[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 240-241]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      MAKING LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, visiting with Nevadans, as I have done 
during these past several weeks, it is impossible not to be motivated 
to get back to the business of legislating. It is impossible to ignore 
their grief over growing foreclosures or the uncertainty of 
unemployment or the frustration of fighting insurance companies for 
their families' health.
  It is just as evident that the people of Nevada and the Nation need 
us to work toward sensible solutions rather than drown once again in 
the partisan bickering that consumed much of last year.
  Some elections go your way; some elections go the other way. It is 
the nature of democratic politics in a very diverse Nation. But 
regardless of an outcome of an election, as I have said many times, the 
American people demand that we work together as partners, not 
partisans, to improve their lives. That is as true after Republican 
victories as it is after Democratic victories.
  In the first half of the 111th Congress, even with the minority's 
minimal help, we made significant progress. While last year's final few 
months were dominated by a debate over health insurance reform that 
will save lives, save money, and save Medicare, that historic step was 
only one of many accomplishments that we are proud to have passed last 
year.
  We began this Congress determined to strengthen and stabilize the 
economy for working families. That is why we immediately cut taxes for 
the middle class and small businesses. That is why we immediately 
started the Lilly Ledbetter legislation to equalize pay for women in 
America. That is why we started the process of creating good-paying 
jobs here at home and investing in our future.
  Just last week, the White House Council of Economic Advisers found 
that as many as 2 million Americans have the stimulus to thank for 
their jobs, as does the growing gross domestic product. But there is 
more to do, that is for sure.
  We protected consumers by cracking down on abusive credit card 
companies, and we have been trying to do that for a long time. Last 
year, we were able to get it done, finally--to get under control the 
abuses credit card companies have been doing to the American people for 
so long. We cracked down on mortgage fraud scams, the scams that take 
place when times are tough. We changed the law. We rooted out corporate 
fraud. But there is more to do.
  We started to thaw our frozen credit markets so Americans can get the 
loans they need to buy a car, send a child to college, or start a new 
business. But there is more to do.
  We are helping responsible homeowners keep their homes, and helped

[[Page 241]]

more homeowners to keep the equity in their homes. We helped more 
families to buy their first home. A lot of people can claim the idea 
for the first-time home buyer tax credit. The idea came, as far as I 
know, from Johnny Isakson of Georgia. It was a tremendously important 
program that is still going on. We extended that. But even though we 
have done that, there is more to do.
  We helped millions of children stay healthy by expanding CHIP. We 
extended it by about 14 million children who can go to the doctor when 
they are sick or to the hospital when they are hurt. We made it easier 
by far for these kids to get the help and care they need.
  We made it harder for tobacco companies to prey on these children. We 
learned, and we have known for some time, that the tobacco habit 
starts, most of the time, when you are a teenager. With this 
legislation we had been trying to pass for decades, we were finally 
able to get it done--to focus on tobacco companies and why there has to 
be control placed on them. Even though we have done that, there is more 
to do.
  We extended unemployment insurance for millions and extended COBRA 
subsidies so those struggling to find work can feed their families, 
fuel our economy, and afford decent medical care. But there is more to 
do.
  We supported the travel and tourism industries, which will create 
tens of thousands of jobs and cut our deficit by hundreds of millions 
of dollars. Even after having done that, there is more to do.
  We helped hundreds of thousands of drivers afford more fuel-efficient 
cars and trucks. It was such a good idea--cash for clunkers--that now I 
heard on the news that Japan is going to do it. That will be a boon for 
American car manufacturers because Japan said those Japanese people who 
decide to use the Cash for Clunkers Program can buy American cars. Even 
though we have done that, there is more to do.
  With the national service bill named for Senator Kennedy, we made it 
easier for more Americans to serve their country like our heroes of 
generations past. With one of the most important conservation bills in 
many decades, we protected public lands for generations to come. But 
there is more to do.
  We have given our troops, veterans, and their families the support 
they deserve, including better battlefield equipment, better care for 
our wounded warriors, and a well-earned pay raise. We also cut waste 
and fraud in the Pentagon's purchase of military weapons. But there is 
more to do.
  This Congress also made history by pursuing justice and ensuring 
equality for every single American. With a hate crimes bill that bears 
Emmett Till's name, we stood up for those who were victims of violence 
because of their race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. With the fair 
pay bill in Lilly Ledbetter's name, we stood up for those who are 
targets of discrimination in the workplace because of their gender or 
background.
  We passed overdue appropriations bills, new appropriations bills, and 
an honest, responsible budget that makes sound investments in every 
part of our country. The Senate confirmed President Obama's outstanding 
nominee for the Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor.
  It is a long list of accomplishments, but I assure the Senate that we 
are just getting started. We have a lot more to do.
  In the coming year, we will ensure all Americans can access 
affordable health care, and we will deny insurance companies the 
ability to deny health care to the sick, and we will slash our deficit 
in the process.
  We will help more Americans keep their homes and their jobs, and we 
will continue to help our economy not only recover but prosper once 
again.
  We will continue to create new jobs, including good-paying clean 
energy jobs that can never be outsourced. You can see throughout the 
country that happening. A week ago Monday, 2 days ago, I was in a place 
about 35 miles outside of Las Vegas at the Harry Allen plant that is 
going to be the most clean natural gas facility for producing 
electricity in America. About 700 men and women were working on that 
construction project. At that construction project, there were people 
walking and running and doing the jobs they needed to do, with trucks 
moving back and forth.
  The reason we were there is because the Western Area Power 
Administration, WAPA, under the stimulus bill we passed, had the 
ability to do loans that were very low-interest loans. We were there to 
announce a public-private partnership between WAPA and others, which 
will bring electricity from the northern part of the State to the 
southern part of Nevada for the first time in Nevada's history.
  We became a State in 1864. Why is that important? It will allow 
Nevada to be energy independent in 2\1/2\ to 3 years. Just as 
important, we also will be able to produce far more electricity than 
Nevada needs because now, with this power line that will create 
hundreds and hundreds of jobs, we will also have a lot of energy 
projects for that full 250-mile area. They will be able to do solar, 
wind, geothermal and bring that onto the power line. That is only the 
first phase. After that, it has been agreed by WAPA that they can do 
stage 2, which will bring electricity from the Northwest into Nevada 
and, of course, California and the whole Southwest. That is a good 
project and an example of good-paying clean energy jobs that can never 
be outsourced.
  We will tackle our daunting energy and climate challenges, and by 
doing that we will strengthen our national security, our environment, 
and our economy.
  We need to look no further than Boone Pickens, who talks about this 
every day of his life. We will have a more secure Nation, and we will 
lessen our dependence on foreign oil. We will use the resources we 
have, among which are wind, Sun, geothermal, and now we are the largest 
holder of natural gas of any country in the world. That is what Boone 
Pickens is talking about--using our own energy, not continuing 
importing oil.
  As we do all these things, we will continue to leave a seat at the 
table for our Republican colleagues. Whether their caucus comprises 40 
or 41 members, each composes this body of 100. Our individual 
caucuses--one that will have 59 and one that will have 41--should all 
be united within the walls of this Chamber and not defined by the aisle 
that divides the desks.
  Today is the first anniversary of the first time our President 
addressed our Nation as our President. One year ago today, standing on 
steps just a short distance from here, he reflected that our Nation had 
chosen ``unity of purpose over conflict and discord.'' He asked us to 
put aside the differences and dogmas that paralyze our politics.
  We can answer that call this year--not just because President Obama 
requested it but because the American people justly demand it.
  By and large, those in the minority have shown, so far, far too 
little interest in working with us. More important, they have shown far 
too little interest in working on the interests of their constituents.
  Mr. President, I called my office early this morning and asked my 
faithful assistant, Janice Shelton, to arrange a call for me to talk to 
the new, soon-to-be Senator from Massachusetts, Scott Brown. I look 
forward to visiting with him. I look forward to welcoming him to the 
Senate and asking him that he work with us. It is certainly a 
conversation I look forward to.
  I hope in this new year we will resolve to leave partisan political 
motivation behind. I hope we will share and renew the motivation to get 
to work, to legislate for the good of this country.

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