Senate Opening

The Senate Convened.

Opening Remarks

 
Senator Reid: (2:05 PM)

·         Today --

·         There will be a period of Morning Business until 4:00 PM with Senators allowed to speak up to 10 minutes each.

·         At 4:00 PM the Senate will move into Executive Session to consider the nomination of Timothy Geithner to be Treasury Secretary.  There will be 2 hours of debate equally divided and controlled.

·         Following debate, the Senate will proceed to a Roll Call vote on Timothy Geithner's nomination.

·         The Senate will then proceed to the SCHIP Bill (H.R. 2).

·         Spoke on the SCHIP Bill (H.R. 2).

o    SUMMARY "During this debate, we should remember that the overwhelming majority of Democrats and Republicans agree on the fundamentals of this legislation. So I look forward to a productive debate. I look forward to President Obama signing into law an extension for the Children's Health Insurance Program that will allow more children in Nevada and all 50 states to get the care they need and deserve."

Morning Business

 
Senator Alexander: (2:13 PM)

·         Spoke on bipartisanship in the Senate.

o    SUMMARY "We are here to contend. We are here to debate. We are here to offer our ideas, but to get here almost all of us had to earn independent votes and some votes from the other party, and when we got here, we all took an oath to represent all of our constituents. What will make this Presidency and this Congress different is if after we conclude delivering our sermons to one another, we put aside the 20% on which we disagree and see if we can come to some result on the 80% on which we agree...this will not happen if the Majority takes the position, 'we won the election; we'll write the bill.' Or if the Democratic Leader seeks to muzzle our constituents by not allowing amendments and debates and votes on the Senate Floor. It can't happen."

Senator  Bunning: (2:23 PM)

·         Spoke against Timothy Geithner's nomination to head the Treasury Department.

o    SUMMARY "We have learned that Mr. Geithner is comfortable with giving tax dollars away, but not so much so with paying them himself. Documents show he repeatedly acknowledged his tax obligation and ignored clear instructions to pay. I find Mr. Geithner's explanation that this was just a careless mistake, unconvincing and unsupported by the facts. His failure to pay what he owed cost Social Security and Medicare more than $34,000, part of which would never have been repaid if Mr. Geithner was not nominated to be Secretary of the Treasury, a position which oversees tax enforcement."

o    SUMMARY "When Mr. Geithner is indeed confirmed, and I know he will be by this body, I hope he will follow through on his promises to be a responsible, responsive and respective Secretary of the Treasury to Congress. Mr. President, for all these reasons I have discussed, I cannot in good conscience support this nomination."

 
Senator Enzi: (2:38 PM)

·         Spoke against Timothy Geithner's nomination to head the Treasury Department.

o    SUMMARY "While the Senate cannot scrutinize and debate every decision the Secretary makes, it's our duty to ensure the President's nominee has the character and judgment necessary to perform these duties and to perform them successfully. Mr. Geithner's past negligence casts doubt on his qualifications in this regard."

o    SUMMARY "The Senate's not supposed to be a group of 'yes-men' rubber-stamping everything the executive branch sends us. We're supposed to stand out and reason during the rush. We're supposed to think and act based on understanding and knowledge. Perhaps we're not doing so today. Mr. President, I intend to vote against the nomination of Mr. Timothy Geithner as Secretary to the United States Department of Treasury. The Senate needs more time to fully address the problems that I've identified and to further debate Mr. Geithner's qualifications. I can see that that's not going to happen."

Morning Business

 
Senator Kyl: (3:01 PM)

·         Spoke on the SCHIP Bill (H.R. 2).

o    SUMMARY "Last year we attempted to work in a bipartisan way to get a reauthorization of the so-called SCHIP Bill. This year the Democratic Majority has decided to work it alone, write a partisan bill without Republican input. And in fact every single one of the Republican amendments that were offered during the Finance Committee markup of this bill last week were defeated. There was one small amendment that was accepted, otherwise, they were all defeated. And it's my judgment, Madam President, that this is not the best way to start off the year."

o    SUMMARY "I know that some of my Democrat colleagues were interested in this eligibility issue because they don't want a lot of people to get benefits that aren't entitled to it. It will only hurt those who are entitled. We need to have strong eligibility requirements as a result. And we don't want to begin to expand this program to people who are not yet United States citizens and who have a contract with the United States when they come here as our guests, either on a temporary basis or on a Green Card, as I say, that they understand their obligations when they come here."

 
Senator Nelson-FL: (3:14 PM)

·         Spoke on the state of the U.S. economy.

o    SUMMARY "We all know, because of what we've seen in our various states, that our people are hurting. They're losing their homes. They're losing their jobs. They're falling behind in their mortgages. They're losing their businesses. And they're losing their life. Now, we clearly have the mandate that if it is humanly possible, we need to turn this economy around. And so the people of this country are expecting to see us take some real action, real action on trying to turn this economy around."

o    SUMMARY "As we are about to confirm the next Secretary of the Treasury, there's not a more important mandate than for him to crack the whip and make sure that this federal money, this public money, this taxpayer money is being spent as it was intended and holding people accountable and reporting the results. And if we don't get the accountability and the transparency, if we don't get from the banks who willingly accept this money, if we don't get what we expect, then we should demand the public's money back."

Executive Session (Geithner Nomination)

 
Senator Durbin: (3:47 PM)

·         Spoke in favor of the SCHIP Bill (H.R. 2)

o    SUMMARY "We said, what is a reasonable way to pay for it? It happens to be a way that I voted for consistently, and that is raising the tax on tobacco products. Some people may see this a little differently, but by and large, I know and our life experience proves, that when the cost of tobacco products go up, fewer kids will buy them. When you can stop a kid from starting to smoke at the age of 15, you have a better than 50% chance they will never smoke."

o    SUMMARY "Here is how we define eligibility. We say that if you are no higher than 200% of what we call the poverty income, then you're eligible. Your kids are eligible. What does that mean? It's about $42,000 a year in income. And then we say to the states, now, if you want to expand that to a higher level, up to 300% family income of $63,000, each state has that option. But if you expand it, you have to put state money on the table. You don't get this free."

 
Senator Hatch: (4:08 PM)

·         Spoke in favor of Timothy Geithner's nomination to head the Treasury Department.

o    SUMMARY "My guiding principle for approving the President's nominees has always been that the President as Chief Executive of the nation should be entitled to the person he or she chooses and that the Senate has an obligation to confirm those choices except in cases where it's obvious that the nominee is either incompetent or corrupt or unethical. While not all of my colleagues share this view, I believe it is the correct one."

o    SUMMARY "Have our actions to date in responding to this economic calamity been perfect? Almost certainly not. Have mistakes been made? Yes. They undoubtedly have. Unfortunately, it's too early to assess with complete accuracy the effectiveness of our response to this complex and unprecedented situation. However, the fact that Mr. Geithner recognizes that mistakes have occurred makes him more valuable, in my view, in the continuing effort to right our economic ship. I would rather have a battle-hardened veteran at the helm who knows the shoals and whirlpools that a neophyte who has to wade into these churning waters for the first time."

 
Senator Chambliss: (4:26 PM)

·         Spoke against Timothy Geithner's nomination to head the Treasury Department.

o    SUMMARY "In this time, a time of such economic volatility and severe fiscal challenges, the likes of which we have not seen for decades, there are no more important officials in our role of government other than the President himself and the Secretary of the Treasury. Furthermore, while facing these challenges, something our economy needs now is confidence in our leaders and in government. With the critical nature of the job, with the authority of the Internal Revenue Service, payment of necessary taxes and the required time parameters is essential. I have listened to some of my colleagues who have indicated but for these extraordinary economic times they would find Mr. Geithner's mistakes as disqualifying of his nomination. I believe extraordinary times call for extraordinary leaders, leaders who inspire and whole confidence in the American people, a Secretary who must set the high standards of the employees! of the Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service."

Executive Session (Geithner Nomination)

 
Senator Inhofe: (4:32 PM)

·         Spoke against Timothy Geithner's nomination to head the Treasury Department.

o    SUMMARY "I want to emphasize that my objection to Timothy Geithner's nomination to head the Treasury is not just about what we've been talking about, his tax problems and the tax issues. The matter which compels my coming to the Floor is far, far more serious in my mind. I want the Senators to realize that a vote for Mr. Geithner really is ratifying the aggressive federal government intervention in the economy."

 
Senator Thune: (4:43 PM)

·         Spoke against Timothy Geithner's nomination to head the Treasury Department.

o    SUMMARY "None of us is perfect. We all make mistakes. We all need redemption. But as a Senator, I have a responsibility to vote. I have to vote whether I believe Tim Geithner should serve as our next Treasury Secretary. And as a Senator, I am very concerned about the message that Mr. Geithner's confirmation will send to the American people."

 
Senator Dodd: (4:57 PM)

·         Spoke in favor of Timothy Geithner's nomination to head the Treasury Department.

o    SUMMARY "Mr. Geithner and the rest of the Administration's economic team must develop and clearly communicate a long-term, comprehensive plan, a framework for using TARP funds to support the financial system and communicate it effectively to the American people so they understand exactly where we are, how we got here, and what our intended steps are to move us out of it."

o    SUMMARY "At this moment, communication, cooperation, and consultation is not only preferable as we steer our country through these tough times, Madam President, it is absolutely essential. So I look forward to Tim Geithner's confirmation, to working with him as I do my colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, along with our new President. This is a defining moment in our history. Restoring our economy is our defining challenge. Tim Geithner, I believe, is the right person to begin this effort."

 
Senator Reid: (5:07 PM)

·         Spoke in favor of Timothy Geithner's nomination to head the Treasury Department.

o    SUMMARY "This nominee has my support. And once he is confirmed I expect him to have the support of Congress in the difficult months and years ahead. And I am confident the support will come from my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. There are some who may choose not to vote for him. I would hope after this confirmation takes place that we will all join together, together, to help this good man try to bring our country back to financial security once again."

 
Senator Grassley: (5:12 PM)

·         Spoke against Timothy Geithner's nomination to head the Treasury Department.

o    SUMMARY "There are many people who settle their liabilities without going to jail or having assets seized, but can this system operate with integrity if all parts of it report to someone who is unable for a long period of time to meet his own tax obligations, and only did so as a condition of his nomination?"

o    SUMMARY "During last year's presidential campaign, we read a lot about a man named Joe the Plumber who hailed from Ohio. When this man was found to have a tax lien for state taxes, some portrayed it as evidence that his opinion on national tax policy was irrelevant. However, this nominee's tax problems have been revealed to be much larger than Joe the Plumber and this nominee's defenders still insist that he's the only man for the job of Treasury Secretary."

Executive Session (Geithner Nomination)

 
Senator Sessions: (5:28 PM)

·         Spoke against Timothy Geithner's nomination to head the Treasury Department.

o    SUMMARY "Let me just say quickly as a former federal prosecutor, I am not taken in by the idea that this tax problem is a minor matter...the American people have a desire for a professional, an economically trained person with financial experience and impeccable integrity, that's what the American people want. That kind of person, I don't believe Mr. Geithner meets that standard, I'm sad to say."

 
Senator Kyl: (5:28 PM)

·         Spoke against Timothy Geithner's nomination to head the Treasury Department.

o    SUMMARY "I had intended to support Mr. Geithner's nomination. He's not the only person who can do this job, but he's the President's choice and is entitled to indeference. And I believe he will give the President good advice. There must be an element of trust...unfortunately, Mr. Geithner in his appearance before the Finance Committee I believe did not demonstrate the requisite candor in answering our questions. Therefore, I regret I cannot support his confirmation."

 
Senator Harkin: (5:29 PM)

·         Spoke against Timothy Geithner's nomination to head the Treasury Department.

o    SUMMARY "I regret to say that I will be voting against the nomination of Timothy F. Geithner to serve as Treasury of Secretary in the new Obama Administration...I told Mr. Geithner on the phone, I hope I can come back to the Floor a year from now or two years from now and say my vote against him was wrong. I hope I can do that. But I will have to be shown. Now, there's no question that Mr. Geithner will be confirmed by an overwhelming vote here in the Senate. As I said, I bear him no ill will personally and I wish him every success as Treasury Secretary and repeat what I just said, nothing would make me happier than for Mr. Geithner to prove me wrong by serving with distinction as Treasury Secretary and cracking down on some of the casino capitalism that's going on in this country. And I will be joining those rooting for his success."

 
Senator Dorgan: (5:44 PM)

·         Spoke on Timothy Geithner's nomination to head the Treasury Department.

o    SUMMARY "The question is, who's going to steer us out of this mess? My notion is the same people that steered us into the ditch are not likely to show up with an ambulance to get us well. My great concern is there needs to be a culture change, and I must say that I am concerned as well that we've got some people coming to Washington that were part of the culture that got us into this mess...so I just wanted to say that the Senator from Iowa speaks for a number of us, certainly myself, in being very, very concerned and determined to watch like a hawk what happens from this day forward with respect to those who are charged with and asked to help us reconstruct this system, a system of employment, a system of production in this country where we put America back on track and give it the opportunity to expand and to grow and to allow the American people to have confidence in the future once again."

 
Senator Durbin: (5:57 PM)

·         Spoke in favor of Timothy Geithner's nomination to head the Treasury Department.

o    SUMMARY "We have to act quickly, no not with haste and not without due consideration, but we have to act quickly. I think the approval of Mr. Geithner as Secretary of the Treasury is a step and then the recovery plan which will follow."

Executive Session (Geithner Nomination)

The vote result was 60-34.

The nomination of Timothy Geithner to be Secretary of the Treasury is confirmed.

The vote results will be posted here within one hour.

SCHIP Bill (H.R. 2)

 
Senator Baucus: (6:35 PM)

·         Spoke in favor of the SCHIP Bill (H.R. 2).

o    SUMMARY "I prefer to be standing here today with my colleagues beside me, especially my good friends, Senator Grassley and Hatch, but we could not agree on everything. And I hope that the remaining disagreements do not prevent Senators from doing the right thing. Let us not fail the children of the working poor. Let us get these kids the doctors visits and medications that they need and let us continue the blessing that is the Children's Health Insurance Program."

 
Senator Rockefeller: (6:43 PM)

·         Spoke in favor of the SCHIP Bill (H.R. 2).

o    SUMMARY "I hope that we will have the same bipartisan commitment to passing this legislation as we did in 2007, and those who look upon one amendment which is highly moral, highly deserved and entirely right, will pass it with the same margins that we did in 2007. Four million children are waiting for to us finish this task at hand."

·         Performed wrap up.

·         Tomorrow --

·         The Senate will convene at 10:00 AM and will resume consideration of the SCHIP Bill (H.R. 2).

·         Following the swearing in of Senator-Designate Kirsten Gillibrand as the Junior Senator from New York, the Senate will stand in recess until 2:15 for the weekly policy luncheons.

The Senate stands adjourned until 10:00 AM tomorrow.