S10822 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 9, 2008 

proceedings with respect to these bills. 

I do it en bloc. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered. The measures will be placed on 

the calendar under rule XIV. 

f 

RECOGNITION OF THE 

REPUBLICAN LEADER 

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

f 

AUTO INDUSTRY REVIVAL 

Mr. MCCONNELL. The auto industry 

is vitally important to our Nation’s 

economy, and it is vitally important to 

my home State. This is not in dispute. 

The question before us is how to reverse the decline of some of those automobile manufacturers after decades of 

complicity between management and 

labor. 

I understand congressional Democrats sent a revised proposal to which 

the majority leader referred, to the 

White House late last night. We will reserve our judgment until we see the 

latest text. But the proposal we saw 

yesterday afternoon fails to achieve 

our goal of securing long-term viability of ailing auto companies. 

I wish to support a bill that revives 

this industry. But I will not support a 

bill that revives the patient with taxpayer dollars, yet does not secure a 

commitment that the patient will 

change its ways so future help is not 

needed. To do so would be a betrayal of 

the millions of hardworking taxpayers 

who are not at fault for the troubles in 

the auto industry. It would be unfair to 

the millions of Americans who depend 

on these companies. 

On the management side, the draft 

plan released yesterday fails to require 

the kind of serious reform that will ensure long-term viability for struggling 

automobile companies. By giving the 

Government the option of cancelling 

Government assistance in the event 

that reforms are not achieved, rather 

than requiring it, we open the door to 

unlimited Federal subsidies in the future. 

Instead, we should demand management make the tough choices that are 

required for long-term viability. This 

is the only fair approach from the 

standpoint of the taxpayer who is footing the bill. On the labor side, this bill 

proposal fails to require any serious reform of legacy costs. Indeed, it states 

explicitly that one of its purposes is to 

preserve the same retirement and 

health care benefits that have made 

these companies so uncompetitive. 

It is delusional to expect a company 

that spends $71 per labor hour to compete with a company in a neighboring 

State that spends $49 per labor hour. In 

short, this proposal is deeply flawed because it fails to assure taxpayers, who 

rightly expect us to be good stewards 

of their hard-earned money, that they 

will not be asked to shell out billions 

more in a few years or even a few 

months from now. 

Now, there are times when help is 

needed. But one thing most people expect when they are asked for help is 

that the one asking makes a commitment to change. This proposal does not 

go nearly far enough. It holds neither 

management nor labor truly accountable. 

In areas where one side is held accountable, the other side is not. One 

example is a provision that requires 

automakers to drop all legal challenges 

to State fuel economy standards that 

are inconsistent with the Federal 

standard. Where is the offer from our 

friends on the other side to call on environmental groups to drop their lawsuits? 

Democrats say they want to solve 

this problem as much as we do. Yet 

they seem all too eager to tip the 

scales to the detriment of the manufacturers. Look, there is plenty of blame 

to go around for the problems that ail 

the auto industry, but fixing half of a 

problem is not a real solution. 

Any successful proposal would force 

companies to reform, either inside of 

bankruptcy or outside of bankruptcy. 

Without that mandate, there can be no 

real expectation of reform. A good proposal would force automakers to get 

control of their benefit costs. A good 

proposal would make wages of struggling companies competitive with 

other automakers, not tomorrow but 

today. A good proposal would end the 

practice of paying workers who do not 

work. A good proposal would rationalize dealer networks. 

Just as struggling airlines adjust 

their capacity to respond to market 

conditions, automakers must respond 

to market demands as well. I regret 

that the proposal Republicans saw yesterday afternoon does not do enough to 

fix the whole problem. It subsidizes it. 

A real solution must protect the taxpayers by forcing the changes needed 

to put these companies on the path to 

long-term success. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader. 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, the lifeline 

we throw to Detroit has to be one that 

gets them to shore, not part way to 

shore. That is why I indicated in my 

opening statement that during the 

night there has been a lot of give-andtake between the White House and the 

two banking committees. 

As I reported earlier, I think there 

are only two major issues that are still 

outstanding, and I am confident and 

hopeful they can be resolved in the 

next few hours. 

The issue before us is, what can we 

do to stabilize an industry that has direct impact upon 2.5 million jobs in 

this country. The mere fact that we 

were trying to work something out 

yesterday caused the stock market to 

go up almost 300 points. The American 

people want us to try to resolve this 

issue. 

But my friend is right. As strongly 

connected as I am to organized labor, it 

cannot be a one-sided proposal that is 

brought before the Senate. I am confident it will not be. I have talked to 

the Big Three operators. Some are held 

in low repute. But that withstanding, I 

think we are in a situation now where 

we all have to kind of join hands, recognize that this is going to be a compromise, we are going to try to work 

something out. That is what legislation is all about, the art of compromise 

and consensus building. That is where 

we are now. As I indicated, I think we 

are very close to having something 

that I think we can bring before the 

body sometime today. 

Mr. President, I suggest the absence 

of a quorum. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll. 

The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. 

Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I ask 

unanimous consent that the order for 

the quorum call be rescinded. 

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

f 

RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the 

leadership time is reserved. 

f 

MORNING BUSINESS 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, there 

will now be a period for the transaction 

of morning business until 12 noon, with 

Senators permitted to speak therein 

for up to 10 minutes each. 

The Senator from Pennsylvania is 

recognized. 

f 

HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES 

FALLEN PENNSYLVANIANS

Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, as we 

bring the 110th Congress to a close, our 

Nation confronts a daunting set of 

challenges. While we face the gravest 

crisis, perhaps, since the Great Depression, we must also remember that we 

are a nation at war. From Iraq to Afghanistan, from the Pacific to Europe 

and countless places in between, American service men and women are proudly carrying out their duties to protect 

our country and our way of life. Under 

stressful conditions and the constant 

threat of danger, members of our 

Armed Forces do what it takes to get 

the job done every day. 

During this holiday season, I wish to 

take a moment to express my gratitude 

to our servicemembers. Their personal 

courage and honor should not be taken 

for granted but genuinely appreciated. 

I know that is the sentiment of the 

Senate on both sides of the aisle. 

Today, on behalf of my family, the 

people of Pennsylvania, and people 

throughout the country, I thank the 

members of our armed services and 

their families, especially those who 


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