Floor Statements

Madam President, I apologize to the Republican leader. I was detained in my office talking to another Senator, so I apologize for not being here and his having to wait.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that on Friday, November 20, at 10 a.m., the Senate proceed to a period of debate on the motion to proceed to H.R. 3590, until 11 p.m., with the time controlled in alternating 1-hour blocks, with the majority controlling the first hour; and at 10 p.m., Friday, there be 30-minute blocks until 11 p.m., with the majority controlling the first 30 minutes; further, that on Saturday, November 21, at 10 a.m., the Senate continue with controlled debate in alternating blocks until 6 p.m., with the majority controlling the first hour block; that at 6 p.m., the majority control the time until 6:30 p.m., the Republicans then control 6:30 to 7:15 p.m., the majority control 7:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., the Republican leader controls 7:30 to 7:45, and the majority leader controls 7:45 to 8 p.m.; that at 8 p.m., the Senate proceed to vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R. 3590; that if cloture is invoked on the motion, then all postcloture time be yielded back, the motion to proceed be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table; that after the bill is reported, the majority leader be recognized to

call up his amendment and that it be reported by number only.

Madam President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 175, H.R. 3590, and I send a cloture motion to the desk.

I ask that the mandatory quorum required under rule XXII be waived.

I thank the Chair.

Mr. President, following leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business. Senator Rockefeller will then be recognized for as much time as he may consume. Following his remarks, there will be an additional 2 hours of morning business. The majority will control the first hour and the Republicans will control the next hour.

Following morning business, the Senate will resume postcloture debate on the nomination of David Hamilton to be U.S. circuit judge for the Seventh Circuit.

The postcloture debate time expires about 11 p.m. tonight. It is my hope that time will not be necessary because it is basically wasted Senate time.

Yesterday, we were able to reach an agreement to consider S. 1963, the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009 upon disposition of the Hamilton nomination. Senators should expect votes in relation to the Coburn amendment and passage of the bill.

Mr. President, when baseball legend Lou Gehrig retired after playing 2,130 consecutive games, every expert drew the same conclusion: this record will never be broken. Of course, they were wrong.

Throughout history, forecasters have sentenced themselves to ridicule for prematurely assuming a skyscraper's height would never be topped, for promising an invention's ingenuity would never be outdone, or for contending an athletic feat would never be surpassed.

Even so, I am willing to risk predicting that many of Senator Robert Byrd's records will never be matched. Since coming to the Senate in 1959, Senator Byrd has cast more than 18,500 votes. No one else, past or present, even comes close. He is the only Senator who has ever been elected to nine full terms in this body. He has presided over both the shortest session in Senate history--not even one second long--and presided for the longest continuous period--more than 21 hours. No one has ever served on a Senate Committee longer than Senator Byrd. Just days after being sworn in, he joined the Appropriation Committee he would later chair. He has held the most leadership positions in Senate history, and continues to serve as our President Pro Tempore.

And just moments ago, when this body was gaveled into session, Senator Byrd realized one more unparalleled accomplishment: he has just become the longest-serving Member of Congress in U.S. history.

Every day since January 3, 1953--that is 56 years, 10 months and 16 days--West Virginians have been proud to be presented in Washington, by Robert Byrd.

He began his service in the House the same day Alaska became our 49th State, and was months into his Senate service when Hawaii became our 50th.

Senator Byrd has served in this Nation's Congress for more than a quarter of the time it has existed. And he has served in Congress longer than more than a quarter of today's sitting Senators--and the President of the United

States--have been alive. That doesn't even count one Senator who was born just days after his first election to represent West Virginia's Sixth Congressional District, and a second who was born just weeks after that.

A dozen men have called the Oval Office his own while Senator Byrd has called the Capitol building his office.

He twice won every single one of West Virginia's 55 counties. And throughout one of the longest political careers in history, no one ever has defeated Robert Byrd in a single election.

But though each one of those campaigns--after each of the 12 times he has taken an oath to represent the people of West Virginia--on every single one of the 20,774 days he has served--he has never taken the privilege for granted.

As a former leader of both the majority and the minority caucuses in the Senate, he knows better than most that legislation is the art of compromise. It is telling that the man who has served here longer than any other American has come to the conclusion that we must work together as partners, not partisans, for the good of our country--and, of course, the State of West Virginia.

He has seen partisanship and bipartisanship; war and peace; recession and recovery; and his perspective is invaluable to the way we carry ourselves as U.S. Senators.

Senator Byrd's legislative accomplishments are many, and he continues to accumulate them. And while those accomplishments fortify his incomparable legacy, he is perhaps best known in this Chamber as the foremost guardian of the Senate's complex rules, procedures and customs.

He has not concerned himself with such precision as a pastime or a mere hobby. He has done so because of the unyielding respect he has for the Senate. And on this momentous occasion, I say to my friend that the Senate returns that unyielding respect to him.

By virtue of his longevity, Robert Byrd has known and worked with many of the greats of the United States Senate. By virtue of his integrity, he has long since established himself among the greats.

There will never be another Senator like Senator Byrd, and today's milestone is another record that will never be broken.

Congratulations, Robert C. Byrd, an orphan who changed history.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I apologize to my counterpart, the distinguished Senator from Kentucky, for not being here, but I was occupied outside the Chamber.

Mr. President, following leader remarks, there will be a period for morning business for 1 hour, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. The majority will control the first 30 minutes, the Republicans will control the final 30 minutes.

Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of H.R. 3082, the Military Construction-Veterans Affairs appropriations bill. Several amendments are still in order to the bill. We expect a vote for up to three of those amendments prior to lunch. Following the recess, we will have a number of votes we have to take. It is important that we do that. The Senate will recess from 12:30 to 2:15 for the weekly party caucuses, but following the recess the Senate will proceed to vote in relation to the Inhofe amendment, No. 2774, to be followed by a vote on passage of the bill, as amended.

Upon disposition of H.R. 3082, there will be 1 hour of debate prior to a cloture vote on the nomination of David Hamilton to be U.S. circuit judge for the Seventh Circuit.

Mr. President, following leader remarks, there will be a period of morning business until 3 p.m. today, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Act. At 5:30, the Senate will proceed to two rollcall votes in relation to the bill. The first vote is in relation to the Coburn amendment No. 2757. The second vote is in relation to the Coburn motion to commit the bill.

Mr. President, H.R. 3962 is at the desk and due for a second reading.

Mr. President, I now object to any further proceedings at this time.

The Chair will announce morning business, please.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, the prayer, having been led by Admiral Black, who spent his entire life counseling those in the military who had different issues, set the tone this morning for a moment of silence we are going to have.

One of the worst tragedies that has ever taken place on a military installation was at Fort Hood a couple of days ago. Thirteen are dead. We have a number seriously wounded. For the tens of thousands who are at that post and other installations around our country and around the world, certainly it is in keeping with our thoughts for those who have fallen in Iraq and Afghanistan, and certainly the demonstration that we saw with the first responders at Fort Hood and the tragedy that ensued there.

Our thoughts are with those who have been so badly injured in body and mind.

I now ask the Chair to announce a moment of silence.

Mr. President, following leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period for the transaction of morning business for 1 hour, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. The majority will control the first 30 minutes and the Republicans will control the next 30 minutes. Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill. The Senate will recess from 12:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. today

to allow for caucus luncheons. There will be no rollcall votes during today's session. We will continue to work on an agreement to finish the appropriations bill during the day. Senators should expect the next rollcall vote to occur on Monday.

I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate be in recess subject to the call of the Chair.