[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 76 (Monday, May 18, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5543-S5544]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  FINAL WEEK OF APRIL/MAY WORK PERIOD

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, in these past few weeks, we have seen the 
good that can happen when we look out for Main Street, not just Wall 
Street. We have accomplished a lot. This work period has been 
tremendously productive, but we have a lot to finish this week before 
we can adjourn for Memorial Day. We have to finish an important bill 
that puts fairness and common sense back into credit cards--those 
credit cards we use every day. It stops companies from taking advantage 
of their customers with hidden charges and misleading terms. We need to 
finish a bill we passed a couple weeks ago that will crack down on 
corporate fraud and mortgage scams. We need to finish a bill that will 
help millions of families keep their homes. We need to finish a bill 
that reins in out-of-control Government contractors who waste taxpayer 
money, the so-called procurement bill. We need to confirm President 
Obama's nominee to be Deputy Secretary of the Department of the 
Interior--a man who is supremely qualified and held the same position 
in President Clinton's Cabinet. Finally, we have to pass a supplemental 
appropriations bill to give our troops the tools they need to succeed 
as they fight in two wars. This funding will strengthen our military, 
rebuild our standing in the world, and reduce our key security threats.
  So I hope this week we can cap off a productive and successful work 
period with another fruitful week, but it will take the cooperation of 
both Democrats and Republicans to do this. I have had a brief 
conversation with the floor staff, and it is something we should be 
able to do fairly quickly. I hope that, in fact, is the case. I look 
forward to visiting, sometime today, with my counterpart, the 
Republican leader, to see what we can do to work toward this common 
goal of finishing our work as quickly as we can. We all have scheduled 
a lot of things for the Memorial Day recess. It is one of those rare 
times when we can be home during the week. We look forward to that. We 
want to make that time as lengthy as possible, and we will do what we 
can on this side to see if we can move through these very important 
pieces of legislation.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

[[Page S5544]]



                          ____________________