Congressional Record UNUM

E PLURIBUS

United States

of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 111th

 CONGRESS, FIRST 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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S275 

Vol. 155 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2009 No. 6 

House of Representatives 

The House was not in session today. Its next meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 13, 2009, at 12:30 p.m. 

Senate 

MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2009 

The Senate met at 2 p.m. 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, from whom, through 

whom, and to whom all things exist, 

shower Your blessings upon our Senators. Give them special wisdom, 

strength, and clarity to meet today’s 

daunting challenges. Enable them to 

hear with objectivity and respond with 

integrity as they comprehend their individual and collective responsibility. 

Keep them uncluttered by selfish interests and parochial concerns as they 

strive to serve You and country. Lord, 

make them exemplary models of the 

highest and finest in faithful, loyal, 

and dedicated leadership. 

We pray in the name of Him who is 

Lord of history. 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. 

f 

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, January 12, 2009. 

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. 

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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, there will be a period 

of morning business for up to 1 hour, 

with the time designated for tributes 

to the Republican leader. 

Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of the 

motion to proceed to S. 22. This is 

postcloture. A rollcall vote will not be 

necessary to adopt the motion to proceed. I appreciate Dr. COBURN allowing 

us to do that. There will be no votes 

during today’s session of the Senate. 

f 

TRIBUTE TO SENATOR MITCH 

MCCONNELL 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, for more 

than 25 years, the State of Kentucky 

was represented in the Senate of the 

United States by a terrific man and a 

great legislator, Wendell Ford. 

Senator Ford was known by all as a 

moderate, deeply respected by both 

sides of the aisle for putting progress 

ahead of politics. Senator Ford, some 

said, was not flashy. He did not seek 

the limelight. He was quietly effective 

and calmly deliberative. 

In 1991, Senator Ford was elected by 

his colleagues to serve as Democratic 

whip, the No. 2 position in the caucus. 

For 8 years, he struck the perfect balance as an advocate for Kentuckians 

and also a national Democratic leader. 

When Senator Ford retired from the 

Senate in 1998, I had the honor of replacing him as the Democratic whip. 

Wendell Ford is not only a genuine 

Kentucky legend, he is a wonderful 

man, and I continue to enjoy his visits 

back to Washington, DC. 

Until this week, Senator Ford was 

the longest serving Senator in the history of the State of Kentucky. We have 

had some outstanding Senators from 

the State of Kentucky. 

Now that honor belongs to my friend, 

the Republican leader, MITCH MCCONNELL. 

Senator MCCONNELL came to the Senate 2 years after I came to Congress. In 

1984, he was elected to the Senate in a 

historic election still famous for its advertising—the most memorable of the 

spots featuring some real bloodhounds, 

always in search of the opponent of 

MITCH MCCONNELL, the incumbent Senator from Kentucky. Today, if you go 

to a seminar on politics, almost always 

they will show that ad as being one of 


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