January 7, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S167 

holes force the wood into a tightly 

compact pellet shape that stores energy without wasting space. These pellets are extremely versatile and can be 

made from either hardwood or 

softwood. 

Once inside the boiler, the pellets are 

fanned in order to ensure maximum 

combustibility. Finally, the pellets are 

burned, generating heat that can be 

used as a home heating source. The 

boiler has already been approved by the 

Underwriters Laboratories and proven 

reliable by the American Society of 

Mechanical Engineers. In addition to 

their dependability, wood pellets are 

also environmentally friendly. 

The wood pellets have very little ash 

content. Unlike traditional log fires, 

burning pellets do not appear to create 

chimney deposits and in fact, burning 

wood pellets creates no visible smoke. 

The only byproduct left after burning 

is wood ash, which is actually beneficial to garden and lawn soil. Wood 

pellets are a local renewable resource, 

and many of the pellets used by Maine 

Energy Systems come from trees in the 

small Maine town of Athens. In this 

way, Maine’s abundant forests can help 

reduce our Nation’s dependence on foreign sources of energy, in particular 

Middle Eastern oil. The carbon footprint created by wood pellet burning 

stoves is only 28.6 lbs. per million British thermal units, which ranks as one 

of the most efficient ways to heat a 

home. 

Maine Energy Systems is at the vanguard of the ‘‘green’’ product revolution, creating a product that is beneficial to the environment, saves consumers money, and produces profits 

and jobs. Entrepreneurs in the purest 

sense of the word, Maine Energy Systems’ founders have provided our country a tremendous opportunity for a 

better future. I wish Les Otten, Dr. 

Harry ‘‘Dutch’’ Dressler, William 

Strauss, and Maine Energy Systems 

continued success as they help Mainers 

save money, energy, and the environment. 

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT 

A message from the President of the 

United States was communicated to 

the Senate by Mrs. Neiman, one of his 

secretaries. 

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EXECUTIVE MESSAGE REFERRED 

As in executive session the Presiding 

Officer laid before the Senate a message from the President of the United 

States submitting nominations which 

were referred to the Committee on 

Armed Services. 

(The nomination received today is 

printed at the end of the Senate proceedings.) 

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MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE 

At 12:16 p.m., a message from the 

House of Representatives, delivered by 

Mrs. Cole, one of its reading clerks, announced that the House has agreed to 

the following concurrent resolutions, 

without amendment: 

S. Con. Res. 1. Concurrent resolution to 

provide for the counting on January 8, 2009, 

of the electoral votes for President and Vice 

President of the United States. 

S. Con. Res. 2. Concurrent resolution extending the life of the Joint Congressional 

Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. 

The message also announced that the 

House has passed the following joint 

resolution, without amendment: 

S.J. Res. 3. Joint resolution ensuring that 

the compensation and other emoluments attached to the Office of Secretary of the Interior are those which were in effect on January 1, 2005. 

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MEASURES PLACED ON THE 

CALENDAR 

The following bills were read the second time, and placed on the calendar: 

S. 1. A bill to create jobs, restore economic 

growth, and strengthen America’s middle 

class through measures that modernize the 

Nation’s infrastructure, enhance America’s 

energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable 

health care, provide tax relief, and protect 

those in greatest need, and for other purposes. 

S. 2. A bill to improve the lives of middle 

class families and provide them with greater 

opportunity to achieve the American dream. 

S. 3. A bill to protect homeowners and consumers by reducing foreclosures, ensuring 

the availability of credit for homeowners, 

businesses, and consumers, and reforming 

the financial regulatory system, and for 

other purposes. 

S. 4. A bill to guarantee affordable, quality 

health coverage for all Americans, and for 

other purposes. 

S. 5. A bill to improve the economy and security of the United States by reducing the 

dependence of the United States on foreign 

and unsustainable energy sources and the 

risks of global warming, and for other purposes. 

S. 6. A bill to restore and enhance the national security of the United States. 

S. 7. A bill to expand educational opportunities for all Americans by increasing access 

to high-quality early childhood education 

and after school programs, advancing reform 

in elementary and secondary education, 

strengthening mathematics and science instruction, and ensuring that higher education is more affordable, and for other purposes. 

S. 8. A bill to return the Government to 

the people by reviewing controversial ‘‘midnight regulations’’ issued in the waning days 

of the Bush administration. 

S. 9. A bill to strengthen the United States 

economy, provide for more effective border 

and employment enforcement, and for other 

purposes. 

S. 10. A bill to restore fiscal discipline and 

begin to address the long-term fiscal challenges facing the United States, and for 

other purposes. 

S. 33. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue 

Code of 1986 with respect to the proper tax 

treatment of certain indebtedness discharged 

in 2009 or 2010, and for other purposes. 

S. 34. A bill to prevent the Federal Communications Commission from repromulgating 

the fairness doctrine. 

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MEASURES READ THE FIRST TIME 

The following bill was read the first 

time: 

S. 22. A bill to designate certain land components of the National Wilderness Preservation System, to authorize certain programs 

and activities in the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture, and 

for other purposes. 

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EXECUTIVE AND OTHER 

COMMUNICATIONS 

The following communications were 

laid before the Senate, together with 

accompanying papers, reports, and documents, and were referred as indicated: 

EC–221. A communication from the Program Analyst, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule 

entitled ‘‘Amendment of Class E Airspace; 

Big Spring, TX’’ ((Docket No. FAA–2008– 

0757)(Airspace Docket No. 08–ASW–13)) received in the Office of the President of the 

Senate on December 11, 2008; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. 

EC–222. A communication from the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works), 

transmitting, pursuant to law, a report relative to the economic benefits of recreational boating in the Great Lakes basin; 

to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. 

EC–223. A communication from the Assistant Administrator, Office of Administration 

and Resources Management, Environmental 

Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant 

to law, a report relative to the Agency’s 

competitive sourcing activities during fiscal 

year 2008; to the Committee on Environment 

and Public Works. 

EC–224. A communication from the Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, 

pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled 

‘‘2, 4–D, Bensulide, Chlorpyrifos, DCPA, 

Desmedipham, Dimethoate, Fenamiphos, 

Metolachlor, Phorate, Sethoxydim, 

Terbufos, Tetrachlorvinphos, and Triallate; 

Technical Amendment’’ (FRL–8393–9) received in the Office of the President of the 

Senate on January 5, 2009; to the Committee 

on Environment and Public Works. 

EC–225. A communication from the Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, 

pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled 

‘‘Air Quality Designations for the 2006 24- 

Hour Fine Particle (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standards’’ (RIN2060–AO02) 

received in the Office of the President of the 

Senate on January 5, 2009; to the Committee 

on Environment and Public Works. 

EC–226. A communication from the Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, 

pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled 

‘‘Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality 

Implementation Plans; Texas; Attainment 

Demonstration for the Dallas/Fort Worth 

1997 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area’’ 

(FRL–8758–7) received in the Office of the 

President of the Senate on January 5, 2009; 

to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. 

EC–227. A communication from the Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, 

pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled 

‘‘Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality 

Implementation Plans; Illinois and Indiana; 

Finding of Attainment for 1-Hour Ozone for 

the Chicago-Gary-Lake County, IL–IN Area’’ 

(FRL–8757–8) received in the Office of the 

President of the Senate on January 5, 2009; 

to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. 


smartinez on PROD1PC64 with SENATE