[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 128 (Saturday, October 9, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10925-S10926]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
THE SABBATH
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I am not going to show any disrespect for
the distinguished leader, majority leader, who is talking right now, so
I will wait until he is finished.
I was saying, I thank the distinguished majority leader for listening
to what I am saying. I will be brief. I am not sure I will use 5
minutes.
Mr. President, in my office hangs the Ten Commandments. We have heard
a lot about the Ten Commandments in recent years. I believe in the Ten
Commandments. I believe we ought to respect those commandments, one of
which says:
Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy.
I am not saying I am a good man. My Bible says that no man is good.
No man is good. But I think we ought to show some respect to those
Christians in the body, and in our country, and many people who are not
Christians, our Jewish friends, who believe in the Ten Commandments. As
a matter of fact, the Ten Commandments originate, as we know, at the
time when Moses went up on Mount Sinai and was given the tablets by God
himself, by the Almighty himself. So we believe that.
I am a Christian. I may not be the best one around. I don't claim to
be. But I do claim to be a Christian. I believe that way, and I believe
that we ought to observe the Ten Commandments. I think that this body,
as the greatest legislative body in the world, together with the other
body, in particular should set an example of respecting the various
religions that make up our Nation. That is why I take the floor today.
I think we are setting a bad example. I don't think we are showing
proper respect to Christians in our country, and all over the world,
for that matter, by publicly failing to observe that Commandment, that
we keep the Sabbath Day holy and remember it.
I want to say I am protesting the fact that we are going to have a
vote on tomorrow. I told my leadership I had hoped we wouldn't have
votes on tomorrow. I also offered to say, Well, it is fine to have
votes after sundown. The old Sabbath ran until sundown. Let's have any
votes after sundown. If we have to have votes, let's have them after
sundown. I asked my leaders to consider that. They did, and for various
reasons they decided not to--that we had to have the vote.
I have to say as majority leader, when I was majority leader, I could
have easily put this vote over to Monday simply by adjourning and not
coming in tomorrow--which I would do, in this case. If this were an
emergency, if something suddenly came up and it was a dire emergency,
of course. You know the Bible says the ox may be in the ditch and we
have to get it out of the ditch. But the ox is not in the ditch here.
We have wasted a lot of time this year, and recently. We waste a lot of
time. We are not in session when we could be in session. Then all of a
sudden, here we are going to have this vote on Sunday. There are
practicing Christians who like to go to church and want to observe this
commandment.
So I say of course I will be in to vote. I have cast more rollcall
votes than any other Senator in the history of the country. I guess I
will not miss this one. But I am protesting. It could have been
otherwise. It didn't have to be. It didn't have to happen tomorrow. We
could have had it earlier. We jam these. We have a way around here in
the Senate lately of jamming. The leadership on the other side--I have
to say the Republicans are in control of the body--they have a way of
jamming us. Maybe we are all at fault a little bit. But there is no
reason why we should have to come in on a Sunday, on the Sabbath, and
have rollcall votes. I protest it today. I hope it won't be done again
after this year. I hope I will still be living and still be serving in
the body.
I hope leadership will take this into consideration in the future and
get our work done before the Sabbath comes and avoid having meetings on
the Sabbath Day. It just isn't necessary. It is not a dire emergency.
If it were, as I said, and the ox were in the ditch, I would say let us
get it out and let us go in and vote. If it is important to the safety
of the Nation, to the safety of
[[Page S10926]]
the American people, or whatever, dire, we have to do it, of course. I
think the Almighty would waive the Commandment as far as that is
concerned. I understand we have duties, but I don't think it has to be
done now.
I want to complain about the way we have done the business of the
Senate--lagged along and dragged along and come in and have voting
sessions on late Tuesday or Wednesday or Thursday, and we go out on
Friday. We don't come in until Monday late. There are all kinds of
reasons which I will bring up at another time perhaps and talk again
about it.
I am not thinking at this point that we are going to be able to waive
this unless the majority leader will be of a mind to put this vote over
until Monday.
May I have 1 more minute, please.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I don't see why we can't have the vote
today, or if not today, move it over until Monday. That could be done.
The majority leader can easily do this, no question about it. I could
do it when I was majority leader. I respect the majority leader, and I
respect his doing whatever he has to do, but I am saying that a stitch
in time would save nine.
As one Senator, I say that we should uphold the Commandments. I have
always felt that side of the aisle and this side of the aisle are
highly observant of the 10 Commandments and make a big to-do about
religion in this country. Why don't we have a little religion here
today and put this vote over from tomorrow and not come in on Sunday?
Can't we do that?
I thank the Senators for allowing me to say these few words. I thank
them. I will take my seat.
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