Senate Proceeding on Jun 3rd, 2008 :: 0:01:39 to 0:21:39
Total video length: 2 hours 29 minutes Stream Tools: Stream Overview | Edit Time

Note: MetaVid video transcripts may contain inaccuracies, help us build a more perfect archive

Download OptionsEmbed Video

Views:272 Duration: 0:20:00 Discussion

Previous speech:

Next speech:

0:00:00 to 0:01:39( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Rear Adm. Barry Black

0:01:23 to 0:01:39( Edit History Discussion )

Rear Adm. Barry Black: officer: please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible,

0:01:39 to 0:01:48( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: with liberty and justice for all. the presiding office the clerk will read a communication to the senate. the clerk: washington, d.c, june 3, 2008. to the senate: under the provisions of rule 1,

0:01:39 to 0:13:56( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Harry Reid

0:01:48 to 0:02:06( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable jon tester, a senator from the state of montana, to perform the duties of the chair. signed: robert c. byrd, president

0:02:06 to 0:02:21( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: pro tempore. mr. reid: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. reid: there will be a period of morning business until 11:00 a.m. or when the hour is gone. the time will be equally

0:02:21 to 0:02:37( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: divided and controlled. the republicans will control the first half. i see senator cornyn here. the majority will control the second half of the morning business and then we will consider the negotiation

0:02:37 to 0:02:49( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: proceed to s. 3036. the senate will recess at 12:30 for the weekly caucus luncheon and reconvene following the senate photograph, scheduled for 2:15. i hope that all senators make themselves available for

0:02:49 to 0:03:08( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: the photograph. it takes weeks for the staff to set up to take these pictures. you look around, you can see in the galleries that lighting is very difficult -- it is difficult to get the lighting down here

0:03:08 to 0:03:22( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: for all 100 senators. and so i would hope that everyone would be here at 2:15 and be thoughtful and contract to -- con considerate to their colleagues. mr. president, yesterdayde was a vote as we

0:03:22 to 0:03:40( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: all knew it would. overwhelming vote to proceed to debate legislation that will stem the tide of global warming. this strong bipartisan vote came only after republicans forced us to file cloture and use

0:03:40 to 0:03:55( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: up more of the senate's valuable timble. mr. president, another filibuster. this is, as i've said before, filibusters on steroids. they have never, ever, mr. president, in the history of our great

0:03:55 to 0:04:09( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: country had as many filibusters as this republican minority has initiated. in a short 10 months, a two-year record of filibusters is broken by the republican minority. they have stopped, slowed

0:04:09 to 0:04:29( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: down everything they could. they have even filed -- had us forced to file cloture on things that they agree on. why? because it eats up valuable time. we have now, mr. president, 12 weeks left until

0:04:29 to 0:04:43( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: our adjournment time. there is so much to do. so much to do. and we are interested in doing people's business. the republicans are interested in stalling. stalling. as an example, mr. president,

0:04:43 to 0:05:00( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: today we should be on this piece of legislation. but, no. no. they're going to do as they've done time and time ain, use up 30 hours. for everyone listening to this, what does this mean? the rules of

0:05:00 to 0:05:15( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: the senate are, once you file cloture, first of all, it takes a couple of days to file cloture. you have to wait for a couple of days. now, why would they make us file cloture on this bill? it's

0:05:15 to 0:05:26( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: bipartisan. it's sponsored by senator warner, senator lieberman. but they've done this. so after we filed cloture, we come in we have a vote. remember, we waste those days. cloture is ripening.

0:05:26 to 0:05:40( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: then to make it even more absurd, after cloture is invoked, you have 30 hours. they make us use that 30 hours. it's wasted time, mr. president. there's no reason we can't be on this bill. i spoke

0:05:40 to 0:05:53( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: to one of the republican leaders yesterday and he said, well, we want more time to debate the bill. no one is taking any debate time away from anybody. but vudn't we be on the -- but shouldn't we be

0:05:53 to 0:06:05( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: on the sphwhil so i say mr. president, the time runs out shortly after midnight on the 30 hours. in the morning we're going to be on this bill -- does that mean we have to stay until midnight tonight?

0:06:05 to 0:06:19( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: that's up to the republicans. that's up to the minority. we're going to start legislating on this bill tomorrow morning. as everyone knows, the rules around here allow me to have right of recognition,

0:06:19 to 0:06:35( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: first recognition and we're going to start legislating in the morning. mr. president, i'm happy if there is a need for more debate on the bill. this is an important bill. we should have all of the debate,

0:06:35 to 0:06:50( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: people should be able to make their statements. i'm not trying to disallow anyone from making their statements. let's at least legislate like we should in this most serious body, the greatest debating,

0:06:50 to 0:07:03( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: they say, body in the world, the united states senate. this strong bipartisan vote came, mr. president, as i've indicated after the rep aublicans force us to -- forced us to file cloture and use two

0:07:03 to 0:07:15( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: days of senate time like i outlined. they forced us to wait two days for a vote that they overwhelmingly supported. now the republicans are forcing us to burn, as indicated, another 30 hours of procedural

0:07:15 to 0:07:28( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: time before we can begin debate. that's two filibusters, and more than three days of valuable senate time wasted all for vote that most republicans supported. we should have been on the bill at the

0:07:28 to 0:07:45( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: very least last night. why would republicans set these roadblocks to progress? i've outlined why. they're in a snit because the american people surprised everyone and we're in the majority, mr. president.

0:07:45 to 0:07:59( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: slim majority, but we're in the majority. and we believe that the people's business should be the issue at hand here. i've said many times the republicans have a right to vigorously debate and oppose

0:07:59 to 0:08:14( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: legislation which they have disagreements. that's how the legislative process is supposed to work. the majority enters a bill, the two sides engage in debate, and in many cases some type of compromise

0:08:14 to 0:08:29( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: is reached. legislation is the art of compromise. a vote is taken, and whoever was the most votes, you have a winner and a loser. but most of the time, mr. president, if you're moving forward, there

0:08:29 to 0:08:44( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: -- we're only winners, there are no losers. the republican have every opportunity to debate this bill in public and negotiate in private. that's what we would like to do. if there's som e way that

0:08:44 to 0:08:58( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: they think this can be compromised, condensed, make bigger, we're willing to work with them. this is a bipartisan bill. it's their legislative right an obligation. i understand that. to convince

0:08:58 to 0:09:16( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: senators in disagreement to join with them. but the unprecedented republican filibustering, mr. president, we have seen it renders the legislative process difficult. difficult. 72 times. add it this

0:09:16 to 0:09:29( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: almost every time we've had to do 30 hours. sometimes twice. so, mr. president, i -- i think that the american people are clearly saying, picture here -- the picture is republicans are here, wanting

0:09:29 to 0:09:47( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: to maintainai the status quo. they're treading water until president bush leaves. and the good news for the american people that means that there's only seven months of that left. i think it's clear

0:09:47 to 0:10:03( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: what has happened. you see in louisiana, you see in mississippi, you see in illinois, three heavily republican house seats went democratic. why? because the american people see what's going on here, mr. president.

0:10:03 to 0:10:19( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: just as they see the global warming is here. now, they -- the american people, aren't going to get lost in cap and trade. what they're concerned about is lowering emissions. they know it's a problem.

0:10:19 to 0:10:33( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: they know what's going on here in congress is a problem. and that's why you've seen the special elections go overwhelmingly democratic in places where the republicans always used to win. on this legislation

0:10:33 to 0:10:48( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: i say to my friends, let's debate the legislation. let's try to work to pass it. let's try november forward on it. -- move forward on it. stop running out the clock. engage in the legislative process

0:10:48 to 0:11:04( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: so we can afford to make the american dream possible to struggling americans once again. mr. president, the price of gasoline during the seven years an five month that's president bush has been president

0:11:04 to 0:11:23( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: has gone up 250%. 250%. in nevada you can still find a place to buy gas for less than $4 a gallon, but it's not easy. i had one of my friends i went to high school with. he called me. teddy sandibal.

0:11:23 to 0:11:40( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: wonderful guy. i knew him my whole life. he called me. i thought he was having a personal problem. he said, harry, i bought a diesel truck. and he said, i can't afford to fill it anymore because diesel

0:11:40 to 0:11:54( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: has gone way up. diesel i saw over the holiday that we just had, the week off we had, california and nevada, diesel fuel was as much as $4.50 a gallon. my friend told me that he had been in new york.

0:11:54 to 0:12:06( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: it's $5.15 a gallon for diesel fuel. so, mr. president, i plead with my republican friends, let us move forward on this legislation. i have said i don't want to -- this term fill the tree. but we have

0:12:06 to 0:12:23( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: to have some recognition from republicans that we're going to legislate seriously on this. remember what happened last time when we said, ok, let's have an open amendment process. there was a rush to the

0:12:23 to 0:12:36( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: floor to try to help john mccain in a flawed piece of legislation that he had, thinking the g.i. bill of rights is too generous. too generous. so they rush to the floor to support john mccain's flawed

0:12:36 to 0:12:51( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: g.i. bill of rights. now, fortunately, mr. president, democrats and republicans saw it was flawed, took a lot of procedural time. the republican, which was never done -- never done previously, rarely

0:12:51 to 0:13:03( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: done previously, would come and on an piece of their legislation -- a piece of their legislation and file cloture. unless we have an agreement that we're going to legislate appropriately in this

0:13:03 to 0:13:15( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: bill, then i think we're going to have to step back and see what we can do. it will appear very clearly that the republicans aren't at least willing to engage in that regard , they're not willing

0:13:15 to 0:13:31( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: to engauge in serious legislation. mr. president, 72 republican filibusters and we're going up, not done. it's not good for the country. not good for the seafnlt i don't think it is -- senate.

0:13:31 to 0:13:42( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: i don't think it is good for my republican colleagues. the presiding officer: the leadership time is reserved. the senate will proceed to a period of morning business until 11:00 a.m. with the time equally

0:13:42 to 0:13:56( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: divided and controlled between the two leaders or designee, with the republicans scrolling the first half and the majority controlling the final half of the time. a senator: mr. president? the presiding

0:13:56 to 0:14:09( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: officer: the senator from texas. mr. cornyn: i ask that our 30 minutes be allotted 15 minutes for me and 15 minutes for thehe senator from ohio following my remarks. the presiding officer: is there objection?

0:13:56 to 0:31:33( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: John Cornyn

0:14:09 to 0:14:23( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: a senator: what is the request? mr. cornyn: i would be glad to restate it for the distinguished majority leader. of the 30 minutes of time for the minority that it be divided equally between the senator

0:14:23 to 0:14:44( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: from ohio and me. mr. reid: mr. re id: it is my understandingthat the senator from texas wants an hour of morning business? mr. cornyn: no, sir. mr. reid: 30 minutes for the democrats and 30 minutes for

0:14:44 to 0:14:57( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: the republican? mr. cornyn: yes we would like to divide it 15 minutes each with myself and the senator from ohio. i would ask unanimous consent that kellen mc naultyy be granted floor privileges for thevi

0:14:57 to 0:15:12( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: remainder of my floor time. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. cornyn: i heard the distinguished republican majority leader criticized for having to debate this piece of legislation.

0:15:12 to 0:15:28( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: we would be remiss in our duties if we didn't discuss this important piece of legislation.~ as complex and difficult a topic as it is, and frankly, ask questions that i know our constituents would ask

0:15:28 to 0:15:50( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: of us were we to vote for or against this particular piece of legislation. so i, for one, would make no apologies for doing what i consider to be my duty, and i think all of us would do well to ask questions

0:15:50 to 0:16:04( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: of this -- about this legislation which proposes a $6.7 trillion price tag. that's trillion, not billion, not million; but trillion. $6.7 trillion. i wonder, we talk about what congress has been doing.

0:16:04 to 0:16:18( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: let me just mention what congress has not been doing, what the senate has not been doing. it's been 109 days since the foreign intelligence surveillance act was not reauthorized which hampered our ability

0:16:18 to 0:16:34( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: to listen in on terrorist-to-terrorist communications. we spent 560 days since american farmers and businesses have been disadvantaged by not taking up the colombia free trade agreement. my state alone,

0:16:34 to 0:16:50( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: it's roughly $2.3 billion a year. but my producers, my farmers, my manufacturers are disadvantaged by tariffs on those goods when they're imported into colombia. we ought to fix that. it's been

0:16:50 to 0:17:03( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: 560 days since that condition has existed. 705 days since judicial nominees -- some judicial nominees have been waiting for a vote. and 771 days since speaker pelosi, when campaigning before the 2006

0:17:03 to 0:17:17( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: election, said that if elected democrats would deliver a commonsense solution to the price of gasoline and the pain that consumers were feeling at the pump. that was 771 days ago, and yet,et there's been

0:17:17 to 0:17:28( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: no proposal by our friends in the majority to actually come up with a commonsense solution to help ease the pain at the pump. instead, we have a bill which, while i don't question the motivation for

0:17:28 to 0:17:44( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: the bill, since we're all concerned about the environment, i do think that it's important that we ask questions about a bill that carries such a high price tag and which will have the impact of

0:17:44 to 0:17:59( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: actually increasing the costs of energy, gasoline and electricity alike, rather than reducing it. so, i must say that last week, like all the rest of my colleagues, i went back home and had a chance

0:17:59 to 0:18:13( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: to visit with a number of my constituents. and, of course, high gasoline prices was the number-one issue on their mind. because even though my state is doing relatively well compared to the rest

0:18:13 to 0:18:26( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: of the country with about 4.1% unemployment rate, we've seen some softening in the housing market, but generally speaking, my state is prospering, and we're grateful for that. but people that do have

0:18:26 to 0:18:40( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: jobs, and they feel like they're doing pretty well otherwise, they're still feeling their paycheck shrink as a result of rising energy costs. and i'm wondering why we're now on a piece of legislation

0:18:40 to 0:18:55( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: which will, rather than reduce the cost of their gasoline or their electricity, will actually increase it. right now the average price for a gallon of gasoline across the country is just j right at $4

0:18:55 to 0:19:14( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: a gallon. $4 a gallon. and as i talked to my constituents last week around the state, they asked me, "what is congress go to do to finally take action to lower those prices?" unfortunately, i had to tell

0:19:14 to 0:19:30( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: them that we t only got 42 votes on a, on a provision, on a bill, the domenici amendment, which would actually have increased our use of american energy and reduce our dependency on imported oil

0:19:30 to 0:19:47( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: from some of our enemies, like hugo chavez in veneela, president mahmoud ahmadinejad in iran. by our in action here in the congress, we're actually driving up that cost because we're putting, since

0:19:47 to 0:20:03( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: 1982, vast american reserves of energy out of bound for moratorium that have been enacted on the outer continental shelf through our unwillingness to explore and develop oil shale in the west and our

0:20:03 to 0:20:17( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: unwillingness to allow the state of alaska to develop its own energy reserves in the arctic national wildlife refuge. so, it's easy for me to understand, seeing that disconnect between what my constituents

0:20:17 to 0:20:30( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: are concerned about -- high prices of energy, including gasoline -- to come back here and be debating a bill that will drive up those costs even further, it's easy to see why more and more people feel

0:20:30 to 0:20:43( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: like congress is just totally diskebgd from reality -- disconnected from reality. and congress appears to be -- to have very little relevance to the things that concern the american people the most,

0:20:43 to 0:20:57( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: and that is the family budget. i want to be clear about one thing, though. the debate about our environment is one well worth having, and of course we could all do better and should do better to be

0:20:57 to 0:21:12( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: good stewards of environment. and, yes, we must focus on conserving energy and reducing waste. but reducing our dependency on foreign oil and bringing down prices at the pump is needed too. and my fear

0:21:12 to 0:21:30( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: is that this important issue is rapidly becoming just another tired political game. because taking care of the environment is not a republican versus democrat issue, and it should not be about partisan

0:21:30 to 0:21:43( Edit History Discussion )

John Cornyn: politics. haven't we learned by now that the american people are fed up with the games here in washington and want real solutions? well, let's -- the majority leader, and yesterday the distinguished