mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: could we have order. the presiding officer: could we have order in the senate. the republican leader is recognized. mr. mcconnell: mr. president, i ask consent to proceed as if in morning business. the presiding officer: the republican leader is advised that a quorum call is in progress. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. mcconnell: and i ask unanimous consent that i be allowed to proceed as if in morning business. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. the presiding officer: the senate will please come to order. senators will take those conversations off the senate floor. mr. mcconnell: mr. president, i rise to introduce legislation to honor a kentuckian who is a true american hero, robley henry rex. when robley passed away in april of this year, just a few days shy of his 108th birthday, he was re

mr. mcconnell can tell you more about than i can, between the national security agency and the pentagon, and of course homeland security and others, about who's responsible for various elements of this strat joe. and so they spent an enormous amount of time the past few years in turf wars, and i think when the obama administration came, in they determined that they really had to go solve that. the last issue, which i think is unresolved in the obama administration, is how you deal with the fact that there is no national frontier here, that if you are going to have-- operate abroad, you also have to, to some degree, operate inside computer systems in the united states. and i think the bush administration didn't have a whole lot of. credibility on that issue after the n.s.a. issues on wiretapping or surveillance of terrorist operations inside the u.s. i think mr. obama is trying a new-- a new approach at that. >> rose: you look at the problems that happened during the height of the economic crisis, september-october 2008, when wall street firms were failing. do woe see the way the markets

mr. mcconnell: madamr. mccain: ? the presiding officer: the senator from arizona. mr. mccain: i ask for immediate consideration of amendment number 1378. the presiding officer: the amendment is pending. mr. mccain: i call up the amendment of the amendment is pending? the presiding officer: correct. mr. mccain: thank the president, and i think, madam president, i might -- the presiding officer: the senate will be in order. could you please take your conversations out of the senate floor. mr. mccain: madam president, the -- what the amendment does, it strikes an earmark of $39.7 million for the advanced training center in west virginia, a training facility for u.s. customs and border protection agents. the center features a range of training environments, facilities, and et cetera. but i want to point out that the committee the administration requested -- the administration requested and the committee approved $33.3 million to operate eye equip the facility. you may not agree with that -- the presiding officer: the senator will be suspend. the senate is not in order. wil

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: mr.sident, as both parties work together on reforming health care, americans have been clear about what they want to see in a result. americans want health care that's more affordable and accessible, but they also want to preserve the choice and the quality that our current system provides. we also know that what americans do not want -- they don't want a government plan that forces them off their current insurance, denies, delays, or rations care, or costs trillions of dollars, only to leave millions of americans with worse health care than they currently have. and americans certainly don't want us to throw together some patchwork plan that nobody has had a chance to look at and then rush it out the door the way the stimulus bill was. just so politicians in washington can say they accomplished something. americans are increasingly concerned about some of the proposals coming out of washington and they're concerned about the cost and who gets stuck with the bill. and they're concerned for

mr. mcconnell: madam president? the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: last night the president, to his credit, reiterated what the american people have been saying for weeks, that the democratic health care proposals we've seen so far aren't where they need to be yet. i couldn't agree more, the rising health care costs are a threat to our economy and any reform must reduce the long-term costs. the problems that the president highlighted are real and here, again, republicans agree with him. unfortunately, the solutions to the problems are not in the democratic plans now working their way through congress. in fact, the bills we have seen make the problems even worse. the director of the congressional budget office said the proposals would increase overall health care spending, not reduce it. all of us want health care reform. but we want reform bringing down costs and long-term spending not so-called "reforms" that makes things worse. the president said health care reform must not increase the national debt. republicans agree with that, as well.

mr. mcconnell: mr.president? the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: mr. president, i'm going to proceed on my leader time. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. mcconnell: mr. president, americans are eager for health care reforms that lower costs and increase access. this is why many of us are proposing reforms that should be easy for everyone to agree on, such as reforming our medical liability laws, strengthening wellness and prevention programs that would encourage people to make healthy choices like quitting smoking and losing weight, and addressing the needs of small business without imposing new taxes that kill jobs. the administration is taking a different approach to health care reform, and the more americans learn about it, the more concerned they become. so it's good that the president plans to spend a lot of his time in the days ahead discussing the administration's plan for reform because people need to know what the administration's plan is. specif

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the republican leader is recognized. mr. connell: throughout the debate on health care reform, the administration has made a pointf asking various stakeholders to come together and do their part. doctors and hospitals are being asked to find significant savings, seniors are being asked to make major sacrifices, and so are the states. every week it seems the white house hosts an event aimed at showcasing some sacrifice being made by one group or another. every group, that is, except personal injury lawyers. it's a glaring omission, since everyone knows that the constant threat of lawsuits is one of the reasons health care premiums for americans have skyrocketed over 100% over the past decade and the primary reason that many doctors today spend a literal fortune on malpractice insurance, even before they open their doors for business. to take just one example, neurosurge surgeons in miami can expect to spend more on malpractice insurance every single year than many families in miami can expect to spend on a new home. this is a

mr. mcconnell: mr. president, over the past several weeks, americans have heard a number of proposals for reforming health care, and they're increasingly concerned about many of the details. americans want reform, but they want the right reform, not a reform that ends up costing them much more for worse care than they already receive. unfortunately, the government-run plan that some are proposing would do just that. a government-run plan would force millions of americans to give up the care they currently have and replace it with a system in which care is denied, delayed, and rationed. instead of increasing access and quality, it could limit access and options. it could lead us into deeper debt and millions could well remain uninsured. americans are skeptical about all of this, they don't want to be forced to exchange the coverage they have for a government system they don't particularly want. and some of the advocates of a government plan are beginning to sense this growing public opposition to their p

mr. mcconnell: madam president? the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask that further proceedings under the quorum be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: madam president, the american people are making their voices heard in the debate over health care, and one of the things they are demanding is that we do something to lower costs. this is why the proponents of a government takeover never failed to mention lowering costs as one of their primary goals. yet, more and more americans are beginning to ask themselves a very simple question: how can more government lead to lower costs? they look at medicare, a government-run health care program that's nearly bankrupt, and they don't understand how an even bigger, more complicated government-run health care, health plan won't end up in the same condition. and they certainly don't understand why the administration would propose cutting hundreds of billions of dollars from medicare to help pay for this massive new government-run plan. yet, this is precisely what s

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. connell: as republicans and democrats debate the best way to reform health care, americans are increasingly concerned about the price tag and about who gets stuck with the bill. the federal deficit suddenly stands at more than $1 trillion for the first time in history, and so far this year we're spending about $500 million a day in interest alone on the national debt. it's as if every single american gets up in the morning, walks over to the window and tosses $2 into the wind every day for the next 10 years. it's not a bad analogy because that's what we're doing, and now the advocates of a government takeover of health care are talking about spending trillions more -- trillions more. so americans are worried about cost and they have good reason to be. not only are we in a tough situation fiscally, we have no idea how much this reform will really cost. we know from experience with government-run programs like medicare and medicaid that early estimates often grossly underestimate what th

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: mr. president, i'm going to proceed on my leader time. the presiding officer: the senator is recognized. mr. mcconnell: mr. president, i want to begin by thanking the judiciary committee staff, as well as senators leahy and sessions, for conducting a collegial, civil, and dignified hearing on the matter of the supreme court nomination. in my view, the hearing was in perfect keeping with the importance of the task before it. article 2, section 2, of the constitution says that the president shall nominate and by and with the advice and consent of the senate judges of the supreme court. it's an obligation that all of us in the senate take very seriously, even though senators haven't always agreed on the exact meaning of the phrase "advise and consent." in fact, it's been the suability o-- it'sbeen the subject of sigt disagreement over the years. i remember from my days as a young staffer on the senate judiciary commi

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: mr. president, i just want to take a moment to congratulate the senior senator from oregon for his extraordinary contribution to this most important topic. he has been open. he's been convinced of the need for bipartisanship and been entirely constructive throughout this process, and we look forward to continuing our conversations in the weeks and months to come. mr. president, i ask consent that the following remarks i'm going to make about the loss of officer chestnut and detective gibson appear following the majority leader's similar comments earlier this morning. mr. president, we stand in the capitol dedicated to freedom. we must remember freedom's cost. so today i rise to speak about jacob joseph chestnut and john michael gibson. officer chestnut and detective gibson, both of the capitol police, gave their lives 11 years ago today in defense of the men and women who work in and visit the capitol. a plaque in this building commemorates their bravery. their names have been etched upon

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: mr. president, as the debate over health care continues, it's important that we not lose sight of the fact that the american people expect results. no one is ever elected to congress to push a problem down the road or point fingers. the americans certainly want reform and that's exactly what they expect us to deliver. at the same time, americans have a right to expect that the legislation we pass actually addresses the problem they face and that we don't use the need for reform as an excuse to pass legislation that doesn't really help or that makes existing problems worse. this is the nature of the debate we're in. some in washington seem to be rushing to push through so-called reforms just for the sake of reform, regardless of whether they actually help the situation. while others are insisting that we take the time to get it right. fortunately, with each passing day, more and more americans and now more and more americans of congress are insisting that we take the responsible path to he

mr. mcconnell: mr. president, i ask consent that i be allowed to proceed as if in morning business. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: mr. president, last week and again this morning, my good friend, the majority leader,, came to the floor and said he wants to work with republicans on health care reform. i welcome his comments and at a step in that direction, i would point out that one of the major concerns that americans have about health care reform is the price tag. last week we learned that the federal deficit is now more than $1 trillion so far this year for the first time in our nation's history. to give people an idea of how dramatically the federal deficit has grown in just the last several months, i would note that the current deficit for this year is $800 billion more than it was at this point last year. $800 billion more than at this point last year. so the need for fiscal discipline could not be greater than at the current moment, and yet all the democratic proposals we

mr. mcconnell turned around and walked out. republican governor jim gibbons today, in a statement to the rachel maddow show said, quote, i am sure this is a very difficult time for senator ensign and his family. there has been a lot of attention that has been given to this matter and i will not fuel anymore speculation. it's not a statement of condemnation, of course, from the governor, also not a statement of support. meanwhile, we are still unable to get any statement of support for the senator's pledged re-election campaign from either senator john cornyn, head of the national republican acceptabsenr the lieutenant governor in nevada. but john ensign does say he's ruining again. i wonder who his chief of staff is going to be. joining us is john rollston. mr. rollston interviewed doug hampton exclusively last week. thanks for coming back on the show. >> hi, rachel. >> you're much closer to this story than i am. you've talked with some of the principals involved. do you believe that there are still some important loose ends to

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the republican leader is recognized. mr. onnell: today the senate judiciary committee has begun its hearings on the nomination of judge sonia sotomayor to be an associate justice on the u.s. supreme court. the consideration of a supreme court nominee is always an historic event. since our nation's founding, only 110 people have served on the high court and 10 of those were nominated by george washington. there are few duties more consequential for a member of the u.s. senate than a vote on a supreme court nominee. this particular nominee comes before the judiciary committee with a compelling life story. like so many other americans before her, judge sotomayor has overcome great adversity, and she has reaffirmed once again that our nation is which one's willingness to work hard and apply one's talents are the principal requirements for success. yet as we begin these hearings, it is important to remind ourselves that our obligations as senators under the constitution's advise and consent, requires us to do more than confirm som

mr. mcconnell: madam president? the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: madam president, i want to join my colleague, the majority leader, in extending my appreciation to or marvelous capitol police force. we were reminded in a very vivid way yesterday that they are on constant alert and that they are in constant danger. fortunately, incidents like the one that took place yesterday are rare. we're all glad for that, and we're glad that we have such a professional, well-trained, and courageous group of men and women to keep us safe day in and day out. they're always ready, and on behalf of the entire senate family, i want to express my appreciation for their hard work and their courage in the line of duty. now, madam president, on another issue, for the past several weeks, i've come down to the senate floor just about every day we've been in session and brought a very simple message. americans want health care reform, and both parties want to deliver that reform. what americans don't want is a government takeover masked as a reform that leaves th

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator leader is recognized. mr. ell: yesterday the president, to his credit, acknowledged what the american people have been telling us for weeks, the dealt health care proposals making their way through congress are not where they need to be. i couldn't agree more. all of us recognize the need for reform. that's not in question. that's why day after day i've come to the floor to propose con concrete, commonsense reforms that all of us can agree on, reforms that increase access, decrease costs, and guarantee no one in this country is forced to give up care they currently have. as i said repeatedly we should reform malpractice laws, encourage wellness and prevention programs that encourage healthy lifestyles like quitting smoking and fighting obesity, promote more competition in the private insurance market and address the needs of small business in a way that doesn't kill jobs in the middle of a recession. unfortunately, the administration seems bent on its own proposal for a government-driven land that costs trillio

mr. mcconnell: mr. president, the american people want health care reform.here's no question about that. but they have serious concerns about some of the proposals coming out of washington. concerns that i've outlined on the senate floor over the past few weeks. americans are increasingly concerned about the way their proposals are being sold. specifically they're concerned that the same mistakes that were made on the economic stimulus bill are about to be made once again. only this time those mistakes would be all but permanent and would directly affect every single american family. here's what they're concerned about: earlier this year advocates of the stimulus bill said that the bill had to pass right away with minimum scrutiny and minimal bipartisan support. they gave the american people less than 24 hours to review one of the costliest pieces of legislation in our history and then they hoped for a good result. the reason for the rush is clear: proponents of the stimulus were concerned that public support would start to fade if people got a closer look a

mr. mcconnell say that. they agree we should reduce costs, provide more coverage.he big issue right now that i think everybody is grappling with is how do we pay for it. i think we're two-thirds of the way figuring that out. congress has about 10 or 15 days. if they can't figure out how we pay for the rest of the third, they all should lose their jobs. >> let's take the big picture. this is why this thing is stalled. politics is a reflection of real people out there pressuring their members, in this case largely centrist democrats. they understand the steps that these are not -- we always get into this, donna -- these are not my numbers, they're cbo numbers. this one-year deficit for this president is 12% of gdp, the highest on record postwar deficit -- >> he did inherit a huge -- >> george bush -- please. we should talk reality. the highest deficit that bush ever had was 5%, not -- >> but he also inherited the worst economy since the great depression. >> and he's making it worse by -- people out there, get this. you know what the american response to this economic

mr. mcconnell: mr.resident, americans are eager for health care reforms that lower costs and increase access. this is why many of us are proposing reforms that should be >> we need to reform our medical liability laws, strengthen wellness and prevention programs that would encourage people to make healthy choices like quitting smoking and losing weight. addressing the needs of small businesses without killing jobs. the administration has taken a different approach to health care reform. the more americans learn about the, the more concerned they become. it is good that the president plans to spend a lot of his time in the days ahead discussing the administration plan for reform. people need to know what the administration's plan is. specifically, americans have concerns about losing the care they have and spending trillions of dollars for so-called reform that could leave them with worse care than they have now, especially if it is paid for by seniors and small-business owners. one thing americans are e

mr. mcconnell: i want to thank my friend from oklahoma. i'll be brief. w this interrupts his remarks. i appreciate the opportunity to work in my comments. thank you so much. mr. president, the american people do, indeed, want health care reform. and they want us to take the time we need to get it right. as i've said repeatedly and as an increasing number of senators and congressmen from both sides of the aisle are also now saying the last thing americans want is for congress to rush through a flawed bill that would make our health care system even worse so politicians can have something to brag about. the -- the republicans and some democrats now acknowledge that getting health care right is more important than rushing through some slip shod plan that no one has looked at and calling it reform. last week the president said he wants to get health care reform right and that the most important thing is that members of congress continue to work together on the difficult issues in this debate. and one senior democrat said last week -- quote -- "it's better to

mr. obama said would create new jobs a dismal failure. with us now mitch mcconnell of kentucky. thanks for joining us. >> glad to be with you. >> you just heard the speaker. she says a public option in health care reform is in her view nonnegotiable. can senate republicans sign on to a plan that includes a public option? >> i think can pretty safely say there aren't any senate republicans who think a government plan is a good idea. we have 1,300 health insurance companies now, robust competition among them. we know that if we create a government plan there won't be anymore private health insurance companies and there won't be any competition. we have a good example of that, john, already, in the automobile industry. the government is now running gm, and chrysler, and louisville they're making fords, ford vehicles, and the ceo of ford called me up recently and said the good news is people seem to like the fact that we haven't taken any government money and we're doing reasonably well given the slowdown, the recession we're in, but our problem is financing our cars because the gov

mr. chairman, i want to bring you into the discussion. as i do, as republicans like senator sessions and senator mcconnell, they're concerned, we're also hearing a lot of -- i wouldn't call them jitters, but reservations from the left as well. as they listen to the hearings, they didn't hear what i would say is enough to reassure them. i want you to listen to one exchange. this was republican senator lindsey graham asking -- excuse me, judge sotomayor a question. let's listen. >> i'm sorry. we lost the audio and the sound there, but the point was, senator leahy, that many liberal groups or left-leaning groups said, you know what, she sounded an awful a lot like alito in the way she answered some of the questions, especially about precedent and following the constitution. are you satisfied that you are getting what you want, sir, someone who fits your views as a justice? >> you know, i'm like a lot of other senators. and i've been here for votes on every single member of the supreme court, current members of the supreme court. i don't meet with the pressure groups of either the right or the left. i listen to what the nominee says themselves. an

. >> now senator minority leader is mitch mcconnell comments on the senate floor. >> mr. president, americans are eager for health care reforms that lower-cost and increase access. . easy for everyone to agree on, such as reforming our medical liability laws, strengthening wellness and prevention programs that would encourage people to make healthy choices like quitting smoking and losing weight, and addressing the needs of small business without imposing new taxes that kill jobs. the administration is taking a different approach to health care reform, and the more americans learn about it, the more concerned they become. so it's good that the president plans to spend a lot of his time so it's good that the president plans to spend a lot of his time in t administration's plan for reform because people need to know what the administration's plan is. specifically, americans have concern about losing the care they have and spending trillions of dollars for so-called reform that could leave them with worse care than they have now, especially if it's paid for by seniors and sm

later -- leader of the united states senate, mitch mcconnell. >> friends, fellow members of congress, trustees of the ronald reagan presidential foundation, mrs. today, we celebrate a great man's life. as we dedicate this statute in this place of honor, we affirm that man's treasured place in our hearts and our nation's storied history. many today are too young to remember what a difference he made but rather than recite the history lesson, let me just say this. when america fought our best days lay behind us, ronald reagan showed they still lay ahead. when the world sought freedom was in retreat, ronald reagan proved that liberty was still the strongest force in history. and when many thought freedom should negotiate should tear it -- should negotiate with any. of ray and had the courage to call tierney by its name and say freedom when ronald reagan is remembered as one of the giants of the 20th-century. he deserves our admiration, and he deserves this statute. the real ronald reagan stood taller than anyone. we know the source of that strength. she is here with us. nancy, together, you and president reagan lifted our nation when we needed t

mr. obama for not fixing it quickly enough. now in tonight's fourth story, payback time. the bush generals who led the gop congress in blindly following bushonomics off the cliff are senate republican leader mitch mcconnell and house republican leader john boehner. senate republican whit jon kyl and house republican whip eric cantor. in a new national ad today democrats not only refute their claims about the obama recovery but reassert how these bush republicans made it necessary. >> he said we should cancel the recovery act. he falsely claimed no projects had been awarded in ohio. he opposed the recovery act but then took credit for a project in his district. and he led the fight against the recovery act that is boosting kentucky's economy. they supported the bush policies that sank our economy into recession. they broke it. now they refuse to fix it. tell republican leaders to stop playing politics with our economy. the democratic national committee is responsible for the content of this advertising. >> congressman boehner's office responded, saying, quote, democrats can't run away from the fact that the stimulus has failed to provide the immediate jolt to the economy and prevent unemployment from clim

mr. president. i was listening with respect to the senator from california. let me state the position of the republican senators on health care reform. our leader, mitch mcconnell, the senator from kentucky, stated yesterday. he said to the news media outside in the hall in answer to a question, "this isn't about winning or losing. this is about getting it right." health care is very personal to every one of us, to every one of our families, and to all of the american people. and our goal on the republican side, and i'm sure for many democrats as well, is to start with cost and make sure that we can say to the american people that we want to make sure that you can afford your health care policy and that when we finish fixing health care, that you can afford your government. and so far that's not been the case. we have offered plans which we believe will reach that goal. my own example: last year i joined with senator wyden, a democrat; senator bennett, a republican, endorsing their plan. it's not perfect, but it is a very good plan and it has a completely different approach than the bill that came out of the senate health committee or that's coming through the

mr. reid: madam president, both senator mcconnell and i appreciate everyone's patience. i ask unanimous consent that upon disposition of the hatch amendment, the leahy alternative to the brownback amendment and the brownback amendment specified below the senate proceed to vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the leahy amendment 1511. further that when this agreement is entered, amendment number 1539 be withdrawn and that the following list of amendments be the only amendments on the subject of hate crimes remaining in order during the pendency of s. 1390. that would be hatch amendment regarding alternative. leahy or designee alternative to brownback amendment. brownback amendment regarding first amendment protections. leahy or designee alternative sessions death penalty. sessions amendment regarding death penalty. sessions amendment regarding service members. sessions amendment regarding attorney general regulations. that all of the above amendments be first-degree amendments except the hatch-brownback and leahy alternative brownback amendments which are -- i'm sorry,