[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 14239-14240]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          DEFLECTING ATTENTION

  Mr. McCONNELL. The small business bill we are now considering has an 
interesting history, and given the President's recent statements on the 
bill, it is worth recounting that history.
  Remember, we got on this bill in June. But then Democrats took us off 
of it to move to financial regulation. Then last week, they took us off 
of it again to move to the DISCLOSE Act.
  So if the President wants to criticize somebody about slowing this 
bill down, he simply has the wrong party. He needs to direct his 
criticism at Democrats, not Republicans.
  The fact is Democrats had other priorities. They thought it was more 
important to impose job-killing regulations on the financial industry 
and give even more authority to the kinds of regulators who missed the 
last financial crisis.
  They also thought it was more important to shut up their critics 
ahead of the fall elections by pushing a bill that amounted to an all-
out assault on free speech.
  These are the things Democrats have been doing instead of the small 
business bill. Yet the President continues to claim that somehow 
Republicans are the problem. Well, it is obvious what they are doing: 
They want to deflect attention away from the fact that trillions of 
dollars in government spending and debt has failed.
  Spending, debt, regulations, more government--none of it has worked. 
Now they want to raise taxes on the very small businesses that are 
trying so desperately to create jobs.
  It is time to change course and to do something that will create 
lasting private sector jobs and get us moving in the right direction.
  Democrats can try to deflect attention away from their failed 
policies all they want, but the consequences of their actions are 
obvious to the American people.
  It is time to put aside the liberal wish list and allow America's 
small business men and women to do something that has a chance of 
reviving this economy. Spending, debt, and tax hikes are the last 
things we need.
  Republicans have offered a number of ideas to improve the small 
business bill and, until now, those amendments have been obstructed by 
the other side and, along with them, the bill itself.
  I am encouraged to see that the majority has changed its mind and now 
seems committed to staying on this bill, allowing votes on Republican 
better ideas, and working with us on something other than raising 
taxes, growing the debt, or burying job creators in a sea of new 
regulation.


                                 Energy

  Mr. President, it is perfectly obvious that Democrats are doing their 
best to keep us from passing a serious energy bill before the August 
recess.
  Later today, we expect the majority leader to offer the Democratic 
alternative to the oilspill response that the Republicans proposed last 
week.
  This is not a serious exercise. All indications are that they don't 
intend to have a real debate about one of the most important issues we 
face. Anybody who has been here for any period of time knows that 
energy bills take at least a couple of weeks. So it doesn't appear 
there is either the time or the willingness on the other side to debate 
this critical issue.
  We would have liked to have had a debate on ideas we have already 
offered. Our energy bill would give the President the ability to raise 
the liability caps on economic damages done by companies such as BP, 
without driving small independent oil producers out of business.
  It would lift the administration's job-killing moratorium on offshore 
drilling as soon as new safety standards are met--a moratorium that one 
senior Gulf State Democrat says could cost more jobs than the oilspill 
itself. How can you have a serious energy debate without addressing a 
problem that a leading Gulf State Democrat said is costing more jobs 
than the oilspill itself?
  Our bill has a true bipartisan commission--with subpoena power--to 
investigate the oilspill, rather than the President's antidrilling 
commission.
  Importantly, it also takes good ideas from Democrats, including 
Senator Bingaman's idea for much needed reform at MMS. Surely, we can 
all agree that this administration's oversight at MMS is in need of 
major reform.

[[Page 14240]]

  Our bill includes revenue sharing for coastal States that allow 
offshore drilling to help them prepare for and deal with disasters such 
as the one we have right now in the gulf.
  We have our own ideas, we have some of their ideas, and our bill 
doesn't kill jobs; it doesn't put a moratorium on production.
  We are not interested in yet another debate about a Democratic bill 
in which the prerequisite is killing more jobs.
  Our bill would address this crisis at hand. Their bill would use the 
crisis to stifle business and kill jobs in a region that is in 
desperate need of jobs.
  It was my hope we could have a real debate about energy. Clearly, the 
majority--at least so far--isn't interested in that debate.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Begich). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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