[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 55 (Tuesday, March 29, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S1811]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              APPOINTMENT OF ACTING PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will please read a communication to 
the Senate from the President pro tempore (Mr. Leahy).
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read the following letter:

                                                      U.S. Senate,


                                        President pro tempore,

                                   Washington, DC, March 29, 2022.
     To the Senate:
       Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, of the 
     Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby appoint the Honorable 
     Alex Padilla, a Senator from the State of California, to 
     perform the duties of the Chair.
                                                 Patrick J. Leahy,
                                            President pro tempore.

  Mr. PADILLA thereupon assumed the Chair as Acting President pro 
tempore.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Republican whip.


                      Welcoming The Guest Chaplain

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I would like to just begin by acknowledging 
and thanking Pastor Bob Thune for his opening prayer this morning.
  It should come as no surprise, based on the last name, we are 
related. He is my nephew. I have been blessed through the years with a 
rich, spiritual heritage, as has he. His father, my big brother, was 
the spiritual trailblazer in our family. He went on to pastor churches 
in the Midwest, on the West Coast for about 50 years. His son Bob, my 
nephew, is carrying on that great tradition.
  Bob pastors a church, as was noted, called Coram Deo Church in Omaha, 
NE. Coram Deo is Latin for ``the presence of God.'' Bob, on a weekly 
basis, proclaims the truth of the gospel from the pulpit. But on a 
daily basis, he and his congregation have, at the center of their daily 
lives, the presence of God as they seek to have an impact on their 
community and their region and on this world.
  Bob is, in many respects, as it says in the Book of Acts, fulfilling 
God's purpose for his generation. I am grateful for the spiritual 
heritage that we share, for the way that he continues that today. I 
want to encourage him in his work and just acknowledge how grateful we 
are that he was able to join us here in the U.S. Senate and offer that 
opening prayer which, on a daily basis, is offered by our Chaplain, 
Barry Black, who has been a great inspiration to me on so many levels 
and leads us in a weekly Bible study here on Capitol Hill for Senators.
  I always try and do an advertisement to get more Senators to come to 
that Bible study. It is a rich time where we can have an opportunity to 
reflect on the important work that we do and the way that our faith 
applies to it on a daily basis.
  I yield the floor.

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