Senate Proceeding on Jun 9th, 2011 :: 3:34:05 to 3:51:30
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3:33:59 to 3:34:19( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: we'll be vote on the snowe amendment at 2:15. so i'm going to speak at least for the next 15 or 20 minutes. there's no one else on the floor on our side. and we'll continue to try to answer some of the issues that have been raised in the last few minutes about this particular amendment. first of all, i have a great deal of respect for the senator

3:34:05 to 3:51:30( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Mary Landrieu

3:34:20 to 3:34:44( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: from oklahoma. nobody prely has worked hard -- nobody really has worked harder on trying to bring more efficiencies to the federal government. he spent hours and hours and hours in meetings, official meetings, informal meetings on budgets, efficiency and regulations. i have a great deal of respect for the senator from oklahoma personally.

3:34:45 to 3:35:09( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: but i do take offense at some of the, not just suggestion but accusations and specific attacks made on this floor against the government. two or three were just issued from the speech he just gave, statements like this: the bureaucracy never takes risk.

3:35:10 to 3:35:30( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: well, i'd like to ask him what bureaucracy did he think supported the elimination of osama bin laden? does the senator from oklahoma believe there were no risks taken by this bureaucracy that

3:35:31 to 3:35:51( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: he so routinely and, i think, -- he so routinely wants to degrade to no good end? i would ask him if he was still on the floor, no risks were taken by anyone when they launched the strike against

3:35:52 to 3:36:13( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: osama bin laden that eventually killed him. would the senator from oklahoma suggest that we have no regulations on wall street. we should just trust the big international bankers of the world to do what's right every

3:36:14 to 3:36:35( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: day for the people of oklahoma. i know that the people on wall street wake up every morning and think to themselves while they're eating breakfast, what can i do today to help the people in oklahoma or in louisiana?

3:36:36 to 3:36:59( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: of course that's absurd. there is a place for appropriate regulation, and bureaucracies aren't always bad. and when george washington led the creation of this country, he most certainly had in his mind a government that worked for the

3:37:00 to 3:37:20( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: people, by the people. let's fix the government. let's not tear it down by statements that have no basis in tpafbgt, that do -- no basis in fact, that do not uplift people, do not encourage people.

3:37:21 to 3:37:43( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: they numb people. they make people angry. they make people think there is no hope when there is. there are thousands of people that put on a uniform every day and go to work for this country. they are mothers, they are fathers, they are grandparents,

3:37:44 to 3:38:05( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: they are aunts and uncles. they work hard and they do not deserve the disparaging remarks that come too often from the other side of this aisle. if you don't like government, you've made it plain, then fix it. and one of the ways to fix it is to take a bill.

3:38:06 to 3:38:26( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: this is not an amendment that senator snowe has. it is a bill. i have seen it. she's asked me to cosponsor it. i have dekhraeupbd. it is -- i have declined. it is a bill. it is a major bill that has jurisdiction, that will find its jurisdiction in not one committee -- not the small

3:38:27 to 3:38:47( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: business committee -- but in five committees, have jurisdiction over the aspects of senator snowe's bill. one of the reasons t shouldn't vote favorably, not because we're not for reg reform, is because this bill has ramifications that go far beyond the small business committee, of

3:38:48 to 3:39:08( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: which i chair, and it goes to about five or six other committees that need to have a look at the provisions in her bill. that's one reason. we've asked to go through the committee process. number two, there are at least, to my knowledge, four other

3:39:09 to 3:39:29( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: bills that attempt to fix this overregulatory reach, which i agree with senator thune, i agree with senator coburn, and i agree with senator snowe needs to be tapped down, harnessed. not eliminated, but tapped down and harnessed and made less

3:39:30 to 3:39:50( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: onerous for all business. not just small business, but for all business. bu other bills that i know that are attempting to do that. one by senator vitter. one by senator roberts. one by senator collins and one by senator portman. i have not had the opportunity to review in detail all these other bills, but i'm sure they

3:39:51 to 3:40:12( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: have some very excellent points to them. the committee process allows a chairman like senator lieberman who's not here today, which would have primary jurisdiction over this, to bring all five bills before his committee, hear the best aspects of each, potentially combine them into a bill and bring them to the floor.

3:40:13 to 3:40:35( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: you know what, senator lieberman, i know, has offered to do that in his committee. that bill could potentially come out of committee potentially with senator snowe as the lead author since she's worked very hard on it, with others as cosponsors, a bill in which democrats and republicans could agree to that could give real relief on reg reform.

3:40:36 to 3:40:56( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: this is not about finding a solution. this is about public relations, campaigns, and republican rhetoric about the election. and that's what i object to. if this were really about regulatory reform and finding a solution, the five senators that have bills and other senators

3:40:57 to 3:41:18( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: that i know -- senator mccaskill, for one, who is here today, who is developing a bill; senator carper, who has spent years on this subject and is quite the expert -- they would all come before the homeland security committee, which i have the privilege of serving on, and in a short

3:41:19 to 3:41:40( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: amount of time -- just a few weeks -- figure out something that the majority could support. this isn't about fixing the problem. this is about bumper stickers for elections, and i am very tired of it. and i'm not the only one. as chair of the small business

3:41:41 to 3:42:01( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: committee, i can promise you that our committee, which senator snowe is the ranking member, has worked every day very hard through this recession to put forward bills on this floor that could help create jobs, bring relief. in fact, one of the most burdensome regulations that the business community was just

3:42:02 to 3:42:22( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: screaming about, our committee was very aggressive in helping to eliminate, and that was section 1099 which would have required every business to report to the i.r.s. any purchase that they made for goods 0 over 600.

3:42:23 to 3:42:44( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: it would have brought many businesses to its knees buried in paperwork. did our committee sit around and twittle its thumb? no. we worked hard. we had the only hearing in congress, i think, on the 1099 and repealed it. commerce helped, it took awhile to find the right offset.

3:42:45 to 3:43:05( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: the minute it was brought to our attention, the chamber of commerce and others, we said we made a mistake. it's going to take us awhile to find the $20 billion to offset it but we'll look and before that goes into effect we'll repeal it. and we did. so when members on the republican side come to the floor and say democrats don't care about regulatory burdens, i find that offensive, and it's

3:43:06 to 3:43:28( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: not helpful. this bill is not on the floor on regulatory relief. this bill is on a small but effective economic development program that happens to work beautifully in my state. and contrary to what the senator from oklahoma and others said, this program in louisiana, as

3:43:29 to 3:43:49( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: far as louisiana is concerned, actually works. one of the reasons that it works so well is because many of the decisions about the grants are not done in washington but done at the regional level. our office happens to be in austin, texas. when the chamber of commerce come to visit me, not always huge supporters of the

3:43:50 to 3:44:10( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: democratic caucus. but when my chambers come to see me, they say to me, senator, one of the best programs that our members like and feel the federal government does a very good job are these e.d.a. grants, because they're not that bureaucratic. they make quick decisions. they help us fill gap financing in programs that make a meaningful difference to the

3:44:11 to 3:44:32( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: people in our community. i didn't raise the subject when i went to speak to the chambers of commerce. they raised it to me. now, maybe the senator from oklahoma is correct that some of these moneys were earmarked, but we don't allow earmarks anymore.

3:44:33 to 3:44:53( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: so this program is going to go without earmarks directed by members, and it's going to be done at a regional basis. and these programs have been at least in the louisiana's experience, quite effective. louisiana tech, one of my universities, received a $2 million e.d.a. grant. i'm going to submit this to the record.

3:44:54 to 3:45:14( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: our ongoing partnership with e.d.a. has greatly enhanced the university's overall economic development efforts. we're creating the e.d.a. university center, et cetera, et cetera. from the mayors of both cities, monroe and -- i mean, i don't know. i do trust my local elected officials. i do trust the people i represent.

3:45:15 to 3:45:35( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: when they say a program works, i like to believe them. the list of projects recent investments in louisiana, $1.2 million to tulane university. can i tell you one thing about tulane university, since it was damaged significantly after

3:45:36 to 3:45:56( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: hurricane katrina? we have over 45,000 applicants to this school. why do people want to come to tulane? not only because it's a great school, but it's in a great city that's rebuilding itself. you know what's helping us rebuild ourselves? an e.d.a. grant that some people would like to eliminate.

3:45:57 to 3:46:17( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: $1.2 million -- to tulane university. it's the microloan program. i believe the people at tulane university. i have a great respect for scott cowen and their board. everywhere i travel around the united states as a senator, i could not be prouder. when people come up to me and say what a great university tulane is. i don't need somebody in washington telling me how good

3:46:18 to 3:46:38( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: this program is. i have the people i represent at home telling me. $775,000 to the downtown development district which was under water after katrina, given to the idea village. do you know where the idea village was latest advertised? maybe on the front page of

3:46:39 to 3:47:00( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: "enterprise" magazine. maybe in "time" magazine. this idea village is one of the best ideas in the whole country. you know who funded it? the program that senator boxer is trying to reauthorize. $400,000 for start-up funds for the creation and development of stimulus funds to support fledgling enterprises in the greater new orleans region.

3:47:01 to 3:47:22( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: our seafood industry went completely, no pun intended, under water after the b.p. oil spill. this agency stood up and gave them, when no one else would -- b.p. wouldn't give them a penny, ken feinberg wouldn't give them any money. they gave them $350,000 to keep their head above water at the

3:47:23 to 3:47:43( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: seafood promotion board. that's why people are eating in large measure today. i don't know what report senator coburn is looking at, but the may 19 report says right here, g.a.o. stated that they have not concluded duplication on these issues and their future work on overlap and duplication. i don't know if the senator has

3:47:44 to 3:48:05( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: asked his chamber of commerce from oklahoma, but i'm going back to my office and i'm going to call him myself because i'd like to find out. maybe their program works a little differently in oklahoma than it works in louisiana, but when i called my people at home -- and they'll tell me -- senator, some of these programs aren't worth a hill of beans and you should eliminate them. these programs are too difficult.

3:48:06 to 3:48:28( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: i have that all the time by some programs, not all the time but some programs. this isn't one of them. and the reason i'm exercised is because i'm like deja vu. i came down to this floor four weeks ago to try to get a similar program in size, a 1.2 -- no, i'm sorry.

3:48:29 to 3:48:50( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: what was our program? 1.29 sbir? $1.2 billion program that's worked so well. senator warren rudman had created it. it was a great program. it's really like the country's best venture capital program for all small business. it makes money. it doesn't lose money.

3:48:51 to 3:49:11( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: and we got the same thing done to us by the other side of this side of the aisle that says we don't really care about small business over here because we have to talk about x., y. and z. so, i mean, this is like the second time one of our

3:49:12 to 3:49:34( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: chairmen -- i was the first, now senator boxer is trying to build, bring to the floor not a complicated program. it's a little program but it has a big bang for the buck. it gets rave reviews from the people in my state, republicans mainly, but democrats as well, and we can't seem to

3:49:35 to 3:49:56( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: program approved until we take bills that members want to put on the bill that have nothing t do with this bill that haven't gone through committee. so i'm going to be voting against senator snowe's bill, but to make clear, i support senator snowe's efforts to reduce regulatory reform.

3:49:57 to 3:50:19( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: my people in louisiana are screaming about this. i've tried to communicate this to the administration in many ways, whether it's e.p.a. or the corps of engineers or the more recent that's coming out of one agency that wants all of my oil field workers to put on hazmat suits to go to work. now, if you put on a hazmat suit

3:50:20 to 3:50:40( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: in louisiana when it's 100 degrees, you couldn't get to the oil rig because you would be fainted before you got there. so i am not unaware, i want the senator from oklahoma to understand, of some ridiculous rules and regulations that come flying out of some of our agencies, but the way to fix it is not to bring a bill to the

3:50:41 to 3:51:01( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: floor that has not had a hearing, when six different committees have jurisdiction, when senator lieberman who has the lead jurisdiction as chair of the homeland security has indicated a complete willingness to take this on. there are enough bumper sticker printing operations in

3:51:02 to 3:51:22( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: louisiana -- in america today. there's only one united states senate. and i suggest we start acting like a louisiana -- like a senate, like a u.s. senate and stop acting like a bumper

3:51:23 to 3:51:32( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: sticker -- a bumper sticker operation, and i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the