Patty Murray

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. That is correct. The Senator is correct. I am merely asking for----

Mrs. MURRAY. Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, I come to the floor today--and before I speak, I ask unanimous consent that Senator Boxer of California be the next Democratic Senator speaking after I conclude and Senator Hutchison has concluded on the Republican side.

Mrs. MURRAY. Following the Republican speaker.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. I have confirmed with my staff that these projects have been properly disclosed and have been certified to be free of any pecuniary interest.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I wish to join in a colloquy with my ranking member, Senator Bond, to correct clerical errors to project and attribution tables in the transportation, housing, and urban development title to the Omnibus Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2011. Senator Casey should be added for attribution to the Economic Development Initiative project for the city of Wilkes-Barre, PA. The project under the Bus and Bus Facilities Account for Longview Transit Vehicle Replacements, Clark County, WA, should read Longview Transit Vehicle Replacements, Cowlitz County, WA. The project under Surface Transportation Improvements Bench Boulevard Improvements, Helena, MT, should read Bench Boulevard Improvements, Billings, MT, where the project construction will be taking place. The project under Surface Transportation Improvements for the Maritime Fire and Safety Administration, WA, should read Maritime Fire and Safety Association, WA. Senator Boxer should not be listed for attribution to the Marin- Sonoma Narrows, CA, project under the Surface Transportation Investments account, and she should be listed for attribution for the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit, SMART, CA project under the Federal Transit Administration Capital Investment Grant account. The project under the Surface Transportation Improvement Account listed as SR 522 Corridor Improvements should read SR 522 Corridor Signal Improvements, 61st and 181st Street, WA. Additionally, Senator Franken should be added as a requester of the Economic Development Initiative project for the Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota, MN, Renovation of Homes for the Disabled.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask the Senator to yield for a question.

Mrs. MURRAY. Will the Senator yield for a question?

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I would ask the leader through the Chair, is he aware that the bill that is before us, that apparently we do not have enough votes for now, has gone through a very long committee process? The transportation and housing bill that I worked with my Republican colleague on, I did not agree with all of his requests, but I gave him a lot in this bill, as we worked our way through it and passed it out of subcommittee, passed it out of the full committee, a committee of which the minority leader is a member. All of the bills that are involved in this omnibus bill--every one of them--went through a long, long process of committee hearings, subcommittee markups and passage, and full committee markups and passage. The changes to this bill that have come to the floor have come as a result not of a change in policy, but because we all were told that in order to get an omnibus passed, we had to reduce the amount of that bill that passed out of committee--each of those bills a significant amount--to meet the McCaskill-Sessions level. So we went back and cut a significant amount out of each one of our bills. The result is the omnibus bill before us. So the 2,000 pages that we are referring to have worked their way through a process. I would ask the leader if he knows this. And the difference is, we had to cut money to meet the level of Sessions- McCaskill. That is what we have before us. And that is what we are being told, after a year's worth of work, that somehow we do not have the capability of knowing what is in the bill. Is the leader aware of that?

Mrs. MURRAY. Right.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, one of the many values that makes America so great is that no matter where we start off from in life, we believe that we all deserve to have a shot at the American dream. We all deserve an opportunity to work hard, support our families, and give back to the Nation that has been there for us all of our lives. This is an American value I cherish. It is one I feel very strongly we ought to maintain and strengthen. And it's why I stand here today to talk about the DREAM Act, which would help us do exactly that. This bill is about giving those that know no other country but the United States an opportunity. An opportunity to give back as a successful member of society, an opportunity to serve in the military and to risk their lives to defend the values we hold dear, an opportunity to reach a legal status that allows them to come out of the shadows, and an opportunity to reap the benefits of the fact that they have worked hard and played by the rules. The DREAM Act would allow a select group of undocumented students a path to become permanent residents if they came to this country as children, are long-term U.S. residents, have good moral character, and attend college for at least 2 years or enlist in the military. Under this bill, tens of thousands of well-qualified potential recruits would become eligible for military service for the first time. These are young people who love our country and are eager to serve in the Armed Forces during a time of war. It would also make qualified students eligible for temporary legal immigration status upon high school graduation which would lead to permanent residency if they attend college. And most importantly--it would tell young people--who have studied, who have worked multiple jobs, who have often overcome poverty and hurdles that few other young people face--that the American dream is alive and well. This is about our values as a Nation. But it is also about real communities. And real people in my home State of Washington and across the country. I recently heard from a student named Jessica who is a senior at Washington State University. Jessica shared how she is on the verge of completing her degree and would like nothing more than to continue on to get her master's degree in education so she could give back to her community. But like so many young people who would benefit from passage of this bill, for Jessica this is simply not a reality. Because we cannot move this bill, Jessica's dream of helping to improve our education system has been dashed. Jessica writes that while the rest of her classmates attend career fairs and interviews she battles with the nightmare of having to do menial labor for the rest of her life or returning to a country she has never known. She ended her letter about the chance this bill would provide her by saying the following: The DREAM Act is the only hope that I have to be a productive citizen in the future. I am amazingly thankful for the opportunities that this country has offered me and my family and the only thing that I want to do is to give back. I would like to be given the opportunity and privilege to be able to obtain the American Dream which is entitled to the citizens of this beautiful country. Please don't continue to close the doors on exemplary individuals. We want to become a part of this nation and continue to live on the values and principles written in the Constitution because this is the only way we know. The only way that can happen--the only way any of these young people can get that shot--is if we pass this bill. Jessica is just one of the young people whose life this affects--but I have received hundreds of stories just like hers. And this issue touches so many more across the country. This bill is a first step towards fixing an immigration system that is clearly broken with real solutions that will help real people. And for me, this isn't just about immigration, it is about what type of country we want to be. America has long been a beacon of hope for people across the world. And I believe that to keep that beacon bright we need to make sure young people are given a shot at the American dream. The dream that was there for me, that is there for my children and grandchild, and that is there for millions of others across this great country. So once again, I am calling on Senate Republicans to end their long efforts to block this legislation. Let's pass this bill today. Let's allow young people who have lived nearly their entire lives here to help boost our economy, help enrich our schools, and help defend our country. Let's get back to common sense. And let's keep working toward comprehensive immigration reform that helps our economy, affords the opportunities we have offered to generations of immigrants, maintains those great American values that I hold so dear, and improves our security.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements be printed in the Record.

Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 3987, introduced earlier today.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, I came to the floor this afternoon to speak on behalf of thousands of families in my home State of Washington who stand to lose everything they have because a few Republican Senators continue to put politics ahead of policy. Men and women in my State from Seattle to Spokane, who lost their jobs through no fault of their own, get up every single day; they scour the want ads; they send out their resumes and desperately try to find work in an economy that continues to struggle. These workers do not want to be where they are. They would like nothing more than to be back on the job doing what many of them have been doing for years--working hard and adding value to their companies and contributing to their communities and providing for their families. But while they struggle to find work, many of them depend on the unemployment insurance programs we put in place to keep their heads above water. This support has allowed these families to put food on the table, to stay in their homes, and to pay for their children's health care. These programs are not extravagant. But for a lot of our workers today, they made all the difference. Workers such as a woman named Judy Curtis, who lives in Mill Creek, WA, wrote to my office urging us to do everything we could to reauthorize this program. She is a single mom who worked hard her whole life to support herself and her developmentally disabled son Sean. She told me she has been laid off twice since this downturn began and has been looking for a new job every day but without any luck. Her unemployment insurance is going to be cut off on January 15 unless we reauthorize it. She does not know how she and her son are going to make it if that happens. So it is because of stories like hers that I am so disappointed we are once again throwing families into a state of uncertainty and turmoil by allowing these emergency unemployment programs to expire today. It does not make any sense. Our economy still has a long way to go on the road to recovery. There are five job seekers for every open position today. The unemployment rate stands at 9.6 percent, and Senate Republicans think now is a good time to cut families off from the support on which they depend? We cannot allow this to happen. We cannot sit on the sidelines while more families are pushed into bankruptcy and lose their health care and their homes are foreclosed on. We cannot stand by and watch as our working families who have already been pushed to the brink by this financial crisis--that they did not create by the way--are now shoved to the edge through no fault of their own. It is wrong and it does not make sense. It does not make sense to pull billions of dollars out of our economy. It does not make sense to remove purchasing power from so many families. And it does not make sense to lose the multiplier effect of these funds that keep millions of workers on the job. It certainly does not make any sense to do this right before the holidays. I have to say, I find it very interesting that some of the Senators who oppose extending this support for middle-class families are the very same ones who have no problem extending the Bush tax cuts for the richest Americans that will cost us almost $1 trillion. They talk about helping the economy. But economists across the board agree that unemployment insurance programs are one of the best ways to provide a much needed boost. So for those Republicans it is not about the deficit, it is not about what is best for the economy, it is certainly not about good policy, it is about politics, plain and simple. I am going to keep fighting to maintain these emergency unemployment compensation benefits through next year for Judy Curtis's family, for thousands of families like hers across Washington State, and for millions in America. These programs were not meant to continue indefinitely. But until our economy gets back on track, it would be devastating to cut those families off from this critical lifeline now. I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, today I wish to congratulate a hard-working Washingtonian, Mr. Shannon McDaniel, on his well-deserved retirement on October 29, 2010, after 30 years of dedicated service to Washington State agriculture. As the manager of the South Columbia Basin Irrigation District, Mr. McDaniel has overseen the provision of water to 4,000 landowners and farm operators on 230,000 acres of farm and ranch lands in eastern Washington. Through his leadership and extensive knowledge of irrigated agriculture, Mr. McDaniel has brought certainty to many farmers in the South Columbia Basin Irrigation District by closely and responsibly managing important water delivery infrastructure. Mr. McDaniel has assisted me and my colleagues in Congress with the drafting and passage of legislation important to Washington State farmers. He worked closely with both the State and Federal Government to foster strong working relationships with organizations such as the Bureau of Reclamation and the Bonneville Power Administration, as well as with numerous water resource and industry associations to ensure the highest quality of service to farmers and ranchers. Shannon also served as an invaluable resource to the Grand Coulee Project Hydroelectric Authority, the Columbia Basin Development League and the Columbia Basin Project. The abundance of awards and honors that Mr. McDaniel has received demonstrate his hard work and commitment to Washington State. He has received many prestigious awards including, the National Water Resources Association President's Award, the Washington State Water Resources Association Water Resources Leadership Award and the Bonneville Power Administration's Administrator's Excellence Award for Exceptional Public Service. On behalf of all Washingtonians, I commend Shannon for his many years of dedicated service to our State. His knowledge, experience, and commitment to dependable irrigation will be sorely missed. I congratulate Shannon and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I congratulate Child Care Resources of King County for 20 years of service to the community. This organization is a leader in King County and occupies a critical role for children and families within the community. Through promoting equity for all children, establishing community stability, and helping children prepare for school, Child Care Resources of King County has impacted and helped shape the lives of many Washingtonians. As a former preschool teacher, on the first day of class it was easy to identify which students had participated in high-quality child care before entering my classroom. We know that children who participate in high-quality care are better prepared for school and more likely to lead a successful life. Child Care Resources of King County has worked tirelessly for 20 years to ensure children in King County have access to high-quality care and enter school well prepared. Additionally, they work to incorporate culturally relevant care that reflects a child's culture and language which builds positive self identity and improves school readiness. I believe strongly in the Child Care Resources of King County and their mission. Congratulations to them on a job well done and I wish them twenty more years of continued success. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I have been working very hard over the last several months to extend the critical sales tax deduction for families and small businesses in my home State of Washington and in a number of other States in this country. I know how important this is to middle-class families in my State, and I have heard from so many of them about how important it is that this deduction be extended. But every time we brought forward a bill that would help these families, Republicans have banded together to block it. They would stand here on the floor and say they objected to the way we paid for this deduction or they did not like some of the other tax cut extensions we included in the bill. They gave different reasons each time, but they refused to come to the table with real solutions for this serious issue facing middle-class families. I have been urging Senate Republicans to change their minds, and finally, on Monday night, Senate Republicans came forward with a proposal. Their bill came at the 11th hour, and it stripped away all of the other tax credits that would have helped families, clean energy companies, and small businesses. Senator Baucus was here and he objected to it because he wanted to focus on a tax cut extension bill we had been working on for many months that already had the support of a majority of the Senate. But extending the sales tax deduction is too important for families in my home State of Washington to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. So over the last several days, I have talked to a number of my colleagues about this. I made sure they understood that this issue is about more than the political back-and-forth in DC; it is about real people in my home State of Washington. It is about removing a bias in the Tax Code that is fundamentally unfair to our families. It is about putting more money into their pockets at a time when they can use all the help they can get. So I am here to say that after many conversations with my colleagues on the Democratic side, they have agreed to set aside their objections and allow the sales tax deduction extension to pass this evening because, frankly, this issue shouldn't be controversial, and the livelihoods of middle-class families shouldn't be used as a political football in election year games. So in just a minute I will ask unanimous consent to pass a bill that pulls the sales tax exemption out of the legislation we had it in before, which will allow it to stand alone tonight. It is what Republicans offered us on Monday night, with one small compromise. It is very close to the version the Republicans offered. I can't imagine they are going to object to it this evening, but rather than a permanent extension that I and many others would prefer, what I will offer is to extend the sales tax exemption alone for 1 year, which will offer greater stability and confidence for middle-class families in these tough times. I believe this is a reasonable compromise, and I believe it can and ought to pass tonight. I was proud to work with my colleagues to put politics aside and advance this proposal that will help people and solve problems. It is very narrowly drafted for just the State sales tax deduction. I know it is important to my State and to many, and I hope the Republicans will allow this to go forward tonight. So I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 3617, that all after the enacting clause be stricken, and the text of S. 35, as amended, with the amendment at the desk, be inserted, and that the amendment be agreed to. I ask unanimous consent that the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements relating to the measure be printed in the Record.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I just have to say I am really confused by this because what we have offered is simply what the Republicans agreed to--offered Monday night, and I have come back to offer it again. It is perplexing to me on an issue that is so important to my State, and to several other States, that we can't now, a few days later, do this. So I am not sure we are not just having games about this. It is extremely important to people in my State, and I am deeply disconcerted that the Republicans have not agreed to allow us to just pass the State sales tax deduction for 1 year. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, while the Senator from South Dakota is here, I wish to make sure he understood what I offered tonight. It is what the Republicans offered to us on Monday night, which is the simple extension of just the sales tax deduction, which I know affects his State as well as mine, for 1 year. So I want him to understand that is all I have asked to do tonight, to just extend the sales tax deduction which I know is important to his State and to mine, and I would again ask the Senator from South Dakota if he would allow us to move forward with just that deduction this evening. Mr. President, I would again ask the Senator from South Dakota if we could just extend not the rest of the package but just the sales tax deduction, as your side offered to us on Monday night.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I congratulate Child Care Resources of King County for 20 years of service to the community. This organization is a leader in King County and occupies a critical role for children and families within the community. Through promoting equity for all children, establishing community stability, and helping children prepare for school, Child Care Resources of King County has impacted and helped shape the lives of many Washingtonians. As a former preschool teacher, on the first day of class it was easy to identify which students had participated in high-quality child care before entering my classroom. We know that children who participate in high-quality care are better prepared for school and more likely to lead a successful life. Child Care Resources of King County has worked tirelessly for 20 years to ensure children in King County have access to high-quality care and enter school well prepared. Additionally, they work to incorporate culturally relevant care that reflects a child's culture and language which builds positive self identity and improves school readiness. I believe strongly in the Child Care Resources of King County and their mission. Congratulations to them on a job well done and I wish them twenty more years of continued success. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, I thank the chairman of the Finance Committee, Senator Baucus, who has been a true champion in helping us get some critical tax extenders passed. I am deeply disappointed that the Republicans have again objected to us moving forward. Middle-class families in my home State of Washington are struggling. I have heard from so many of them who have lost their jobs, who have seen their life savings disappear, who told me they were doing everything they can to pay their bills and keep their homes and get their lives back on track. And they are asking for just a little bit of help. So it is for these families and many others across Washington State that I come to the floor today. Over the last few months, we have tried to pass legislation that would extend critical tax cuts for our middle-class families across the country who are struggling today and need some support. But every time we try to pass this bill, as we just tried to do, Senate Republicans block it. They said no to a commonsense proposal that will cut taxes for innovative companies that expand and create jobs. They just said no to a bill that will help our clean energy companies compete and expand. They said no to our plan to extend the critical sales tax deduction that would put more money into the pockets of families in States such as Washington. They said no despite the fact that these tax cuts are fully paid for. So, Madam President, I want to focus on a few pieces of this legislation that middle-class families and small businesses in my home State of Washington are counting on us to pass. First of all, I want to spend a few minutes on one of the tax credits that has just been blocked that is truly a matter of fundamental fairness for families in my home State of Washington. As all of my colleagues know, State and local governments across the country use a number of different tools to raise revenue. Some have income taxes, some use the sales tax, others use a combination of both. Families who pay State and local income taxes have long been able to offset some of what they pay for by receiving a deduction on their Federal taxes. But until 2004, taxpayers didn't have the ability to deduct their State sales tax, which meant families and small businesses in States where that was their main revenue source were paying more than their fair share. That was wrong. Back in 2004, I fought hard, along with Senator Cantwell and others, to change that provision and finally level the playing field for Washington State. I am proud to say that change saved families and small businesses in my State hundreds of millions of dollars every year. Unfortunately, however, the State sales tax deduction is due to expire this year. Unless we act--and we were just blocked from doing so--families across my State are going to suffer. They are going to have less money in their pockets, and they are going to have more uncertainty in the Tax Code. I have heard from a lot of my constituents who have told me they are now holding off making major purchases simply because they are not sure if that tax deduction will be there for them. They are putting off the purchase of cars, of home appliances, and that is hurting our State's business climate, just as our small businesses are struggling to recover. So this is not just about removing a bias in the Tax Code that is fundamentally unfair to States such as mine, it is also about encouraging spending and boosting our economy, helping our small business owners, and providing some long-awaited certainty so taxpayers in my State can plan for their financial future. In other words, it is about helping middle-class families and supporting Main Street businesses. I also want to talk about another tax credit that just got blocked. I recently visited a clean energy company in Seattle, WA, called Propel Fuels. This business has been fighting to market domestically produced--domestically produced, right here--low-carbon biodiesel, but they depend on a critical biofuels tax that expired. The bill I just attempted to pass--blocked by Republicans--would extend that critical provision. Propel Fuels represents the future of our economy. They are the kind of company that will help make sure our country remains at the forefront of innovation and growth. It is a company working to drive our economy forward and create new 21st-century careers. But they can't do it alone. After years and years of subsidies and tax breaks for the oil industry, companies such as Propel Fuels depend on the clean energy tax credits in this bill to be able to compete on a level playing field. These credits support companies that are working on new, innovative, and renewable energy sources, and they will help them continue their work to unshackle this economy, tap the creative energy of our workers, and create good, high-paying jobs in my home State of Washington and across the entire country. This is exactly what our economy needs right now--jobs right away and a strong investment for the future. That is why it is so important the biodiesel tax credit be extended, along with the R&D tax credit and other tax cut extensions that are in the bill I just offered to move and which was blocked, once again, by Republicans. These companies want to expand, they want to create jobs, and they were just told no. This should not be a partisan issue. It is common sense. We put together a bill that would extend tax credits to individuals and to small businesses--tax credits that have been supported in the past by Democrats and Republicans alike. It is a bill that will provide incentives for clean energy companies to expand and create jobs, and we need that badly now. It would allow families in my home State of Washington to deduct their local sales tax from their Federal returns, and that would support companies that are innovative and creative and helping our economy get back on track. It is fully paid for, as this country has told us we must do. It is responsible, and it is the right thing to do. In my home State of Washington, families are hurting. Many of them are fighting every day just to stay on their feet. This bill isn't going to solve every problem overnight, but it will put money back in their pockets and help our local businesses expand and create jobs so we have hope for the future. It pays for those tax-cut extensions responsibly by closing corporate loopholes. So Senate Republicans have again opposed this, as they have in the past, and the question is, Are they going to stand with middle-class families and innovative businesses such as Propel Fuels to cut their taxes; or are they going to continue to stand with large corporations to protect their unfair tax loopholes? Mr. President, I hope Senate Republicans have a moment to pause and think about the impact they are having on jobs and families--middle- class families and businesses that are trying to create new jobs and expand for the future. I hope they remind themselves before we head home this is good politics. It is good politics to help our families and our small businesses. It is good politics to help our clean energy companies. Right now, when our economy is trying to recover, we should not go home without extending these tax cuts, and I am going to keep working to stand up for our middle-class families and our Main Street businesses and keep working to try and pass this bill. Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Finance Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 4994, taxpayer assistance, and the Senate then proceed to its immediate consideration; that all after the enacting clause be stricken and the text of the Baucus substitute amendment, the text of Calendar No. 572, S. 3793, be inserted in lieu thereof; that the substitute amendment be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table; that the title amendment, which is at the desk, be considered and agreed to.

Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, I ask to speak as in morning business for 10 minutes.