[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 6, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12-S14]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     OPENING OF THE 111TH CONGRESS

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, the opening of a new Congress is always 
an important moment in the life of our Nation. Every time a gavel falls 
on a new legislative term, we are reminded of the grandeur of the 
document we are sworn to uphold. We are grateful to the citizens of our 
respective States--in my case the people of Kentucky--who give us the 
opportunity to serve. We are thankful once again that the U.S. 
Constitution has endured to guarantee the freedom and the prosperity of 
so many for so long.
  The growth of our Nation over the years is one of the most remarkable 
feats of man, and it was far from inevitable. When Congress first 
organized under the Constitution, the United States consisted of 11 
States and 3 million citizens. Today, more people than that live in 
Kentucky alone. Yet despite a bloody Civil War, the arrival of millions 
of immigrants, economic collapse, World Wars, social unrest, and the 
long-delayed realization of America's original promise of equality for 
all, we have come together as a body and as a nation. We have not just 
endured these things, we have flourished, and that is well worth 
remembering and celebrating as the 111th Congress convenes.
  As we meet in January of 2009, America faces many serious challenges. 
None is more urgent than our troubled economy. President-elect Obama 
was one of those who recognized the gravity of the current troubles 
early on. He reassured many by fielding a solid team of economic 
advisers. He agrees with Republicans that we should put more money in 
the pockets of middle-class American families by cutting their taxes, 
and he has proposed working with Republicans to create jobs and to 
encourage long-term economic stability with a massive domestic spending 
bill the details of which Members of Congress and the American people 
are increasingly eager to see.
  After a long and rough campaign season, it is encouraging for many 
Americans to see that the two parties in Washington are in broad 
agreement about something so important to their daily lives. And 
Republicans will work with President-elect Obama to make sure that as 
we consider this legislation the taxpayer is not taken for a ride.
  All of us agree the economy needs help. We are concerned and 
taxpayers are concerned. But if we are going to appropriate an 
unprecedented amount of money from the Treasury for this spending bill, 
it is absolutely essential that we determine up front whether the 
spending is going to be wasteful or wise.
  Specifically, the American people should have at least a week, and it 
looks as if we will have more than that, to see what this enormous 
spending plan includes. President Clinton proposed a $16 billion 
stimulus package in his first year in office. Congress, back in 1993, 
rejected it for being too expensive. Now Democrats in Congress are 
proposing a stimulus that would

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cost taxpayers more than 50 times what President Clinton's would have 
cost.
  This potentially $1 trillion bill would be one of the largest 
spending bills in U.S. history. It would increase the deficit by a half 
trillion dollars overnight and deepen an already enormous national 
debt.
  Before we all agree to it, the American people need to see the 
details. They need to be able to see for themselves whether this is 
money well spent. If lawmakers think it is, then they need to make a 
convincing case to the people who are paying for it.
  Now, 16 years ago we rejected a similar stimulus the size of the 
Minnesota State budget. We should not be rushed into voting for a bill 
that, by any estimate, will be bigger than all 50 State budgets 
combined, especially when many of the jobs it promises will not even 
materialize for another year. If we are serious about protecting the 
taxpayer, these projects will be awarded through a fair and open 
process and allowed to compete with other priorities in the budget. We 
should encourage, not discourage, questions about this bill in a 
reckless rush to meet an arbitrary deadline. We should be open to new 
ideas aimed at protecting the taxpayer.
  Here are three new ideas worth considering: Congressional Democrats 
have talked about sending hundreds of billions of dollars to the 
States. If we loan those funds rather than give them away, States will 
be far less likely to spend the money frivolously, and the taxpayer 
would have greater assurance their money is well spent.
  Idea No. 2: Congress has had nearly 1 year to review the fiscal 2009 
spending requests. These remaining bills now make up a $400 billion 
Omnibus appropriations bill. This is a bill that meets the level of 
spending proposed for the stimulus, and it is a bill that could pass 
Congress by Inauguration Day. If speed is one of the goals, it strikes 
me that passing the omnibus achieves that goal.
  Idea No. 3, middle-class tax relief: One way to get more money into 
people's pockets quickly is to increase the size of their paychecks 
immediately. An immediate 10 percent cut in taxes for nearly 30 million 
Americans would provide a significant jolt to the economy that all of 
us want. These are ideas on which both parties could agree. Each of 
them is designed to protect and empower the taxpayer. So let's consider 
them. But either way the American people should be in on this spending 
plan because the potential for waste and abuse is enormous.
  Now, some loose-lipped local politicians have already described the 
grant as ``free money'' from Washington. Others openly hope to use it 
on frivolous pet projects that no sensible taxpayer would sign off on 
if they had a choice. The American people do not want to be pick-
pocketed. They do not want to be taken advantage of. They want a real 
return on their investment, and all of us should be eager to show that 
we understand the difference.
  President-elect Obama has said a stimulus plan will have to create 
jobs, have an immediate impact, and lead to the strengthening of the 
long-term economy. Republicans agree, and we will help to ensure just 
that by insisting on scrutiny and oversight in the face of pressure on 
congressional Democrats from interest groups and local politicians.
  Here is an issue on which the Republicans and Democrats can work 
together for a positive result for the American people. My hope is that 
once we achieve it, we will have a model to build on for the remainder 
of the 111th Congress. The opportunities for cooperation are numerous. 
Throughout his campaign, President-elect Obama spoke about the 
importance of a strong national defense. He spoke of the need to reduce 
the national debt. He vowed to go through the budget line by line to 
cut wasteful programs. He pledged to cut taxes on virtually all 
Americans and on small business. And he promised to put America on the 
path to energy independence within the next 10 years. These are all 
goals Republicans support. At this moment, nothing should stand in the 
way of our achieving them together.

  I have told the new President I am eager to work with him. I have 
told him he can expect cooperation on the confirmation of qualified 
nominees to key Cabinet posts so the American people do not have to 
worry about a power vacuum at places such as the Pentagon, the State 
Department, Treasury, or Homeland Security. I have discussed with him 
something he already knows but which is worth repeating on the first 
day of the new Congress. When it comes to new Presidents, history 
offers a clear path, a clear path to success and a clear path to 
failure.
  Some new Presidents have chosen to work with the other party to 
confront the big issues of the day that neither party is willing or 
able to tackle on its own. Others have decided they would rather team 
up with members of their own party and focus on narrow, partisan issues 
that only appeal to a tiny sliver of the populace but which lack the 
support of the American mainstream.
  In my view, the choice at this particular moment is clear. If the new 
President pursues the former course, our chances of achieving a 
positive for the American people will be strong. The parties will 
continue to disagree. This is good for democracy, but political 
conflict is not an end in itself. At this moment we have an opportunity 
to show the American people, and we know that.
  The majority leader has mentioned that this year the opening of 
Congress coincides with two important anniversaries. The first is 
Senator Byrd's 50th anniversary. This feat of longevity has no equal in 
the history of this body, and this is quite fitting for a Senator who 
has no equal in the history of this body.
  When Robert Carlyle Byrd took the oath of office on January 5, 1959, 
he could not have known that he would be the longest serving Senator in 
U.S. history or that he would one day write this body's definitive 
history. But through the support of his beloved Erma, his legendary 
devotion to our Constitution, and his tireless will to improve the 
lives of the people of his State, the senior Senator from West Virginia 
has accomplished a remarkable feat, and today we honor him for it.
  The other anniversary we commemorate today is no doubt dear to 
Senator Byrd's heart because 150 years ago this very month the Senate 
moved from its old home down the hall, where we had the reenactment of 
the swearing in of new Senators today--its old home down the hall, to 
the room we are in now. This transition meant far more in its day than 
the mere packing of books and rearranging of desks because back then, 
as now, every expansion of the Capitol has come with a fresh 
realization of the great adaptability of the U.S. Constitution and is 
further proof of its greatness.
  According to the Congressional Record, the man who was selected to 
speak on the occasion of the Senate's relocation in 1859 was John 
Breckenridge, a Democrat and a Kentuckian who served as Vice President 
under President Buchanan.
  In his remarks, Breckenridge offered an eloquent lesson on the 
history of the Senate and, after paying appropriate tribute to the 
heroes of the Revolution, he made an intriguing suggestion to the 
Senators of his day. Breckenridge suggested that the Senators of 1859 
had an even greater responsibility than the Senators of 1789 because, 
as he put it, ``the population, extent, and the power of our country 
surpass the dawning promise of its origin.''
  If this was true in 1859, it is truer still in 2009. Americans have 
seen quite vividly over the past 8 years, and even over the past few 
months, that the challenges which confront America and our response to 
those challenges have a powerful effect on the wider world.
  Not a single Member of this body is unaware of the profound impact of 
his or her decisions. And that is why not a single Senator in this body 
wishes anything but the best to President-elect Obama.
  Despite party differences, all of us feel a certain institutional 
pride in having one of our own in the White House. And every American 
will feel a special national pride when, for the first time in our 
Nation's history, an African American man raises his hand to recite the 
oath of office from the Capitol steps.
  The President-elect has promised leadership that sees beyond the 
politics of division. But that responsibility

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does not rest with the President alone. It rests with all of us. Before 
Inauguration Day, there is the opening of this 111th Congress. This too 
is a great civic ritual. And this too should renew our optimism about 
the future of America and our optimism about achieving something 
important for the American people over these next 2 years. Now is our 
chance to deliver--not just in word, but in deed. This is a solemn 
charge. For some, it might cut against the grain. But if we are to have 
a future worthy of our past, it is a charge that must be kept.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Pennsylvania.

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