[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 1 (Thursday, January 4, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8-S11]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
A NEW CONGRESS
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I appreciate everyone's courtesy. This is
the first experience of mine to go through these procedures. It wasn't
as smooth as clockwork, but with staff help it was smooth enough. So I
very much appreciate everyone's cooperation as we look forward to this
new Congress.
The future lies with those wise political leaders who
realize that the great public is interested more in
Government than in politics.
Franklin Roosevelt, 1940.
I have chosen this line to open this new session of the Senate
because the wisdom it imparts is as relevant today as it was 67 years
ago.
The future lies with those wise political leaders who
realize that the great public is interested more in
Government than in politics.
The American people are expecting positive results from this 110th
Congress, not more partisan rancor. We stand today at the cusp of a new
Congress, ready to write a new chapter in our country's great future.
It is a time of hope and promise for our Nation. The elections are
over, and the next Senate campaigns have yet to begin.
Today we are not candidates; we are U.S. Senators. We 100 are from
different States, we 100 represent different people, we 100 represent
different political parties, but we share the same mission: keeping our
country safe and providing a Government that allows people to enjoy the
fruits and prosperity and, of course, our economic freedom.
Last November, the voters sent us a message. They sent this message
to Democrats and they sent this message to Republicans: The voters are
upset with Congress and the partisan gridlock. The voters want a
Government that focuses on their needs. The voters want change.
Together, Democrats and Republicans must deliver that change.
No longer can we waste time here in the Capitol while families in
America struggle to get ahead. No longer can we here in the Capitol
afford to pass the problems of today to Congresses of tomorrow. Those
problems, for example, are from keeping families safe to raising the
minimum wage to instituting new ethical reforms. We can and we must get
to work.
As the new Congress begins, the challenges facing America are
complex. They range from a contracted war in Iraq to a health care
crisis right here at home, from a middle class that is squeezed to an
energy policy that is warming our globe, from a higher education system
that has exploded in costs to jobs where benefits have all but
disappeared. We Senators can make a difference in each of these areas
if we remember we are here to fight for our country, not with each
other.
The majority, my party, holds a very slim margin--51 to 49. Some may
look at this as a composition for gridlock, a recipe for gridlock, but
I see this as a unique opportunity. I guarantee everyone in this
Chamber that the American people are hoping it is a unique
opportunity--an opportunity for Democrats, an opportunity for
Republicans--to debate our differences and seek common ground. We must
turn the page on partisanship and usher in a new era of bipartisan
progress. How can we achieve progress? By doing things differently than
they have been done in recent years.
One, we must--I repeat again and again--work together.
Second, we are going to have to work here in Washington, in the
Senate, longer hours. Factory workers, shopkeepers in America's malls,
schoolteachers, police officers, miners, welders, and business men and
women work at least 5 days a week. Shouldn't we here in Washington,
where we do our business, in this laboratory we call the Senate, do the
same?
Three, we will achieve progress by working on an agenda that reflects
not the needs of Democrats, not the needs
[[Page S9]]
of Republicans, but the needs of the people of this great country.
Today Democrats may be in charge of the Senate and the House of
Representatives, but we in the Senate are committed to bipartisanship.
We found that a one-party town simply doesn't work. We know from
experience that majorities come and they go. Majorities are very
fragile, and majorities must work with minorities to make that lasting
change.
In this body, the U.S. Senate, nothing can be accomplished unless we
reach across the aisle--not one way but both ways. It is because when
our Founding Fathers created the Senate 219 years ago, they carved out
a special place for the minority. See, the Framers of this Constitution
knew that majorities can always take care of themselves. Majorities
didn't need help as defined in the Constitution. But this Constitution
takes care of minorities because they can't always take care of
themselves. The Founding Fathers created an institution that protects
this minority, and we will respect our Constitution and those
protections.
I have talked with Senator Mitch McConnell, the senior Senator from
the great State of Kentucky. He is the minority leader. He is my
friend. In the months and years that go forward, we will become even
closer because he has learned, and I have learned, through adversity we
grow together. I am committed to working with him, and I know he is
committed to working with me. We as Democrats are committed to working
with Republicans and Republicans are committed to working with us.
Does this mean there are going to be no bumps in the road? Of course
there will be bumps in the road. We are in the Senate. The Founding
Fathers wanted bumps in the road.
This morning, at 9 o'clock in the Old Senate Chamber, we held a rare
joint caucus. It was an opportunity for us to look across the rows at
each other and understand that the Senate is a place where we have to
work in a bipartisan fashion.
We in the majority, we Democrats, are committed to working with our
President, President Bush. He has pledged to work with Democrats. He
has pledged to me personally that he would work to make progress.
We are not going to talk about what went on for the past 6-plus
years. What I have discussed with the President, as late as last night,
is what we are going to do for the next 22 months together. There are
22 months left in this Presidential term. The President, I know, wants
to accomplish things. I want to accomplish things. He has to work with
us and we have to work with him or jointly we do nothing to help our
country.
As I have said, we are going to work longer hours, we are going to
work full weeks, we are going to have votes on Mondays and Fridays.
None of us are happy because all but 10 Senators here participated in
the last Congress, the so-called do-nothing Congress. We are not proud
of that fact. We spent less time working than any Congress in modern
history. Some days the sessions lasted a matter of minutes. In this
Congress, legislative days will be real workdays.
The extra days will help our committees. The foundation of this
institution, the Senate, is the committee system. It has worked from
the beginning of our great Republic, but it hasn't worked so well
lately. But it now is going to have an opportunity to work better. Our
committees will have the time they need to put their expertise to use.
The best legislation with the broadest possible support always comes
from our committees. In the Senate, we have chairmen and ranking
members with years of experience: Ted Kennedy and Mike Enzi on the HELP
Committee; Max Baucus and Chuck Grassley on the Finance Committee; Joe
Biden and Dick Lugar on the Foreign Relations Committee; Carl Levin and
John McCain on the Armed Services Committee; Patrick Leahy and Arlen
Specter on the Judiciary Committee. And on and on. These names speak of
their broad experience and their ability to get things done for our
country, but it must come through the committee process.
As all my Democrats know, when I assumed the job as Democratic
leader, I told every ranking member that those committees had to
function and I was going to let them function, and I have done that for
2 years. Now there is going to be more time for them to produce
legislation. They are no longer ranking members, they are Chairs, but
they cannot succeed unless they work with their ranking members.
Our committees will have the time to do a number of tasks, but the
one item they need to do is conduct strong oversight. This is not a
negative term. Oversight is good. It is important to find out what
Federal agencies are doing, to listen to what the people who work there
have to say. Congressional oversight is a responsibility that has been
abdicated in recent years. Oversight is important for our country, not
so we can point fingers or cast blame, but answer difficult questions
and find lasting solutions to the enormous challenges we have. Everyone
focuses on Iraq--of course, that is a very difficult problem--but there
are many other problems that face this great country. The war in Iraq
will cast a long shadow over the Senate's work this year. No issue in
our country is more important than finding an end to that war. We will
be listening very closely to President Bush when he comes forward with
his plan next week. The President's new plan must ensure that Iraq
takes responsibility for its own future and remove our troops from this
civil war. Completing the mission in Iraq is the President's job and we
will do everything to assist the Commander in Chief to ensure his
responsibilities.
Finally, the Senate will achieve progress for our Nation by ensuring
the Senate calendar reflects America's needs. In the weeks ahead, I
look forward to receiving input from the minority. This afternoon, as
is the tradition in the Senate, I will present an overview of the
Democrats' legislative agenda, bills S. 1 through S. 10. Following the
tradition of the Senate, my friend, the distinguished minority leader,
Senator McConnell, will offer bills S. 11 through S. 20 whenever he
feels it appropriate.
In the first 10 bills we will introduce this afternoon, and in our
ongoing oversight of the war in Iraq, we intend to address these
priorities, basically three of them: one, providing real security; two,
restoring transparency, accountability, and responsibility in the
United States Government; and three, helping working Americans get
ahead by boosting wages and cutting costs in health care, education,
and energy.
We begin with S. 1, our plan to change the way Washington works. It
was late 2005 when scandals involving lobbyists and lawmakers shocked
the very core of this Nation. Despite the Senate's best attempts on a
bipartisan basis, here we are 2 years later and still no reform of
ethics, lobbying, and earmarks. The American people deserve better.
That is why as our first order of business we will seek to give
Americans the open and accountable government they deserve. We will
start Monday with a bipartisan bill cosponsored by Reid and McConnell.
I think that is a pretty good start. We will start with the ethics bill
that passed the Senate last year. Now, had that bill passed, which it
didn't, it would have been the most significant reform since Watergate
in lobbying and ethics reform. It didn't pass. Some people minimized
our starting point. I maximize our starting point. This bill included
important provisions in many areas, but it was not allowed to proceed
because of what took place on the other side of the Capitol. This year,
we will improve that legislation and make additional reforms.
This legislation will include reforms to slow the revolving door
between Government jobs and lucrative employment with special
interests. It will eliminate gifts paid for by lobbyists and interests
that hire lobbyists. It will limit privately funded travel such as that
of the notorious golf junkets to Scotland. It will increase disclosure
requirements so the public will be better informed about the activities
of lobbyists. And it will increase penalties for those who seek to
break the rules. I lay and spread across this Record how grateful I am
that the distinguished minority leader has agreed to cosponsor this
legislation. I think it sends the right message to America.
With these reforms, which I am confident will pass, we will help
ensure America has a government that is good and honest as the people
it serves.
Mr. President, I send S. 1 to the desk and ask for its appropriate
referral.
[[Page S10]]
The bill is at the desk. I am told that the bill is at the desk and we
choose not to rule XIV it at this stage.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The bill will be received and appropriately
referred.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, S. 2 is our plan to increase the wages of
working families by raising the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour. It has
been 10 years since the minimum wage was last increased. In that time,
the cost of gas, to say the least, has increased. The cost of food has
increased. The cost of health care has increased. Even the salaries of
Members of Congress have increased. In fact, the salaries of Members of
Congress in the last 10 years have increased 9 times, by more than
$30,000. But through all of this, the minimum wage has stayed the same.
It is long past time America's workers received a raise as well.
Today, a mother or father can work full time for the minimum wage but
still live $5,000 below the poverty level. Adjusted for inflation, the
minimum wage is at its lowest level since 1955. S. 2 will directly
raise the pay of nearly 7 million Americans by more than $4,000 and by
setting a new salary floor that will indirectly boost the wages of 8
million more workers. That increase is enough to provide nearly 2 years
of childcare, full tuition for a community college degree, over a
year's worth of heat and electricity or more than 9 months of rent.
During the minimum wage debate we will also likely consider giving
small businesses some tax relief. In fact, as we speak, Senator
McConnell's staff and my staff are working, along with Senator Enzi,
Senator Grassley, Senator Kennedy, and Senator Baucus, to see if we can
have a minimum wage bill that he and I will cosponsor and bring before
the Senate. We are working on that.
S. 2 is at the desk, and it will be reported at the appropriate time.
S. 3 is our plan to reduce drug costs for seniors. The flaws in the
Medicare drug program are well documented, but many can be traced back
to one simple fact: The law as written puts drug companies ahead of
America's aging. No matter whether we supported or opposed that law--
that is, the one that created Medicare drug benefits--we all want to
improve the program for older Americans and people with disabilities.
It is our obligation to do so. Now the Federal Government, with the
millions of seniors it represents through Medicare, is unable to
negotiate for lower drug prices. As a result, Medicare beneficiaries
are hostages to insurance companies, drug companies, and managed care
entities like HMOs. S. 3 is at the desk.
S. 4 is our plan to make America safer by fully implementing the
recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. Following September 11, 2001,
the country turned to a respected, bipartisan group--the 9/11
Commission--to review the lessons of that terrible day and to recommend
better ways to fight the war on terror. Two American patriots chaired
that independent bipartisan commission: Congressman Lee Hamilton of
Indiana and former Governor Tom Kean of New Jersey. They did a
remarkably good job in a period of 1 year. We realized we didn't need
Democratic solutions or Republican solutions to keep people safe; we
needed bipartisan American solutions to keep us safe. The Commission
did a wonderful job and made a number of recommendations. Some were
implemented, others weren't. I was the manager, along with my
distinguished colleague, the minority leader, of the bill that was
brought before the Senate.
One year ago, the Commission delivered a report card grading the
Government's progress in implementing its solutions. Among the grades
given by that commission were 12 Ds, 5 Fs, and two incompletes. I say,
try taking those grades home to your parents. These grades made clear
we still have not done enough to make America safe. We have work to do,
and this legislation will step toward in fulfilling the recommendations
of the 9/11 Commission. Specifically, it will reinvigorate the fight
against Osama bin Laden, al-Qaida, and the ideologies of violent
extremists. It will enhance the security of our transportation system
and our ports. It will provide America's first responders with the
technology they need to communicate with each other during a crisis,
and it will make it a priority to secure loose nukes around the world.
Finishing the job of implementing
9/11 Commission recommendations will not by itself win the war on
terror or guarantee 100-percent complete security for the people of our
country, but we hope with our legislation to improve on the worst of
those grades, those Ds and Fs and incompletes, so the American people
can have every confidence that Congress and the White House are taking
every step--every step possible--to keep America safe. S. 4 is at the
desk.
S. 5 is the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of this year, 2007. It
is legislation we seek to pass so that American scientists will find
cures--allow them to find cures for dread diseases that affect millions
of our fellow countrymen. Today, there are people all across America
suffering from debilitating diseases that stem cell research would
cure. For these Americans, stem cell research is an area of science
that offers hope, if only we in Washington would allow this hope to
flourish. Last year, Congress passed legislation promoting stem cell
research, only to see it vetoed by our President. This year, we will
consider the legislation again, and on behalf of millions of Americans
looking for cures, looking for relief, we urge our President to
reconsider his veto. S. 5 is at the desk.
S. 6 is our plan to promote energy independence so we can enhance
America's security and begin to deal with the threat--the threat--of
global warming. I, with five of my Senate colleagues, traveled last
week to the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Bolivia. We were
in Ecuador and Peru. They told us, the most diverse Nation in the
world, the most ecologically diverse Nation in the world--Ecuador--that
the glaciers are melting Ecuador, rapidly. For too long our country's
energy policy has had only one concern: oil company profits--$34
billion for Exxon and the other companies, international cartels, not
far behind. We have allowed Exxon's bottom line to take priority over
families struggling at the gas pump and the harmful effects of global
warming. So in an effort to begin to solve this energy crisis, our
sixth bill takes an aggressive approach to reducing America's
dependence on oil, especially foreign oil, and putting more advanced
technologies in the hands of consumers. It will boost production of
electricity from solar, geothermal, and other renewable resources that
are abundant in States such as Nevada, and it will grow our Nation's
renewable energy jobs and manufacturing base. Freeing ourselves from
oil is a tremendous challenge, but it is one we cannot afford to
ignore. Remember: Unstable regimes around the world use our petro
dollars to pay for international terror, to fund it, and pursue their
despotic goals. So energy independence is not only energy independence,
it is security. S. 6 is at the desk.
S. 7 is the College Opportunity Act, our plan to make college more
affordable for middle-class families. In America today, a college
education is more important than ever. Unfortunately, it is also far
more expensive than ever. Today, too many families are being squeezed
trying to put their children through school. In the last 6 years, the
cost of college has increased by 52 percent. Federal assistance has
declined, especially in the form of Pell grants. Our legislation will
reverse this trend by raising the maximum Pell grant award. It will
also assist families by lowering interest rates for student loans and
expanding tax breaks for college costs. S. 7 is at the desk.
S. 8 is Rebuilding America's Military Act. As we speak, there is not
a single nondeployed Army unit that is battle ready. The wars in
Afghanistan and in Iraq, the war on terror, have been terribly
devastating to our military. These brave men and women have done the
very best any fighting force could do. But because of Iraq and
Afghanistan, the U.S. militarily is strained to levels not seen since
Vietnam. While our troops remain the finest in the world,
infrastructure is crumbling around them. Nearly all of our combat
divisions have been deployed and two-thirds of our Army combat brigades
are not ready for combat. GEN Peter Schoomaker, the Chief of Staff of
the Army, testified last month, ``At this pace . . . we will break the
active component'' of the U.S. Army.
[[Page S11]]
We, also, have National Guard, Reserve and Active-Duty veterans
coming back in droves to America without sufficient help for their
health care and certainly not their education.
If we want real security, we must rebuild the U.S. military and
ensure it remains the best fighting force in the world. S. 8 is at the
desk.
S. 9 will secure America by undertaking comprehensive immigration
reform. I had friends and colleagues, staff, ask: Why are you bringing
up this controversial subject on the first day of Congress? It has to
be brought up. Immigration is a problem that affects this Nation. Last
year, we passed a solid immigration bill in the Senate. There are parts
of that bill I didn't like, but we passed a bill. Unfortunately, it
fell victim to politics, again in the other body. Immigration reform is
too vital to our security and our economy to fall by the wayside, so we
must deal with it again this year. Our immigration system is broken.
Does anyone dispute this? Our borders remain unsecured. Does anyone
dispute that? Our laws remain underenforced. Does anyone dispute that?
Does anyone dispute the fact that we have 11 million people with bad
papers who are here illegally? Does anyone dispute that? No. So our
bill will take a comprehensive approach to repairing this broken
system. With tough and smart reforms, it will secure our borders, crack
down on enforcement, and lay down a path to earned legalization for
undocumented immigrants already living here. There is no amnesty. If
there were ever an example of the need for bipartisanship, it is on
immigration because it is going to be hard, but it is something that we
have to do. S. 9 is at the desk.
Finally, S. 10 will reinstate pay-as-you-go rules to the budget
process. This does not sound very politically sexy, to talk about pay
as you go. But as most know, the Senate used to operate under a rule
called pay as you go. This simple proposition demanded that when we
increased spending or cut taxes we had to pay for it. It is a
commonsense principle families all across America practice when they
balance their checkbooks. Pay-go was in place in the Senate in the
1990s, when our country experienced unprecedented levels of economic
growth and vitality. Remember, it can be done. In the last years of the
Clinton administration, we paid down the national debt by almost a half
trillion dollars. Unfortunately, the rule disappeared in recent years
and the results have been disastrous: $9 trillion in debt; the largest
deficits, of course, in our history; foreign debt that has more than
doubled, giving unprecedented control to countries such as Saudi Arabia
and China. We are even borrowing money from Mexico. These countries
should not have the unprecedented control of our economic destiny. We
are facing a fiscal nightmare that will not go away this Congress, and
it will handicap our ability in all we need to do in so many different
areas. With pay-go in place, we will begin to set America on the right
track.
I have been in Congress going on 25 years. In my 25 years, I
witnessed many fine moments in our Senate's history. But I believe in
my State, in the Senate, and in the House, the days following 9/11 are
what America is all about. It was a national tragedy, but it brought
out the best in us, the best in Members of Congress, the best in the
American people. Democrats and Republicans from all over America put
aside our differences and worked with the administration to protect our
country. That day showed the Government working as the Founders
intended. This year we must work on the same bipartisan basis, the same
fashion.
It should not take a national tragedy for us to work together. We
should be equally united by our ability to make a positive difference
in the lives of the people who sent us here. Today is that beginning.
This year let us work side by side and succeed together.
The future lies with those wise political leaders who
realize the great public is interested more in government
than politics.
--Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1940.
____________________