Frank Lautenberg

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, will the Senator yield?

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, the obvious obstinacy at getting this on the floor seems to ignore the fact that you almost can't get anyplace from here or there without enormous delays, without enormous congestion, and with pollution problems, et cetera. Is it understood, I ask the distinguished Senator from Mississippi, how difficult it is for the country right now? You can't get an airplane that will leave on time or arrive on time with any degree of certainty. I, for instance, travel from here up to Newark or to LaGuardia Airport, both of which are convenient to my home in New Jersey, and a flight that takes 36 minutes of air time takes 2\1/2\ hours to get there, more often than not. So do the Senator's friends understand that this is a crisis moment for this country of ours? We have seen incidents so many times where the absence of a rail system--for instance, we threw away billions of dollars some years ago because nuclear powerplants that were built, ready to operate, couldn't get a license to go because there weren't satisfactory evacuation routes and it had to be by rail because the highways were unable to provide for it. If we look at Katrina and we see how much better we could have done if rail was sufficiently employed down there, and we didn't get it, and people were jammed and stuck in there. There is no difference in what--when you cross the aisle, when you ask the question: Do we want to get things operating better? Do we want to facilitate our corporations to operate efficiently? Do we want to provide the jobs that go along when you have facilities for travel in place? Would people do better if they could travel by rail rather than have to get in a car and pay who knows what for gasoline? It is predicted that oil is going to go up to $200 a barrel one of these days. Well, Heaven forbid that does come. We are not going to close shop and say we will go home and rest. Do the Senator's colleagues recognize that those who don't want to let us get this train of theirs started, do they realize that these problems are in front of us, I ask?

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I want to respond to what my friend from Mississippi has said. We have worked together in the past and we have gotten things done in the past. We know that Amtrak finally has come into its place. We have a lot of work yet to do when you think about what travel is like these days in all forms. The highways are too congested. The airways are getting even more congested. The expectation is that delays are going to become even longer. So I hope those who want to discuss it and those who want to amend it--the Senator is right, we should consider amendments. As a matter of fact, I think it is good if we do hear from people and see what problems they foresee. But we can't get it done unless we talk about it, unless we prepare for a vote. Are we about to say to the American people: No, continue to suffer? Stay stuck in traffic? Stay stuck at the airports? Time will take care of it? All you have to do is spend more time away from home, away from your job and away from things you might enjoy. American people, get used to spending more time away from home in useless activities, such as listening to an idling engine or listening to the car radio or something like that. We cannot function this way. Now the time is upon us where we have to do something about this. I believe this is an opportune time. I know a lot of colleagues on that side of the aisle want to see this happen. After all, we touch 40 States across the country. Wherever you look and see where there has been new or upgraded rail service, people are responding to it: On the west coast, and some of the routes out of Chicago--people are responding to it, and they are getting on trains. I use the trains frequently. The other day I got on an Amtrak train here, and it was a full train with barely a seat left. So people are demanding it. If we look at the example that exists, let's say in Europe or in Japan, and see what happens. When I wanted to take a plane one time from Brussels, where a NATO meeting was ongoing, to go to Paris, I tried to get a flight. They said: You cannot get an airplane from here because we go by train--200 miles in 1 hour and 20 minutes. Imagine what it would do for travel in this country and business progress. So I am ready whenever my colleague and our friends on that side of the aisle are ready. I am told we are all set here and ready to go.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. In response, A, I would like to do it; and, B, I wonder if people realize how many new lines are being dreamt up--I say ``dreamt'' up because unless we get the base going, nothing else is going to happen. I hear from colleagues in other States besides mine who say, you know, we could use train service here or there. We have seen something in New Jersey that exemplifies the value of rail service. We had a line open from the southernmost tip of our State to Trenton, our State capital. The ridership, at first, was very low. Before you knew it, we began to see buildings, factories, warehouses, et cetera, being built along the transit way. And now the area is beginning to prosper where it was just dead and nothing was going on. That is what we have seen. There is a lot of talk about something called transit villages. In New Jersey, the most crowded State in the country, we don't think about villages really, but we have transit villages centered around a rail hub. People know they can get back and forth, and companies know employees can get back and forth to work and they can run an efficient operation. So this is a point in time when opportunity presents itself, and we ought not to miss it. If we cannot see it, we ought to let the public see that. Certainly, at this point in time, we ought to be able to discuss it. We should not have any obstruction to bringing the issue to the floor of the Senate. Let's get out in this public forum and have a discussion and see what we can do or whether there are problems that can be dealt with or maybe we can go to some other kinds of travel--I don't know what kind, but we at least ought to take the one nearest to us that is the best option. With that, I yield the floor.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. The Senator from Mississippi remembers that yesterday we had a hearing on freight railroads, and that traffic is going to be up some 44 percent by 2020. They are concerned about how to get it done. At the same time, we have to provide for passenger rail service. This is a good time for all sides to get together and start moving. Does the Senator remember this bill was processed on the Senate floor last year? We had a vote that was 93 to 6. I lost a year. It was actually in 2005.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. The vote was 93 to 6, I remind everybody. This was popularly supported, totally understood. We were on our way to the next station, and it just didn't work out. Things were a little tumultuous, to put it mildly. Now there is a cooler moment to think about it and present it. We have time available on the floor, and I think to waste it would be a terrible loss when we can discuss this important problem with a solution for the country.

Mr. LAUTENBERG

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

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Madam President, this amendment will strike the title on security which has already become law this year. It adds a study on trip time in the Northeast corridor, and makes several technical corrections. I yield the floor to my distinguished friend and colleague, Senator Lott.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Madam President, once again, it is obvious to all that Senator Lott understands what we have to do to get things done around here, and that it can't be all one way because each of us does represent a different State. We are brought here to bring in the opinions of the people whom we serve, our constituents, so we do get a mix of views. Sometimes I wish we didn't, but for the most part that is life in the real world. The thing we sometimes fail to see is, when we do something for the infrastructure, when we do something for rail service, it is in the national interest, even though there are currently many more riders in the very densely populated Northeast corridor. The fact is, as I related before, other places around the country are examining rail service as an alternative to their own congestion and pollution problems. When we look at something called essential air service, it is essential. That is why it is done. The Government does subsidize its existence because communities need that. So it is with rail service. Interestingly enough, only four States have no contact with Amtrak. One of them is Hawaii, which involves a very long train ride. The other is Alaska. We have heard Senator Stevens talk about having a railroad that goes to Alaska. But otherwise we have 46 States that have contact with Amtrak. Some of them are more active than others. But as was said by our colleague, Senator Lott, some of these States don't have the traffic or they are not en route enough. The mission is to get as many States involved with Amtrak, with rail service as we can, national rail passenger service. We look at ways of improving the management of Amtrak, that which we would with any business. I spent much of my life in business before I came to the Senate. Businesses run differently than government. But there are some principles that are the same; for instance, investments in product. If you don't put the money in, you don't get the money out. What we found here is, since the creation of Amtrak, which goes back to 1971--1971 was the creation of the Amtrak quasi-government corporation. It had been in private hands under different names for many years and never succeeded. Why? The thing that is obvious; that is, with rail passenger rail service, there is going to always be some assistance required from government, just as there is for the aviation system and the highway system. As a matter of fact, we spend more on highways in a year than we have spent on Amtrak since its creation, never having quite put in enough resources to bring the infrastructure up to the level it should be related to the period of time we are talking about. In Germany, there was a program to establish a rail system that cost about $70 billion in a 10-year period. China now is establishing a passenger rail service which could cost up to $200 billion. And here we are in the most powerful nation in the world playing catchup. We are not talking about insignificant sums of money, but we are talking about substantial opportunities for us to improve what we are doing with this bill that will run almost $2 billion a year for 6 years, plus some additional funding in another bill raised by bonding authority. Senator Lott has been very helpful in the Finance Committee to get this system up to where it ought to be. Whenever we look for opportunities to improve life in America, certainly this looms high on the horizon. We have made it clear that we are ready to accept amendments. We would like them brought to the floor this evening or tomorrow. But we will not be able to stay here and not see any response, if there isn't enough interest by fellow Members to come down and bring us their amendments. I ask unanimous consent that the previously agreed to committee amendments be considered as original text for the purpose of further amendments; that the pending managers' amendment be considered and agreed to and considered as original text for the purpose of further amendments; that the bill, as amended, be considered as original text for the purpose of further amendments; that no points of order be considered waived by virtue of this agreement. As Senator Lott well knows, this is kind of professional language for the institution.

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

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

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I ask for the regular order.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk on behalf of Senator Carper, which is No. 3452.

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

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate resumes consideration of S. 294 on Thursday, October 25, there be 2 hours of debate prior to a vote in relation to the Sununu amendment No. 3453, with the time equally divided and controlled between Senators Lautenberg and Sununu or their designees, with no amendment in order to the amendment prior to the vote; that upon the use or yielding back of time, the Senate proceed to vote in relation to the amendment.

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

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

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to a period for the transaction of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, another 2 months have passed, and more American troops lost their lives overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is only right that we take a few moments in the U.S. Senate to honor them. Outside my office here in Washington, we have a tribute called ``Faces of the Fallen.'' Visitors to the Senate from across the country have stopped by the memorial. I encourage my colleagues to come see this tribute on the third floor of the Hart Building. I last came to the Senate floor to honor our fallen troops in early August. Since that time, the Pentagon has announced the deaths of 182 troops in Iraq and in Operation Enduring Freedom, including in Afghanistan. They will not be forgotten. So today I will read their names into the Record: PO3 Mark R. Cannon, of Lubbock, TX SPC Chirasak Vidhyarkorn, of Queens, NY SGT Randell Olguin, of Ralls, TX GYSGT Herman J. Murkerson Jr., of Adger, AL SGT Robert T. Ayres III, of Los Angeles, CA SGT Zachary D. Tellier, of Charlotte, NC SSGT Donnie D. Dixon, of Miami, FL James D. Doster, of Pine Bluff, AR SPC Ciara M. Durkin, of Quincy, MA Randy L. Johnson, of Washington, DC SPC Mathew D. Taylor, of Cameron Park, CA PFC Christopher F. Pfeifer, of Spalding, NE PO2 Charles Luke Milam, of Littleton, CO SSGT Zachary B. Tomczak, of Huron, SD CPL Anthony K. Bento, of San Diego, CA SSGT Kevin R. Brown, of Harrah, OK Matthew D. Blaskowski, of Levering, MI SPC David L. Watson, of Newport, AR SPC Joshua H. Reeves, of Watkinsville, GA CSM Jonathan M. Lankford, of Scottsboro, AL CAPT (Dr.) Roselle M. Hoffmaster, of Cleveland, OH SPC John J. Young, of Savannah, GA PFC Luigi Marciante Jr., of Elizabeth, NJ CPL Graham M. McMahon, of Corvallis, OR SGT Edmund J. Jeffers, of Daleville, AL PFC Christian M. Neff, of Lima, OH SPC Aaron J. Walker, of Harker Heights, TX SPC Joseph N. Landry III, of Pensacola, FL SPC Nicholas P. Olson, of Novato, CA SPC Donald E. Valentine III, of Orange Park, FL SPC Matthew J. Emerson, of Grandview, WA SPC Brandon T. Thorsen, of Trenton, FL SSGT Michael L. Townes, of Las Vegas, NV SSGT Terry D. Wagoner, of Piedmont, SC CPL Todd A. Motley, of Clare, MI CPL Jonathan Rivadeneira, of Jackson Heights, NY PFC Christopher M. McCloud, of Malakoff, TX CPL Terrence P. Allen, of Pennsauken, NJ SGT John Mele, of Bunnell, FL SSGT Yance T. Gray, of Ismay, MT SSGT Gregory Rivera-Santiago, of St. Croix, VI SGT Michael C. Hardegree, of Villa Rica, GA SGT Omar L. Mora, of Texas City, TX SGT Nicholas J. Patterson, of Rochester, IN SPC Ari D. Brown-Weeks, of Abingdon, MD SPC Steven R. Elrod, of Hope Mills, NC SSGT Courtney Hollinsworth, of Yonkers, NY CPL Carlos E. Gilorozco, of San Jose, CA LCPL Jon T. Hicks Jr., of Atco, NJ CPL Travis M. Woods, of Redding, CA CPL Javier G. Paredes, of San Antonio, TX PFC Sammie E. Phillips, of Cecilia, KY LCPL Lance M. Clark, of Cookeville, TN SGT Alexander U. Gagalac, of Wahiawa, HI CAPT Drew N. Jensen, of Clackamas, OR SPC Marisol Heredia, of El Monte, CA CPL Ryan A. Woodward, of Fort Wayne, IN CPL Christopher L. Poole Jr., of Mount Dora, FL CPL Bryan J. Scripsick, of Wayne, OK SSGT John C. Stock, of Longview, TX SGT Michael J. Yarbrough, of Malvern, AR SGT Lee C. Wilson, of Chapel Hill, NC SPC Jason J. Hernandez, of Streetsboro, OH SPC Thomas L. Hilbert, of Venus, TX PFC Mykel F. Miller, of Phoenix, AZ SGT Joel L. Murray, of Kansas City, MO SPC David J. Lane, of Emporia, KS PVT Randol S. Shelton, of Schiller Park, IL CPL Keith A. Nurnberg, of McHenry, IL 1st SGT David A. Cooper Jr., of State College, PA SSGT Delmar White, of Wallins, KY CPL William T. Warford III, of Temple, TX SPC Dane R. Balcn, of Colorado Springs, CO SPC Rodney J. Johnson, of Houston, TX MSGT Patrick D. Magnani, of Martinez, CA SPC Christopher G. Patton, of Lawrenceville, GA SGT Kevin A. Gilbertson, of Cedar Rapids, IA PVT Justin T. Sanders, of Watson, LA SPC Travis M. Virgadamo, of Las Vegas, NY 1stSGT Daniel E. Scheibner, of Muskegon, MI SSGT Andrew P. Nelson, of Moorhead, MN SSGT Jason M. Butkus, of West Milford, NJ SPC Edward L. Brooks, of Dayton, OH CPL John C. Tanner, of Columbus, GA CAPT Erick M. Foster, of Wexford, PA Maj. Henry S. Ofeciar, of Agana, Guam MSGT Scott R. Ball, of Mount Holly Springs, PA SGT Jan M. Argonish, of Peckville, PA 1stSGT Rocky H. Herrera, of Salt Lake City, UT SGT Cory L. Clark, of Plant City, FL SGT Bryce D. Howard, of Vancouver, WA SGT James S. Collins Jr., of Rochester Hills, MI PFC Thomas R. Wilson, of Maurertown, VA LCPL Rogelio A. Ramirez, of Pasadena, CA SSGT Nicholas R. Carnes, of Dayton, KY SGT Joshua L. Morley, of Boise, ID SPC Tracy C. Willis, of Marshall, TX LCPL Matthew S. Medlicott, of Houston, TX 1stSGT Daniel E. Miller, of Rossford, OH 1stSGT Scott M. Carney, of Ankeny, IA 1stSGT David A. Heringes, of Tampa, FL PFC Edgar E. Cardenas, of Lilburn, GA 1stSGT Adrian M. Elizalde, of North Bend, OR 1stSGT Michael J. Tully, of Falls Creek, PA SSGT Sandy R. Britt, of Apopka, FL CAPT Corry P. Tyler, of GA CWO Paul J. Flynn, of Whitsett, NC SGT Matthew L. Tallman, of Groveland, CA SPC Rickey L. Bell, of Caruthersville, MO CAPT Derek A. Dobogai, of Fond du Lac, WI SSGT Jason L. Paton, of Poway, CA SGT Garrett I. McLead, of Rockport, TX CPL Jeremy P. Bouffard, of Middlefield, MA CPL Phillip J. Brodnick, of New Lenox, IL CPL Joshua S. Harmon, of Mentor, OH CPL Nathan C. Hubbard, of Clovis, CA SPC Michael A. Hook, of Altoona, PA SPC Jessy G. Pollard, of Springfield, MO SPC Tyler R. Seideman, of Lincoln, AR PFC Omar E. Torres, of Chicago, IL PFC Donovan D. Witham, of Malvern, AR CPL Willard M. Powell, of Evansville, IN SPC George V. Libby, of Aberdeen, NC SSGT Paul B. Norris, of Cullman, AL SPC Kamisha J. Block, of Vidor, TX CAPT Michael S. Fielder, of Holly Springs, NC 1st Lt. Jonathan W. Edds, of White Pigeon, MI SGT Princess C. Samuels, of Mitchellville, MD SPC Zandra T. Walker, of Greenville, SC SSGT Robert R. Pirelli, of Franklin, MA SPC Alun R. Howells, of Parlin, CO SSGT Eric D. Cottrell, of Pittsview, AL CPL Juan M. Lopez Jr., of San Antonio, TX PFC Paulomarko U. Pacificador, of Shirley, NY CWO Christopher C. Johnson, of MI CWO Jackie L. McFarlane Jr., Virginia Beach, VA SSGT Sean P. Fisher, of Santee, CA SSGT Stanley B. Reynolds, of Rock, WV SPC Steven R. Jewell, of Bridgeton, NC SSGT Alicia A. Birchett, of Mashpee, MA CPL Shawn D. Hensel, of Logansport, IN SSGT William D. Scates, of Oklahoma City, OK SGT Scott L. Kirkpatrick, of Reston, VA SGT Andrew W. Lancaster, of Stockton, IL SPC Justin O. Penrod, of Mahomet, IL SGT Michael E. Tayaotao, of Sunnyvale, CA 1st SGT Jeffrey D. Kettle, of Madill, OK SSGT Jesse G. Clowers Jr., of Herndon, VA SGT Charles B. Kitowski III, of Farmers Branch, TX SPC William L. Edwards, of Houston, TX PVT Alan J. Austin, of Houston, TX SPC Jordan E. Goode, of Kalamazoo, MI SSGT Joan J. Duran, of Roxbury, MA CPL Reynold Armand, of Rochester, NY SPC Donald M. Young, of Helena, MT SSGT Jacob M. Thompson, of North Mankato, MN SGT Nicholas A. Gummersall, of Chubbuck, ID CPL Juan M. Alcantara, of NY CPL Kareem R. Khan, of Manahawkin, NJ SPC Justin R. Blackwell, of Paris, TN PFC Jeremy S. Bohannon, of Bon Aqua, TN SGT Jon E. Bonnell Jr., of Fort Dodge, IA SPC Christopher T. Neiberger, of Gainesville, FL 1stSGT Travis S. Bachman, of Garden City, KS SGT Bradley W. Marshall, of Little Rock, AR SPC Daniel F. Reyes, of San Diego, CA SPC Charles E. Leonard Jr., of Monroe, LA PFC Matthew M. Murchison, of Independence, MO SGT Dustin S. Wakeman, of Fort Worth, TX CPL Jason K. Lafleur, of Ignacio, CO SPC Jaron D. Holliday, of Tulsa, OK LCPL Cristian Vasquez, of Coalinga, CA Tech. SGT Joey D. Link, of Portland, TN SPC Braden J. Long, of Sherman, TX MSGT Julian Ingles Rios, of Anasco, Puerto Rico SSGT Fernando Santos, of San Antonio, TX SPC Cristian Rojas-Gallego, of Loganville, GA SPC Eric D. Salinas, of Houston, TX SGT Taurean T. Harris, of Liberty, MS SPC Zachariah J. Gonzalez, of IN PFC Charles T. Heinlein Jr., of Hemlock, MI PFC Alfred H. Jairala, of Hialeah, FL To date, more than 3,800 American men and women have lost their lives in Iraq. And more than 440 have lost their lives in Operation Enduring Freedom, including in Afghanistan. This list includes five soldiers from NJ: PFC Luigi Marciante Jr. of Elizabeth, NJ, CPL Terrence P. Allen, of Pennsauken, NJ, LCPL Jon T. Hicks Jr., of Atco, NJ, SSGT Jason M. Butkus, of West Milford, NJ and CPL Kareem R. Khan, of Manahawkin, NJ. We will not forget them and the Nation will not forget their sacrifice.

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 363, H.R. 995.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record, as if read, without further intervening action or debate.

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 9:30 a.m., on Thursday, October 25; that on Thursday, following the prayer and the pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders reserved for their use later in the day; that the Senate then proceed to a period for the transaction of morning business for 60 minutes, with the time equally divided and controlled between the leaders or their designees, with Senators permitted to speak therein for 10 minutes each, with the majority controlling the first portion and the Republicans controlling the final portion; that at the close of morning business, the Senate resume consideration of S. 294, as provided for under a previous order.

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, if there is no further business, I now ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand adjourned under the previous order.

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I understand that H.R. 3564 has been received from the House and is at the desk. I ask for its first reading.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. I ask for its second reading and object to my own request.