about making sure 

every Oregonian’s voice was heard in 

Washington. 

He ran for the Senate again in the 

regularly scheduled election later that 

year, making him the only American 

in history to run for two Senate seats 

in the same year. The people of Oregon 

gave him their trust and GORDON has 

never let them down. 

Oregonians can rightfully be proud of 

his conservation record, as he championed legislation to successfully secure the protection of 170,000 acres of 

wilderness on Steen Mountain and the 

Bull Run watershed. 

While protecting our natural resources, he also understands the importance of the many working Oregonians 

who depend on his State’s natural resources for their livelihood. The foremost example of his work in that regard is his tireless effort to protect the 

farmers of the Klamath Basin area, and 

keep their agricultural lands in production. 

He has fought to lower the number of 

uninsured and drive healthcare costs 

down, and has been a tireless advocate 

for the disabled and mentally ill. 

He has sponsored legislation to 

strengthen the prosecution of child-exploitation cases, fought for new protections against Internet predators, and 

led the effort to increase funding for 

programs that help victims of rape, 

sexual assault and domestic violence. 

GORDON has also been a leading voice 

on issues of education, and has fought 

to secure rural schools throughout Oregon. And he has fought for lower 

taxes, so more Oregonians can keep 

more of what they earn. 

But there is one issue in particular 

where GORDON led the way in a very 

personal manner for a cause close to 

his heart. In 2003, GORDON’s son, Garrett, committed suicide just one day 

before his 22nd birthday. 

The torment a parent must feel after 

losing a child must be the worst horror 

imaginable. No amount of sympathy, 

no words, nothing any of us could do 

could possibly ease the pain in GORDON’s and his family’s hearts. 

Yet even in his grief, GORDON showed 

us the strength of his character when 

he wrote about his loss in his moving 

memoir, ‘‘Remembering Garrett.’’ And 

he channeled his sadness into successful legislation, the Garrett Lee Smith 

Memorial Act, to create screening programs to identify and help youths at 

risk for suicide. 

I’ll never forget his powerful words 

on behalf of that legislation in this 

very chamber. He said: 

[There’s] no owner’s manual to help you 

bury a child, especially when the cause is 

suicide. So I’ve committed myself to trying 

to find meaning in Garrett’s life. 

GORDON, with that brave act you prevented the tragedy of suicide from 

befalling countless other families. I 

can think of no more profound example 

of strength and leadership than that. 

Every Senator knows what a pleasure 

it is to work with GORDON. He believes 

we were sent here to find solutions, not 

confrontations. And for every day he 

has served in public office, finding solutions has been his goal. 

GORDON, it has been a privilege to 

work with you these many years, and 

to spend time with you and your wife 

Sharon. America is a stronger Nation 

thanks to your dedication and spirit of 

public service. Please don’t forget you 

have many friends here, and we all 

wish you well in your bright future. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. 

CANTWELL). The Senator from Oregon 

is recognized. 

Mr. SMITH. Madam President, I 

thank my leader, MITCH MCCONNELL. 

Winston Churchill observed that ‘‘Democracy is not always a polite employer.’’ That is the case in my reelection effort. Yet I feel nothing but gratitude to the people of my State. 

I acknowledge the wisdom of the people of Kentucky in your reelection and 

of the wisdom of my colleagues for 

electing you again as our leader. You 

are an articulate advocate for causes 

that I think are important for America 

not to forget in the coming days. It is 

one of the high privileges of my life 

that I have been able to serve with you 

as a friend and as a colleague. 

I thank you and I thank my Senate 

family, without respect to party, for 

the help that was given to Sharon and 

me at the most painful time of our 

lives—to find additional meaning in 

the life of our son by helping the sons 

and daughters of others. I hope and 

pray that my Senate colleagues, while 

I am gone, will not forget those who 

struggle with mental illness. I am so 

proud of Senator DOMENICI, Senator 

KENNEDY, and others who championed 

mental health parity. It has been a 

privilege to be on their team in this 

cause. It is a silent cause. It is one that 

does not get a lot of ink or much attention because America is still opening 

its mind to this important area of medicine. But we have blazed a new trail, 

and much of it was because of your 

leadership, sir. 

For the privilege of serving with you, 

of serving my State, of serving with 

these colleagues here, I thank God and 

I thank the State of Oregon and I say 

God bless America. 

Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, 

may I just add a word to my friend 

from Oregon. He has had an extraordinarily successful tenure here. In my 

view, I would say to my friend from Oregon, you can always look back on 

these 12 years with a sense of accomplishment. You have been a major 

player in this institution on a variety 

of different, extremely important matters that will affect each generation to 

come. So on behalf of all of our Republican colleagues, and I am sure on behalf of everyone in the Senate, I thank 

you for your extraordinary service. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader is recognized. 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, before the 

Senator leaves the floor—I am sorry I 

had to leave, I was called away from 

my desk—I wanted to say through the 

Chair to my friend GORDON SMITH that 

I, of course, watched all the election 

results very closely. But my wife 

watched one election result, and that 

was yours, because of the longstanding 

relationship she has with you and 

Sharon. The record is very clear of our 

longstanding friendship and our having 

had a similar experience with our loved 

ones following suicide. 

I am sorry I didn’t have more time to 

maybe write something out that may 

have been more meaningful, but I hope 

the Senator from Oregon will always 

understand the affection, respect, and 

admiration I have not only for what 


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S10622 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 19, 2008 

you did in your Senate service but for 

what you do in your personal life. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Connecticut is recognized. 

Mr. DODD. Let me say as well, I 

don’t have a prepared statement to 

make, either, but I want to tell my 

friend from Oregon how much I have 

enjoyed my work with him over the 

years on a number of very important 

issues dealing with the issue that the 

Senator can speak of not only with eloquence but with a great deal of passion, 

and that is the issue of mental illness. 

We were able to pass, in the waning 

days of our session, of course, the mental health parity bill. How important 

that was. PETE DOMENICI, TED KENNEDY, Paul Wellstone, and others 

worked on it, but GORDON SMITH was 

invaluable in that discussion. 

I enjoyed immensely my work with 

him during his two terms in the Senate. I will say to my friend, the good 

Lord is not through with you yet. 

There are a lot of things you can do for 

our country. You have done a lot already. So I hope you come back often 

and see us and know you have friends 

who care about you and cherish you 

very much. Although there is an aisle 

here that separates us politically, the 

aisle doesn’t exist when it comes to respect and admiration. In those terms, I 

am your seatmate in terms of my respect for you. I thank you for all you 

have done. 

JOHN SUNUNU

Mr. MCCONNELL. I also rise today to 

say farewell to the Senator from New 

Hampshire, JOHN SUNUNU. Although 

JOHN is the youngest Senator, he is one 

of our brightest. A reporter once wrote 

that one of JOHN’s fellow Senators said 

that if we were ever to lose JOHN, the 

rest of us would have to argue over who 

would be the smartest person in the 

Senate. But as long as we had JOHN

around, there was no argument. 

JOHN impressed people at a young 

age, earning both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mechanical engineering 

from MIT and an MBA from Harvard. 

He received real-world experience 

working as an engineer in jobs I daresay few of our colleagues could try to 

explain, myself included. 

Then one day a seat from New Hampshire in the House of Representatives 

opened up, and JOHN took a good long 

look at it. JOHN has never been the 

kind of man who felt he deserved a job 

on the public payroll. He did not crave 

the power and respect that came with 

holding office. Yet we are certainly 

thankful his great State has sent him 

here. 

Now, 12 years later, I think we can 

say with confidence that New Hampshirites could not have had a more 

dedicated and principled public servant. 

After 6 years of service in the House, 

New Hampshire sent JOHN to this 

Chamber in 2002. To reach the Senate, 

he had to face an incumbent Senator in 

the primary and then a sitting Governor in the general. Since then, JOHN

has compiled a record of which every 

citizen of the Granite State can be 

proud. 

A student of the free market, JOHN

strongly believes lower taxes promote 

growth and expand opportunities. That 

is why he fought so hard to extend the 

ban on taxes to access the Internet. 

That tax ban was signed into law, and 

it protects consumers from taxes on 

Internet access, e-mail, and instant 

messaging for 7 years. 

Just think, if online communications 

and commerce grow as rapidly over the 

next 7 years as they have over the past 

7, JOHN’s tax ban will not only have 

promoted economic growth, it will 

have spared countless small businesses 

and families from a tremendous burden. For that, he deserves all of our 

thanks. 

JOHN’s voice was one of the loudest 

to say that we must tackle tough 

issues now, such as entitlements and 

the future of Social Security. He stood 

up time and again, calling on Congress 

to reduce Government spending, expand telecommunications service to 

rural areas, and clean up air pollution. 

He also learned firsthand the principle that has made America great, our 

commitment to personal freedom. It is 

what this country was founded on. 

JOHN understands what makes America 

work is not what we do in this Chamber but what millions of Americans do 

every day for their families and communities. 

JOHN is a kind and compassionate 

man who is a joy to know. I remember 

well when the senior Senator from 

Pennsylvania underwent chemotherapy 

in 2005 as part of his treatment for 

Hodgkin’s disease. 

Like many chemotherapy recipients, 

the Senator from Pennsylvania’s hair 

fell out. In a generous act of solidarity 

with his colleague, JOHN shaved his 

head. That certainly took more commitment than sending a get-well card. 

But that is JOHN SUNUNU. 

JOHN, I am going to miss you. It has 

been an honor to work by your side 

over these past 6 years. It has been a 

joy to know you, your lovely wife 

Kitty, and your family. 

I want them and you to know that we 

in the Senate admire the depth of your 

convictions and the strength of your 

heart. I am sure that whatever the future holds for you, you will be a huge 

success. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire is recognized. 

Mr. SUNUNU. Madam President, I 

ask unanimous consent to speak for a 

few minutes in response to the very 

kind remarks of the Republican leader. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

Mr. SUNUNU. First, it is probably 

appropriate for me to note that the 

haircut that I now sport is an echo of 

that summer a couple of years ago 

when I cut my hair, or cut all of my 

hair, in tribute to the sacrifice and the 

celebration of the final chemotherapy 

treatment of Senator SPECTER. 

He underwent another round of 

chemo this past summer. In the middle 

of the campaign, I did not think it was 

appropriate to shave my head. So the 

day after the election, 2 weeks ago, I 

thought there was some pent-up demand in my own heart to remember 

those tough weeks for ARLEN SPECTER. 

So I was happy to go out and shave my 

head again. That is why it looks a little bit different than it might have 

during the campaign. 

The Republican leader has been very 

kind in his remarks. And I cannot help 

but note that I am a little bit too 

young to have anyone paying tribute 

to my career, as it were, in public service. I believe very strongly that you go 

out, you find work that you love, a job 

that teaches you great things, and if 

you have some opportunity to serve 

your community, your State, your 

country in public service, then you 

think seriously about that opportunity. 

That is how I came to the House and 

even my work in the Senate. I am 

going to have the opportunity to go 

back and do things that I find challenging being an engineer, coming out 

of a small business community. I know 

there are a lot of great challenges and 

opportunities that await. But I also 

know there may come another time 

when there is an opportunity to serve, 

and I will always take those opportunities very seriously. 

On election night, whether you win 

or lose, you always thank the people 

who matter most to you. You thank 

your family, you thank the people of 

the State of New Hampshire who have 

been good enough to give you the privilege to serve, but you also thank the 

people who made your work possible in 

the Senate, your colleagues. I cannot 

think of any colleague who has been 

more supportive and more helpful to 

me over the 6 years I have been in the 

Senate than Senator MITCH MCCONNELL

of Kentucky. 

The Senator mentioned my work on 

the Internet tax ban, but the Senator 

from Kentucky did not mention his 

own work. This was a case where it 

helped to have someone with Senator 

MCCONNELL’s leadership and experience 

because while I waited patiently in the 

midst of a reauthorization of the Amtrak bill, once we had the opportunity 

to offer amendments, I happened to be 

prepared with an amendment that 

would ban taxes on Internet access. 

And the leader from Kentucky just 

happened to be prepared with a motion 

to close debate on that amendment so 

we could finally get a vote. 

While that procedure may sound very 

arcane to people who may be listening 

to the Senate debate at home, it was 

absolutely essential in bringing that 

issue to a successful completion. So 

only by working closely with the Senator from Kentucky were we able to 

get that work done on the Internet tax 

ban. And it is perhaps the work that I 

am most proud of. I think it is the 

work I have been able to do in the Senate that will probably have the most 


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November 19, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S10623 

lasting economic impact. It is important to leave behind a record that you 

are proud of, but it is also maybe even 

more important to leave behind many 

fond memories of that work, fond 

memories of colleagues with whom you 

were able to spend time and, of course, 

fond memories of the friendships you 

were able to form, both with members 

of your own party and with those on 

the other side of the aisle. 

Perhaps what I am most proud of 

overall is that the pieces of legislation 

I was able to sponsor and pass, whether 

it was the Internet tax ban, civil liberties protection that we added under 

the PATRIOT Act, the Wilderness Act 

that protects 25,000 acres of the White 

Mountain National Forest, were all bipartisan pieces of legislation. That 

means a lot to me. 

I think it will serve me well in any 

future endeavors I undertake in public 

service. I thank Senator MCCONNELL, 

the Republican leader. 

Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, 

let me just say to my friend from New 

Hampshire, it has been a real privilege 

to serve with somebody of your intellect and ability. I know you are going 

to be a huge success. You have, as we 

discussed, a lot of your life left. I know 

you are going to be a huge success in 

the coming years, and I am looking forward to seeing more of you in the future. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland. 

f 

UNANIMOUS-CONSENT REQUEST— 

S. 3684 

Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, I 

ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of a bill I have at the desk which 

is the text of title VII of S. 3689 regarding the auto sales tax deduction, and 

further that the bill be read a third 

time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no 

intervening action or debate. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there 

objection? 

Mr. SUNUNU. I object. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard. 

Ms. MIKULSKI. It is my understanding I still have the floor? 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator has the floor. 

Ms. MIKULSKI. Boy, am I sorry that 

is the last act of JOHN SUNUNU in the 

Senate. I hope it is not the last thing. 

I feel so badly about people objecting 

to me bringing this up. Mine is a bipartisan bill that I thought maybe I would 

win, maybe I would lose, but at least 

we could bring it up and debate it and 

discuss it and vote on it. 

My bill was a straight-forward bill. 

My bill was to help save jobs in the 

automobile industry, from manufacturing, sales to service, to the little 

people who are the bookkeepers in our 

communities. 

My bill would give a tax deduction to 

someone who would buy a car in these 

6 weeks and they would be able to take 

a deduction of interest and sales tax. 

The total cost of my bill was $8 billion. 

But the cost of not doing my bill is 

going to be horrific. It is going to be 

absolutely horrific. I cannot get over 

how these economic conservatives have 

their ostrich heads in the quicksand of 

our economy. 

You know what is going to happen 

when our automobile industry goes 

down. Well, let them go. Well, I will 

tell you, we are going to lose $156 billion over the next 3 years in lost taxes, 

unemployment, and health care assistance. 

We are facing the possibility that 3 

million people could lose their jobs. 

But oh, no, we object. We object to debate. We object to discussion. We object to taking our ideas and putting 

them into the sunshine and being able 

to do what I thought you do in a democracy, vote ideas up or down. 

If I lose my bill in a vote, that is the 

way democracy works. But to move it 

through a parliamentary maneuver of 

something called, ‘‘I object,’’ I object 

to the objection. I have no idea why 

anyone would object to bringing up an 

idea that has bipartisan support to see 

if we could stimulate demand in the 

automobile industry. 

Well, I tell you what. Senator BARB

MIKULSKI is not the only one who objects. The American people object. And 

that is what they did when they walked 

into that voting booth on November 4 

and voted for change. They said: Yes, 

we can. They were objecting to what 

goes on in this institution and what 

has been going on in the White House 

for the last 8 years. 

They said: I object. And they voted. 

They objected and then they voted. 

And they object by their vote. There is 

a reason a political tsunami hit this institution. It is because of this continual way of throwing sand in the 

gears of democracy. So they said: I object. That is what the people said. 

So we can go through these parliamentary shenanigans. We can delay 

what we could do in the next 48 hours 

to get our economy going. But, oh, no. 

We are going to do it. The question 

is, are we going to do it today or are we 

going to do it 8 weeks from today? The 

longer we wait, the deeper and more 

prolonged the recession will be. Right 

now we could begin to not only turn 

the page but begin to turn the economy 

around. 

So those are the rules of the Senate. 

I signed up for the Senate, so I take the 

rules as they are. But I will tell you, I 

stand with the American people. I object. And I object to the objection. I am 

going to keep fighting this until we 

leave. It is my view we shouldn’t leave 

until we pass legislation to get this 

economy going. If we cannot do it this 

week, come back next week because 

the real turkeys will not be in our 

oven. The real turkeys will be close at 

hand. 

I yield the floor. 

UNANIMOUS-CONSENT REQUEST— 

S. 3656 

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I 

inform the Republican leader, I had arranged to do a unanimous-consent request when the Senator from Iowa 

could be on the floor. 

I ask unanimous consent the Finance 

Committee be discharged from further 

consideration of S. 3656, the Senate 

proceed to its immediate consideration, the bill be read a third time and 

passed, and the motion to reconsider be 

laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there 

objection? 

Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, I 

reserve the right to object. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is recognized. 

Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, 

throughout the years, the Committee 

on Finance has worked to safeguard 

and improve the programs under its jurisdiction, including the Medicare and 

Medicaid Programs. The Finance Committee has a unique expertise on these 

programs and is the only committee in 

a position to assess the possible effects 

of individual changes on all Social Security programs as a whole. Accordingly, it is essential that any legislative proposals impacting these programs be considered by the full Senate 

only after the Finance Committee conducts a thorough analysis of the issues 

involved and the potential solutions. 

I would like to bring up one example 

of how this bill needs scrutiny. There is 

a provision buried in here that would 

allow California to escape its responsibilities to ensure that illegal aliens 

are not getting Medicaid benefits to 

which they are not entitled. Do the 

American people support giving Medicaid to illegal aliens? I don’t think so. 

Simply bypassing the committee process with legislation on complex issues 

runs contrary to how this body should 

function. In fact, as my friend from 

New York is aware, Congress already 

had extensive debate and enacted a 

Medicare bill already earlier this year. 

That bill was authored by the chairman of the Finance Committee. So the 

Senate and the full Congress have already had extensive Medicare debate 

this year. The Senator from New York, 

as a member of the Finance Committee, had ample opportunity to raise 

the issues earlier this year that he now 

raises in a bill he wants to bring up 

right now. So regardless of the merits 

of the Senator’s proposal, I believe that 

ship has set sail. 

I have a more extensive statement on 

the provisions themselves. Some of 

them, I want the Senator from New 

York to understand, I actually support, 

and I oppose some, obviously. Perhaps 

we can work together on some of these 

issues where we agree, if the Senator is 

interested. Today, however, I am forced 

to object to the Senator’s consent request. 

Notwithstanding the significant jurisdictional and process issues I just 


rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with SENATE