Bob Menendez

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Madam President, I yield to the Senator from South Carolina.

Mr. MENENDEZ. I yield to the distinguished Senator from Arizona, a member of the committee, Mr. McCain.

Mr. MENENDEZ. I ask unanimous consent to proceed for 2 minutes.

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, this has been a robust debate. Listening to my friend and colleague from Kentucky, I appreciate his views, but I strongly disagree with him. Above all, let's say what it is and what it is not about. This is not about Mubarak and chateaus. Mubarak is gone. The Egyptian people decided that. He is gone. It is not about Mobutu or anybody else. You can conflate anything you want and throw it up against the wall, but this is a question of whether we will continue to pursue our own national interest and national security in Egypt, in the Middle East. This is, in fact, about democracy. It is about the 30 million who were protesting in the streets of Egypt, whom Senator Paul referred to. But their call is not for us to leave; their call is for us to engage with them. As the experts in this field who gave testimony before the committee said, the one uniting thing among all elements of Egyptian society we could do is cut off all aid. It would unite in what? Against us. This is about making sure we have a stable Middle East. It is not a canard to suggest that Israel's security is at stake, because when you have hundreds of tunnels in the Sinai being used by extremists to send weapons into Gaza to attack Israel, it is about their security. I think no one knows better about their security than the State of Israel itself knows about their security. It is not a canard. It is a fundamental element of whether we are going to have an ally that can be safe and secure. It is a fundamental element of whether we are going to have the ability to affect the outcome in Egypt in a way that will create stability and peace. It is a fundamental element of whether we have to send soldiers abroad versus keeping them here at home. Because when there is peace and stability, we ultimately do not have to engage with our military in pursuit of our national interest and security. When terrorists cannot organize in Egypt, we are safer at home in the United States. So let's not cut off all aid to Egypt in a transportation, housing, and urban development bill when, in fact, our vital national interests are at stake. There is plenty of opportunity to help America's cities. I was a mayor. No one wants to help America's cities more. You will get to do that if you vote for the THUD bill, if you put your vote up. But this is not a way to achieve that.

Mr. MENENDEZ. I yield to the Senator from Arizona.

Mr. MENENDEZ. Absolutely.

Mr. MENENDEZ. It is true they are opposed, and I would assume Israel, a sovereign state, knows what its security interests are better than anybody else.

Mr. MENENDEZ. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 31, 2013 at 10 a.m.

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 31, 2013, at 2:30 p.m. in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building. The Committee will hold a hearing entitled, ``Energy Drinks: Exploring Concerns about Marketing to Youth.''

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 31, 2013, at 9:30 a.m. in room 406 of the Dirksen Senate office building, to conduct a hearing entitled, ``Strengthening Public Health Protections by Addressing Toxic Chemical Threats.''

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 31, 2013, at 3 p.m., to hold a European Affairs subcommittee hearing entitled, ``Where is Turkey Headed? Gezi Park, Taksim Square, and The Future of the Turkish Model.''

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 31, 2013, at 10 a.m. in room SD-608 of the Dirksen Senate office building.

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 31, 2013, at 10 a.m.

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 31, 2013, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:30 p.m.

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 31, 2013, at 9 a.m., in room SH-216 of the Hart Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Strengthening Privacy Rights and National Security: Oversight of FISA Surveillance Programs.''

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 31, 2013, at 10 a.m., in room SR-418 of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Emergency Management, Intergovernmental Relations, and the District of Columbia of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 31, 2013, at 2 p.m. to conduct a hearing entitled, ``How Prepared is the National Capital Region for the Next Disaster?''

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure of the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 31, 2013, at 2:30 p.m., in room 215 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Powering Our Future: Principles for Energy Tax Reform.''

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on National Parks be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate to conduct a hearing on July 31, 2013, at 2:30 p.m. in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, today I wish to acknowledge the valuable contributions that Special Agent Kurk Broksas of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, ATF, has made to the U.S. Senate as a legislative fellow to my colleague, the late Senator Frank R. Lautenberg. Special Agent Broksas came to the Senate on detail from the ATF in January 2012 and served through the conclusion of the 112th Congress. Kurk became such a valued member of Senator Lautenberg's staff that he was asked to extend his tenure into the current Congress, and he provided exemplary service until Senator Lautenberg's passing on June 3, 2013. Special Agent Broksas has had a long career in Federal law enforcement, and his experience, knowledge, and expertise served Senator Lautenberg, the people of New Jersey, and the Nation. Kurk Broksas began his career as a U.S. Border Patrol Agent, enforcing Federal law against human traffickers and drug smugglers on the United States/Mexico border. Agent Broksas quickly established himself as a leader, becoming a field training agent and ensuring the next generation of agents were highly trained and performed their dangerous duties with honor and vigilance. Agent Broksas ultimately left the border for New York City to conduct criminal investigations as a special agent with the Immigration and Naturalization Service. A desire to protect our Nation from criminals armed with firearms and explosives brought Kurk to Washington, DC in 2000 to serve as an ATF special agent. His work over the past 13 years with the ATF involved complex criminal investigations into the illegal manufacture, trafficking, and use of firearms by violent criminals. As ATFs representative to the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, Special Agent Broksas worked diligently with Federal, State and local police to track down and apprehend the worst of the worst. His tireless efforts ensured that murderers, rapists, and gang members did not evade capture, and victims saw justice. Special Agent Broksas' expertise was of great use during his time as a legislative fellow in the U.S. Senate. During the past year and a half, our Nation has suffered terrible losses at the hands of criminals and the mentally ill in possession of firearms and explosives: 12 killed and 58 injured at a mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, CO; 20 children and 6 adults shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT; 3 people killed and hundreds wounded at the bombings during the Boston Marathon. While our country grieved, Special Agent Broksas set to work here in the Senate, working late nights providing valuable technical expertise and helping craft legislation to prevent future tragedies. His tenacity and drive exemplified what our Nation desires in the men and women that put on the badge and dedicate their lives to serving our Nation and keeping us safe. Mr. President, Special Agent Broksas has represented the law enforcement agents of the ATF with distinction and honor. I thank Kurk for his tremendous service to Senator Lautenberg, the United States Senate, and to our Nation.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Madam President, once again I wish to reiterate my strong support for Tom Perez, a man eminently qualified to serve our country as the next Secretary of Labor. Tom Perez was cleared by the HELP Committee over 2 months ago and should have been confirmed soon after, but we know that wasn't the case. I am glad that Leader Reid was able to break the nominations logjam this week so that we could begin confirming some very deserving nominees, including Tom Perez. Tom Perez is the quintessential public servant. He is a consensus builder. As Secretary of Labor in Maryland, he brought together the chamber of commerce and Maryland labor unions to make sure workers received the level of wages and benefits they deserved and business had the skilled workforce they needed. Most recently, he has served as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, where he increased prosecution of human trafficking by 40 percent, won $50 million for servicemembers whose homes were improperly foreclosed on while they served, and settled the three largest fair lending cases in the history of the Fair Housing Act, recovering more money for victims in 2012 than in the previous 23 years combined. He has spent his entire career in public service. He is a Brown University graduate with a master's in public policy from the Kennedy School and a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law. He is an advocate for people with disabilities and won the largest ever disability-based housing discrimination settlement. Tom Perez is a civil rights champion. He obtained the first convictions under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and has always supported ending discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Tom Perez is a good man and a good nominee. So let's do what we should have done a long time ago. He is a qualified, competent, professional public servant, nominated by the President, and already confirmed by the Senate to the post he holds today. As I said when I first endorsed Tom Perez, and I will say again today; he is an outstanding public servant, and I applaud President Obama for selecting him to be our Nation's next Secretary of Labor. I have no doubt that he will continue the administration's efforts to create jobs and get people back to work. Mr. Perez has dedicated his career to championing the rights of workers and all Americans, and I am confident that he will continue to do the same if confirmed. As former Secretary of Labor in Maryland, Mr. Perez prioritized matching community colleges, labor unions, and the private sector to help get people jobs that are in demand today and in the future--an initiative that is much needed on a national scale, and something I have proposed in legislation that would close the skills gap by training workers with the skills needed to fill such jobs. This is a remarkable nominee who brings a compelling personal story and a wealth of knowledge and leadership to the Department of Labor. I am very pleased the time has finally come for good people like Tom Perez to get the up-or-down vote they deserve. I urge my colleagues to vote to confirm this qualified nominee who has waited too long.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. The Senate is not in order.

Mr. MENENDEZ

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

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I come to the floor at the end of a long but fruitful bipartisan process. I come here thinking of what this bill will mean for families. I come here thinking of my family, of my mother, who came from Cuba, who worked hard and made it possible for me to stand here today as 1 of 100 Senators on the verge of passing a historic piece of legislation that she would have wanted me to vote for. This is a bipartisan compromise that will finally fix our broken immigration system and bring 11 million immigrants out of the shadows-- not just the millions who have been here for years without status, but the millions more who have been waiting in line to be reunified with their families lawfully. When the moment comes to cast that vote, I will be casting it in memory of my mother and for every immigrant like her who came to this country in the last century to give their families a chance to contribute to America's exceptionalism and for all of those who will now have a chance to contribute to America's exceptionalism in this century. It will be a vote for the long history of immigrants in America, for the millions of immigrant families: Irish, German, French, Italian, Scandinavian, Jewish, Greek, Polish, Portuguese, and many others whose blood, sweat, and tears ushered in America's industrial age; a vote for the immigrants of the ``greatest generation'' who brought this Nation through the Depression, fought a World War, and ended the Cold War. It will be a vote for America's new, young, skilled, educated DREAMers and entrepreneurs who will now have a chance to become citizens and help lead this Nation into a brighter, more prosperous, more productive future. It will be a vote in memory of a long list of immigrants and the children of immigrants who made this Nation great: Marine Cpl Jose Antonio Guitierrez, not even a citizen of the United States when he became the first casualty of the Iraq war; Thomas Edison, from my home State of New Jersey, the Wizard of Menlo Park, who has made New Jersey the home of invention in America--and there will be an immigrant who carries on that legacy who will make the next great discovery--Jonas Salk, whose parents came here and gave him the education he needed to go on and discover the vaccine for polio and save millions of lives. There will be a DREAMer who will be the next Jonas Salk. Colin Powell, admired on both sides of the aisle, his was an immigrant family. Be assured, there will be another great military leader and statesman who will be the son or daughter of parents who will become citizens under this legislation. Madeline Albright is an immigrant who became a citizen and went on to become one of the most respected and admired Secretaries of State. The list goes on: Albert Einstein, Henry Kissinger, Joseph Pulitzer--all immigrants who contributed to America's exceptionalism. This legislation is for all those immigrants and immigrant families who helped make America better. This is the culmination of a long journey for me. I have been fighting for immigration reform for 20 years between my time in the House and the Senate and have been blazing a pathway to citizenship that will help families stay together and give them a chance at a better life. This bill does that. The road has been fraught with the same obstacles, the same pitfalls and prejudices that have stood in the way of every generation of immigrants who wanted nothing more than a pathway to acceptance and opportunity. As the saying goes: The hardest steel must go through the hottest fire. What we are about to do today has been a generation-long drive for justice and tolerance. It has been and remains the civil rights issue of our community. I believe when this legislation finally becomes law, it will make us stronger as a nation, just as the Civil Rights Act strengthened this country. We are on the verge of historic change. I am proud to have been part of the Gang of 8 that hammered out a strong bipartisan effort. Now, I say to my friends in the other body: Do the right thing for America and for your party. Find common ground. Lean away from the extremes. Opt for reason and govern with us. The time has come to act in the interests of all Americans. I hope that message will be heard loudly and clearly in the House. In my view the leadership in the other body has a chance to be American heroes, a chance to bring both sides together in an alliance that will ensure passage of this bill. I believe a vast majority of Americans who want immigration reform to pass will thank them for doing what is right. I hope they will have the political will and courage to unite the Nation and send this bill to the President's desk, a bill that will increase the gross domestic product, reduce the deficit, promote prosperity, and create jobs. This chart shows the cumulative economic gains of the legislation over 10 years after passage. Look at the numbers. Fixing the broken immigration system would increase America's gross domestic product by over $800 billion over the first 10 years, it will increase wages of all Americans by $470 billion over 10 years, and it will increase jobs by 121,000 per year for 10 years. That is 1.2 million jobs. Immigrants will start small businesses, they will create jobs for American workers. It is time to harness that economic power. The next chart shows that the CBO report also tells us it will reduce the deficit by $197 billion over the next decade and by an additional $700 billion more between 2024 and 2033 through changes in direct spending and revenues. We are talking about almost a trillion in deficit spending that can be lifted off the backs of the next generation of Americans. What other single piece of legislation increases GDP growth, increases wages for all Americans, increases jobs and lowers the deficit? What we realize now has been confirmed by the numbers; that is, giving 11 million people a clear and defined pathway to citizenship is, in effect, an economic growth strategy and exactly the right thing to do. It will be a long road for those who have earned the right to become citizens. Citizenship will not be easy. It never is. The new Americans who follow the pathway we lay out will have to have played by the rules. They will have to pass background checks, pay a fine, pay their taxes. But, if they do, there will be no obstacle they cannot overcome to the day when they raise their right hand and take their naturalization oath. Too many families have waited too long for that day. Too many have waited too long to say those words that will change their lives forever. They changed my mother's life and, in turn, gave me the chance to stand here today and vote for a pathway to citizenship that can change the lives of millions of others. Today is a victory, not for me or the Gang of 8. It is not a victory for the Senate or for any one community. By passing comprehensive immigration reform, we will have taken the next historic step on America's long journey to exceptionalism. I am proud to have been part of the process that will continue that journey. In 2007, when we failed at our last attempt at immigration reform, I quoted the last phrase of Emma Lazarus's poem emblazoned on the inner wall of the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty which says: I lift my lamp beside the golden door! I said then: That lamp [since we failed] is somewhat dimmer, but it will shine again . . . [that] the course of history is unalterable, the human spirit cannot be shackled forever, the drumbeat for security, economic vitality and, most importantly, justice will only grow stronger until we pass this legislation. My friends, today when we pass comprehensive immigration reform, the light will shine brighter and it will shine forever. I yield the floor.