Senate Proceeding 03-10-09 on Mar 10th, 2009 :: 0:07:30 to 0:20:00
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0:01:05 to 0:12:40( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Harry Reid

0:07:19 to 0:07:41( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: among the lowest days that we've had in 30 or 40 years, and people don't seem to be getting stabilized here. so heels of this omnibus bill, which we are not accounting for, a $3.6 trillion budget proposed

0:07:42 to 0:08:04( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: by the president with a deficit for 2010 projected at $1.75 trillion. the cumulative debt of america today is $10.6 trillion. the proposed budget plan recently suggests a doubling of

0:08:10 to 0:08:31( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: this debt over the long term mr. president, 25% of the national debt that we have that we are accumulating is owned by foreigners. the chinese government owns almost $700 million in debt, our debt. this is the same chinese government that just this weekend took a rather hostile action

0:08:32 to 0:08:56( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: vessels in the south china i think we should be looking at the national security implications of having so much of our country's debt in the hands of any foreign country or any foreign national. in addition to the concerns about going to buy our debt, what if

0:08:57 to 0:09:18( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: they say $10 trillion, trillion? you know, maybe we'll buy your debt, but the risk is too great, and we'll just have to jack up the interest mr. president, what is that going to do to an economy that is teetering so badly?

0:09:19 to 0:09:39( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: i don't think we can turn a blind eye to the long-term consequences of this debt burden. it is not only irresponsible, but it borders on being reckless, mr. president. when are we going to stop it? if not today, when we can, then when? we have a chance today to say to

0:09:40 to 0:10:02( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: the american people, we'll go back to the drawing boards and we will put reasonable limits on the amount of debt that we are accumulating. we will put limits on the deficits that are being created. i think we should go back to 2008 levels because we just passed a $1 trillion spending plan.

0:10:03 to 0:10:25( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: why not go back to 2008 levels and take out just the duplication from the stimulus bill and what's in the bill before us today? that would be a responsible action that might start giving confidence to the american people that the congress and the president will be able to work together in a deposit way -- in

0:10:26 to 0:10:46( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: a bipartisan way to act responsibly with a big picture in mind. mr. president, i urge the president of the united states not to go forward with the budget that he has put forward, not to go plan that is going increasing taxes on every

0:10:47 to 0:11:09( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: electric bill that every consumer in this country will have, but instead to step back and say let's fix the financial industries. let's fix the financial institutions. the idea that has just been propounded that the fdic

0:11:10 to 0:11:32( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: of the -- i guess it is the fdic -- excuse me if i'm wrong. one of the regulatory agencies is going to start putting a surcharge on every bank deposit as a schemes that have no impact whatsoever? so you're going to tax the small

0:11:33 to 0:11:54( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: banks while you prop up the big banks? mr. president, there are a lot of things coming out of here that just don't make sense, and i think it's time for us to begin to show the american people tha back, we're going to fix the financial markets so that people can get debt, so that people can borrow to make payroll and to keep p

0:11:55 to 0:12:16( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: people can stay in their homes and they won't be foreclosed out, and shore up the housing industry so that we can help them start having the ability to build and sell homes again. and, mr. president, if we can start there, then we will know what kind of stimulus we need or

0:12:17 to 0:12:37( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: what kind of further spending would be in the best interest of this country to get our economy going again. but until then, mr. president, we should not pass the bill before us today. we should go back to the drawing boards and begin responsible bipartisan leadership of

0:12:38 to 0:12:40( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: congress and the president on behalf of the american

0:12:41 to 0:13:01( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: thank you, mr. president. and the presiding officer: the senator from texas floor. a senator: mr. president from. the presiding officer: the senator from south dakota. mr. thune: i ask unanimous consent number th

0:12:45 to 0:22:15( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: John Thune

0:13:02 to 0:13:22( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: objection the pending amendment is set aside. the clerk will report. the clerk: mr. thune proposes?? amendment number mr. president. two weeks ago 87 members of the united states senate voted to uphold our first rights by supporting a statutory prohibition on the so-called fairness doctrine. the amendment was offered by senator demint, it was

0:13:23 to 0:13:45( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: accepted as part of the d.c. voting rights bill, which is currently awaiting consideration by the house of representatives f house of representatives. mr. president, i'm concerned that once the house considers this bill, whenever that might occur, and the senate and house versions are conferenced together, that this provision will no longer be a part of the final d.c. voting rights bill. now, i will say that i am

0:13:46 to 0:14:06( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: hopeful that the demint amendment as retained in the final version of the d.c. voting rights act, but i'm fearful it will be stripped out behind closed doors when the conference committee gets underway. and so, mr. president, i filed an amendment to the omnibus appropriations bill that would prohibit the f.c. from using funds to reinstate the fairness doctrine during the current fiscal year.

0:14:07 to 0:14:27( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: if this amendment is accepted toa the omnibus bill, then the 87 senators that supported this prohibition last week will have assurances that the fairness doctrine will not be reinstated for the remainder of this year, regardless of whether the demint amendment remains part of the d.c. voting rights act. i would like to remind my colleagues that a similar

0:14:28 to 0:14:48( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: provision was included as part of the 2008 omnibus bill in section 621 it was enacted into law just last year. however that language was not included as part of the fiscal year 2009 omnibus appropriation bill. one of the arguments made about this amendment is that this

0:14:49 to 0:15:11( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: issue is not that important. nobody really cares about it. it's not going to happen and if that's the case, then why is it that the prohibition on funding to reinstate the doctrine was stripped out of this bill after it had been included in the fiscal year in 2008 appropriation bill? mr. president, so the called

0:15:12 to 0:15:33( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: fairness doctrine has a long and infamous history in our country. the fairness doctrine to be surea that the different views would be on rad the f.c. peeled the doctrine after concluding it had the oppositeffect. they concluded what we still

0:15:34 to 0:15:54( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: note today is that the fairness doctrine resulted in broadcast limiting contrasting issues of public importance. recently many on the left advocated reinstating the doctrine. they argue that broadcasters including talk radio should use both sides of any issue because they use the public airwaves. however it failed to take into

0:15:55 to 0:16:17( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: account several considerations which i will mention in just a moment. but in the event there be any question about mr. president whether there are those out there who would like to see that happen becse that's been one of the arguments that has been raised throughout the course of the debate is that nobody in here is very serious about really doing this. well, if you look at what the speaker of the house

0:16:18 to 0:16:38( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: was asked do you personally support revival of the fairness ctrine, she said, yes. the leader in the house of represen is a real concern and i quote -- "there is a real concern about the monopoly of information and securing of information that the -- skewering of information that americans get.

0:16:39 to 0:17:00( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: one is monopoly allows one perspective, that is not good for democracy. that is what the fairness doctrine is directed at. it can have great merit. those are the top two in the house of representatives. what is more telling is what was saida by a house and it says and this i

0:17:01 to 0:17:22( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: quote again, conservative radio is a huge threat and political advantage for republicans and we have to find a way to limit it. mr. president, i would submit that that really is what this i we've had members on this side in the senate, united states senate, on the -- on the other side of the aisle who similar statements. recently on a radio program one

0:17:23 to 0:17:44( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: of my colleagues on the other side was asked if there will be a push for the fairness i don't know. let's hope so. do you support? i do. would station to change? i would want every radio station to have balance the per -- a

0:17:45 to 0:18:06( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: balanced perspective political points of view. the fairness doctrine resulted in less, not more broadcasting of issues that are important to the public. airing controveral issues subjected broadcasters to regu potentially severe liabilities, they made the rational choi

0:18:07 to 0:18:29( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: not toa air any such content at all. the number of radio and tv stations? development of -- in development of newer broadcast media have grown dramatically in the last 50 years. in 1949 there were 51 television and 3,500 radio stations in the

0:18:30 to 0:18:51( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: united states. today, mr. president, there are nearly 1,800 tevision and nearly 14,000 radio stations. there is simply no scracity to justify content regulation like the fairness doctrine. third point i'll president, is this. the development knew of media

0:18:52 to 0:19:12( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: social networking has changed the media. supporters of mandated balance ignore the of media or reveal the new intention which is to regulate content on all forms of communication an stifle certain viewpoints on outlets such as talk radio. fourth, mr. president, broadcast content is driven by consumer

0:19:13 to 0:19:34( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: demand. consumers of media show whether they are being served well by broadcasters when they choose either to tune in or to tune off the programming that is being offered. the fairness doctrine runs counter to individual choice and freedom to choose what we listen to or see on the air or read on the internet.

0:19:35 to 0:19:56( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: fairness doctrine should not be reinstated and two weeks ago the senate acted in a strong bipartisan manner in opposition to the fairness doctrine. mr. president, i am asking the senate to agree to my amendment because it simply prohibits any funding from being used to reinstate the fairness doctrine just as we included as part of last year's omnibus

0:19:57 to 0:20:18( Edit History Discussion )

John Thune: appropriations bill. adoption of my amendment to rights are protected and that consumers have the freedom to choose what they see and hear over our airwaves. it ensures that the federal communication commission does not use any resources to reinstate the fairness doctrine through the end of the fiscal