[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 10545]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  FLAG DAY, HEALTH CARE AND EXTENDERS

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, first, I would like to note a couple 
important anniversaries today. It was on this day in 1775 that the 
Continental Army was established and George Washington appointed to 
lead it. So June 14 has gone down in history not only as the beginning 
of America's defeat of the British Army but also as the birth of the 
greatest Army the world has ever known. The largest and oldest branch 
of the U.S. military, the Army is older than the United States itself. 
Its first leader became our first President. It continues to make 
Americans proud, and we are grateful on this day and every day for the 
men and women of the U.S. Army.
  Incidentally, 2 years to the day after the establishment of the Army, 
the Second Continental Congress officially established the flag under 
which our military has fought ever since. The resolution in Congress 
said that 13 stripes would represent the 13 States, and that 13 stars 
would represent the Union in the form of a new constellation. President 
Wilson officially established this day as Flag Day in 1916. Ever since, 
Americans everywhere have honored this great symbol of freedom every 
year on Flag Day, June 14. We honor those who have fought for it, and 
we are proud of all that the flag of the United States of America 
represents here and wherever it flies around the globe.
  On another topic, the Obama administration announced new regulations 
today that will give Americans a better sense of how the health care 
bill will affect them. These new regulations outline the various ways 
in which existing health plans will be forced to change under the new 
law. According to the Obama administration report we saw on all this 
today, these regulations could result in nearly 7 out of 10 workers--
and 80 percent of workers at small businesses--seeing changes in their 
plans. In other words, under the new health care bill, more than half 
of those who get insurance through their jobs may be forced to change 
their plans whether they want to or not.
  This is not only bad news for the vast majority of Americans who like 
the plans they have. It also flatly contradicts the President's 
repeated promises to the contrary. A year ago this month, the President 
said the following on national television: ``. . . Government is not 
going to make you change plans under health reform''
  The implication here was that businesses might change your plans, but 
government won't. Today's regulations show that this isn't true. The 
government is about to change the plans most Americans have. Here's one 
more promise the administration has broken on health care and one more 
warning Republicans issued on this bill that's been vindicated.
  Now onto the business on the floor. Since Democrats continue to argue 
among themselves about the extenders bill, I will be asking consent at 
the end of my remarks to pass a 30-day extension of the recently 
expired provisions in the bill that will give doctors and those looking 
for work the assurances they need to plan ahead. And rather than doing 
it in a way that simply adds to the deficit, this proposal would 
actually reduce the debt by $2.5 billion. Moreover, later today Senator 
Thune will offer an amendment that would provide for a long-term 
extension of these programs, plus the tax provisions which expired at 
the end of last year, without adding a dime to the deficit.
  In fact, the Thune amendment would enable us to lower the deficit by 
$55 billion by enacting the kinds of spending cuts Americans are 
demanding of lawmakers in Washington.
  Many of these cuts have been proposed previously by Senator Coburn 
and received bipartisan support on the supplemental spending bill. We 
need to show the American people we are making serious efforts to cut 
spending. The Thune amendment gives us an opportunity to do just that 
today. I hope our Democrat friends join us in that effort.
  As I indicated and mentioned to the majority leader when we were in 
private discussion a while ago, I will now propound the consent 
agreement to which I referred in my remarks.


                   unanimous-consent request--S. 3421

  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to 
the consideration of Calendar No. 411, S. 3421; further, that the bill 
be read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be laid 
upon the table; before the chair rules, for clarity, this is a paid for 
30-day extension of the extenders bill, which includes unemployment 
insurance, doc fix, COBRA, flood insurance, and the extension of the 
small business loan guarantee program and the 2009 Federal poverty 
guidelines.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection?
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, it is my 
understanding, through the Chair to my distinguished friend, the senior 
Senator from Kentucky, that this is paid for out of stimulus money?
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I believe most of the pay-fors are. I 
would say to my friend, having consulted with staff, it is some 
stimulus money but largely what we believe to be noncontroversial pay-
fors.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, a 30-day extension doesn't solve the 
problems we have. A 30-day extension of unemployment, 30-day FMAP, 30-
day doc fix, is just kicking them all down the road. We have to have a 
legitimate program to extend these benefits into the future, and 30 
days does not do it. It just kicks the ball down the road.
  I would also say, with money being taken from the recovery moneys--
this is one of the job-creating things we have left going on in this 
government. It is a good program, it creates jobs.
  I look forward to working with my Republican colleagues to have a 
more long-term fix of this difficult problem, and therefore I object.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection is heard.

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