[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 20680]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            VOTE EXPLANATION

  Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I was unable to participate in the 
rollcall vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the Kohl substitute 
amendment, No. 1908, to H.R. 2997, the Agriculture, Rural Development, 
Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act 
of 2010 and on the rollcall vote on amendment No. 1910 introduced by 
Senator McCain. Both rollcall votes took place yesterday.
  Had I been present, I would have voted yea in support of the motion 
to invoke cloture and yea in support of Senator McCain's amendment. The 
McCain amendment would have cut $17.5 million set aside for the Rural 
Utilities Service, High Energy Cost Grant Program--a program that was 
eliminated in President Obama's fiscal year 2010 budget.
  I commend the chairman of the subcommittee, Senator Kohl, and the 
ranking member, Senator Brownback, for their bipartisan work on this 
important bill that will fund agriculture priorities, nutrition 
assistance programs, and food and drug safety measures that are 
critical for my State of Connecticut and the rest of the country.

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