Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 460.

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, en bloc, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating to this matter be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, there are three bills at the desk, and I ask for their first reading en bloc.

Mr. President, I now ask for the second reading en bloc and object to my own request en bloc.

Mr. President, I would say that S. 2663 is a bipartisan piece of legislation, the Consumer Product Safety Act. We have been working for months to get this going. It is my understanding now that Senators Pryor and Stevens asked that this matter move forward.

The other matter related to the FISA bill, we are trying to work something out with the House, and hopefully we can get something done on that soon.

Mr. President, tonight I am introducing and beginning the rule XIV process on two bills related to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. One bill would extend the Protect America Act, the PAA, for 30 days, while the other would extend that law until July 1, 2009.

Earlier this year I introduced S. 2556 which would have extended the PAA for 30 days, and S. 2257, which would have extended the PAA until July 1, 2009. The bills I am introducing tonight would extend the PAA for the same periods of time, but they are drafted to take account of the fact that the PAA has expired. In addition, they contain a post hoc effective date that is intended to eliminate any potentially adverse legal effect resulting from the expiration of the PAA.

My purpose in introducing bills with two different extension lengths is to demonstrate once again that I am willing to extend the PAA for as long a time, or as short a time, as is needed to finalize a strong final bill.

Now that the House and Senate have both passed bills--H.R. 3773 and S. 2248--to strengthen the PAA, the right way to get to a final bill is through bipartisan negotiations. Unfortunately, my Republican friends appear unwilling to negotiate. We convened two negotiating sessions last week, but Republican staff members and administration lawyers declined to attend.

Meanwhile, President Bush says that the expiration of the Protect America Act has made America less safe, but he threatened to veto a bill extending that law while negotiators work on a final bill. The President's position is inexplicable and reckless.

The bottom line for Senate Democrats is clear: We want to give our intelligence professionals all needed tools while protecting the privacy of law-abiding Americans. We are willing to extend the Protect America Act for as long as it takes to get a final bill.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, February 26; that following the prayer and the pledge, the Journal of proceedings be agreed to, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and the Senate resume consideration of S. 1200, the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, as under the previous order. Further, I ask that the Senate stand in recess from 12:30 p.m. until 2:30 p.m. to allow for the weekly caucus luncheons.

Mr. President, there could be as many as five rollcall votes beginning as early as 10 tomorrow morning.

The first votes will be on Indian health care. In addition, there are other votes, as I have outlined.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that we return to the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, and that the Senator from South Dakota be allowed to speak for whatever time he may consume, and that following his remarks, the Senate stand adjourned under the previous order.

Mr. President, I now ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to a period of morning business with Senators allowed to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, I feel I wouldn't be doing my duty if I didn't refer to the distinguished Chair at this time and indicate what a tremendous job he has done in advocating for some of the poorest people in America. But for you, the issue dealing with people being cold in their homes, not having money to pay their heating and other bills--mainly heating--would not be on the floor of this body. We are going to get that done. We have to get it done before the cold is gone.

I say to my friend, being from Vermont, you experience the bitter winters. We in Nevada experience the very hot summers, and people in Nevada who are poor and infirm suffer as much from the heat as people in Vermont do from the cold. So just because winter is not in its full throes a month from now, we are going to continue to push on this issue until we get it done. We are not going to wait until next year to do that.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that on Monday, February 25, notwithstanding rule XXII, it be in order to move to proceed to the following in the order listed, and that cloture be filed; and once the motion has been made and cloture filed, the motion to proceed be withdrawn and the mandatory quorum be waived, with the cloture vote occurring on Tuesday, February 26, upon disposition of H.R. 1328, with 2 minutes of debate prior to each cloture vote specified in this agreement, equally divided and controlled between the leaders or their designees: Calendar No. 575, S. 2633, safe redeployment of U.S. troops, and Calendar No. 576, S. 2634, global strategy report on terrorism.

Mr. President, I now move to proceed to Calendar No. 340, H.R. 3221, and ask the clerk to report the cloture motion.

cloture motion

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the cloture vote not occur prior to the aforementioned cloture votes, and that the mandatory quorum be waived.

I now withdraw the motion, Mr. President.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 444 and that the Senate then proceed to its consideration.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 574, S. Res. 439.

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 the Senate proceed to consideration of S. Res. 457.

Mr. President, I come to the floor today with the distinct honor of supporting a resolution recognizing the cultural and historical significance of the Chinese New Year, held annually on the first day of the first lunar month of the Chinese calendar.

For the approximately 3.5 million Chinese-Americans currently living in the United States, the Chinese New Year represents one of the most important times for families and friends to get together and celebrate their rich cultural history. In my home county, Clark County, NV, thousands of Chinese-Americans, and Asian-Americans of various nationalities and ethnicities, recently celebrated the inception of the Year of the Rat.

In fact, February 7, 2008, of our calendar, the date on which the Year of the Rat began, marked the beginning of year 4705 of the Chinese calendar. I am so proud to recognize and offer my best wishes to all those Nevadans and Americans who have followed in the footsteps of so many past generations to observe this 2-week long festival, which culminates in the Lantern Festival to be held on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

Throughout this 15-day celebration, many members of Nevada's Chinese- American community will take this opportunity to spend time with their families and engage in traditional activities, such as the dragon and lion dances. To all of my friends back in Clark County, and throughout Nevada as a whole who observe this holiday, I wish you a joyous and prosperous New Year.

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, and any statements related to the resolution be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that we now proceed to the immediate consideration of H. Con. Res. 293.

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

I ask unanimous consent that Senate committees may report legislative and Executive Calendar business, notwithstanding a recess or adjournment of the Senate, on Friday, February 22, 2008, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the recess or adjournment of the Senate, the President of the Senate, the President of the Senate pro tempore, and the majority and minority leaders be authorized to make appointments to commissions, committees, boards, conferences, or interparliamentary conferences authorized by law, by concurrent action of the two Houses, or by order of the Senate.