[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 175 (Monday, November 17, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S10537]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              SENATE GOALS

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, first, I would like to congratulate 
President-elect Obama on his victory. It is a rare honor for the Senate 
to send one of its own to the White House. In fact, I think it has only 
happened two other times, Warren G. Harding and John F. Kennedy, who 
went directly from the Senate to the White House. Regardless of party, 
every one of us, I am sure, feels a certain institutional pride in the 
event.
  I called the new President shortly after his victory to offer my 
congratulations, and he was gracious in congratulating me on my own 
victory when he returned the call. As it happened, when he returned the 
call, I was grocery shopping in the local Kroger and enjoying the 
people passing by saying ``Congratulations.''
  There I was in front of the cereal talking to the new President on my 
cell phone. What I told him was we would all be here to work with him 
once he takes office. I think both of us are eager to confront the 
challenges ahead. I told him he can expect cooperation on the 
confirmation of qualified nominees to key Cabinet posts. Faced with two 
wars overseas and a complex financial crisis at home, the American 
people should not have to worry about a power vacuum at places such as 
the Pentagon, the State Department, Treasury or the Department of 
Homeland Security.
  Now, history offers a fairly clear path to success or failure for new 
Presidents. It is there for every new President who comes in to 
observe. The path I have discussed with the President-elect is one that 
can lead to success. As I see it, we face a simple choice: We can 
either work together to confront the big issues, the big issues of the 
day that neither party is willing to tackle on its own or the majority 
can instead focus on narrow partisan issues that appeal to a tiny 
sliver of the populace but which lack the support of the American 
mainstream.
  In my view, the choice is rather simple, but the work that follows 
will not be. So I hope President-elect Obama will go after the big 
things and go after them early. If he does, our chances of achieving a 
positive result for the American people will be greatly increased.
  We can start with some of the things President-elect Obama spoke 
about on the campaign trail, such as cutting spending, paying down the 
national debt, providing speedy tax relief, committing to a long-term 
strategy for energy independence, and reining in our out-of-control 
entitlement spending that threatens to consume 70 percent of the 
Federal budget in 9 years. Let me say that again: Our out-of-control 
entitlement spending will consume 70 percent of the Federal budget in 9 
years.
  These are the challenges on which Senator Obama campaigned. They also 
happen to be issues upon which Republicans and Democrats should be able 
to reach some agreement. The American people are looking to us to 
resolve these issues, and Senate Republicans are eager to get that work 
done.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader is recognized.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, let me say through the Chair to my 
distinguished counterpart, congratulations on your victory. As George 
Will, the esteemed columnist, wrote over the weekend, he compared your 
victory to Henry Clay, and I know the Senator is from the State of 
Kentucky. So I congratulate you on years of hard work.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I thank my friend, the majority leader.

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