Floor Statements

``A freshmen Senator should be seen, not heard; should learn, and not teach.''

Mr. President, that is a quote from Senator Ted Kennedy. These are the very first words he spoke on the floor of this Chamber. He was hesitant to rise and speak that April day when he said those words. He had been a Senator for less than 18 months. The country was still reeling from President Kennedy's death just months before.

But the question before the Senate was the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Senator Kennedy knew he could hold his tongue no longer.

He rose to speak because he loved his country. He waited as long as he did to give that maiden speech because he loved this institution. In that speech, he said a Senator of his stature at the time should be seen and not heard. But 45 years later, we can still hear his great booming voice. He said young Senators should learn and not teach. But who can list all we learned from his leadership?

It was a thrill to work with Ted Kennedy personally. He was a friend, the model of public service, and an American icon. He was a patriarch of both the Kennedy family and the Senate family. Together, we mourn his loss.

At so many difficult times in their family's history, the Kennedys have turned to their Uncle Teddy for comfort. At so many critical times in our country's history, America has turned to Ted Kennedy for the same.

We can all remember how he walked solemnly with the grieving First Lady at Arlington National Cemetery. We can remember how his deep love for his brother helped him somehow summon the strength to deliver a defining eulogy in New York. We can all remember how, as patriarch, he memorialized his nephew off the shores of Massachusetts.

For decades, Ted Kennedy was a rock to his family. The impact he has etched

into our history will long endure. It is now left to us to remember the man who helped remember the lives of so many others. He was a very famous man. If you take the subway, people would always come up to Senator Kennedy. I would joke with him, ``Ted, are they coming for me or for you?'' It was obvious whom they were coming for. It was a joke.

Ted was so good. When he thought you did something well, he would drop you a note or give you a call. It meant a lot to me that he would take the time to do that. I have come to learn since his death that he did that for so many people. You didn't have to be a Senator. He would do that for anybody whom he thought deserved a pat on the back. It is up to us to celebrate a Senator who helped so many live better lives.

I have long been a devotee of the Kennedys and an admirer of their service to our Nation. As a student at Utah State University, I founded the first Young Democrats Club--in that bastion of Republicanism. I worked for President Kennedy's election in 1960.

A week before President Kennedy took the oath of office and implored us to ask what we can do for our country, John Kennedy sent me a personal letter of thanks. He had won the election, but he had not yet been inaugurated.

That letter still hangs at the doorway of my Capitol office, just a few feet off the Senate floor, where the three youngest Kennedy brothers ably served. That letter he sent me was for the work I did out West for that campaign.

Many times, Ted would come to my office, and he would stop and look at that letter. He would always say, ``That's his signature,'' indicating that some staff hadn't signed it or some machine hadn't signed it. He was proud that his brother had done what he learned from his brother to do--send these very meaningful letters. He was proud of his brother. He was proud of his own work in the Western States during the 1960 race and proud that I kept that memento in such a prominent place.

President-elect Kennedy's letter was short, but it overflowed with optimism. He wrote to me that the incoming era would allow us to ``make our country an even better place for our citizens to live, as well as to strengthen our country's position of leadership in the world.'' Think how I felt getting that letter. I was still a student.

Ted Kennedy shared the dream his brother had, and he never stopped working to realize it.

Ted Kennedy's legacy stands with the greatest, the most devoted, the most patriotic men and women to ever serve in these Halls. Because of Ted Kennedy, more young children could afford to become healthy. Because of Ted Kennedy, more young adults could afford to become college students. Because of Ted Kennedy, more of our oldest and poorest citizens could get the care they need to live longer, fuller lives. Because of Ted Kennedy, more minorities, women, and immigrants could realize the rights our founding documents promised them. Because of him, more Americans could be proud of their country.

Ted Kennedy came from a family of great wealth and status. He didn't need to work hard for himself. So he chose a life of working hard for others. When he was admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1959, the application asked him to state his main ambition. Ted Kennedy answered: ``The public service of this State.''

To quote one of his favorite poems--the Robert Frost verses that now rest on his desk on the Senate floor--that has made all the difference.

Ted Kennedy's America was one in which all could pursue justice, enjoy equality, and know freedom. That is Ted Kennedy.

Ted's life was driven by his love of a family who loved him and his belief in a country that believed in him. Ted's dream was the one for which the Founding Fathers fought and which his brothers sought to realize.

The liberal lion's mighty roar may now fall silent, but his dream shall never die. One of his older brothers was killed in World War II. He was a pilot going into a mission, and he recognized going into it he would probably never come back. His other brother--the President--was assassinated. His other brother, as a Senator running for President, was assassinated.

Again, Senator Kennedy's dream shall never die.

Mr. President, following leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business for an hour, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each. The majority will control the first 30 minutes and the Republicans will control the second 30 minutes. Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of S. 1023, the Travel Promotion Act. The Senate will recess from 12:30 to 2:15 to allow for the weekly caucus luncheons to meet. We hope to reach an agreement to yield back some of the debate time on the travel promotion legislation prior to 4:30 p.m. Senators will be notified when that vote is scheduled. Upon disposition of the travel bill, the Senate will proceed to a cloture vote on the executive nomination of Cass Sunstein to be Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the Office of Management and Budget. This week, we are also going to go to the Transportation appropriations bill, and we will continue to work through the important appropriations process.

Mr. President, I wish to take a few minutes this morning to bring to the attention of the Senate an article in the September 7 Newsweek magazine. This is the language from Newsweek. I am not using the words; these are their words. There are two pages. ``The Five Biggest Lies in the Health Care Debate.'' Remember, it is the five biggest, but there are a lot of them that have been going on. These are the five biggest lies, in the estimation of the publishers of this multimillion-dollar distributed magazine:

To the credit of opponents of health-care reform, the lies

and exaggeration they're spreading are not made up out of

whole cloth--which makes the misinformation that much more

credible. Instead, because opponents demand that everyone

within earshot (or e-mail range) look, say, ``at page 425 of

the House bill,'' the lies take on a patina of credibility.

Take the claim in one chain e-mail that the government will

have electronic access to everyone's bank account, implying

that the Feds will rob you blind.

That is a falsehood. It is not in any bill, on any page, or anyplace. It is just made up, and it is carried on talk radio, blogs, and cable TV all over America. It is false, not true.

One of the things I found in going home is that people are concerned--old people, because we get sick when we get old--they won't be able to get any chemotherapy. In this magazine, No. 1, it says that ``the threat that Medicare will give cancer patients over 70 only end- of-life counseling and not chemotherapy'' is a lie. It is not me saying that, it is Newsweek.

Another one is that illegal immigrants will get free health insurance.

The House bill doesn't give anyone free health care.

So illegal immigrants getting free health insurance is a lie. That is one of the five biggest lies.

Another one is that death panels will decide who lives. This is a dandy that started and got legs because of the resigned Governor of Alaska.

On July 16, Betsy McCaughey, a former lieutenant governor

of New York and darling of the right, said on Fred Thompson's

radio show that ``On page 425''--

They talk about page 425, but it doesn't exist there or anyplace else. But that gives them credibility.

``On page 425, Congress would make it mandatory . . . that

every five years, people in Medicare have a required

counseling session that will tell them how to end their life

sooner, how to decline nutrition.'' Sarah Palin coined

``death panels'' in an August 7 Facebook post.

Mr. President, that is a lie.

Next is that the government will set doctors' wages. This is the socialized medicine thing we hear so much about, that all this health care debate is about is socialized medicine. This is in the magazine.

I have told people in Nevada and everyplace I went during the break that the only person I have ever heard in many years who spoke about a single-payer system was Paul Wellstone. He did it proudly. He believed in it and he talked about it. But he is the only person I have heard talk about it since I have been in Congress. But the government setting doctors' wages is a lie. Socialized medicine is not part of the plan that is being talked about. That is simply not true.

I hope people will come back to reality and understand that what we are trying to do is fix a system that is bankrupting our country. Insurance companies are making huge amounts of money. They are not subject to the antitrust laws. They are taking advantage of the American people. Their No. 1 goal is to see how much money they can make, and that is not a lie. We are trying to change the curve.

Right now, in America, one-sixth of every dollar spent by everyone-- it doesn't matter where you are--is for health care. If we don't change that, by 2020, which is close, 35 percent of every dollar spent will be for health care. We are not trying to take away benefits from old people. We are doing our very best to have a fair system and one that stops the insurance companies from taking advantage of everyone.

Before my friend leaves the floor, I was planning to come later with some prepared remarks, but let me speak from my heart about the Senator from Florida.

I have some affinity for the Senator from Florida because we were both trial lawyers. We have been to court, we have voir dired juries, we have argued cases to juries. We were both trial lawyers. I feel that as a badge of honor. Some people denigrate trial lawyers. But I feel that the people whom I have tried to help over the years were people who deserved to be helped.

My friend from Florida was the president of the State trial lawyers in Florida. He has a tremendously sound reputation as a trial lawyer, somebody who took good cases, worked them hard, judges liked him, and his opponents liked him, which speaks well of this man.

But my feelings about Senator Martinez go deeper than that. I have had the good fortune of being able to attend our prayer breakfasts on occasion here. I try to get to them as often as I can, every Wednesday morning when we are in session, at 8 o'clock.

I have heard my friend from Florida talk about his upbringing, his faith. He is a devout Catholic. He is proud of that. He is very proud of his heritage, Cuban American, versus the difficulties that have been caused by the tyrannical government of Fidel Castro.

I also am impressed with Senator Martinez as a result of his family ties. He speaks so highly of his relationship with his lovely wife. I have had the opportunity to know his family. On rare occasions he came and asked me if there was a way I could help him with a family member, recognizing the kind of person he is and the family associations that he has.

The people of the State of Florida are losing a good Senator, a good man. I will miss Mel Martinez.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that today the Senate recess from 3 to 4 p.m. in order for Members to participate in the 9/11 remembrance ceremony in Statuary Hall.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the time from 4 to 4:45 p.m. today be divided as follows: 22\1/2\ minutes to be divided equally between Senators Dorgan and the Republican leader or his designee, for debate with the respect to S. 1023, and that upon the use of that time, the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the nomination of Cass Sunstein, and that the remaining 22\1/2\ minutes until 4:45 be equally divided and controlled between Senator Lieberman and the Republican leader or his designee; that at 4:45 p.m. the Senate resume legislative session and all postcloture time having expired, all amendments be withdrawn except the Dorgan amendment No. 1347, and that amendment No. 1347 then be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid on the table; that the bill, as amended, be read a third time and the Senate then proceed to vote on passage of S. 1023, as amended; that upon passage of S. 1023, as amended, the Senate then resume executive session and vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Cass Sunstein.

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

Mr. President, following leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 4:30 this afternoon, and Senators will be allowed to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of S. 1023, the Travel Promotion Act, with the time until 5:30 equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees. I designate Senator Dorgan to control the time on our side.

At 5:30, the Senate will proceed to a cloture vote on the Dorgan amendment No. 1347, which was provided for in an agreement reached prior to the recess. If cloture is invoked, upon the use or yielding back of the debate time, the Dorgan amendment will be agreed to and the Senate will proceed to vote on passage of the bill, as amended. That vote is expected to occur tomorrow.

Mr. President, I welcome my colleagues back to the Senate after an August work period that saw passionate and profound sadness across our country. Each of us has heard from our constituents over the past few weeks. In Nevada, I heard from citizens across my State who are ready for us to pick up where we left off. They are ready for us to get back to the hard work of legislating. They are ready for us to move forward on one of the most critical issues of our time and the life's cause of our late colleague, Senator Ted Kennedy, making it easier to afford a healthy life in America.

Moment of Silence in Honor of the Late Senator Edward M. Kennedy

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now observe a moment of silence in memory of our friend and departed colleague, the late Senator Edward Kennedy.

Mr. President, I have to acknowledge that as I came into the Chamber this afternoon, I came upon Senator Kennedy's desk, which is covered with the traditional black velvet, with the flowers and his favorite poem on the desk. I read the poem and a tear came to my eye.

I cherish the time that I can spend with the people of Nevada when I go home and talk with them and learn from them. The people in Nevada care about the volatility of our turbulent economy.

Nevadans see as clearly as anyone in America that we are going forward. In fact, we are getting back on our feet after long years of neglect. They watched as Wall Street went wild, foreclosures reached record highs, and jobs vanished into thin air. But thanks to the leadership of President Obama, the hard work of the Congress, and the unwavering determination of our constituents, they now are seeing these wounds beginning to heal.

This Senate has risen to the challenges we inherited. In the face of unprecedented conditions, we responded

with the most significant collection of accomplishments in recent history. We are proud of our important efforts to revive our economy, strengthen our national security, protect our environment, demand accountability, and promote equality and ensure progress.

In the first months of this year, we passed an economic recovery plan that is creating jobs as we speak, strengthening the middle class, and investing in our future. Just last week, the Wall Street Journal acknowledged that the plan we passed is helping us recover from the recession faster than expected.

We also put people ahead of big business by protecting credit card users, cracking down on mortgage scams, and rooting out corporate fraud.

We helped millions of children stay healthy by making it easier for them to get the care they need; that is, the CHIP program, Children's Health Insurance Program, and by making it harder for tobacco companies to prey on our kids.

We made it easier for Americans to serve their country like our heroes of generations past, and we protected our public lands for generations to come.

We passed overdue appropriations bills, new appropriations bills, and an honest, responsible budget that makes sound investments in every part of our country.

This Congress also made history by pursuing justice and ensuring equality for every single American. We stood up for those who are victims of violence because of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and for those who are targets of discrimination in the workplace because of gender or background--Lily Ledbetter.

The Senate confirmed President Obama's outstanding nominee for the Supreme Court. Sonia Sotomayor will become the first Hispanic and only the third woman to sit on the highest bench in the land. I think tomorrow the first argument she will participate in will take place.

This is an impressive record for any Congress. I am particularly proud that we have accomplished all of this in little more than 6 months.

How did we get there? We did each of these critical things because we found ourselves in exceptional circumstances. We faced daunting tests and unparalleled problems.

As in any emergency, it is important to understand how we got here. I am not interested in looking backward to place blame on others or pointing fingers. But it is important to learn from past mistakes so we don't repeat them. As I see it, there are two primary reasons we found ourselves in such a deep hole. The first is that for far too long we have put off today's problems until tomorrow. Second is that too many focus only on where we differ, not where we agree. We no longer have the luxury of doing either. Only by working together--not as Democrats or Republicans but as Americans, not as partisans but as partners--can we put the jobless back to work, make sure everyone can afford to stay healthy, and create a new clean energy economy for this new century.

Health care. Learning those two lessons--that we can no longer put off today's problems until tomorrow and that we cannot afford to focus only on where we disagree--will be the difference between reforming health insurance in a meaningful way or letting the status quo and scare tactics hold us back.

Thanks to Chairman Baucus and Senator Dodd, we have made progress toward passing comprehensive health reform. Four out of five congressional committees responsible for this issue have reported bills, and we will soon see the same from the Finance Committee.

While many important choices remain, we are as committed as ever to a plan that will protect what works, fix what doesn't, and help the middle class get ahead. We will stabilize health insurance for those who have it and secure it for those who do not. We will keep the insurance industry honest and lower costs to ensure that every American can afford to stay healthy. And we are determined to pass a good, bipartisan bill this year.

I have listened to hard-working Nevadans across my State who know the difference between fact and fiction. They know the difference between the misinformation spread by opponents of progress and the reality that our vision of reform means patients and their doctors should be the only ones making decisions about their medical care. Those decisions belong to the people, not to the insurance industry or to government bureaucrats.

The American people know our vision of reform means keeping insurance companies honest and not letting them deny you care because you have a preexisting condition. The way things are now, if you have anything from heart disease to high cholesterol to hay fever, you might be out of luck. That is not right.

They know our vision of reform means not allowing health insurance companies to drop your coverage if you become seriously ill. It means ensuring that if you change or lose your job, you will have affordable options to cover your family.

They know we are fighting for reform that will make quality, affordable care available to every single American citizen.

It is easy to focus only on the part of the road we have yet to go, but it is essential to remember the great distance we have traveled to get to this point, and the common ground we already share.

We have heard a lot from opponents of progress. One of their main arguments is that they think we cannot afford health insurance reform. My response is simply this: We cannot afford not to make it easier to live a healthy life in America.

The American people have rejected those who pretend things are fine the way they are. They know that unless we get this done, they could lose their health care, and so much more along with it. They know America has no place for those who hope for failure.

Inaction is not an option. We have already seen what happens when we do nothing. Over the past 8 years of inaction, the costs of health care rose to record levels and the number of Americans who cannot afford insurance has done the same.

For the millions of families who file foreclosure because they cannot afford both their house and their health care, not acting is not an option.

For the millions of Americans who file for bankruptcy because their medical bills grow higher and higher, not acting is not an option.

For the millions of Americans who skip doctor visits or treatments they need to stay healthy or who never fill the prescriptions their doctor gives them because health care is simply too expensive, not acting is not an option.

Our health care system is not healthy. Americans' physical health and America's fiscal health are at stake, and not acting is not an option. We have to work in good faith. This past April, I sent my Republican counterpart a letter outlining our priorities for the health care debate. I wrote, of course, that Democrats are committed to lowering health care costs, expanding access, and improving the quality of care. I said in that letter we looked forward to a dialog about how to prevent disease, reduce health disparities, and encourage early detection and effective treatments that save lives.

But in the letter of more than 4 months ago, I also said that in order to help struggling Americans, we cannot drown in distractions and distortions.

I made clear bipartisanship depended on Republicans demonstrating a sincere interest in legislating, offering concrete and constructive proposals, and working together in our common interest rather than against each other and against the interests of the American people.

I stand by that assessment as strongly today as I did this spring, 4 months ago. It is painfully clear to everyone who heard this debate's disturbing turns and dishonest tactics that, more than ever, we now need people willing to work together in good faith.

Today is the first day since January 2, 1953, that a man named Kennedy does not have a desk on the floor of the Senate or in the Oval Office at the White House.

When I think of all the groundbreaking progress we have made over those 56\1/2\ years--in civil rights, education, health care, America's global leadership--I know we have no choice but to keep going. Now is no time to let up.

Tomorrow night, the President of the United States will stand on the other side of the Capitol and tell a joint session of Congress his vision for the

health care debate that is ensuing. He will do that, and then over the coming weeks and months, we will contemplate and think about what he said.

It is not insignificant that President Obama will be speaking to such a gathering. We will come together in a joint session because we share a joint future and a joint destiny. We are all in this together-- Republicans, Democrats, and Independents, every American citizen and each of their representatives here, Members of Congress, Senators, and the President of the United States.

Senator Ted Kennedy said last December, just months ago:

We know the future will outlast all of us, but I believe

that all of us will live on in the future we make.

This is a historic moment. This is our time to shape our future. We stand closer to real health insurance reform than ever before. We are closer than ever to getting this right. We will not give up. We will not bet on failure. We will not let fear obscure the facts. We will not let the priorities of the partisan overpower those of the people.

We have goal lines ahead of us. I say to the Presiding Officer, a member of the Finance Committee, we have to do everything we can to join together to do health care reform that is meaningful to this country. I think I speak for everyone in Nevada and I think I speak for everyone on this side of the aisle and I am confident my friend, the distinguished Republican leader, agrees with me.

Mr. President, our colleague Frank Lautenberg has given so much to his country. Frank's parents settled as poor immigrants from Eastern Europe. If there were ever an example of someone who has come from the most basic circumstances to a man of wealth, a man of stature, it is Frank Lautenberg. He has done it all. He fought bravely in World War II, put himself through Columbia University with the GI Bill of Rights, after having earned that with his service to our country in World War II.

As I have mentioned, he had great success in business. He has a mind that is very insightful, and he sees the big picture. He was one of the first to succeed in a business that now a lot of people are succeeding in, but he was one of the first there.

After having done so well in the great free enterprise system, he decided to turn to public service, and he was elected by the State of New Jersey to the U.S. Senate. He left the Senate in 2000 but came back when the State asked him to serve again. We needed Frank Lautenberg. He came back, and he has served with such remarkable stature since then.

When I first came to the Senate, I had the good fortune to serve with him on the Environment and Public Works Committee. His love of the matters within the jurisdiction of that committee is significant. He legislates with his heart, but it is always backed up with his brilliant mind. He has been chairman of the Budget Committee.

Just weeks ago, he set the record for casting the most votes by any U.S. Senator in the history of the State of New Jersey. Like any great legislator, Senator Lautenberg is best understood not by the number of times he has said ``yea'' or ``nay'' but what those laws say about his commitment to the people of New Jersey and all Americans.

He was a leader in establishing the threshold of drunk driving, saving

countless lives. His work has helped to clean up toxic sites in communities across his State and our country. It has kept our drinking water clean and made our buildings more energy efficient.

The thing that I personally will always look at Frank Lautenberg for having done is taking care of one of my children. One of my boys was allergic to tobacco smoke. When we would fly across the country, they had those artificial barriers where you could not smoke past a line. But it didn't matter because the smoke went everywhere. On every trip, my boy was miserable; it made him sick. Because of Frank Lautenberg, millions of Americans are now protected from secondhand smoke. He wrote the law banning smoking on airplanes.

In addition to his being such a good friend, I commend and applaud the people of New Jersey for sending this good man to the Senate. He is someone who is deserving of all the accolades being given to him. I am proud to have known him.

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 am very grateful we have moved forward on a very important bill for the country--the Travel Promotion Act. I commend and applaud Senator Dorgan for his good work on the legislation. It is extremely important. He was a real advocate, as he is on issues which he sinks his teeth into.

Travel and tourism generate $1 trillion in the economy every year. Whether it is the State of Minnesota, Nevada--you can pick any of the States--tourism is the No. 1, 2, or 3 most important driving economic factor in the States. This year, tourism will create 40,000 new jobs. The bill will also cut the deficit by $425 million over the next 10 years. That is significant. We would be taking the strategies that have made Las Vegas such a success and bringing them to our entire Nation's tourism industry.

Nevada's tourism has been hit hard by the slowing worldwide economy, and when tourism in Nevada hurts, the entire State suffers. Hard- working people have lost their jobs. The State's budget has taken a major hit. Because that budget is largely funded by tourism, funding for vital programs in our State is at risk.

Nevada is not alone. Tourism is one of the top industries in every State. That is why this bill is so important. It is an opportunity to not only give American tourism a boost, but it is one of the many ways we are working to create jobs and help our economy rebuild.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I rise to call the attention of the Senate to the 130th anniversary of Reno High School. Located in Washoe County, NV, Reno High School is the first and oldest high school in the city.

Until 1879, all Reno students went to school in a one-room building. That year they moved into a building officially named Central School, which gave high school-aged students their own floors. Though the school accommodated students from elementary through high school, it was often referred to as Reno High School throughout the community. In 1912, Reno's high school students moved into their own building and this school was properly dedicated as Reno High School.

I would like to take a moment to celebrate and cherish the rich history of Reno High School. It serves as a wonderful example of how a school can succeed through the hard work of its community members. Over the course of its history, Reno High School has educated thousands of bright individuals, cultivating their talent, and providing them with a nurturing environment in which to grow.

Notable alumni include U.S. Treasury Secretary Eva Adams, Pulitzer Prize winners Ann Telnaes and Warren LeRude, and Nevada State senator Bill Raggio. Its ranks also include a long list of local leaders who have made the Reno High School Alumni Association a robust organization, which now boasts the beautiful Link Piazzo Alumni Center on campus. This freestanding building, completed in 2000, houses memorabilia dating back to Reno's earliest academic beginnings.

This school year begins by bringing students and alumni together in numerous events acknowledging the

school's heritage. Festivities will honor the school's legacy by looking at the past, the present, and the great memories in between. I am confident that Reno High School will continue to be a beacon of academic excellence in the State of Nevada, as it has been during the last 130 years.

I ask my colleagues to join me in offering our heartfelt congratulations to the faculty, staff, students, families, and proud alumni of Reno High School. The leadership, dedication, and enthusiasm you possess and share with the community help continue the school's legacy and make Nevada a better place to live.

Mr. President, following leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, it is really an understatement to say that the current economic downturn is the worst the country has experienced in several generations. The reality is that the crisis President Obama inherited when he was elected President was severe--worse that anything the country has seen since the Great Depression. When he took office, the country was losing 700,000 jobs a month. Banks were in crisis and had stopped lending, and a number of them were teetering on bankruptcy and some went out of business. The President and the Congress acted swiftly and passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which has stopped the bleeding and avoided economic catastrophe.

People complain: Look at all the deficit spending. In December, I was at a meeting with a small number of people. We had Mark Zandi, John McCain's economic adviser during the campaign, and we had economic advisers to Democratic and Republican Presidents in years past. Every one of them said: The only money in the world is in Washington, and unless you spend some of it, there will be a worldwide depression. We listened, and that is why we did what we did.

Today, the July unemployment numbers have been reported. They paint a much better picture than was anticipated. It was anticipated that 340,000 jobs would be lost, and that is not the case. The case is that over 200,000 jobs have been lost--a terribly large number but certainly much better than anyone ever anticipated. It is the lowest number since the spring of 2008. It is now late summer 2009. The national unemployment rate actually fell last month by one-tenth of 1 percent. It is welcome

news and further proof that the economic recovery plan we enacted is producing positive results. I repeat, what would it have been had we not done that?

So that is the good news. But many Americans still continue to struggle. Many in Nevada continue to struggle as a result of the economic crisis. Over the next several weeks, long-term unemployed workers will begin exhausting their unemployment benefits. Some estimates put the number of unemployed workers who will have used up their benefits by the end of September at 500,000. By the end of the year, the number of unemployed workers who will have exhausted their benefits will be 1.5 million. With the job market as depressed as it is, most of these workers will not be able to find work and will then have no means to survive and take care of their families.

Soon after Congress returns to Washington, we will need to address this matter. We must do so with the understanding that most experts believe job growth will be one of the last things to recover in this economic crisis. It always lags behind economic recovery.

There is an economic case to be made for extending unemployment benefits. Last year, when analyzing the effectiveness of various stimulus proposals, Mark Zandi found that extended unemployment benefits generated $1.64 for every dollar it cost the American people. That means unemployment benefits are a sound investment.

There should be no disagreement that we must help those who are suffering as a result of the economic crisis they didn't create. We will keep fighting until unemployed workers in Nevada and across the Nation find employment.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 241.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating to the resolution be printed in the Record.