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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S353 

Vol. 155 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2009 No. 8 

Senate 

The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was 

called to order by the Honorable BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, a Senator from the 

State of Maryland. 

PRAYER

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

Let us pray. 

O Lord of the storm and the calm, 

the troubled sea and the quiet brook, 

give the Members of this body the perseverance to meet today’s challenges. 

Help them as they find common ground 

and adapt themselves to the surprises 

each day can bring. Remind them that 

life is real and often difficult and that 

they need You in every season of their 

sojourn. Save them from being so preoccupied with the difficulties that they 

cannot see all the opportunities about 

them. Lord, help them to not run 

ahead of You or to lag behind. Instead, 

may they walk with You, at Your pace, 

in Your timing, and toward Your goals. 

We pray in Your strong Name. Amen. 

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PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 

The Honorable BENJAMIN L. CARDIN

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 assistant legislative clerk read 

the following letter: 

U.S. SENATE, 

PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, 

Washington, DC, January 14, 2009. 

To the Senate: 

Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, 

of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby 

appoint the Honorable BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, 

a Senator from the State of Maryland, to 

perform the duties of the Chair. 

ROBERT C. BYRD, 

President pro tempore. 

Mr. CARDIN 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, the Senate will resume 

consideration of the wilderness bill, S. 

22, with the time until 10:30 a.m. equally divided between the leaders or their 

designees. The Democratic time is 

given to Senator BINGAMAN of New 

Mexico. At 10:30 a.m., the Senate will 

proceed to a rollcall vote on the motion to invoke cloture on S. 22. The filing deadline for second-degree amendments is 10 a.m. this morning. 

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RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY 

LEADER 

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

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ECONOMIC RESCUE PLAN 

Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, 

many of us originally supported the 

economic rescue plan because we recognized we needed to act immediately 

to prevent an economic disaster. 

I heard from a lot of Kentuckians 

last fall who were hurting and wanted 

the Government to help, and I am still 

hearing from many small business owners and others across Kentucky who 

still need help. But those same Kentuckians are quick to call for assurances that whatever the Federal Government does should be undertaken 

with the assurance that taxpayer 

money will be spent wisely and will actually stimulate economic growth. 

The American people have questions 

and so does Congress. We want assurances that if we decide to release additional funding, this money will not be 

wasted, that it will not be used for industry-specific bailouts that some 

House Democrats are already requesting. 

We will be receiving briefings from 

the new President’s team later today, 

and we look forward to hearing from 

them; that is, my Republican team. I 

know the new President was up here 

yesterday talking to the Democrats. 

While I feel strongly we must continue to stabilize the economy, I would 

find it exceedingly difficult to support 

use of additional taxpayer funds without serious assurances from the incoming administration that the taxpayers 

will be protected. 

I yield the floor. 

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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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DESIGNATING CERTAIN LAND 

COMPONENTS OF THE NATIONAL 

WILDERNESS PRESERVATION 

SYSTEM 

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

Senate will resume consideration of S. 

22, which the clerk will report by title. 

The assistant legislative clerk read 

as follows: 

A bill (S. 22) to designate certain land as 

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. 

Pending: 

Reid amendment No. 15, to change the enactment date. 


rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with SENATE