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Mr. President, I am told that S. 2041 is at the desk and is due for a second reading.

The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, offered the following prayer: Let us pray. Eternal spirit, You are our only safe haven. Give our Senators this day the courage and strength ...

Mr. BLUMENTHAL thereupon assumed the chair as Acting President pro tempore.

Vol. 158WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2012No. 15

Mr. President, following leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 11:30 a.m. The majority will control the first half and the Republicans will control ...

The majority leader is recognized.

The Honorable Richard Blumenthal led the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it ...

Mr. President, for a few weeks in March 2010, Alan Frumin was one of the most talked about men in the entire city of Washington. The Senate was poised to ...

Mr. President, let me also add some words about Alan Frumin. For those who are not aware of what the Parliamentarian does around here, he is sort of like an ...

Under the previous order, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 11:30 a.m., with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each, with ...

The Republican leader is recognized.

The Senator from Massachusetts.

Mr. President, last Friday Kevin Hagan White, a four-term mayor of Boston, passed away.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

The clerk will call the roll.

The Senator from Nevada.

Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be rescinded.

Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I rise today to talk about the state of the Nation's economy. Upon taking office, President Obama encountered one of the worst recessions in this country's history. He ...

The clerk will call the roll.

Morning business is closed.

The question is on agreeing to the motion to proceed to S. 2038.

For decades, the American taxpayer has been the victim of outright corruption and blatant abuse at the hands of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. There have been countless warnings over ...

Mr. President, I am soon going to offer an amendment to the substitute. I am going to offer it on behalf of myself and Senator Cornyn.

the prohibition against general solicitation as a requirement for a

Mr. President, on behalf of Senator Lieberman, I call up an amendment, which is at the desk.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

The clerk will call the roll.

Without objection, it is so ordered.

I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:

Mr. President, I thank both the Senator from New York and the Senator from Maine for their courtesy.

Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 1481.

Mr. President, I will shortly be offering, as an amendment, an amendment to the substitute. It will be on behalf of myself and Senator John Cornyn. I will ask consent ...

Mr. President, I would like to make some comments about this amendment, but I will do that at a later time when time is more available.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendment be set aside.

The amendment is as follows:

I yield the floor.

The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.

The motion was agreed to.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to set aside the pending amendment.

Without objection, it is so ordered.

The Senator from Ohio.

The bill clerk read as follows:

Mr. President, I thought we had a tentative, informal agreement that we were going to go back and forth, alternating to make amendments pending, and that we would do one ...

Mr. President, I know of no other speakers who plan to come to the floor before we are scheduled, under the previous order, to recess at 12:30. So I suggest ...

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to set aside the pending amendment. I have amendment No. 1488 at the desk and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, the Senator from Oklahoma is asking good questions.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

I thank my colleague and friend from Connecticut, the chairman of the committee.

Mr. President, let me join in what the Senator from Massachusetts said. Senator Begich, with Senator Tester, offered an amendment in committee that has not gotten as much attention as ...

Mr. President, I rise to thank my friend from Oklahoma for coming to the floor and introducing these three amendments. It begins the process of considering the legislation.

I will.

Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to discuss an amendment that I think is relevant to this discussion. I thank my colleague, Senator McCaskill, for her work ...

The clerk will call the roll.

We should reason together. But, as the Senator from Oklahoma knows, there are three main parts to the STOCK Act. One is the declaration we have just talked about, and ...

(Purpose: To require former Members of Congress to forfeit Federal

The Senator from South Carolina.

This is a very important point. It is a common refrain from those who would like to go back to earmarking: We can't turn this over to the bureaucrats. Who ...

Will the Senator yield?

Mr. President, first, I commend the Senator from Alaska for his efforts during the committee process. He offered some good amendments that we ultimately took up and accepted. We look ...

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Through the Chair, would the chairman accept that modification to my amendment, that we would, in fact, establish positively that Members of Congress are under rule 10b of the Securities ...

The Senator from Connecticut.

The Senator from Missouri.

That is right. We file annually.

Mr. President, as my colleagues are no doubt aware, I stand in opposition to this bill, not because I think we should have insider trading. As a physician I am ...

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading of amendments be dispensed with.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, this amendment would provide a complete substitute for the STOCK Act. It requires Members and staff to certify that they have not used inside information for private financial ...

The Senator from Connecticut.

Mr. President, I want to say a word about an issue I think has not gotten the kind of attention it deserves here in Washington or even among the general ...

Is there objection? Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. President, I appreciate the Senator's reference to the post office, and the postal issue is something Senators Collins, Lieberman, Carper, and I have been working on probably about 300 ...

The Senator from Massachusetts.

The legislative clerk read as follows:

I appreciate the Senator's kind indulgences. I am newer to this body, and maybe that explains my relative optimism. I am hopeful that we do get a vote, and I ...

Mr. President, I would make a couple points. One, we already file all our stock trades--correct?--every year.

Yes.

Mr. President, I commend the Senator from Minnesota for coming down. I appreciate her comments, her hard work on this issue, and thank her for her efforts.

This amendment will address some of the situations that are concerning the American people. I think the ability to serve in the Senate is a great honor. The ability to ...

I am happy to hear what that amendment does, and I thank the Senator.

Well, it would give me less heartburn, but it would probably still leave me needing at least a Rolaid.

Madam President, I thought I would bring our colleagues up to date on what is going on this evening, as it is getting late. We are close, I believe, to ...

The Senator from Massachusetts.

Mr. President, it is easy to see why earmarking is held so dear to so many Members. I remember when I first was elected and people began showing up in ...

Mr. President, this is another good government amendment. If we want to restore confidence, this is something we should do. It says before we vote on a bill, we are ...

The amendments are as follows:

Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. President, what is the regular order, may I ask?

I can tell the Senator how I think a big majority of Pennsylvanians feel about this because I hear from them every day. Sure, there are some folks who would ...

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 359.

The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

The clerk will report the resolution by title.

Mr. President, I am pleased to join the leader and other Senators on both sides of the aisle as we congratulate Alan Frumin on his impressive service as our Parliamentarian ...

The resolution (S. Res. 359) was agreed to.

Madam President, I want to join in saluting Alan for his many years of work. He is someone all of us know to be an honest broker, who calls them ...

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.

The Senator from Connecticut.

Mr. President, I thank the leader for his statement and thank him for his patience. I know people are critical of the way Senator Reid has been forced to operate ...

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Pending before the Senate is the STOCK Act, and the purpose is one that I support. It is a bill I cosponsored.

Mr. President, I rise today to speak about the STOCK Act. I wish to start by thanking the leaders on the floor, Senator Lieberman and Senator Collins, for their hard ...

Mr. President, how many amendments are pending?

The Senator from Connecticut.

The clerk will call the roll.

Mr. President, I was unavoidably detained for the rollcall vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S. 2038, the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge, ...

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate Knox College in Galesburg, IL, on the 175th anniversary of its founding.

Mr. President, I rise to submit to my colleagues a resolution that is very important to the history of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the history of our Nation. This ...

Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the retiring Parliamentarian of the Senate, Alan Frumin, who has for the past two decades faithfully and honorably served this institution ...

There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:

Mr. President, I rise today to honor the Uni-Capitol Washington Internship Programme, UCWIP. Our Nation has benefited from the service of outstanding Australian college students who participate in internships throughout ...

Messages from the President of the United States were communicated to the Senate by Mr. Pate, one of his secretaries.

The following bill was read the second time, and placed on the calendar: S. 2041. A bill to approve the Keystone XL pipeline project and provide for environmental protection and ...

The following reports of committees were submitted: By Mr. LIEBERMAN, from the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Report to accompany S. 1789, a bill to improve, sustain, and ...

The following concurrent resolutions and Senate resolutions were read, and referred (or acted upon), as indicated: By Mr. REID (for himself and Mr. McConnell): S. Res. 359. A resolution commending ...

By Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Franken, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Sanders, and Ms. Stabenow):

Mr. President, I rise to introduce along with Senator Landrieu the Small Business Tax Extenders Act of 2012, that will provide targeted tax relief legislation to small businesses and extend ...

S. 2044. A bill to require the Under Secretary for Science and Technology in the Department of Homeland Security to contract with an independent laboratory to study the health effects ...

Mr. President, today I introduce with my colleagues Senators Whitehouse, Sanders, Stabenow, and Franken legislation to stop the student loan interest rate from doubling on July 1 of this year.

SENATE RESOLUTION 359--COMMENDING ALAN S. FRUMIN ON HIS SERVICE TO THE UNITED STATES SENATE Mr. REID of Nevada (for himself and Mr. McConnell) submitted the following resolution; which was considered ...

Mr. SHELBY (for himself and Mr. Sessions) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to: S. Res. 361 Whereas the University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team won ...

Mr. MORAN (for himself and Mr. Roberts) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to: S. Res. 363 Whereas the Pittsburg State University Gorillas football team defeated the ...

SA 1477. Mr. THUNE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 1470 proposed by Mr. Reid (for himself, Mr. Brown of Massachusetts, Mr. Lieberman, Ms. Collins, Mrs. ...

Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. ...

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on January 31, 2012, at 10 ...

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on January 31, 2012, at 10 a.m.

Without objection, it is so ordered.

The resolution, as amended, with its preamble, reads as follows:

There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the resolution.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Inouye amendment which is at the desk be agreed to, the resolution, as amended, be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, ...

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 286 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

The resolution (S. Res. 286), as amended, was agreed to.

Without objection, it is so ordered. The Senate will proceed to consider the resolutions en bloc.

Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table en bloc, with no ...

for winning the 2011 Bowl Championship Series National Championship)

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate adjourn until 9:30 a.m., on Wednesday, February 1, 2012; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved ...

There being no objection, the Senate, at 7 p.m., adjourned until Wednesday, February 1, 2012, at 9:30 a.m.

Executive nominations received by the Senate: IN THE ARMY THE FOLLOWING NAMED OFFICER FOR APPOINTMENT IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY TO THE GRADE INDICATED WHILE ASSIGNED TO A POSITION OF ...

Pursuant to the order of the House of January 17, 2012, the Chair will now recognize Members from lists submitted by the majority and minority leaders for morning-hour debate.

The House met at noon and was called to order by the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. Harris).

Mr. Speaker, across the globe, Iran continues its saber rattling. The little fella from the desert, Ahmadinejad, threatens to block the Strait of Hormuz and all the oil shipments going ...

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember an American hero from this country's Greatest Generation. John ``Jack'' Francis Hannigan was born March 27, 1918 to Frank Hannigan and Elsie Sternweiss ...

The Chair recognizes the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones) for 5 minutes.

Pursuant to clause 12(a) of rule I, the Chair declares the House in recess until 2 p.m. today.

(Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Madam Speaker, it is so true that ``to whom much is given, much is required,'' especially when it comes to ensuring the blessings of creation for our children and grandchildren. ...

Madam Speaker, the STOCK Act will prohibit Members of Congress and Federal employees from using nonpublic information for their own personal profit and help prevent insider trading.

Madam Speaker, this year the Supreme Court agreed to hear and issue a decision on the Affordable Care Act. Of course, I'm eager to see what happens, and I'll be ...

Madam Speaker, as required by our Constitution, last week President Obama addressed our Nation in his annual State of the Union message before a joint session of Congress. President Obama ...

The SPEAKER pro tempore laid before the House the following communication from the Clerk of the House of Representatives: Office of the Clerk, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, January 31, ...

There was no objection.

Pursuant to clause 12(a) of rule I, the Chair declares the House in recess subject to the call of the Chair.

Pursuant to clause 12(a) of rule I, the Chair declares the House in recess for a period of less than 15 minutes.

So the resolution was agreed to.

[Roll No. 12] YEAS--251 Adams Aderholt Akin Alexander Amash Amodei Austria Bachmann Bachus Barletta Bartlett Barton (TX) Bass (NH) Benishek Berg Berman Biggert Bilbray Bilirakis Bishop (UT) Black Blackburn Bonner ...

Stated against:

The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 251, nays 157, not voting 24, as follows:

The question is on the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall 12, I was away from the Capitol due to prior commitments to my constituents. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. Speaker, under rule XXII, clause 7(c), I hereby announce my intention to offer a motion to instruct on H.R. 3630, the conference report to extend the payroll tax, unemployment ...

Mr. Speaker, over the past 50 years, engineers, scientists, and clinicians have made amazing advances in the design and implementation of artificial organs. However, despite these advances, the gap between ...

(Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to commend the Girl Scouts of the USA on its 52nd annual convention and its 100th anniversary. Since 1912, America's Girl Scouts have contributed significantly ...

I thank you, and I agree with absolutely everything you've said. I think it's a real eye-opener to realize that we sit here and we have a State of the ...

Thank you very much for yielding.

It's all price point and it's all affordability, and it comes down to: How much per month does it cost for the average, hardworking American family to keep private transportation?

Thank you, Mr. Carter, for yielding.

That is a real eye-opener, and I thank you for explaining that. I didn't really get that concept.

I would now like to have you hear from my colleague from Virginia, Scott Rigell, who has been waiting to talk. I learned in a conversation before we started here ...

I thank you, Representative Kelly. I will be glad to have you in the fight. You are a man I stand back-to-back with.

In reclaiming my time, there is an agenda that is being sold here.

I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding.

I thank my friend from New Mexico for a very strong statement.

I thank the gentleman for yielding, and thanks for his leadership on this work.

I agree with the gentleman, and I will tell you that I join in your fight. This is not only a fight that we must fight; this is a battle ...

Again, I appreciate the gentleman for bringing this topic up. We have to understand that, if we are really going to get this economy back on track, it is the ...

I would now like to recognize my good friend, Steve Pearce from New Mexico, Texas' good neighbor to the west.

Mr. Speaker, I have got energy on my mind tonight too. It's a wonder, or I should say it's not a wonder, that everybody who comes to the floor of ...

By unanimous consent, leave of absence was granted to: Ms. Roybal-Allard (at the request of Ms. Pelosi) for February 1 and 2 on account of a death in the family.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 9 o'clock and 32 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Wednesday, February 1, 2012, at 10 a.m. for ...

Under clause 2 of rule XIV, executive communications were taken from the Speaker's table and referred as follows: 4732. A letter from the Acting Administrator, Department of Agriculture, transmitting the ...

Under clause 2 of rule XII, public bills and resolutions of the following titles were introduced and severally referred, as follows: By Mr. MICA (for himself and Mr. Duncan of ...

Under clause 7 of rule XII, sponsors were added to public bills and resolutions as follows: [The following action occurred on January 30, 2012] H.R. 3582: Mr. Mack, Mr. Gardner, ...

Under clause 8 of rule XVIII, proposed amendments were submitted as follows: H.R. 1173 Offered By: Ms. Jackson Lee of Texas Amendment No. 1: At the end of the bill, ...

Mr. Speaker, I have the good fortune of representing many bright and promising young people. When they speak selflessly about the need to help those less fortunate and recognize that ...

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a constituent of mine, Mr. Jack Cline, who retires from the Anniston Army Depot in April.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to James I. Thacker, a dedicated public servant and brave member of the Pike County Sheriff's Department in Pikeville, Kentucky. His passing ...

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Joanne B. ``Joey'' Lasnik, who passed away January 4, 2012. Lasnik was a longtime community activist, volunteer, leader, daughter, grandmother, and friend. Lasnik ...

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding results achieved by St. Columbkille Elementary School, Dubuque, Iowa by being named a 2011 No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon School. The ...

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure and honor that I congratulate Mrs. Mary Edith Brown Coleman on a momentous milestone, her 95th birthday, which will be on February 13, ...

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Narrowing Exceptions for Withholding Taxes Act. This legislation will close a loophole in existing tax law that allows certain self-employed individuals to ...

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Rock Bridge High School varsity cheerleaders on its state championship.

Mr. Speaker, on January 25, 2012, I was not present for two recorded votes because I was in my district highlighting the importance of manufacturing to rebuilding Iowa's economy and ...

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Marine Corporal Kevin J. Reinhard of Colonia, New Jersey. On January 19, 2012, Corporal Reinhard was on a helicopter mission ...

Mr. Speaker, this weekend we celebrated an important anniversary in our nation's history.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Central Valley Flood Protection Board as they celebrate their 100th Anniversary. It is a great pleasure to recognize the Board's long ...

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor and acknowledge John ``Jack'' DeLeo on his being named ``UNICAN of the Year'' by the Scranton Chapter of UNICO National. Jack DeLeo was ...

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Talon M. Falconer for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. Throughout the history of the Boy Scouts of America, the rank of Eagle ...

Mr. Speaker, last night, Congressman Glenn ``GT'' Thompson was honored by the Boy Scouts of America with the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. This award is the highest honor the Boy ...

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of an American hero from Springfield, Illinois. Lyman L. Hubbard, Sr. passed away on January 12, 2012 at the age of ...

Mr. Speaker, today Exxon announced annual earnings of $41.1 billion, a 35 percent increase from the previous year. Recently, ConocoPhillips announced $12.4 billion profits for 2011. Chevron's earnings for the ...

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great American--a nationally acclaimed civil rights attorney, public education advocate and a true champion of social justice . . . ...