[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 20 (Monday, February 2, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1265-S1266]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                            Stimulus Package

  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, later this evening, we are going to be 
moving ahead to discuss the stimulus package, and I want to use a few 
moments now to express my views on the subject. There is no doubt about 
the need for stimulating the U.S. economy. January figures show 7.2 
percent unemployed, 2.8 million jobs lost last year, more layoffs all 
the time, and more foreclosures. It is my hope that there will be a 
very strong stimulus package which is directed at putting people to 
work.
  The proposals which have come from the House bill are laudable and in 
many respects are measures which I have long supported. But on 
analysis, it seems to me they belong more directly in a budget program 
where we have targets for spending--discretionary spending--making an 
evaluation of priorities and moving in that direction. But when the 
American people are being asked to support a stimulus program of more 
than $800 billion, which is deficit financing, the programs ought to be 
directed at job opportunities.
  Mr. President, I ask my distinguished colleague, the chairman, if 
nobody wants his time, if I might use 5 minutes of it.
  Mr. LEAHY. I intend to use the rest of my time. If you want another 
minute or two, I will give you two minutes of my time, but then I 
intend to use the rest of it.
  Mr. SPECTER. I yield the floor.
  Mr. LEAHY. How much time remains, Mr. President?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Eight minutes.
  Mr. LEAHY. How much time remains for the Republicans?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. That time has expired.
  Mr. LEAHY. Would the Senator like 2 minutes of my remaining time?
  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, 2 minutes won't do me any good. The 
chairman wants his time; he has it.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I have a feeling we are all going to be 
spending hours talking about the stimulus package. Right now, I am more 
concerned to talk about the Holder nomination.
  I have heard a great deal about the second amendment. I couldn't help 
but think during the hearing, when he was asked about the second 
amendment and how he would support the rights of those who are gun 
owners, and I looked down at some of those asking from the different 
States. I looked at the States that are represented on the Senate 
Judiciary Committee--Wisconsin, California, New York, Illinois, 
Maryland, Rhode Island, Oregon, Minnesota, Delaware, Pennsylvania, 
Utah, Iowa, Arizona, Alabama, South Carolina, Texas, and Oklahoma, as 
well as the State of Vermont. There is only one of those States that 
does not have restrictive gun laws--the State of Vermont. We do not 
have any gun laws in effect, except during hunting season. We limit the 
number of rounds you might have in your semiautomatic during deer 
season. It is supposed to give the deer a chance. Anyone who wanted to 
carry a loaded concealed weapon without a permit in the State of 
Vermont, the distinguished Senator from Virginia or anyone else, could.
  I mention that only because several of the Senators who have come 
from States with very restrictive gun laws went after Eric Holder on 
gun laws. So I asked him: ``Would you, as Attorney General, support 
legislation that would require Vermont to change its gun laws?'' And 
thus make Vermont as restrictive as these Senators who were giving him 
grief on his support of the second amendment. He said: Absolutely not. 
I asked him if there was any question whether he would steadfastly 
protect the second amendment rights of law-abiding Americans to 
purchase, transport, and use guns. He said he would. I asked if he 
would follow the law, including the Supreme Court decision in the 
recent case in the District of Columbia versus Heller. He said, of 
course he would follow the law.

[[Page S1266]]

  I mention that because I put into the Record already 130 or more 
organizations. Every single law enforcement organization of any 
significance in this country is supporting Eric Holder. Civil rights 
groups are supporting Eric Holder. Past prosecutors, including those of 
the Bush and Reagan administrations, have supported Eric Holder. 
Current prosecutors, the members of the immediate past President, 
President Bush's administration, have endorsed him.
  I say this because I think we are seeing straw men put up here--straw 
men who are saying they do not want Eric Holder as Attorney General; 
yet these same people voted unanimously for Alberto Gonzalez, an 
Attorney General who left in disgrace.
  This man restores the lustre of the Department of Justice. This man 
will be as independent as the Attorney General I talked with in his 
office when I was a young law student and we were talking about what it 
would be like to come to the Department of Justice. I asked that 
Attorney General if he would allow anybody in the White House, up to 
and including the President, to interfere with any criminal prosecution 
or civil rights prosecution. He said absolutely not, and I have told 
the President that. That Attorney General I was talking with was Robert 
F. Kennedy. He was talking about his brother John F. Kennedy. And when 
it came time to prosecute a man who had been critical to his brother's 
election as President of the United States, Robert Kennedy prosecuted 
him.
  I left as a young law student, tempted to stay in Washington, but my 
wife Marcelle and I went back to Vermont, where we were both born and 
where we wanted to be. But I have never forgotten that discussion with 
Attorney General Kennedy. That has been the touchstone for me. I don't 
want another Attorney General who sits in the room while others in our 
government approve secretly wiretapping Americans in violation of our 
law, or engaging in torture. I want an attorney who stands up for the 
rule of law and our long cherished American values.
  That is the kind of Attorney General Eric Holder would be. Come on 
the right side of history. Come on the right side of history. Reject 
what we saw in the past. Vote for Eric Holder.
  Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is, Will the Senate advise and 
consent to the nomination of Eric H. Holder, Jr., of the District of 
Columbia, to be Attorney General? On this question, the yeas and nays 
have been ordered. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Alaska (Mr. Begich) and 
the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Kennedy) are necessarily absent.
  I further announce that, if present and voting, the Senator from 
Alaska (Mr. Begich) would vote ``yea.''
  Mr. KYL. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator 
from Florida (Mr. Martinez).
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
desiring to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 75, nays 21, as follows:

                       [Rollcall Vote No. 32 Ex.]

                                YEAS--75

     Akaka
     Alexander
     Baucus
     Bayh
     Bennet
     Bennett
     Bingaman
     Bond
     Boxer
     Brown
     Burris
     Byrd
     Cantwell
     Cardin
     Carper
     Casey
     Chambliss
     Collins
     Conrad
     Corker
     Dodd
     Dorgan
     Durbin
     Feingold
     Feinstein
     Gillibrand
     Graham
     Grassley
     Gregg
     Hagan
     Harkin
     Hatch
     Inouye
     Isakson
     Johnson
     Kaufman
     Kerry
     Klobuchar
     Kohl
     Kyl
     Landrieu
     Lautenberg
     Leahy
     Levin
     Lieberman
     Lincoln
     Lugar
     McCain
     McCaskill
     Menendez
     Merkley
     Mikulski
     Murkowski
     Murray
     Nelson (NE)
     Nelson (FL)
     Pryor
     Reed
     Reid
     Rockefeller
     Sanders
     Schumer
     Sessions
     Shaheen
     Snowe
     Specter
     Stabenow
     Tester
     Udall (CO)
     Udall (NM)
     Voinovich
     Warner
     Webb
     Whitehouse
     Wyden

                                NAYS--21

     Barrasso
     Brownback
     Bunning
     Burr
     Coburn
     Cochran
     Cornyn
     Crapo
     DeMint
     Ensign
     Enzi
     Hutchison
     Inhofe
     Johanns
     McConnell
     Risch
     Roberts
     Shelby
     Thune
     Vitter
     Wicker

                             NOT VOTING--3

     Begich
     Kennedy
     Martinez
  The nomination was confirmed.

  Mr. LEAHY. I thank all my colleagues who took part in this debate 
over the past several weeks. It is a historic nomination. And of the 
last four--I have to check back--the last four attorneys general, Eric 
Holder had the largest ``aye'' vote of any of them.
  I think it is a good sign for the country. It is a good sign for the 
Department of Justice. And this former prosecutor is very happy.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the motion to 
reconsider is considered made and tabled. The President shall be 
notified of the Senate's action and the Senate will return to 
legislative session.

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