Joe Donnelly

Mr. DONNELLY

Mr. DONNELLY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Kaine.) Without objection, it is so ordered. vote on kadzik nomination Under the previous order, the question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the nomination of Peter J. Kadzik, of New York, to be an Assistant Attorney General.

Mr. DONNELLY. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. DONNELLY

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. DONNELLY

Mr. DONNELLY. In recognition of Memorial Day, I would like to take a moment today to honor three Hoosier servicemembers we lost in the last year. We remember Army SSG Jesse Williams of Elkhart, who was killed in action after his Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Zabul Province, Afghanistan, on December 17, 2013. Staff Sergeant Williams attended Elkhart Central High School and completed basic training in 2006. He was deployed three times--once to Iraq in 2007 and twice to Afghanistan in 2010 and 2013. Staff Sergeant Williams is survived by his daughter, parents, grandparents, and siblings. His family accepted the Purple Heart on his behalf last month. Technical Sergeant Dale Mathews We remember Air Force TSgt Dale Mathews from Rolling Prairie, IN, who died in a plane crash during a training exercise in England on January 7 of this year. Technical Sergeant Mathews graduated from New Prairie High School in 1994. He served tours of duty in both Iraq and Afghanistan. His service in the Air Force centered on flying rescue missions and taking care of others. After serving almost 20 years, he was involved in the rescue of nearly 300 people. Technical Sergeant Mathews is survived by his wife, his son, daughter, stepson, stepdaughter, and his parents and grandparents. Staff Sergeant Randall Lane We remember Army SSG Randall Lane of Indianapolis. Staff Sergeant Lane passed away from a noncombat-related illness in Afghanistan on September 13, 2013. Staff Sergeant Lane served his country proudly in the Marines and in the Indiana Army National Guard for over 20 years. He is survived by his wife, three daughters, stepson, parents, brothers and sister, and his grandmother. These men are all true heroes. They served their country with distinction. They made their family, friends, and all the people of Indiana and America proud. I send my continued thoughts and prayers to their families. Like these three men, the United States has a long history of selfless warriors--men and women choosing to serve not because of the glory it brings to them but because of the freedom and safety it brings to others. When one of them makes the ultimate sacrifice by giving their life for ours, it is important that we pause and remember the true price of freedom. I was proud to see my fellow Hoosiers come together in reflection and remembrance when we lost these three American sons, and I ask that we do the same this Memorial Day. May God bless the United States of America. I thank the Presiding Officer and yield the floor.

Mr. DONNELLY

Mr. DONNELLY. Madam President, I wish to congratulate the hard-working members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers--IBEW--Local 153 as they celebrate 100 years of working together to improve living standards by building safe communities throughout Michiana. IBEW Local 153 was started by just 18 members in 1914 in South Bend, IN. Its charter members were Fred Champaigne, Louis Brehmer, Omer C. Naftzger, Roy Watt, Calvin Beatty, William Weber, C. Sinnoth, Rob Elliott, R.J. Suabedissen, W.A. Henry, Walter A. Stickley, Lester E. Beatty, E.A. Nimtz, R.M. Dice, Leo A. Mathis, Frank Hamer, Oliver Doehmer and B.J. Doehmer. These men represent the determination and leadership that have shaped our commitment to fair labor standards and strong communities across the country. On April 21, 1914, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers granted them their charter. Today, IBEW Local 153 covers St. Joseph, Elkhart, Marshall and Kosciusko counties in north central Indiana and Berrien and Cass counties in Michigan. It counts over 900 men and women as its members. Over the years, it has worked vigilantly to promote the interests and values of working men and women by advocating for the best education and training to achieve the highest quality standards, safer working conditions, fair compensation, individual security and strong intellectual, moral, and social conditions. While these efforts have been critical to the success of its members, every American has benefitted from the work of organized labor and locals like IBEW Local 153, to promote standard working hours, a living wage, worker safety, as well as strong families and stronger communities. Congratulations to the officers of IBEW Local 153 including Michael Leda, president; Shawn Huffine, vice president; Dustin Hansen, treasurer; Marshall Kaminsky, recording secretary; Mike Compton, business manager; Bill Haase, assistant business manager; Stan Miles, director of membership development; the members of the executive board, exam board, and office staff for guiding IBEW Local 153 to this remarkable milestone, as it continues to support the goals first envisioned by its founders. Most importantly, I congratulate all IBEW Local 153 members and their families for their loyalty, ongoing support, and hard work they give the Michiana community. On behalf of the citizens of Indiana, I sincerely congratulate each and every member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 153 on their 100th Anniversary, and I wish them continued success and growth over the next 100 years.

Mr. DONNELLY

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

Mr. DONNELLY

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

Mr. DONNELLY

Mr. DONNELLY. I ask unanimous consent that at a time to be determined by the majority leader, with the concurrence of the Republican leader, the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nomination: Calendar No. 629; that there be 60 minutes for debate equally divided in the usual form; that upon the use or yielding back of time, the Senate proceed to vote, without intervening action or debate on the nomination, the motion to reconsider be made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order; that any related statements be printed in the record; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate then resume legislative session.

Mr. DONNELLY

Mr. DONNELLY. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 344 submitted earlier today.

Mr. DONNELLY. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. DONNELLY

Mr. DONNELLY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, February 6, 2014; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; that following any leader remarks, the Senate resume consideration of S. 1845, the Unemployment Insurance Extension Act, with the time until 11 a.m. equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees; and that the filing deadline for first- degree amendments to S. 1845 be 9:45 a.m. and the filing deadline for second-degree amendments to the Reed amendment No. 2714 and S. 1845 be 10:45 a.m. on Thursday; finally, that the cloture vote on the Reed amendment be at 11 a.m. on Thursday.

Mr. DONNELLY

Mr. DONNELLY. The Senate will not be in session tomorrow to accommodate issues conferences for each caucus. There will be up to two rollcall votes at 11 a.m. on Thursday. We also expect to consider the nomination of Senator Baucus to become Ambassador to China.

Mr. DONNELLY

Mr. DONNELLY. If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it adjourn under the previous order.

Mr. DONNELLY

Mr. DONNELLY. I understand that S. 1996, introduced earlier today by Senator Hagan, is at the desk and I ask for its first reading.

Mr. DONNELLY. I now ask for its second reading but object to my own request.

Mr. DONNELLY

Mr. DONNELLY. Madam President, family is important to Hoosiers. We work hard every day to care and to provide for our loved ones and to give our children and grandchildren the opportunity to live healthy and fulfilling lives. We also recognize that strong families are often built on good jobs. Good jobs allow us to put food on the table, educate our children, and ultimately retire in dignity, and good jobs are, of course, critical for stronger communities and a vibrant economy. It all starts with jobs. Without good jobs, nothing else works. As I have said before, most Americans think Congress can do something--even if it is just not doing any harm--to help create jobs and strengthen our economy. Unfortunately, over the last year, the partisan gridlock that has too often defined Congress has been in full force. During the starkest example of the gridlock, the government shut down. A poll found that Americans cited Congress as the single biggest threat to our economy. That should have been a wake-up call for all of us, a clear signal to collectively focus on working together to give our families the opportunity to compete and succeed in the American economy. Opportunity means creating the conditions for businesses to expand and to hire more workers. It means an economic environment that encourages the private sector to invest and innovate in an ever- changing global economy. It means providing American workers with the training they need to get the skills and education necessary to fill the jobs available today and to adapt to fill the jobs and careers of the future. As we start a new year, I encourage us all to refocus our efforts and our attention on our responsibilities to the families we represent. To that end, I am focused on my opportunity agenda--a blueprint of commonsense policies designed to expand economic opportunities for Hoosier workers and workers all across our country, for businesses, and for their families in four critical areas where we can help create more good jobs: No. 1, going all-in on American energy; No. 2, providing American workers the training necessary to fill the jobs available today; No. 3, investing in our infrastructure; and, No. 4, keeping our country competitive through exports and innovation. Why are these four areas important to families across our country? As the Presiding Officer knows, a strong domestic energy economy is at the foundation of our potential for economic success. Affordable, reliable energy allows families to heat their homes and to travel to work and to school. Affordable, reliable energy ensures businesses can manufacture products efficiently, on time, and can compete in our global economy. Affordable, reliable American energy ensures that we are investing our money here at home rather than each year sending hundreds of billions of dollars overseas to buy energy that is already here in the United States. The production of affordable, reliable American energy here at home creates jobs here at home, not overseas. Our country is blessed with abundant energy resources. In fact, in my State of Indiana, we produce coal, biofuels, wind and solar energy, and natural gas--and we can do more. Going all-in on American energy also means establishing smart regulations that protect our environment while also allowing our economy to grow. My home State of Indiana is a large producer of coal, as I know the Presiding Officer's home State of North Dakota is. We are annually in the top 10 of coal-producing States in the Nation. The coal industry supports over 3,000 jobs in 10 southwestern Indiana counties and contributes over $750 million to our State's economy. Hoosiers count on the affordable, reliable energy from our home State coal. This is why efforts to regulate carbon dioxide emissions at coal plants should be realistic about the technology that exists now and not negatively impact our economy. If we do not address these standards in a commonsense way, the affordable, reliable energy that Hoosier families and businesses depend on is in doubt. We should also continue full speed ahead on technology efforts that will make coal a cleaner and cleaner energy source for all of our energy needs in the years ahead. Indiana is also a leader in biofuel production, where more than 600 Hoosiers work at 13 ethanol plants and 5 biodiesel plants across our State. I have seen firsthand the good work being done at many of these plants. They use products grown here at home to produce fuel here at home, to power vehicles here at home. With ethanol and other biofuels, we are not, again, sending our hard- earned money overseas. We are putting our neighbors to work. We are putting their hard work into creating more energy and more opportunity in our communities and across our country. This industry is another example of American-made energy and American-made entrepreneurial leadership. Second, it is very important we help our workforce hit the ground running by improving workforce development and training. The Department of Labor estimates there are 3.9 million job openings in the United States right now, despite a national unemployment rate of 7 percent and millions of Americans looking for work. Estimates by the Manufacturing Institute indicate there are as many as 600,000 job openings in our country that remain unfilled because employers cannot find workers who have the necessary skills to do that job. We must make a better effort to close this skills gap. I often hear from Hoosier business owners, educators, and workers about the pressing need to close the skills gap and have people trained in all of these opportunities and skills. Workers need to know that the time they spend training is more likely to lead to employment in a good-paying job, as employers are more likely to hire people they know have the training that is needed to be productive on day one. Third, it is important we invest in infrastructure. Indiana is called the ``Crossroads of America.'' In order to live up to our name, we need the best roads, the best rail, the best airports, the best waterways so we can continue to expand our logistics and other transportation industries. Today, 22 percent of our bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. Seventeen percent of Indiana's roads are in poor or mediocre condition. A good way to create jobs in Indiana and across the country is to establish the right conditions for investment in our country's infrastructure. I have and will continue to support encouraging investment by requiring government agencies to work together to cut redtape, set deadlines, and increase transparency. We should be building things in this country, and that means expediting the transportation, energy, and other infrastructure projects that strengthen our economy. Finally, it is important we keep Hoosier and all American businesses and industries competitive through the promotion of exports and innovation. We produce some of the best quality products in the world-- from automobiles, to agricultural products, to medical devices--and we should continue to look for opportunities to sell these products to the rest of the world. Manufacturing accounts for a big portion of Indiana's exports, and manufactured goods exports support nearly 23 percent of Indiana's manufacturing jobs. That is much higher than the national average. Small businesses account for nearly 17 percent of our exports. We need to do more to promote the good work of these Hoosier businesses. American businesses are competing in an increasingly challenging global economy, and we must promote a global economy that is built on responsible and fair trade policies. I am a longtime supporter of cracking down on currency manipulation, which results in an unfair playing field for American manufacturers. The Economic Policy Institute estimated that if we address global currency manipulation, we could reduce the U.S. goods trade deficit by up to $400 billion and create several million jobs right here at home, reducing our national unemployment rate. I have supported enhanced oversight of currency exchange rates, including new requirements that the Commerce Department investigate claims of undervalued foreign currency at the request of U.S. industry. I also support using U.S. trade law to counter the economic harm to U.S. manufacturers caused by this currency manipulation, and tools to address the impact of this misalignment of currency on U.S. industries. We all know good trade policies create good jobs, fuel economic growth, and benefit consumers both at home and abroad. Yet we also must remember that trade only works when everyone is playing by the same rules. That is why I testified before the U.S. International Trade Commission regarding the importance of maintaining existing antidumping and countervailing duty orders against unfairly traded imports of hot- rolled steel. The steel industry supports over 150,000 jobs in Indiana. These trade orders help maintain a level playing field for an already vulnerable domestic steel industry. Given a level playing field, Hoosier workers can compete with anyone in the world, which is why I was pleased the ITC ruled that these trade orders would be maintained. It is critically important that our intellectual property is also respected and is also protected. We have a lot of work to do, but I am hopeful that Congress can learn from last year's dysfunction and start this year in a bipartisan way. Senators from both parties can agree, there is nothing more important to American families and American communities than good jobs. They want us to work for them and not worry about politics. I look forward to continuing these opportunities and these efforts under my opportunity agenda. By working on commonsense, bipartisan ideas to go all in on American energy, to give workers the tools they need to hit the ground running, to invest in our infrastructure, and to keep homegrown businesses competitive through exports and innovation, we can help lower unemployment and build a stronger economy. I yield the floor.

Mr. DONNELLY

Mr. DONNELLY. Mr. President, today, I wish to congratulate the Marian University Knights on winning the 57th Annual National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, NAIA, Football National Championship in 2012. Marian University established its football program in 2006 and has since committed itself to competing at the highest level both academically and athletically. In 2011, the Marian Knights played well enough to be one of the final four teams in the NAIA championship tournament. In 2012, the Knights made it to the championship game, where they won 30-27 victory in overtime. Congratulations to former head coach Ted Karras, Jr. and his entire coaching staff, athletic director Steve Downing, and all of the student athletes on winning the 57th annual NAIA Football National Championship on December 13, 2012. In addition, congratulations to university president Daniel J. Elsener, executive vice president and provost Thomas J. Enneking, the Marian University student body, alumni and friends. On behalf of the citizens of Indiana, I sincerely congratulate the Marian University Knights on their successful football program, and I wish them continued success in the future under the new leadership of head football coach Mark Henninger.

Mr. DONNELLY

Mr. DONNELLY. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate resumes consideration of S. 1197 on Wednesday, November 20, there be up to 6 hours of debate only on the issue of sexual assault, with Senator Gillibrand or designee controlling 3 hours, Senators McCaskill and Ayotte or designees each controlling 75 minutes, the ranking member or designee controlling 20 minutes, and the chairman or designee controlling 10 minutes.

Mr. DONNELLY

Mr. DONNELLY. I ask unanimous consent the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 381 and the Senate proceed to its consideration.

Mr. DONNELLY. I ask unanimous consent the Brown amendment, which is at the desk, be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read three times and passed, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. DONNELLY

Mr. DONNELLY. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 300, which was submitted earlier today.

Mr. DONNELLY. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. DONNELLY

Mr. DONNELLY. Madam President, I understand that S. 1737, introduced earlier today by Senator Harkin, is at the desk, and I ask for its first reading.

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

Mr. DONNELLY

Mr. DONNELLY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, November 20, 2013; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; that following any leader remarks, the Senate be in a period of morning business for debate only for 1 hour, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each, with the time equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees, with the majority controlling the first half and the Republicans controlling the second half; and that following morning business, the Senate resume consideration of S. 1197, the National Defense Authorization Act, under the previous order.