Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the veto message on H.R. 2419 and there be 1 hour of debate--we picked up a half hour. That is what happens when you take a little time off.

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the veto message on H.R. 2419, there be 1 hour of debate, divided as follows: 15 minutes equally divided between Senators Chambliss and Harkin or their designees, 15 minutes under the control of Senator Gregg, and the remaining 30 minutes to be divided between the leaders or their designees; that upon the yielding back or use of that time, the message be set aside until 2 o'clock; that at 2 o'clock the Senate proceed to vote on passage of the bill, the objections of the President to the contrary notwithstanding, with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I now ask unanimous consent that when the Senate considers the conference report to accompany S. Con. Res. 70, the concurrent budget resolution, all statutory time be yielded back except for 15 minutes to be equally divided and controlled between the chair and ranking member; that upon the use or yielding back of that time, the vote on the adoption of the conference report occur at a time to be determined by the majority leader, following consultation with the Republican leader.

Mr. President, I would say one thing. It appears we do much better when we don't have debate between votes. See how fast it went today. I think all the talking does is confuse us.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I rise today with the great pleasure of recognizing the month of May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and honoring the many contributions that Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander descent have made to our great Nation and to my home State of Nevada.

I am proud of the role this distinguished chamber played in the designation of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, albeit many years too late. On June 19, 1978, some 135 years after the arrival of the first Japanese immigrant to the United States, Representatives Frank Horton and Norman Mineta introduced a joint resolution ``authorizing and requesting the President to proclaim the 7-day period beginning on May 4, 1979, as 'Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week''--H.J. Res. 1007. Two months after being passed overwhelmingly by the House, the Senate unanimously approved the joint resolution and promptly sent it to President Jimmy Carter for his signature.

In addition to recognizing the onset of Japanese immigration to America, the month of May was selected because May 10, 1869, also known as Golden Spike Day, marked the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in the United States, to whose construction Chinese pioneers contributed greatly. Hundreds of miles of this railroad passed through a newly admitted and mostly uninhabited western state that I have called home for my whole life. Without the tireless efforts and tremendous sacrifices of these Asian settlers, the state of Nevada would have remained largely disconnected from the rest of our country for an untold number of years.

Rising to support H.J. Res. 1007, Senator Spark Matsunaga, who served the State of Hawaii for over 13 honorable years before succumbing to cancer, remarked that ``most Americans are unaware of the history of Pacific and Asian Americans in the United States, and their contributions to our Nation's cultural heritage.'' He continued by saying that one of the two main purposes of the joint resolution was ``to imbue a renewed sense of pride among our citizens of Pacific and Asian ancestry.'' I am delighted that the many celebrations taking place around the country to commemorate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, particularly in my home State of Nevada, have showcased the enduring sense of pride that Senator Matsunaga spoke about nearly three decades ago.

Almost 14 years after President Carter signed H.J. Res. 1007 into law, Representative Frank Horton once again assumed the leadership role on this issue and introduced a bill to permanently designate May of each year as ``Asian Pacific American Heritage Month''--H.R. 5572. After this bill was passed by both Houses of Congress, President George H.W. Bush signed it into law on October 23, 1992.

Ever since, our country has taken the time at the end of each spring to celebrate the innumerable contributions that Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander ancestry have made and continue to make to the United States. To the roughly 15 million Asian and Pacific Islander Americans who currently live in our country, and most especially to the thousands of those who reside in Nevada, I wish you all the best during this joyous time of year. I urge my colleagues in this Chamber to do the same.

Mr. President, I join Senator Ensign today to recognize the remarkable life of Joe Egan, who passed away on May 7, 2008.

Joe is known in Nevada and throughout the country as a skilled attorney who worked hard to make our Nation safer and to stop the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump from being built in Nevada. I think Joe hated the nuclear waste dump project as much as I do. In his obituary, he arranged to have his ashes spread over Yucca Mountain. ``Radwaste buried here only over my dead body,'' he said.

After learning in 1996 that Yucca Mountain was scientifically unsuitable for storing radioactive waste, he was deputized as the lead lawyer for the State of Nevada's efforts to fight the dump. Nevadans should be proud to have had such a magnificent person fighting for them.

Joe was a key force in dealing multiple blows to the project and bringing it to a standstill. Over the years, Joe has made it abundantly clear that the project is unsafe and that the science behind it is unsound. It speaks to his character that although he was not from Nevada, he fought against this project with both passion and strength because he knew that it was the right thing to do. When we finally end the battle against the Yucca Mountain project, we will have done it together with Joe and his team.

Joe was by no means antinuclear. He just wanted to see nuclear power produced safely and the dangerous wastes it produces to be managed properly. He also worked hard on nonproliferation efforts, helping the United States secure thousands of tons of weaponsgrade uranium from all over the world.

Joe's legacy will live on through his family, friends, and through his tremendous efforts to keep Nevadans and all Americans safe.

Joe Egan was a talented person who led a rich life which was tragically cut short by an aggressive cancer. I am saddened by his death, and will not forget all that he has done for the people of Nevada. To his wife, children, and family, I wish to extend my deepest sympathies.

Mr. President, if there were someone here from the minority, I would ask consent that on Monday, June 2, 2008, following a period of morning business, the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 742, S. 3036, the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act. I have been told that if someone were here, they would object. So I accept that as an objection.

In light of that objection, I now move to proceed to Calendar No. 742, S. 3036, and I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Mr. President, I now ask unanimous consent that the cloture vote occur on Monday, June 2, at 5:30 p.m., that the time between 4:30 and 5:30 be equally divided and controlled between the leaders or their designees, and the mandatory quorum be waived.

I now withdraw the motion.

I ask unanimous consent that we now proceed to Calendar No. 538, S. 1965.

I ask unanimous consent that the Stevens amendment at the desk be agreed to; the committee-reported amendments, as amended, if amended, be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed; the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table and that any statements related to this matter be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I now ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 569, S. 2062.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee- reported amendments be agreed to, the amendment at the desk be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements related to this measure be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 748, S. 2420.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee substitute amendment be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements related to this measure be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 745, S. Res. 563.

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 this measure be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to proceed to Calendar No. 746, S. Res. 567.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that we now proceed to S. Res. 577.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I wish to express on the record my appreciation to Senators Warner and Bingaman for this most important resolution that just passed. It expresses the sense of the Senate that Americans are contending with rising gasoline prices. Their personal stories reflect the ways in which family budgets are suffering.

The cost of gas is impacting the way Americans cope with problems within the family and, therefore, we need to find ways to reduce consumption of gasoline. This is directed toward the President. I hope he will review this. We have a lot of problems with our economy, many of which are a direct result of the cost of a barrel of oil being $130.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that we now proceed to S. Res. 578.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid on the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 579.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid on the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Con. Res. 85.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, and that any statements relating to the concurrent resolution be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H. Con. Res. 355.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.