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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S633 

Vol. 155 WASHINGTON, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2009 No. 10 

Senate 

The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was 

called to order by the Honorable SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, a Senator from the 

State of Rhode Island. 

PRAYER

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

Let us pray. 

Almighty God, help of the ages past, 

hope for the years to come. Today, give 

our Senators special gifts of wisdom 

and understanding that they may uphold what is right and follow what is 

true. As they pursue Your purposes, 

make them instruments of justice and 

peace who foster mutual understanding 

and cooperative endeavors. Lord, help 

them to remember that our times are 

in Your Hands, for You are the light 

that never fails and the life that never 

ends. In all their relationships, private 

and public, lead them in the paths of 

righteousness, for Your Name’s sake. 

Daily renew in them a sense of joy. 

We pray in Your great Name. Amen. 

f 

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 

The Honorable SHELDON WHITEHOUSE

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 assistant legislative clerk read 

the following letter: 

U.S. SENATE, 

PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, 

Washington, DC, January 16, 2009. 

To the Senate: 

Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, 

of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby 

appoint the Honorable SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, 

a Senator from the State of Rhode Island, to 

perform the duties of the Chair. 

ROBERT C. BYRD, 

President pro tempore. 

Mr. WHITEHOUSE thereupon assumed the chair as Acting President 

pro tempore. 

f 

RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY 

LEADER 

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

f 

SCHEDULE 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, today the 

Senate will be in a period of morning 

business, with Senators allowed to 

speak for up to 10 minutes each. Senator SALAZAR will be recognized to 

speak up to whatever time he wishes to 

take. 

At 11 o’clock today, Senator-appointee TED KAUFMAN, will become a 

Senator, replacing Vice President-elect 

BIDEN, from the State of Delaware. 

There will be no rollcall votes today. 

When the Senate convenes on Tuesday 

afternoon after the inauguration, we 

hope to clear a number of President 

Obama’s nominations, but we do not 

expect any rollcall votes. If any nominations require votes, we will schedule 

them for the next day. 

Yesterday, we were able to adopt the 

motion to proceed to the Lilly 

Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. We have one 

amendment pending to the bill. Additional amendments are expected to be 

offered and debated. We hope to finish 

the bill on Wednesday. 

I have spoken to a number of Senators, both on the Democratic side and 

Republican side. We are not encouraging amendments, but certainly we 

are not discouraging amendments. As 

to anyone who cares to offer an amendment, they should be prepared to do 

that. We asked for people to be ready 

to offer some today, and we did not 

have any takers. But we would hope 

Wednesday people would be here bright 

and early to start offering amendments. There will be rollcall votes on 

Wednesday. 

f 

TRIBUTE TO SENATOR KEN 

SALAZAR 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, in a few 

minutes, Senator SALAZAR will rise to 

give his final speech on the floor of the 

Senate. Parting is with such sweet sorrow. I have such great respect for this 

man we call KEN SALAZAR. 

I spoke yesterday regarding Senator 

BIDEN, who will become Vice President 

of the United States next Tuesday. I 

also spoke about Senator CLINTON who, 

after her confirmation, will become 

Secretary of State. The accomplishments of Senators BIDEN and CLINTON

are well known—two great Americans. 

The accomplishments and life of KEN

SALAZAR are less known but no less remarkable; in fact, in most instances 

more remarkable. 

KENNETH LEE SALAZAR is a fifth-generation Coloradan and a twelfth-generation American. His family is a remarkable story about what America is 

all about. His family settled in New 

Mexico 400 years ago and moved to 

Colorado’s San Luis Valley in the middle of the 19th century, claiming some 

of the region’s first water rights. 

KEN SALAZAR grew up farming and 

ranching the same Colorado land his 

ancestors had for hundreds of years. 

This is real rural America, 300 miles 

from Denver. The ranch did not have 

electricity until 1982—no telephone, no 

television. Senator SALAZAR and his 

seven brothers and sisters were born to 

two American patriots. His mom 

Emma traveled to Washington by herself as a 19-year-old girl to do her thing 

in World War II. She went to work in 

the War Department here in Washington, DC, while KEN’s father Henry 

joined the military and became a staff 

sergeant. He was so proud of that service in the military that he asked, when 


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