[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 166 (Wednesday, December 15, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S10261]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      FINISHING THE SENATE'S WORK

  Mr. REID. Madam President, as a Christian, no one has to remind me of 
the importance of Christmas for all of the Christian faith, all of 
their families all across America.
  I do not think any of us, and I do not need to hear the sanctimonious 
lectures of Senators Kyl and DeMint to remind me of what Christmas 
means.
  My question is, Where were their concerns about Christmas when they 
led filibuster after filibuster on major pieces of legislation during 
this entire Congress--not once but 87 times, taking days and days of 
the people's time in the Senate on wasteful delay?
  Senate Republicans need look no further than themselves in casting 
blame for the predicament we are in right now. In this Congress, I 
repeat, Republicans have waged 87 filibusters. They have used every 
procedural trick in the book to delay legislation that is important to 
the American people.
  We have been able to work through most of that and have what, in the 
mind of Norm Ornstein, the most successful Congress watcher in decades 
says is the most successful, productive Congress in the history of the 
country. We have done that in spite of all of the roadblocks that have 
been thrown in our way.
  In just a few minutes, we are going to proceed to the START treaty. I 
am told the Republicans are going to make us read the entire treaty in 
an effort to stall us from passing it. Isn't that wonderful. That 
treaty has been here since April or May of this year--plenty of time to 
read it.
  These are additional days of wasted time that we could be using to 
pass legislation to get home for the holidays. Yet some of my 
Republican colleagues have the nerve to whine about having to stay in 
action and do the work the American people pay us to do. We make large 
salaries. We could work, as most American do, during the holidays.
  Perhaps Senators Kyl and DeMint have been in Washington too long 
because in my State, Nevadans employed in casinos and hotels and 
throughout the State of Nevada--on our ranches, basically everyplace--
have to work hard on holidays, including Christmas, to support their 
families.
  The mines do not shut down in Nevada on Christmas. People work. They 
get paid double time a lot of times when they have good contracts. But 
they work on Christmas holidays. Most people do not get 2 weeks off at 
any time let alone Christmas week. These people who are lucky enough to 
have a job in these trying times need to work extra hard just to make 
ends meet.
  So it is offensive to me and millions of working Americans across 
this country for any Senator to suggest that working through the 
Christmas holidays is somehow sacrilegious or disrespectful.
  The path to finishing this year lies in the hands of Senators such as 
Senators Kyl and DeMint and any other Senate Republican who is trying 
to run out the clock or run out the door without finishing the American 
people's business. If they decide to work with us, we can all have a 
happy holiday. If they do not, we will continue until we finish the 
people's business.

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