Max Baucus

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I think we can vote on this. I yield the remainder of my time, but before I do, I think it is a step toward transparency, and I urge all my colleagues to vote for it.

Mr. BAUCUS. How much time does the Senator from Washington have?

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, shortly we will vote on the motion to invoke cloture on this urgent legislation to create jobs and extend vital safety net and tax provisions. We have had a good debate. The Senate considered this bill on 7 separate days over the course of 2 workweeks. We have considered more than 30 amendments. We conducted a dozen rollcall votes. It is now time to bring this debate to a close. This is not just some technical bill; this measure helps real people. Failure to enact this bill would cause real hardship. Failure to enact this bill would cost jobs. Within weeks, this bill would help half a million workers who lose their jobs nationwide, including nearly 1,600 in my State of Montana, to remain eligible for help paying for their health insurance under the COBRA health insurance program. Unless we act, within weeks the average doctor in America will stand to lose more than $16,600 in payments from Medicare. The average doctor in Montana would lose $13,000. This bill would help nearly 40 million Medicare beneficiaries and nearly 9 million TRICARE beneficiaries nationwide to continue to have access to their doctors. That includes nearly 144,000 Montanans with Medicare and nearly 33,000 Montanans with TRICARE. Within weeks, this bill would help 400,000 Americans to be eligible for expanded unemployment insurance benefits. Thus, this important legislation would prevent millions of Americans from falling through the safety net. It would extend vital programs we have only temporarily extended. It would put cash into the hands of Americans who would spend it quickly, boosting the economy. It would extend critical programs and tax incentives that create jobs. I urge my colleagues to vote to help Americans hurt by this great depression. I urge my colleagues to vote to preserve and create jobs. I urge my colleagues to vote to invoke cloture on the substitute amendment.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that it be in order for the following amendments to be considered agreed to en bloc; and in the instance where the amendment is modified, that the amendments, where applicable, be modified with the changes at the desk, and as modified the amendments be agreed to and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table en bloc; further, that in the instance where the amendment is not pending, where appropriate, the amendment be recorded by number: Lincoln amendment No. 3401 pending, to be modified; Reid amendment No. 3417, pending; Isakson-Cardin amendment No. 3430, pending and as modified; Merkley amendment No. 3372, to be modified; Warner amendment No. 3442, to be modified; Whitehouse amendment No. 3365, to be modified; Rockefeller amendment No. 3371, to be modified; and a Baucus technical amendment, which is at the desk.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, we are now on our sixth day of consideration of this important legislation to create jobs and extend vital safety net and tax provisions. This legislation would prevent millions of Americans from falling through the safety net. It would put cash into the hands of Americans who would spend it quickly, boosting the economy. And it would extend critical programs and tax incentives that help create jobs. Now, we had a productive week on the bill last week. By my count, the Senate has considered 29 amendments on this bill. We have conducted 10 rollcall votes. As I count it, there are nine amendments pending. Those amendments are: The underlying substitute amendment, the Murray-Kerry amendment on the TANF emergency fund and summer employment for youth, the Coburn amendment on transparency, the Webb amendment on executive bonuses, the Feingold-Coburn amendment rescinding unused transportation earmarks, the amendment by Senator Reid of Nevada on geothermal receipts, the McCain amendment on the use of reconciliation to change Medicare, the Lincoln amendment on disaster assistance, and the Isakson amendment on pension funding. On Friday, we reached a unanimous consent agreement that, after the Senate resumes consideration of the bill tomorrow, we will conduct up to four rollcall votes in relation to the following amendments: the side-by-side amendment to the Coburn amendment on transparency, the Coburn amendment, the Murray amendment on youth jobs, and the side-by- side amendment to the Murray amendment. And so Senators should be aware that we will have up to four rollcall votes at about 10:15 tomorrow morning. We further agreed that at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow, the Senate will vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the substitute amendment. And we hope that we might conclude action on the bill thereafter. Today, we will continue to process cleared amendments throughout the day. I thank all Senators for their cooperation. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Franken.) The Senator from Virginia.

Mr. BAUCUS. I applaud the chairman of the Select Committee on Aging for raising this important issue. I look forward to working with him and the chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on addressing the shortcomings he has highlighted.

Mr. BAUCUS

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

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, we are now on our fifth day of consideration of this important legislation to create jobs and extend vital safety net and tax provisions. As a reminder, this legislation would prevent millions of Americans from falling through the safety net. It would put cash into the hands of Americans who would spend it quickly, boosting economic demand. It would extend critical programs and tax incentives that create jobs. We had another productive day on the bill yesterday. We conducted three rollcall votes on amendments. We adopted four amendments. As I count it, there are nine amendments pending. Those amendments are the underlying substitute amendment, Senator Landrieu's amendment on the Go-Zones, Senator Murray's amendment on summer employment for youth, Senator Coburn's amendment on transparency, Senator Webb's amendment on executive bonuses, a Feingold-Coburn amendment to rescind unused transportation earmarks, an amendment by Senator Reid of Nevada on geothermal receipts, a McCain amendment on the use of budget reconciliation, and a Lincoln amendment on emergency disaster assistance. A piece of legislation such as this is like a long-distance run. It starts out with a lot of energy and a lot of activity. After a while it reaches its stride, plateaus, and moderates its pace. But then the pace picks up again near the finish; that is, if we have much energy left. For this bill, most of the activity is behind us. This bill reached its stride. We see the finish line ahead on Tuesday or so, and we expect a final push then. We will work today to clear as many of the pending amendments as we can. If Senators have other noncontroversial amendments, we are happy to try to clear those today as well. The Senate will conduct no rollcall votes today. The majority leader indicated that we would see a cloture vote on this bill on Tuesday, and we hope to conclude action on this bill on Tuesday as well. I thank all Senators for their cooperation. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I rise in mourning and remembrance on the first anniversary of a devastating natural gas explosion in downtown Bozeman, MT. At 8:11 in the morning, 1 year ago, downtown Bozeman was quiet, under a thick blanket of snow. One minute later, a blast ripped through the silence, killing a young woman named Tara Reistad Bowman and devastating most of the 200 block of East Main Street. Windows were shattered as far as four blocks away. A passing cyclist commuting to work was thrown off his bike by the blast, and 911 calls showed that the explosion was felt miles away. The firefighters and rescue crews responding to the blast later found that a natural gas line behind Montana Trails Gallery was cracked and that a gas leak had caused the explosion. Ten businesses and several apartment units were leveled by the blast or engulfed in the flames that followed. Boodles and Starky's, the Rocking R Bar, and the American Legion--all destroyed. Assistant City Manager Chuck Winn described it as the worst catastrophe he had ever seen in the city. Firefighters from Bozeman, from Big Sky, and from Three Forks--nearby communities--all came to the rescue to put out the blaze. These brave men and women stopped the fire from spreading to nearby stores. The Montana National Guard was called upon to help provide security. One year after this tragedy, we pause to recognize today as a day of mourning and remembrance. We join the men and women of Bozeman who will observe a moment of silence this morning. Today, Montanans will mourn the loss of Tara Bowman. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her friends and her family and all who knew her. I never met Tara, but I understand she was a very special woman. She was a talented artist and a mentor to other artists in Bozeman. Tara liked to paint in the quiet morning. She had come into work early to the Montana Trails Art Gallery the morning of the blast. Her family and many friends around Bozeman miss her dearly. Today, as we mourn, we also remember the actions of the people of Bozeman after the blast. Oftentimes, in the routine of everyday life, we forget we may be called upon at any moment to act heroically. There were many heroes that day in Bozeman. More than 70 firefighters from departments throughout Gallatin County answered the call for help. Although it took hours to shut off the natural gas that had caused the initial blast, the volunteers continued to fight the blaze. Many had left their day jobs to perform this dangerous duty. The calls to help continued long after the blaze was extinguished. Residents had lost their homes and small business owners had lost their livelihoods. In the truest expression of what it is to be a Montanan, the people of Bozeman pulled together to help the victims of the blast and rebuild downtown. Local businesses donated food to emergency workers. They donated lumber to cover shattered windows. A community relief fund provided $200,000 for those left homeless to find shelter and replace paychecks for those left jobless. The story of a man named Chris Cundy fully illustrates this generous spirit. Chris was left homeless after the explosion and the subsequent fire destroyed almost everything he owned. Chris even lost the tools of his trade: his musical instruments--several electronic keyboards and a grand piano. But then the community stepped in. The Red Cross met his immediate needs--toothbrushes, soap, towels, and debit cards. Musicians around Bozeman raised funds to help replace his instruments. A fellow renter borrowed a saxophone from a local music store so he could keep playing to pay the bills. After the explosion, Chris started playing music full time and even performed to raise funds for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Chris has proven that good can come from tragedy. He told the Bozeman Chronicle: The scope and depth of the community's support depicts values that exist only with people who truly care about one another. A year later, I am glad to report that downtown Bozeman has made great strides. The American Legion has already begun to rebuild, and plans have been submitted to reconstruct many of the other destroyed businesses as well. I am working to make sure Federal dollars help fund the reconstruction. At this time next year, city officials expect every business impacted by the blast to be back on its feet and in operation. That is the resiliency of Bozeman and the spirit of Montana. Today, we pause to remember last year's blast in mourning of our loss. We remember the actions taken by the great people of Bozeman, and we proceed with renewed hope for the future. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that it be in order for the following amendments to be called up and reported by number, en bloc; further, that the Landrieu amendment No. 3335, which is pending, be further modified with the changes at the desk; that the remaining amendments listed here, except amendment No. 3416, be modified with the changes at the desk: Wicker amendment No. 3383; Bayh- Vitter amendment No. 3374; Rockefeller amendment No. 3397; Roberts amendment No. 3411; Lincoln amendment No. 3416; that the amendments, as modified or as further modified, be considered and agreed to en bloc, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table en bloc.

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendments be set aside and that amendment No. 3430 then be called up.

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

Mr. BAUCUS

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

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, we are now on our fourth day of consideration of this important legislation to create jobs and extend vital safety net and tax provisions. This legislation would prevent millions of Americans from falling through the safety net. It would extend vital programs that were extended on a short-term basis earlier this year. It would put cash into the hands of Americans who would spend it quickly, boosting economic demand. It would extend critical programs and tax incentives that create jobs. This is the legislation that will help half a million workers who lose their jobs nationwide to get help paying for their health insurance under COBRA. This is the legislation that will help nearly 40 million Medicare beneficiaries and nearly 9 million TRICARE beneficiaries keep access to their doctors. This is the legislation that will help 400,000 Americans get unemployment insurance benefits. This is urgent legislation. We must enact it soon. We had a productive day yesterday. We disposed of six amendments and rejected a point of order against the bill. As I count it, there are about 10 amendments pending. Those amendments are the underlying substitute amendment, Senator Sessions' amendment to impose discretionary spending caps, Senator Landrieu's amendment on the GO Zones, Senator Murray's amendment on summer employment for youth, Senator Coburn's amendment on transparency, Senator Webb's amendment on executive bonuses, Senator Stabenow's amendment on AMT credits, a Feingold-Coburn amendment to rescind unused transportation earmarks, an amendment by Senator Brown of Massachusetts on a payroll tax holiday, and Senator Burr's amendment on a sales tax holiday. Before Senators offer additional amendments, we need to start processing the pending amendments. I have been advised there will be objection to setting aside the pending amendments for Senators to offer additional amendments until we have addressed some of the pending amendments. Some of the amendments appear to me to be the sort of thing we could adopt by voice vote, and we are exploring that possibility in connection with at least two of them. On amendments that require a rollcall vote, I am hopeful we can schedule a number of votes starting at 2 p.m. this afternoon to dispose of several amendments. Then we will continue to process the pending amendments throughout the day. I thank all Senators for their cooperation.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 274, S. Res. 404.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements related to the resolution be printed in the Record.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 275, S. Res. 414.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I further ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements relating to the measure be printed in the Record.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Foreign Relations Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 422 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements related to the resolution be printed in the Record.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following Senate resolutions: S. Res. 434, S. Res. 435, S. Res. 436, S. Res. 437, and S. Res. 438.