Harry Reid

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. I send two resolutions to the desk and ask unanimous consent for their immediate consideration.

Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to en bloc, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table en bloc, with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, just moments ago we passed a resolution appointing Drew Willison as the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate. The importance of this appointment cannot be overstated. While Senators and their staffs come and go, the office of the Sergeant at Arms provides much needed stability to support this great institution. To put things in perspective, Drew Willison is only the 39th Sergeant at Arms in the entire history of the Senate. That is 230 plus years. By contrast, there have been 1,950 Senators who have served in this body since its inception. As the Senate Sergeant at Arms, Drew's duties include the security and safety of the 6,500 Senate employees, as well as the millions of visitors who come to the Capitol each year. Drew's predecessor, Terry Gainer, did a phenomenal job as Sergeant at Arms, and Drew is left with his big shoes to fill. Terry Gainer was not a partisan, nor is Drew Willison. That is how this office should function. I know he is up to the task. As Booker T. Washington said, ``Nothing ever comes to one, that is worth having, except as a result of hard work.'' Even though Drew did not seek this position, it has come to him because of his hard work. He will thrive in the Sergeant at Arms office because of his work ethic. I know because I have witnessed his work over the years. He first came to my office a long time ago, in 1997. He was a fellow for the Environmental Protection Agency. His talents were seen very quickly by me and my staff. So then, rather than going back to the EPA, he became a member of my personal staff. Again, his talents were recognized immediately. I decided it would be important that he move to the Appropriations Committee. He became the chief clerk on our Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and did a remarkably good job. I mention his nonpartisan approach to what he did. During those years of his working for me--I can't speak for when he was there after I became inactive on that Appropriations Committee--but while I was there those many years--I was either the chairman or the ranking member of that committee for years. The person opposite me was Pete Domenici from New Mexico. It didn't matter who the chairman was, quite frankly. We worked so well together in those days when we worked together. We would finish the energy and water bill on the floor in one day. We would bring it out of committee and finish it in one day. We worked together. Drew Willison was the chief clerk, and when he wasn't the chief clerk, he was the second in command--whatever that is. We just breezed through that subcommittee--billions and billions of dollars, the safety and security of the nuclear arsenal we have, and so many different issues in that subcommittee that were important to the country, as they are today. But now we can't even--we have such difficulty at getting a bill passed. We did it then in one day--in just a few hours many times. So Drew is really a talented man. He is a very quick learner. Everyone who has worked with him over the years came to the realization very quickly: Tell him what you want him to do; he did it with a smile, he did it well, and he did it right. During my tenure with this good man, now the Sergeant at Arms, his talents were invaluable to the success of my office. For 5 years he has been the Deputy Sergeant at Arms. He has been Chief Gainer's right-hand man, and that is an understatement. He has done such a remarkably good job because of his hard work and his diligence. In the process, he has helped make this Capitol a better and safer place to work and to visit. Now, as the mantel of leading the Sergeant at Arms office falls to him, I have no doubt that he will, once again, prove himself. The Senate and the many people who visit and work in the Capitol are in good hands with Drew Willison at the helm. I wish him the very best. All I say to Drew Willison is to continue to be the person he has been and he will be a success as the Sergeant at Arms. National Travel and Tourism Week Mr. President, this week is National Travel and Tourism Week. As a Senator from Nevada, I know how important the travel and tourism industry is to this Nation. Las Vegas alone attracts more than 40 million visitors each year, and 8 million come from across the globe. All told, travel and tourism generates $45 billion in revenue for the Las Vegas economy while employing 400,000 Nevadans. This industry's impact is not unique in Nevada. People go to the Presiding Officer's State of Maine year-round. It slows down a little in the wintertime, but people go there year-round because of the beauty of the State of Maine. I have only been to Maine on one occasion, but I went as a tourist. I wanted to see that beautiful State, and I was able to do that. It is the same in virtually every State in America. Tourism is the No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3 driving economic influence of every State. So recognizing Travel and Tourism Week is more than just simple talk; it is important to do that. Annually, travel and tourism contribute more than $2 trillion to the national economy. It supplies 15 million jobs to Americans, and these are jobs that don't ship overseas. In fact, tourism is the Nation's No. 1 export. While it is important to recognize National Travel and Tourism Week, just mentioning the industry's strength is not enough. As with any profitable business, investment helps. It will do the same in tourism, and we have proven that over the last few years. A small investment in travel and business does great things for America. As I recall, there were about five filibusters we had to overcome on this legislation, but we did overcome them, and we finally passed it in 2010. President Obama signed this into law. It is called the Travel Promotion Act. After we passed the law, this entity was led by a man named Stephen Cloobeck. Stephen Cloobeck is a businessman, and he has been a successful businessman. He is now extremely successful in the time- sharing business and in other areas. But he was really a good leader of that entity when it was first created, and that wasn't easy. There were a lot of bumps in the road. But being the exceptionally good businessman that he was and is, it worked out well. His leadership was phenomenal. In countries all over the world, Brand USA--that is what it is called, Brand USA--advertisements come at no cost to the American taxpayers, and these entice foreign travelers to visit America. By any measure, the Travel Promotion Act has been an incredible success. But don't take my word for it. An independent analysis found that Brand USA helped to generate more than 1 million new visitors to the United States, and it is only going to get better. Those international visitors spent $3.4 billion last year. Increasing international tourism and visitation to the United States creates jobs. On average, our international visitors stay longer in our Nation's hotels and they spend more money in our stores and restaurants than domestic travelers. One out of every four visitors who come to Las Vegas comes from outside the United States. Nearly 20 percent of all visitors, which is obvious from those numbers I just gave, come to Las Vegas from abroad. So it is clear that Brand USA is helping our Nation's tourism industry, and it is helping our Nation capitalize on this growing market of tourism. That is why the Senate passed an immigration bill that is currently stuck in the House of Representatives. This legislation includes a permanent reauthorization for the Travel Promotion Act and Brand USA. Unfortunately, the House of Representatives has so far refused to take up an immigration reform bill. We did our work, and it was led by four Democrats and four Republicans. The four Democrats: Senators Schumer, Durbin, Menendez, and Bennet; the four Republicans: Senators Rubio, Flake, McCain, and Graham. They did good work. It could not have been done without them. Our Nation's travel industry, though, needs us to do more. Recognizing the importance of tourism, it is so important we proceed and help the tourism industry by passing the immigration reform bill. I mentioned the good work done by these eight Senators. The current president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and former chairman of the U.S. Association--his name is Rossi Ralenkotter--has stressed the need for investment in our Nation's infrastructure. As we invest in airports, rail, and roads--we certainly do not do enough, but when we do, we are effectively opening this Nation's doors to our visitors. By providing safe, efficient travel for tourists, we can also ensure that the American travel industry has a reliable flow of business. Our commitment to bolstering tourism must amount to more than just concrete and metal. We must ensure that not only do we invite people here--and they come from across the world--but that we are also facilitating their arrival and their departure. In the Senate immigration bill we make it easier for tourists to come to America by increasing the number of Customs and Border Patrol agents who process international visitors. We hope as tourists from foreign nations become more comfortable with traveling to the United States they will do so more frequently. We are fast approaching the anniversary of the immigration bill's passage in the Senate. Yet this bipartisan bill sits idling in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, and the Republicans seem to be content to continue to ``idle,'' a code word for doing nothing. There are many urgent reasons we must pass the immigration bill and travel promotion is one of them. We cannot be content to do nothing in promoting the United States to the world because ultimately travel promotion is job promotion. It is about creating jobs. It is about growing our economy. It is about keeping the United States competitive in the world travel business. So this week as we consider the incredible impact of travel and tourism on our Nation's economy, I invite my colleagues in Congress to continue to invest in this vital industry. If we are successful, we will make sure America remains the ultimate tourist destination for decades to come. I see on the floor the distinguished senior Senator from Minnesota. Her work on getting this Travel Promotion Act passed was superb. Her efforts continue to make sure it is working well in the immigration bill. No one has helped more than the senior Senator from Minnesota. She is a good legislator, and she has proven that to me many times. Her work on this legislation reminds me how tenacious she is.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, today I wish everyone, especially Mexican Americans across the country and in Nevada, a happy Cinco de Mayo. All Americans, regardless of background, join with the Mexican-American community in commemorating the causes of freedom, liberty, and Hispanic heritage represented by this holiday. There are celebrations all over America today. Driving to work this morning, I saw a couple of people with great big sombreros wanting to come to one of the celebrations in and around Washington. So this is a wonderful holiday we all celebrate.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 368, S. 2262, the Shaheen-Portman energy efficiency legislation.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, following my remarks and those of the Republican leader, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 11:15 a.m., with the time equally divided and controlled. At 11:15 a.m. there will be three rollcall votes, cloture on two U.S. district judges from Maryland and cloture on a U.S. circuit judge for the Tenth Circuit. At 1:45 p.m. there will be up to four rollcall votes on confirmation of the U.S. district judges in Maryland and the circuit judge. Tribute to Terry Gainer

Mr. REID. Mr. President, there are a number of us who have large families. I have five children and lots of grandchildren, but the person about whom I am going to speak has an even larger family than I have. Terry Gainer has a huge family. He and his wife Irene have 6 children and 14 grandchildren, but that is just the beginning because he has 10 siblings himself. His family extends far beyond the immediate family I just talked about. As the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate, Terry Gainer has taken care of roughly 6,500 people who work in the Senate and all the facilities around here, but that is not the end of it. He is also someone who is concerned and feels responsible for the thousands and thousands of people who come to this building every day. They are also a part of his family. So he has a huge family, and he has nurtured and taken care of his family, from his wife Irene to the thousands of people whom he has never known and never will know who come into this building, and he has done a wonderful job. Senators and staffers are oftentimes split along ideological lines, but we all agree on one thing: We are utterly dependent on the Sergeant at Arms office, and we are aware of the wonderful job Terry Gainer has done as Sergeant at Arms. The daily needs of the world's greatest deliberative body are not few in number, and Chief Gainer has been up to this task. As the Sergeant at Arms, he has been responsible for the enforcement of Senate rules as well as the security of the Capitol and Senate office buildings. I try not to talk about this often, even though I would like to talk about it more than I do. For a number of years of my life I was a police officer. I was a Capitol policeman. I have my badge in my office across the hall from here, and I am very proud of that. I was a Capitol policeman, but today the Capitol policemen who work in this facility and around this great building and all the office buildings have so many more responsibilities than someone who was a police officer during my day. Every minute of every day we have evil people trying to do harm to these beautiful buildings and the people who work in them. It is the responsibility of the Sergeant at Arms and the Capitol Police--for whom he is responsible--to take care of us, and he has done an admirable job. We are confident in him every day. Under his leadership, the day-to-day operation of the Senate has never been better, even though we have been through some difficult times with the government shutdown, sequestration, and all of those issues that have been very difficult, but none of this is surprising considering that Terry Gainer has been in public service for almost 50 years. He was a young homicide detective in Chicago. He comes from Chicago. He did a lot of things as a police officer. He is a lawyer. He has been Chief of the Capitol Police. Over the many years I have seen Chief Gainer--that is what I call him, Chief Gainer. I don't call him Mr. Gainer or Terry, I call him Chief because to me he will always be the Chief of Police of the U.S. Capitol Police Force, for whom he did an admirable job. I check with the officers often and ask: How are things going? I think that during the time he was the Chief of Police, the positive attitude of the police officers has been significant because of his experience with the bad guys and his ability to do such a good job. They felt very confident in his leadership abilities. He has been a wonderful Sergeant at Arms. Only one of his functions is to take care of the Capitol police. As his time in the Senate comes to an end, Terry leaves his successor with an organization that has weathered a government shutdown, as I mentioned, a crippling sequestration, and is adequately prepared for the challenges of the future. I try to be as praiseworthy as I feel is appropriate, but having done that, I know I have not done justice to Terry Gainer. I will truly miss him. I will miss him significantly. He is somebody we can all turn to, and he is very direct; whether it is the latest big problem we had with some issues dealing with the Intelligence Committee and their battles with the CIA, whatever it is, he has the ability to step forward and put out the flames. I say to Terry Gainer: I am going to miss you. I have great affection for you. I have great confidence in your having a wonderful future. You have experience that very few people in the world have, and I wish you the very best in all of your future endeavors and that of your wife Irene and all the kids. Tribute to Daryl Chappelle Mr. President, not everybody knows the next individual I am about to acknowledge. He has a job in a small part of this great Capitol complex. He is retiring after having been a Senate employee for approximately 40 years. His name is Daryl Chappelle. When I first came to the Senate, all rides to the office building were in an old train. It was, as they still are, old, old, old. They would crunch and bang as they went along the tracks. The handicapped can't get on those trains. But a Republican Senator from Oklahoma who is now retired and I worked to change that so the train system would not be the old, dilapidated trains, and now all the people coming from Hart and Dirksen are in these beautiful enclosed trains that you can wheel a wheelchair in without any effort whatsoever, and that is wonderful. There is a person there to help people who travel from the Old Senate Office Building, as it was called when I was there. It is now called the Russell Building. They still have this old train, and Daryl is always there. He is so nice and greets everybody who comes on those trains. We all recognize him when we are trying to get from here to the Russell Building. He has operated the underground trains that run between the Capitol office buildings for 41 years. He has a smile that covers his whole face. He has a voice that is infectious. You can hear him when he laughs, and we will all miss that. I join my colleagues in wishing Daryl all the best as he embarks on his much needed and deserved retirement. Recognition of the Minority Leader

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I yield back the time.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, we are going to have one more recorded vote. The next vote will be on Monday at 5:30. We will have two votes at that time.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, the motion to proceed to S. 2262 is now pending?

Mr. REID. I have a cloture motion that I would ask to be reported.

Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent the mandatory quorum required under rule XXII be waived.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate now proceed to a period of morning business with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I understand that S. 2280 introduced earlier today by Senators Landrieu and Hoeven is at the desk, and I ask for its first reading.

Mr. REID. I ask for a second reading but object to my own request.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 2 p.m. on Monday, May 5, 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 be in a period of morning business until 5:30 p.m., with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each; and that at 5:30 p.m., the Senate proceed to executive session under the previous order.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, there will be two rollcall votes at 5:30 p.m.

Mr. REID

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

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 354, the minimum-wage legislation.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, following my remarks and those of the Republican leader, the Senate will be in morning business until 10:30 a.m. this morning. The Republicans will control the first half and the majority will control the final half. Following morning business, the time until noon will be equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees prior to a cloture vote on the motion to proceed to the minimum-wage bill at 12 p.m. today. At 4 p.m. there will be additional rollcall votes in relation to nominations. Mr. President, later today, as I have announced, we are going to have, we hope, the beginning of a debate on the increase of the Federal minimum wage. Millions of American workers will be watching how each Senator votes today. To them it is a matter of survival. They will be observing to see if we ensure that a full-time worker in America receives a livable wage. For Republicans, this vote will demonstrate whether they truly care about our economy. Republicans have fashioned themselves over the years as defenders of the economy. Congressional Republicans have told the American people they are the party of jobs and financial prosperity. How illogical then that the Senate Republicans today will not be supportive of legislation to increase the minimum wage. What is preventing my Republican colleagues from giving the American workers a livable wage--a fair shot--knowing that 75 percent of the American people support increasing the minimum wage? If Americans are searching for an answer as to why they would refuse to raise the minimum wage, they should look no farther than the Republicans' billionaire benefactors--I repeat, billionaire benefactors--the Koch brothers. Absolutely no one was surprised yesterday when Americans for Prosperity, which is only one of the Koch-funded political organizations, instructed Republicans in Congress to vote against a minimum-wage increase. They said: We are going to score this vote. What does that mean? It means if you vote yes, you are not going to get any help from Charlie and David. They want a ``no'' vote so they can make Charlie and Dave happy. In case any of their followers in the Senate were to experience a change of heart and be inclined to vote for an increase, the organizations have warned that they will really go after these people. Again, I repeat, score the vote. In other words, when it comes time for the Koch brothers to play the role of Santa Claus, Republicans should know that Charles and David are making a list and checking it twice--probably more than that. Even though 75 percent of Americans support this legislation--and our economy stands to profit from a wage increase--the will of the Koch brothers seems to be the top priority for my Republican colleagues. Former Governor Pawlenty, who was considered by many people in the last election cycle to be the right person for the Republicans to nominate for President, came out today strongly and said words to the effect of: I am not afraid of the Koch brothers. I believe the minimum wage should be increased. My Republican colleagues should listen to this respected Republican leader. To add to the Republicans' theater of the absurd, the House of Representatives Budget Committee is holding a hearing today on poverty in America. How about that. The Presiding Officer will recall that committee chairman Paul Ryan ran for Vice President. He was part of the ticket that labeled 47 percent of Americans as moochers and not deserving the Republicans' attention--moochers. Representative Paul Ryan himself has even called struggling Americans ``takers.'' Taking into account his well- documented disdain for hard-working Americans trying to help their families, I am anxious to learn how Representative Ryan plans to eradicate poverty since he considers them takers and moochers. Maybe he will need to check with the Koch brothers first, as it seems he did with his recent budget proposal. While House Republicans hold hearings and Senate Republicans do nothing, Senate Democrats are doing something. We continue to propose meaningful legislation, such as this minimum-wage bill, that gives American families a fair shot at prosperity. The Republicans filibustered extended unemployment benefits. They filibustered giving women the right to make the same amount of money as men. Why should my daughter get 77 cents when a man doing the same job she does gets $1? It is unfair, but they filibustered that. We are going to continue to propose meaningful legislation. Senate Republicans assert that increasing the minimum wage will not help working families. That assertion is not only wrong, it makes no sense. It is illogical. Twenty-eight million Americans stand to benefit from an increase in the minimum wage. I repeat: About 10 percent of all Americans stand to gain from the legislation before this body. We are going to vote to see if we can begin debate at noon today. Republicans assert that boosting the minimum wage would hurt businesses and slow down our economic recovery. Almost 75 percent of small businesses support raising the minimum wage. Why? It creates more business for them. It is good for the economy. The assertion that boosting the minimum wage would hurt businesses, again, is wrong and it is illogical. Researchers at the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank have found consumer spending increases--yes, increases--dramatically following a minimum- wage hike and businesses reap the benefits of a minimum-wage increase. That is what these experts said. This minimum-wage legislation is good for American workers, businesses, and the economy, but Republicans refuse to even allow us to debate the issue. Instead, they have signaled their intention to filibuster the minimum-wage legislation just as they have filibustered virtually everything the President suggested during the past 5 years. When it comes to helping working-class families, the Republicans in Washington are echoing what the Republican leader declared last week in Kentucky: It is not my job to create jobs. Well, it is his job. It is the Republicans' job, it is my job, and it is the job of every Member of Congress to do everything we can to help create jobs. That is why in addition to raising the minimum wage, which will create jobs, we believe there should be something done about the infrastructure deficit we have in this country which would help create tens of thousands of jobs. It is so badly needed. Today we have an opportunity to help our hard-working constituents from sea to shining sea and show them that we are attentive to their needs. I urge my Republican colleagues to join us and Governor Pawlenty and give American workers a fair shot at the American dream by ensuring they are paid a livable wage. At the end of the day our job is to give every American a fair shot to provide for themselves and their families--no welfare, just a job. Reservation of Leader Time Will the Chair announce the business of the day.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. I note the absence of a quorum.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. I enter a motion to reconsider the vote on which cloture was not invoked on the motion to proceed to S. 2223.

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

Mr. REID. Madam President, yesterday, all America watched while Commissioner Adam Silver and the National Basketball Association acted justly in punishing Donald Sterling for his harmful racist behavior. Commissioner Silver banned Mr. Sterling from the NBA for life, and there was a $2.5 million fine. I, along with most all of America, applaud the NBA's work in swiftly moving to stamp out bigotry from its ranks. Commissioner Silver and the NBA leadership have set the standard for how professional sports organizations should act in the face of racism. I wonder today how the leadership in the National Football League, the NFL--that money-making machine--I wonder if they have taken notice of the NBA's decisive action? How long will the NFL continue to do nothing--zero--as one of its teams bears a name that inflicts so much pain on Native Americans? I have 22 tribal organizations in Nevada. All over America, especially in the western part of the United States--but not only in the western part of the United States--we have large numbers of Native Americans. It is untoward of Daniel Snyder to try and hide behind ``tradition''--tradition? That is what he says--in refusing to change the name of the team. Tradition? What tradition? A tradition of racism is all that name leaves in its wake. Mr. Snyder knows that in sports the only tradition that matters is winning. So I urge Daniel Snyder to do what is morally right and remove this degrading term from the league by changing his team's name. It has been done before--right here in Washington, DC. Seventeen years ago, the owner of the Washington Bullets, the late Abe Pollin--a wonderful man--saw all the gun violence and murders taking place in the DC area. And what did he do? He voluntarily decided that name--the Washington Bullets--was not any good and changed it. He did not want his team to be associated with bullets. So he changed the name of the organization from the Washington Bullets to the Washington Wizards. We have all followed the Washington Wizards over the last couple weeks. They are now in the second round of the playoffs. We are all happy about that. They have struggled for a long time. We support--the American people support--the Wizards, as do the people in the DC metropolitan area. Wizards is a good name. Don't you think Daniel Snyder can come up with a name? It should be easy. He could invite the fans to choose a name. He could ask high school kids to come up with a name. Anything they came up with, with rare exception, would be better than the Washington team name they have now. But since Snyder fails to show any leadership, the National Football League should take an assist from the NBA and pick up the slack. It would be a slam dunk, Madam President. For far too long, the NFL has been sitting on its hands, doing nothing, while an entire population of Americans has been denigrated. So I say to Commissioner Roger Goodell--I believe Roger Goodell is a good man--it is time to act. Remove this hateful term from your league's vocabulary. Follow the NBA's example and rid the league of bigotry and racism. I am sure your fans will support it. I suggest the absence of a quorum.