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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S153 

Vol. 155 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 No. 2 

Senate 

The Senate met at 11:30 a.m. and was 

called to order by the Honorable ROBERT P. CASEY, Jr., a Senator from the 

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 

PRAYER

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

Let us pray. 

Eternal God, You are the source of 

light and peace, and we praise You for 

giving us blessings far beyond what we 

deserve. Thank You for the blessings of 

freedom and a government that seeks 

to empower people with liberty. Thank 

You for blessing us with lawmakers 

who strive to know what is right and to 

do it. Thank You also for the gift of 

forgiveness, for You daily meet our 

need for moral and spiritual renewal. 

Lord, use our Senators today. Show 

them Your path and teach them Your 

ways. Keep them so completely under 

Your rulership that they will do justly, 

love mercy, and walk humbly with 

You. 

We pray in Your holy Name. Amen. 

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PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 

The Honorable ROBERT P. CASEY, Jr., 

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. 

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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 7, 2009. 

To the Senate: 

Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, 

of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby 

appoint the Honorable ROBERT P. CASEY, Jr., 

a Senator from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, to perform the duties of the Chair. 

ROBERT C. BYRD, 

President pro tempore. 

Mr. CASEY thereupon assumed the 

chair as Acting President pro tempore. 

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RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME 

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

leadership time is reserved. 

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MORNING BUSINESS 

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

Senate will proceed to a period of 

morning business, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes 

each. 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, are we in a 

quorum call? 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. No, we are not. The majority 

leader is recognized. 

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MEASURES PLACED ON THE CALENDAR—S. 1, S. 2, S. 3, S. 4, S. 5, 

S. 6, S. 7, S. 8, S. 9, S. 10, S. 33, 

and S. 34 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, it is my understanding there are 12 bills at the 

desk due for a second reading. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the bills by 

title for the second time. 

The legislative clerk read as follows: 

A bill (S. 1) 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. 

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

class families and provide them with greater 

opportunity to achieve the American dream. 

A bill (S. 3) 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. 

A bill (S. 4) to guarantee affordable, quality health coverage for all Americans, and 

for other purposes. 

A bill (S. 5) 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. 

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

A bill (S. 7) 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. 

A bill (S. 8) to return the Government to 

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

of the Bush Administration. 

A bill (S. 9) to strengthen the United 

States economy, provide for more effective 

border and employment enforcement, and for 

other purposes. 

A bill (S. 10) to restore fiscal discipline and 

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

other purposes. 

A bill (S. 33) 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. 

A bill (S. 34) to prevent the Federal Communications Commission from repromulgating the fairness doctrine. 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I object to 

any further proceedings with respect to 

these bills en bloc. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection is heard. The bills will 

be placed on the calendar en bloc. 

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MEASURE READ THE FIRST 

TIME—S. 22 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, S. 22 was 

introduced earlier today by Senator 

BINGAMAN. It is my understanding that 


smartinez on PROD1PC64 with SENATE