[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 94 (Monday, June 22, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6861-S6862]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          TRADE PROMOTION ACT

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, later today Democrats will move forward on a 
bill sponsored by Democrats and Republicans--lots of Republicans--a 
bill that creates jobs at a time when we need them the most. I 
encourage the Republicans to join with those of us who want to move 
forward on this piece of legislation. Democrats will do our jobs--using 
this great legislative body to legislate--and make life better for 
struggling Americans. I encourage my Republican colleagues to do the 
same.
  The travel promotion bill is critical for our economy. Tourism and 
travel generate $1 trillion in economic activity every year--$1 
trillion. In its first year, this bill will create 40,000 new jobs.
  There isn't a State in the Union that doesn't depend on tourism. I 
can remember the first time I went to a place where we had a Democratic 
retreat in Virginia. I walked out of my room and I saw this huge body 
of water and I thought: Gee, I didn't know we were on the ocean. It was 
just a huge--must have been a mile at least to the other side of that 
body of water. It was the James River. It was a river.
  The reason I mention that is I have had the good fortune of traveling 
around Virginia. It is a wonderful place to visit. There are all kinds 
of tourist attractions in Virginia. But every State is about the same. 
Every State has its unique possibilities and places to go. I have been 
to virtually every State in the Union. There are so many wonderful 
places. I know Virginia better because for quite a long time my non-
Nevada home was in Virginia and

[[Page S6862]]

three of my five children graduated from schools in Virginia. It is a 
wonderful place, and tourism is very important to Virginia. This bill 
is important to Virginia.
  Again, travel and tourism generate $1 trillion in economic activity 
around the country every year, and in its first year, this bill will 
create more than 40,000 jobs. The bill will cut our deficit. We are not 
asking for money from the public trough to take care of this. This bill 
will cut our deficit by $425 million over the next decade. We save 
money by doing this. We make money by doing this. We will be taking the 
strategies that have made Las Vegas such a success and bringing them to 
our entire Nation's tourism industry. It is one of the many ways we are 
working to create jobs and help our economy recover.
  So far, the minority has shown no interest in either creating jobs or 
in helping our economy recover. I hope that, in this case, past is not 
prologue.
  One of my floor staff here said they saw a Republican staffer just a 
short time ago and the Republican staffer said: Why won't you let us 
offer amendments?
  That is some kind of game being played. I have had conversations with 
the Republican leader and with other Republican Senators on this bill, 
and I have said: Let's move on with this legislation. Under the rules, 
the amendments ultimately have to be germane, but I have said: I don't 
care if they are germane or not. If you want to offer amendments, that 
is what we have done all year and we will do it here.
  They wanted to offer four amendments on TARP, and I said: Well, that 
has nothing to do with tourism, but if you want to do that, go ahead 
and do it.
  In response, Senator Sanders, from Vermont, told me that he had an 
amendment he wanted to offer. I said: Listen, Bernie, if you want to 
offer a nongermane amendment, you can do it. If they want to offer a 
nongermane amendment, they can; otherwise, we are not going to do that.
  So we have all these nongermane amendments they want to offer, and he 
has one he wants to offer. His amendment simply restates the law and 
makes it a little stronger, and in effect what it does is takes a look 
at the oil companies to see if they are manipulating prices. So the 
Republicans said: No, we are not going to agree to that; we want you to 
take all of our amendments, we will vote on them, and none for you. 
Well, that is not fair, it is not reasonable, and it is only an excuse 
for Republicans to again stymie legislation.
  So let's get the facts straight. At the start of the debate, we 
offered Republicans nongermane amendments. They could have more 
amendments than we could have. We agreed to do that. Not a single one 
of the Republican amendments was related to this bill, and some of the 
amendments were even duplicates. But I said: Let's go ahead and do it 
anyway. Of course, the Republicans said no. They refuse to let us move 
forward, once again wasting the American people's time and money. They 
refuse to let us move forward--I repeat--once again wasting the 
American people's time and money.
  It is difficult to watch what is going on here and come away with a 
sense that the Republicans have even the slightest interest in 
legislating or that they have the slightest understanding of what 
families are facing across the country. Just last week, in the Roll 
Call publication, a Republican Senator said--and it is on the front 
page--``Senate GOP Still Saying No.'' A Republican Senator said this 
last week in one of the newspapers that cover Capitol Hill, Roll Call:

       Democrats need to know when they bring [bills] up, we're 
     going to extend debate as long as we can--even if we can't 
     win it.

  So I say to this Republican Senator and all Republican Senators: This 
isn't a game. I say to those watching and listening today: The next 
time Republicans trot out their stale standard talking points about 
congressional approval ratings or the inefficiency of government, pay 
attention to see whether they also quote their fellow Republican 
Senator who admits they are not here to work. These partisan tactics 
have consequences. These consequences will be evident on every kitchen 
table, every family budget, and every American's peace of mind.
  I encourage Republicans to finish this legislation. I have said that 
if there are nongermane amendments they want to file, even though we 
have no obligation to do that, we will have those amendments during the 
30-hour postcloture time and dispose of them. I don't understand what 
the deal is here. This is the 18th time we have had to file cloture 
this year--the 18th time. In spite of that, we have been able to get a 
lot of work done. But I do encourage Republicans to join with us in 
moving this legislation forward. It is important.
  I look around the floor, and I see Virginia, Nevada, and Arizona 
Senators here. Tourism is very important. It will create jobs. It will 
cut our deficit. It is not a bad combination. So I would encourage 
Republicans to join in this important travel promotion bill and to 
openly pass it so we can bring jobs home, helping our country prosper 
once again. We know if we can get past this procedural hurdle where we 
need 60 votes, all Democrats will vote to move forward. That is the 
right thing to do. Shouldn't we get even the sponsors of the bill to 
join in?
  We haven't stopped the amendment process. They are going to have to 
come up with a different reason for voting against it than that because 
everyone has had an opportunity.
  So I hope we can move forward. It was a bill that was originally 
going to be managed by Senators Dorgan and Ensign. Senator Martinez has 
been heavily involved. I thought we had things all worked out with him 
and Senator Dorgan on Thursday, but it all fell apart because of the 
inability to have Senator Sanders have his amendment.
  I simply don't understand what excuse they have for not moving 
forward with this legislation.

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