[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 9660-9661]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             BIPARTISANSHIP

  Mr. REID. Madam President, yesterday my friends, the chairman of the 
Foreign Relations Committee and the ranking member of the Armed 
Services Committee, submitted a resolution supporting the U.S. 
involvement in the NATO action in Libya.
  I commend my friends who have submitted a strong bipartisan 
resolution with an impressive list of cosponsors, including Senators 
McCain, Levin, Durbin, Kyl, Feinstein, Graham, Lieberman, Blunt, 
Cardin, and others. This should have overwhelming support, and I am 
confident it will.
  Some Republicans in the House of Representatives and on the campaign 
trail have expressed concern over our involvement in this conflict. 
They have clearly decided to use the War Powers Resolution as a 
political bludgeon to pursue a partisan agenda.
  But I also believe there is a larger question we must each ask 
ourselves as Senators as we consider this military action: Was our 
participation in the international effort to stop mass murder and chaos 
in Libya a just decision? I am confident it was.
  Muammar Qadhafi's repressive dictatorship is a threat to the region 
and to U.S. national security. Our support of this mission is crucial 
for our NATO alliance that is leading this mission and for the people 
of Libya who lived far too long under Qadhafi's brutal regime.
  I thank the Senator from Massachusetts and the senior Senator from 
Arizona for beginning to deliberate. These two senior Senators have 
begun a deliberate, bipartisan discussion of this important matter in 
the Senate. Working together, this bipartisan group of Senators has 
made a clear statement to our allies, to the world, to the Libyan 
people, and to Qadhafi that we support the people's action in Libya.
  The Senate is truly at its best when bipartisan lawmakers work 
together. That is why it is so unfortunate that yesterday Republicans 
were unwilling to join us in our efforts to create jobs for Americans 
who need them so very badly. For the fourth time this year, my 
Republican colleagues stalled a jobs bill that could have put hundreds 
of thousands of Americans to work now.
  This was the second jobs bill Republicans have killed by piling on 
unrelated amendments--the EDA bill that I just referred to, almost 100 
amendments, none of which related to the legislation at hand. Two more 
jobs bills passed the Senate but are wasting away in the House. All 
four of these bills are commonsense efforts to spur innovation, 
investment, and hiring by private companies. All four had a proven 
track record of creating jobs. The message the Republicans have sent is 
clear: They care more about partisan politics than they do about 
putting Americans back to work.
  Later today, Democrats will talk about our plan to reduce the jobs 
deficit, a problem just as critical to Americans as our budget deficit. 
We hope our Republican colleagues will join us to tackle the problem. 
So far, they have put politics first.
  I don't know what it will take for Republicans to get the message 
that people in Nevada and across the country care more about jobs than 
any other issue. It is the most important issue on which Congress 
should focus. Instead, Republicans are focused on the one thing 
Americans don't want to change: ending Medicare as we know it. It is 
wrong that Republicans are trying to end Medicare as we know it. The 
American public does not support this.
  The vast majority of Americans say they oppose the Republican plan to 
balance the budget on the backs of seniors by killing Medicare. The 
number amongst seniors and Independents is sky high in opposition to 
the Republican plan to change Medicare as we know it. There is no 
mystery to why they oppose it. The Republican plan to end Medicare 
would put insurance company bureaucrats between seniors and their 
doctors. It would raise drug prices from day one. It would increase the 
cost of cancer screenings and treatments for 7 million seniors and do a 
lot more damage to our Medicare recipients.

[[Page 9661]]

  Seniors cannot afford this dangerous plan nor can America. The Senate 
can't afford to waste any more time. It is our job to create jobs. It 
is time for Republicans to leave Medicare alone and let us get back to 
work creating jobs.

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