[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 18 (Tuesday, February 5, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S619-S620]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             OBSTRUCTIONISM

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I was on the floor earlier this morning 
when Senator McConnell came and made a little statement I would like to 
address at this moment because it seems to me Senator McConnell said a 
few things which bear repeating.
  He was critical of the bill which we passed in the Senate Finance 
Committee to try to get the American economy back on its feet. The 
economy is struggling now. We had troubling unemployment figures last 
week. We know the President said repeatedly we are moving toward a 
recession. We know a recession means high unemployment, business 
failures, and lost opportunities for Americans and American business.
  So we certainly want to do everything we can to stop that. One of the 
things that has been done by the Federal Reserve is to cut interest 
rates in the hope that people will be encouraged to borrow money 
responsibly for purchases such as cars and homes and the like and that 
those purchases will breathe some life into the economy.
  Then there is the other side of the ledger when it comes to our 
economy, what we can do in Congress and with the President. What we try 
to do is to give Americans more spending power. Right now there is less 
consumer confidence. People are worried about bills they have to pay, 
health insurance that has gone up dramatically over the last 7 years, 
the cost of gasoline which many in my home State of Illinois, 
particularly downstate, know very well personally has increased in cost 
dramatically.
  We also understand people putting their kids through college have 
seen tremendous increases in the cost of college education. The 
increase in the cost of food, that sort of thing, has led a number of 
people to be worried about whether they should make a big expenditure. 
So one of the things we are considering is something to stimulate the 
economy, an economic stimulus package, what can we do, how can we put 
spending power and confidence back in the hands of American families.
  The President met with the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and 
the Republican leader, John Boehner, and worked out at least the 
beginning of that stimulus approach. What they suggested was they would 
send checks of about $600 to individual taxpayers across America within 
certain income limits and $1,200 for a family and extra for those with 
children.
  That money would go directly to a lot of people who will spend it 
because there are folks who are struggling month to month, paycheck to 
paycheck. That is a good thing to do. It is a group that has often been 
overlooked recently, that the tax cuts in Washington, under this 
administration, have not focused on giving helping hands to working 
families as much as giving a helping hand to those who do not need it, 
the wealthiest in our country.
  So this idea of an economic stimulus, which finally focuses our 
attention on struggling families, is a good thing. The House passed its 
version in a bipartisan fashion, sent it over to the Senate to 
consider. Senator Max Baucus, Chairman of the Finance Committee, met 
with that committee, and worked on ways to change it or improve it that 
they think would be helpful.
  At the end of the day, the proposal by the Senate Finance Committee, 
which passed with a bipartisan vote, three Republicans joining the 
Democrats in voting for it, is one that I think is a better package, a 
better approach.
  The House's is good. I like the House stimulus approach, but I think 
the Senate stimulus package is better.
  This morning McConnell came to the floor, the Republican Senate 
leader. He was very critical of what the Senate Finance Committee 
passed on a bipartisan basis. He was critical of their measure, which 
passed with the support of Republican Senators.
  He used phrases and terms in describing it that I think are worth 
looking into. Senator McConnell suggested we were involved in pet 
projects in this Senate stimulus package.
  Well, I have taken a look at it. I am curious as to what pet projects 
he is talking about. I find it hard to believe the Republicans feel 21 
million seniors who will receive a helping hand with the Senate Finance 
Committee are somehow superfluous, not important, they are pet 
projects.
  Well, I have to concede that point. The seniors of America are a pet 
project of mine and most Senators. We know many of them live on fixed 
incomes, struggle from month to month to get by, worry about paying 
their utility bills and making sure they can pay for their prescription 
drugs.
  So giving them a helping hand, as we do in the Senate Finance bill, 
is a good thing. Good for them. Good for our economy. Senator McConnell 
was obviously very critical of that. He hasn't said directly, but I 
wish he would go on record: Does he or does he not support providing an 
economic rebate check for 21 million Americans, those seniors who 
otherwise would not get a helping hand?
  So when Senator McConnell returns to the floor, will he sign up for 
our pet project to help 21 million Americans or is he against it? I am 
sure the voters of Kentucky would love to know.

[[Page S620]]

  Then there is another pet project in the bill, 250,000, one-quarter 
of a million disabled veterans, many of them just returning from the 
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have met many of them. I am sure 
Senator McConnell has met many of them. To think adding them to the 
bill is something that would be negative in the eyes of Senator 
McConnell is hard for me to understand.
  These are men and women who risked their lives and came back injured 
from the war; many of them had to fight the bureaucracy of our 
Government to get the basic care we promised them. In the Senate 
Finance bill, we provide a helping hand for a quarter of a million 
veterans, which the House bill does not. Is Senator McConnell opposed 
to that?
  Well, when he comes to the floor and states whether he is for 
providing assistance to 21 million seniors, I hope he will also state 
whether he is for providing a rebate check for a quarter of a million 
of our veterans.
  We also have in the Senate bill a helping hand for those who are on 
unemployment. Unfortunately, the economy as it goes south has 
casualties, and they include millions of Americans. We know those 
people who have lost a job are looking for another one, scrape by with 
an unemployment check. And sometimes, even within the 26 weeks of 
unemployment, they cannot find a job they are looking for. So we 
suggested extending that for another 13 weeks. That is not a radical 
idea. It is a traditional way of helping people in a poor economy. It 
has been done over and over under Democrats and Republicans. We include 
that in the Senate bill.
  So the obvious question for Senator McConnell and the Republicans, 
when he comes to the floor to tell us where he stands on helping 
seniors and helping disabled veterans, is does he think unemployed 
people in Kentucky, for example, need a helping hand? If he says no, 
then it is a matter of record. If he says it is a pet product, a 
project we should vote against, then it will be on the record. I did 
not hear that this morning. I was listening for it.
  Then there is this whole thing about the mystery and challenge of 
this bill. Senator McConnell and Senator Kyl are learned men. I have 
served with them in the Senate. I respect them very much. I know they 
have a great capacity for understanding complex issues. But they have 
said the trouble with this bill is they cannot seem to get their arms 
around it. It is, oh, so hard for them to understand the new provision 
in the bill. The new provision in the bill is less than a page and a 
half in length. The new provision in the bill can be described quite 
simply as about $1 billion to a program called LIHEAP.
  LIHEAP is the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. It is a 
program which provides help to Arizona, primarily in the summer months 
but to Kentucky in the cold winter months, so poor people, elderly, and 
others will have a helping hand to pay their heating bills.
  Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont has been a big leader on this 
issue. It has always been a bipartisan program. So I have to ask 
Senator McConnell and the Republican leadership: Is this another one of 
those pet projects you cannot stand, something you think we should 
ignore when we talk about getting this economy on its feet? I think it 
is a matter that these Senators need to consider personally. Do they 
want to go home to Kentucky, for example, and tell those low-income 
individuals, struggling to pay their heating bills, that is a pet 
project we cannot afford at this point? I hope not. But at least let 
them be on the record by the end of the day.
  The interesting thing is we could be having a real full-scale debate 
on the economic stimulus bill, but the Republicans have refused. They 
have told us they need more time to absorb the page and a half that was 
added to this bill. They need to think this one through. They need to 
study these words.
  Well, it has been about 12 or 15 hours now that they have had to read 
this page and a half. I know they are up to it. I know they can do 
this. I know they can read that and understand it, even without the 
help of a Democrat.
  When they do, maybe they will come to the floor, change their mind, 
and allow us to finally debate this bill. You see this is an empty 
Chamber. Sadly, it will be largely empty most of the day because the 
Republicans want to kill this day in the Senate. They do not want us to 
make any progress on the economic stimulus bill, nor on another 
important bill which is pending.
  Senator Reid, our Democratic majority leader, came to the floor 
yesterday and begged them again: Let us return and do some real 
business today. They said: No. Today, the Senate will stand around, it 
will not roll up its sleeves and do anything. We will not consider the 
Indian health reform bill Senator Dorgan of North Dakota has been 
working on, long overdue, 6 or 7 years. Some of the poorest people in 
America have not received the kind of health care which we would all 
like to have for our families. Senator Dorgan is trying to do something 
about it. They will not give him the time to finish the bill. This is a 
perfect day to do it. The Republicans will not give him an opportunity 
to do it.
  Then there is another bill which has energy and water projects which 
have been needed all around our country. They have been held up by the 
objection of the Republican side. We have asked to return to them. 
Again, they have refused. We could do that today.
  Then, of course, the economic stimulus package, which Senator 
McConnell spoke of and then left the floor. I wish he would return. 
Let's have a real debate on it. Let's find out where he stands on 
helping seniors, disabled veterans, and others.
  Then, of course, there is the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. 
That is a bill we have been working on literally for weeks. We sat 
around for 3 days last week trying to come to some agreement about what 
would be in that bill, and we finally reached agreement.
  Now we are ready to go. Several amendments have been debated and are 
near a vote. We have several more. Let's get going. Let's earn our pay 
around here instead of killing time and making speeches. We could 
actually consider debate. The Senate used to have that. It is a great 
Senate tradition. Senators with opposing views would come to the floor 
and respectfully disagree and argue their point of view and ask for a 
rollcall. I know some people who follow C-SPAN are wondering, when did 
that last occur? Was it in the last century? No, it has happened here 
from time to time. In the time I have been in the Senate, we have come 
perilously close to debate on at least a half dozen occasions. We can 
do that again. It would be a great return to Senate tradition. But it 
won't happen if the Republicans continue to filibuster, continue to 
obstruct, and continue to refuse to let us debate the important issues 
of our time.
  Why wouldn't we want to debate today the Foreign Intelligence 
Surveillance Act? The President has told us over and over again it is 
critical. We need it. It is timely. We have to move on it. Yet when we 
want to call it on the floor, Senate Republicans refuse. They oppose 
us.
  The day is not over. Senator Reid will be on the floor a little later 
in an attempt to finally try to get us back to business. It is long 
overdue.

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