[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5250]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      WEST VIRGINIA MINE DISASTER

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, while we were in recess, the people of 
West Virginia experienced a very difficult mine safety experience. Our 
neighbors in West Virginia, like Kentucky, are big coal producers. We 
have had our share, in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, over the years of 
mining disasters, and our hearts and prayers go out to our neighbors in 
West Virginia as they attempt to recover from the latest tragedy in 
what is obviously a very dangerous profession, and that is mining of 
coal.


                             Polish Tragedy

  We also witnessed a great tragedy overseas, the death of the Polish 
President Lech Kaczynski, his wife, and so many other Polish leaders 
over the weekend. This is obviously a terrible tragedy for Poland and a 
great loss for us as well. Poland is a great friend of the United 
States and we send our heartfelt condolences and every expression of 
solidarity to the Polish people and the families of the dead at this 
very difficult time.


                       Long-Term Fiscal Security

  Turning back to home now, I want to welcome everybody back. I hope 
everyone had a restful and productive break. My constituents have never 
been shy about sharing their views on what we are doing here in 
Washington. These past 2 weeks were no different. To be perfectly 
blunt: Kentuckians are concerned about the direction of our country. 
They are overwhelmingly opposed to the health spending bill, what it 
will cost, and the process used to pass it. And more generally, 
Kentuckians, and Americans everywhere, are concerned about the 
consequences of the endless borrowing and spending here in Washington.
  Americans worry that we are on the cusp or maybe even past the cusp 
of a debt crisis. And they are frustrated. They don't understand how 
lawmakers in Washington can ignore this looming disaster after just 
narrowly averting the last one. Americans know that this is one crisis 
no bailout could ever prevent. We could borrow a trillion dollars to 
dig the country out of a mess that was created on Wall Street, but once 
the government maxes out its own credit card, there is nowhere to 
turn--except to the citizens themselves.
  So the time to act is now. The deficit this year alone is projected 
to be more than $1.4 trillion. Social Security recently started paying 
out more than it is taking in. Interest payments alone on the national 
debt are approaching $1 trillion a year. Interest rates on mortgages, 
student loans, and small business loans are threatening to rise. There 
is no reason to think the problems we are seeing in Europe won't strike 
here at home if we do nothing to reverse current trends.
  Those who continue to use the taxpayer credit card with reckless 
abandon threaten not only our chances of a quick recovery and the jobs 
it would create but also the nation's long-term fiscal security--and a 
safety net that has been built up over the decades precisely for 
moments like this. Democrats can no longer hide behind the argument of 
good intentions when the results threaten our very stability as a 
nation.
  We must get a handle on the deficit and the debt. This is the issue 
that will focus our attention in the weeks and months ahead. And over 
the coming weeks, I assure you, Republicans will continue to give our 
colleagues across the aisle and our President the opportunity to live 
up to the President's commitment on February 13: ``Now, Congress will 
have to pay for what it spends, just like everybody else.'' Americans 
will not tolerate another crisis of Washington's making.


                         Supreme Court Vacancy

  Another issue we will be focused on, of course, is the Supreme Court. 
Justice Stevens' decision last week to retire from the Court gives us 
another opportunity to discuss the proper role of our Federal courts 
and our Constitution.
  Last year, during the debate over Justice Sotomayor's nomination, 
Americans saw the Senate debate and discuss the President's ``empathy'' 
standard for judicial appointments. At the end of that debate, most 
Americans--and indeed Justice Sotomayor herself, along with Senators of 
the President's own party--rejected that standard and agreed with 
Republicans that judges ought to apply the law, not their own feelings 
and personal preferences.
  We are hopeful that this time around the President will select 
someone with extensive real-world legal experience and a demonstrated 
commitment to the rule of law. That is what Americans expect from their 
judges, whether it is small claims court or the Supreme Court. They do 
not expect us to select judges based upon whose side the judge is on, 
as one Democrat on the Judiciary Committee once suggested.
  Once the President submits his nominee, Senate Republicans will 
diligently review his or her record so the American people can be 
confident that they will be able to fulfill the judicial oath; namely, 
to administer ``justice without respect to persons and to do right by 
the poor and by the rich.'' I am hopeful that at the end of the day, I 
and other Republicans will be convinced that the nominee will be able 
to do so.
  I yield the floor.

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