Senate Proceeding on Sep 27th, 2008 :: 1:21:44 to 1:30:26
Total video length: 6 hours 29 minutes Stream Tools: Stream Overview | Edit Time

Note: MetaVid video transcripts may contain inaccuracies, help us build a more perfect archive

Views:66 Duration: 0:08:42 Discussion

Previous speech:

Next speech:

1:21:29 to 1:21:44( Edit History Discussion )

Mitch McConnell: be conferring with them about that. mr. domenici: i thank the leader. the presiding officer: is there objection to original request of the majority leader? without objection, so ordered. mr. byrd: madam

1:21:44 to 1:22:13( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: president? the presiding officer: the senator from west virginia is recognized. could we please have order in the chamber? could people please take their conversations out of the chamber? we've

1:21:44 to 1:30:26( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Robert Byrd

1:22:13 to 1:22:41( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: recognized the senator from west virginia. please takeour conversations out of the chamber. the senator from west virginia is recognized. mr. byrd: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from

1:22:41 to 1:23:08( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: west virginia. mr. byrd: madam president, i thank the chair. madam president, i speak today in support of the consolidated security disaster assistance and continuing appropriations act of 2009. the

1:23:08 to 1:23:38( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: measure that is before the senate includes the fy 2009 defense appropriations bill, the fy 2009 military construction and veterans affairs bill, and the fy 2009 homeland security bill. in addition, the measure

1:23:38 to 1:24:01( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: includes a continuing resolution for fiscal year 2009, which provides funding for government operations at 2008 levels through march, 2009. in response to the midwest floods and hurricanes gustav, hanna,

1:24:01 to 1:24:19( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: and ike, the measure includes $22.3 billion of critical disaster relief. the measure also includes funding -- may we have order? the presiding officer: could the senators please take their conversations

1:24:19 to 1:24:44( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: into the cloakroom out of the chamber while the senator from west virginia speaks. thank you. the senator from west virginia. mr. byrd: madam president, i thank the chair. the measure also includes

1:24:44 to 1:25:14( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: funding to support $25 billion of auto industry loans that were authorized in the energy independence and security act of 2007. these loans will provide a critical boost to the effort to develop

1:25:14 to 1:25:36( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: energy-efficient vehicles while creating thousands -- thousands, i say -- of new jobs. the bill also includes $5.1 billion for the low-income home energy assistance program and $250 million for the

1:25:36 to 1:26:11( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: weatherization program. with this funding, an additional $5.-- an additional 5.7 million households will get assistance in coping with dramatically rising home heating costs. at the current funding

1:26:11 to 1:26:35( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: level, the low-income home energy assistance program serves only 15% of eligible families. the presiding officer: please continue, senator. mr. byrd: the message that is before the senate lives up

1:26:35 to 1:27:05( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: to the commitment that we made to support our troops, provide first-class health care to our veterans, secure our homeland, direct relief to the victims of natural disasters all across this great nation

1:27:05 to 1:27:30( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: of ours, and provide help for families on main street. mr. president, my good friend, senator thad cochran, and i began this year with the goal of producing 12 bipartisan, fiscally responsible appropriations

1:27:30 to 1:27:48( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: bills. the committee on appropriations made great progress in reporting nine such bills by the end of july. regrettably, the president -- your president, my president, our president -- chose to announce

1:27:48 to 1:28:14( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: that he would veto any of the bills -- hear that? he would veto any of the bills. did you hear that? he would veto any of the bills that exceeded his request. our bills included critical increases

1:28:14 to 1:28:39( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: in funding for veterans health care, for job-creating programs such as highway and mass transit, for the national institutes of health, and for fighting crime where? in our streets. as a result of the

1:28:39 to 1:29:15( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: president's veto threat, the appropriations process has fallen prey to the election cycle. therefore, in order to fulfill our promises to the troops and to our veterans, we have once again -- yes --

1:29:15 to 1:29:43( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: been forced to use an omnibus appropriations measure to complete our work. i disdain -- i disdain -- such procedures. but, in order to complete our work, we proceeded on a bipartisan basis to produce

1:29:43 to 1:29:59( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: the legislation that is now before the senate. and so i urge all of my fellow senators, hear me, i urge all of my fellow senators to join me in supporting swift action on these critical national

1:29:59 to 1:30:13( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: priorities. i reserve the balance of my time. a senator: madam president? the presiding officer:pr thank you. the senator from mississippi is recognized. a senator: madam president, i think under the order

1:30:13 to 1:30:26( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Byrd: i have been allocated a set amount of time. i think it was 15 minutes. the presiding officer: that's correct, you have been allocated 15 minutes. mr. cochran: i count i will use that amount of time for

1:30:26 to 1:30:45( Edit History Discussion )

Thad Cochran: others who are waiting an opportunity to speak. madam president, we have adopted, strictly speaking, an amendment to senate amendment to h.r. 2638, an act making appropriations for the department of

1:30:26 to 1:40:23( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Thad Cochran