Barbara Boxer

Mrs. BOXER

Mrs. BOXER. I think he got some time from Senator Inhofe.

Mrs. BOXER. Senator Inhofe said he is speaking on his time, which is fine either way. But I am trying to find out how much time remains.

Mrs. BOXER. May I give 2 minutes to Senator Cardin following Senator Lieberman and the remainder of the time to Senator Warner?

Mrs. BOXER. Is that all right with the Senator?

Mrs. BOXER. So it is 10 and 10.

Mrs. BOXER. After we hear from Senators Specter and Inhofe.

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to read this e- mail and then to add 2 minutes to Senator Warner's time.

Mrs. BOXER. This is the statement of Dr. Allan Freidman, who is Senator Kennedy's surgeon: I am pleased to report that Senator Kennedy's surgery was successful and accomplished our goals. Senator Kennedy was awake during the resection, and should therefore experience no permanent neurological effects from the surgery. The surgery lasted roughly three and a half hours and is just the first step in Senator Kennedy's treatment plan. After a brief recuperation, he will begin targeted radiation at Massachusetts General Hospital and chemotherapy treatment. I hope that everyone will join us in praying for Senator Kennedy to have an uneventful and robust recovery. Mr. President, I share that with all of our colleagues. I think we should take just 10 seconds to think about the Kennedy family and pray for them--just 10 seconds. Thank you so much. I thank the, Senator from Virginia.

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I wonder if I modified my request to provide that following the official Senate photograph on Tuesday, all postcloture time be yielded back, the motion to proceed be agreed to, and the Senate proceed to S. 3036.

Mrs. BOXER. I thank my colleague. Today we are going to vote on whether we want to continue the status quo when it comes to energy policy and when it comes to ignoring the great threat to our planet that scientists tell us is very serious. Now, we can vote no, we can weaken this bill. It seems to me that is every Senator's right. But, frankly, this Senator and I know my colleagues who have worked so hard on this bill, Senators Lieberman and Warner, feel deep in our heart that this is a moment for us to come across party lines as we go back and remember we have tripartisan legislation, a Democrat, an Independent, and a Republican. Again, we did not agree with each other on every detail. Lord knows we did not. But for the good of this country, for the good of the world, for the good of future generations, we came together. I ask the Chair to let me know when there is 4 minutes remaining so it can be equally divided by these wonderful cosponsors. Would the Chair let me know when 4 minutes remains. Let me take this little time I have to say I do not mind debating on the facts of our bill. But I have heard so much fiction that I had to go over to both Senators Warner and Lieberman and say: Did I hear them right? First of all, they are using numbers that are coming out of the air by groups that oppose our bill, that have no validity, that are not based on any modeling. We have numbers based on modeling. Then I hear now the new thing. My dear friend Senator Inhofe--we are dear friends--says the Boxer tax bill. There is no tax in this bill. This bill is modeled on the acid rain bill, I say to my friend. Polluters pay. This bill has one of the largest tax cuts in it that we have seen around this place in a very long time. It has a big piece of consumer relief. So I say to my friends, do not get up here and say: Boxer tax bill. Point to where there is a tax in this bill. There is no tax. I will point to where there is a tax cut and a set-aside, a huge one, almost $1 trillion, and a huge pot of almost $1 trillion in consumer relief which will be given, if necessary, to consumers if the cost of the electricity goes up. So here we have a bill that takes care of our consumers, takes care of our taxpayers. Then we hear from Senator Domenici and Senator Bond: Oh, we cannot do this bill because oil prices, gas prices at the pump are going to go up. They put out a number that they pull out of the air. The modeling shows, worst-case scenario, worst case, gas prices would go up 2 cents a gallon per year until 2030. By the way, the modeling that Senator Lieberman has shows that the automobile fuel economy bill we passed will negate all that. So this bill will bring no higher cost at the pump to our drivers. But let's look at what has happened under the last 7 years. Here is the status quo, folks. We have all lived it; now let's look at it. Gasoline prices have gone up 250 percent in the last 7 years. The source: U.S. Energy Information Administration. That is this administration's own energy department. So without a global warming bill or a climate change bill, call it what you will, we have seen a 250-percent increase in the price of gas. What we do in our bill will get us off foreign oil, will get us off big oil, will lead to new technologies which will free us, will free us from these prices. So those people who say: Do not vote for this bill because it is going to raise gas prices, only in a humpty-dumpty world, where you are over on your head could you come out with that. It makes no sense. Let me show you the job growth that people are telling us we can expect from the Boxer-Lieberman-Warner bill. First of all, look at Great Britain. They have reduced their greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent. They have grown their economy by 40 percent, and they have 500,000 jobs in the last 5 years in these new green technologies. A report by the Apollo Alliance--that is a beautiful organization here in America--says this bill could create over 3 million new American jobs over a 10-year period, stimulating $1.4 trillion in new gross domestic product and producing over $280 billion in net energy savings. We are going to get off foreign oil. I do not want to see a President have to run over to Saudi Arabia and hold hands with the Prince anymore. I am tired of that. It has to be the end of the status quo. This is an opportunity to do it. Let's take a look. Job growth will follow strong legislation. In California--I mentioned this before--450 solar companies are now putting electricians and carpenters and plumbers to work where the construction industry is laying them off because of the housing crisis we are facing. The top manufacturing States for solar are Ohio, Michigan, California, Tennessee, and Massachusetts. That comes from Solar Energy Industries. So we already are seeing it. Here is the labor support for the Climate Security Act. The Sheet Metal Workers, the Journeymen and Apprentices of Plumbing and Pipefitting, the United Union of Roofers, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators. And it goes on. The Building and Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, the International Union of Operating Engineers, the brick layers, the elevator constructors. Why are they supporting this bill? These are the workers that my colleagues on the other side are scaring. They are smart, they read the bill. They understand the many billions of dollars that are going to go into new technologies. And these technologies will heat our homes and they will cool our homes and they will run our cars and they will run our businesses. The green jobs that will come are going to be jobs that can only be filled in America. Time is of the essence. Time is of the essence. Sir Nicholas Stern, former chief economist of the World Bank, found that by spending $1 now to address global warming we will save $5. We know we cannot afford to wait. The time is now. People say: Why are you doing it before a Presidential election? Why this? Why that? This is above politics. This is above partisanship. If somebody told you, if somebody told you that if you brought your child to the supermarket on a very warm day and say it was your grandchild, because I know you are a proud grandma, and you said: Well, I have to run in there just for a minute, can I leave my child alone? Well, obviously you would never do it. The fact is, we would not lock our child in our hot car in front of a supermarket. We cannot consign the next generation to a hot planet that is going to be inhospitable to our grandkids. We cannot do it. It is wrong. That is why we find Tony Blair saying: America must lead. He says the legislation sponsored by myself, Joe, and John matters. It shows America will act. It will allow the United States to say to others: You must act. We are not going to sit around and wait for India and China. Since when do we do that? This is America. I wish to go to the faith community. I think people ought to understand who is backing our bill. I see the Senator from North Dakota, who has been weighing this very strongly. The Evangelical Environmental Network and the Evangelical Climate Initiative, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the National Council of Churches, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the Interfaith Power and Light Campaign. Let me close by saying why. All you have to do is read, read from the Scriptures, read from some of the great writings: See my handiwork, how beautiful and choice they are. Be careful not to ruin and destroy my world, for if you do ruin it, there is no one to repair it after you. This is, it seems to me, the moral reason we must act. I thank you very much. I yield 2 minutes to the Senator from Connecticut and the remainder of the time to Senator Warner.

Mrs. BOXER. Madam President, how much time remains on either side?

Mrs. BOXER. I yield 5 minutes to Senator Klobuchar, a wonderful member of our committee and, by the way, author of the carbon registry portion of the bill.

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I do not see the ranking member on the floor, but I do see Senator McConnell here. So if I could get Senator McConnell's attention for a brief moment. I understand from my colleagues on the other side that they do not intend to filibuster. So I would inquire, based on the vote we have just had, can we now agree that following morning business tomorrow we can begin consideration of the legislation? I ask unanimous consent that following morning business on Tuesday, June 3, all postcloture time be yielded back, the motion to proceed be agreed to, and the Senate then proceed to the consideration of S. 3036.

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, let me say, I am a little disappointed. First, I thank my colleagues from the bottom of my heart, and I know Senator Lieberman and Senator Warner are very gratified by this vote. We are going to move forward. We are challenging the status quo. We want to get us off foreign oil. We want to begin to move toward energy independence and a clean and healthy environment and green jobs and all the rest. So this is a great start. But I am a little disappointed we cannot move to begin the real debate which comes, obviously, after cloture on the motion to proceed. I am sorry that is the case. But I say to my colleagues here, on both sides, we look forward to a very important debate on this legislation. This is a matter that is bigger than any one of us here. I think the fact that you have a Democrat, an Independent, and a Republican bringing you this legislation speaks to this issue. I think this is an issue that has to leap over those differences. I hope we can all show up tomorrow. Since we are going to have this time--I am disappointed we cannot get to the amendment process, but we will take advantage of the time. I know Senator Kerry will be here in the morning. He is a national leader on this issue, and I intend to yield as much time as he would want. I hope Senator Feinstein will come tomorrow. Looking around, Senator Cantwell, Senator Klobuchar, and Senator Lincoln have all played such a major role in the part that dealt with making sure our consumers who are in need get help. Senator Collins just went on the bill. We have a great number of people here whose voices need to be heard, so I look forward to that debate tomorrow. I yield the floor.

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I can't let that go by. I mean, we are ready to start the amendment process now. We are ready to start work on this bill now. There is no reason to wait 30 hours. I think colleagues in the course of offering amendments can speak for as much time as they want. It is disappointing to hear that we do have to delay. We are ready, willing, and able to get to the amendment process. I yield the floor.

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

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I thought it would be a good time to thank you, since you are here in the chair today, for all of your hard work on this bill. This has been a long time in coming. When you got on the committee, when you came as a new colleague, you worked so hard. You and Amy Klobuchar and Ben Cardin and Bernie Sanders, all new Members, became my right arm on this issue. I wanted to make that note. Also, I want to say specifically that the Senator's work on the wildlife and enforcement sections, to name two, I think is really important because we are going to push hard to make this bill the law of the land right now. If we don't achieve that, eventually we will have a bill that will be the law of the land. The Senator's work will be present in all of those iterations going forward. So I thank the Senator. Mr. President, I am waiting for the closing script, and I will do that when it arrives. I was taken by the Senator from Tennessee, Mr. Corker, who has been a very interesting member in terms of this issue. He went with our committee to Greenland and saw the ice melt. I have to say to those who haven't been, it ought to be required if you really care about this issue. It is extraordinary. You can actually sit and watch the ice move and melt--the ice up there in Greenland. The average age of these enormous icebergs is 9,000 years. Mr. President, from the minute that ice starts moving, it is a year until these enormously beautiful icebergs melt to nothing, leaving the sea to rise as they melt. Senator Corker was very taken by that. He will speak for himself, but he has problems with this bill. I don't agree with him in the way he is interpreting the bill, but that is all going to come out. He talked about the importance of debating. I have to smile because today we had to debate, and we should not have to debate a motion to proceed. That is ridiculous. We should just proceed. We had a 74-to-14 vote to move to the first step. Let's get to the bill. I have never seen a situation where you force more debate time when you really are interested in doing a bill. You usually force debate time when you are interested in slowing down the bill. This is the way it is here. If you want to move forward, then you don't say: I need 30 hours. It will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow. As Senator Reid said, I will be on the floor of the Senate all day. I encourage my colleagues--particularly those who worked hard on the bill--to join me. Let's see how many from the opposing side come over here. We need to debate them and refute them because already, I say to my friend from Rhode Island, we had charts on this floor that you would not believe. We had charts that had numbers that were out of the air, predicting a 140-percent increase in gasoline, when I can tell you right now, we looked at every model, and it is nothing like that. As a matter of fact, we know the slight increase in the cost of gasoline that could occur--2 cents a year--from the impact of the bill will be entirely offset by the energy efficiency bill we just voted for and is now the law. What we know is that this bill is going to get us off foreign oil, move us away from the status quo. Go out on the street and ask the average American: Are you happy with big oil, the record profits for them and their executives, and we are getting killed at the pumps? They will say: No--unless they are related to one of them. If you say: Do you think it makes us look good when President Bush goes to the Middle East and kisses dictators and holds their hand and begs for oil? Does that make America look strong? They will say: No. Next, if you ask them: Would you support legislation that will lead us to energy independence once and for all--and, by the way, we will clean up our environment, the greenhouse gas pollution, and we will save the planet? They will say: Yes. So our opponents have a very tough job. They have to fight for the status quo. I can say from their presentations today--and they worked hard on them, believe me--in order to fight our bill, they have to distort it. One of them said it is a tax increase. There is no tax increase in this bill. There is a huge tax relief fund for tax cuts in this bill. There is another almost $1 trillion in a fund to give consumers relief. If today was any indication, we are going to have a spirited debate. I only ask my colleagues to debate the bill that is on the Senate floor, not one that came to them from some special interest groups that oppose this and don't want us to go to energy independence. I wish to read from a statement from former Vice President Al Gore. Since Senator Corker is from Tennessee. I thought it would be interesting to put his statement in the Record: I want to commend Senator Boxer for her leadership of the Environment and Public Works Committee. We have the first global warming bill in history that is comprehensive, bipartisan, and that enjoys support across the country, from labor and agriculture, to the business and the environmental community. Then he says he wants the bill to be stronger, but then he says it is vital that Congress begins to act. I think this last line is so important: While it is important that people change their light bulbs, it is even more important that we change the laws. I think that says it all. We are so late to this issue. We are so late. My Governor, a Republican, and my State legislature, Democratic, crossed party lines and passed laws. We now have just in the last year or so hundreds of new solar energy companies that have moved into the State, and they are hiring people who are hurting because of the crisis we have in the housing and construction business. So we believe a P- 32--they have told us this--the bill leading the way in the country, is restoring economic renaissance to our State which otherwise is hurting very badly because of the recession we are all experiencing. We owe this to our grandkids, to our kids. We know the Conference of Mayors has acted, so have the State legislatures, along with Governors reaching across party lines, city councils, and boards of supervisors. Companies are saying we should do this. Labor unions are saying we should do this. Environmental and religious groups are saying we should do this. So there is no question that we need to act. When somebody gets up on the other side and says they are not slowing it down, but they are going to require 30 hours of extra debate before we get to amending this bill, excuse me, but I have been here long enough to know they are trying to slow-walk this bill. The other side is slow-walking it. I want them to read the scientific records, listen to the religious leaders, and listen to the venture capitalists coming forward and saying we need a signal now. Listen to Tony Blair, George Bush's best friend internationally, saying we must act because America is pivotal. So we have our time tomorrow, after we wait here for people to come and talk, and at some point maybe they will give us permission to start the amendment process. Our children want us to act. I have to tell you that one of the great moments was when Senator Warner came to me and said: My daughters really care about this issue. I knew if they were talking to him, he might be open to this issue. He saved the day in committee. He is a man who has such a great legacy already. He didn't have to do one more piece of legislation. He has his place in history on national security. He understood that global warming is a national security issue. Our Navy intelligence officials tell us that, and we will have some quotes tomorrow. This is a win-win bill for national security, for our kids. It is a win for clean air, and it is a win for our consumers and for our workers and our businesses. Anything to the contrary--I believe this so much--is just scare tactics.

Mrs. BOXER

Mrs. BOXER. Five minutes? Great.

Mrs. BOXER. I would have 25 minutes, to be followed by Senator Specter for 5, then followed by Senator Inhofe for 25, to be followed by Senator Lieberman for 20. I make that as a unanimous consent request.

Mrs. BOXER. If the Senators could put a time certain on it, and I will be happy to put a time certain on my time?

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the remaining morning business time be yielded back, and under the previous order, the Chair will report the motion to proceed to S. 3036.

Mrs. BOXER. Sure.

Mrs. BOXER. I have to check because I have a number of Democratic Senators who wish to partake if we go to this. How much time will we have on this?

Mrs. BOXER

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, today I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the memory of a very special man, Harvey Korman of Los Angeles County, who died May 29, 2008. He was 81 years old. Harvey Korman was a man of many talents and will be fondly remembered for his work in Hollywood as a comedic actor. Harvey Herschel Korman was born to Ellen and Cyril Korman on February 15, 1927, in Chicago, IL. Interested in acting as a child, Harvey was signed by a local radio station when he was 12 years old. After serving in World War II, Harvey came back to Chicago to attend the Chicago Institute's Goodman School of Drama. After his studies at the Goodman School of Drama, Harvey moved to New York City, where he spent several years trying to find roles in Broadway theater productions. After 13 years in New York, Harvey moved to Hollywood in the early 1960s. In 1964, Harvey was hired by Danny Kaye to be a part of ``The Danny Kaye Show'' ensemble. He stayed with the show for the next 3 years before joining the ``Carol Burnett Show'' in 1967. Harvey's versatile acting abilities played a critical role in explaining the success of the Burnett show, which appeared without interruption in television's top 10 during its 11-year run. It was through the ``Carol Burnett Show'' that Harvey also met one of his closest friends, Tim Conway. Through their many years together performing on the ``Carol Burnett Show,'' Korman and Conway formed one of television's most formidable comic teams. On the big screen, Harvey made more than 30 films, including four comedies directed by Mel Brooks: ``Blazing Saddles,''1974; ``High Anxiety,'' 1977; ``History of the World Part 1,'' 1981; and ``Dracula: Dead and Loving It,'' 1995. Those who knew Harvey Korman recognized him as an animated and brilliant man. He took pride in promoting comedy to audiences worldwide. His work in comedic film and television will be remembered fondly by all those whose lives he touched. He will be deeply missed. Harvey is survived by his wife Deborah Fritz and his four children: Kate, Laura, Maria, and Chris.

Mrs. BOXER

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, on behalf of Senator Lieberman, I ask unanimous consent that Alexander Barron, Ellen Cohen, and Sherry Gillespie, congressional fellows in his office, be granted the privileges of the floor for the duration of the debate on S. 3036. I also ask unanimous consent, on behalf of Senator Pryor, that Suzanne McGuire, a fellow in his office, be granted the privileges of the floor for the duration of debate on S. 3036. Further, I ask unanimous consent that Rachel Radell, a fellow in the office of Senator Feinstein, be granted the privileges of the floor for the duration of debate on this bill.