Harry Reid

Mr. REID

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

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to H. Con. Res. 88, which was received from the House and is at the desk.

Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent the concurrent resolution be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 250.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, following my remarks and those of the Republican leader, the Senate will resume consideration of H.R. 3979, which is the legislative vehicle for the Unemployment Insurance Extension bill, with the time until 10 a.m. equally divided and controlled. The filing deadline is 9:30 a.m. today. At 10 a.m. there will be a cloture vote on the Reed amendment. Additional votes are expected throughout the day. Senators will be notified when they are scheduled. Measures Placed on the Calendar--S. 2198 and S. 2199

Mr. REID. Mr. President, there are two bills at the desk due for a second reading.

Mr. REID. I would object to any further proceedings to both of these matters at this time.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, in what has become an annual frustration for the American people, the tea party-controlled House Budget Committee released its budget proposal yesterday. This budget is frustrating for Americans because it doesn't reflect what they envision for this Nation. In fact, the Ryan budget more closely resembles the wants of the multibillionaire Koch brothers than it does a pattern for helping America. For those who haven't seen the prequels; that is, the newest budget proposal, it is the same old story, and it is a story of broken promises--of broken promises to our children, to our seniors, and to our families. To our children we have promised we will protect and provide for them, safeguarding them during the vulnerable years of childhood and adolescence--at least try to do everything we can to help them. Yet by repealing the expansion of health care to millions of Americans by cutting Medicaid by $1.5 trillion, the Ryan-Koch budget tells our Nation's children they are on their own. We must provide for our children by supplying the tools they need to succeed--most importantly, a quality education. But evidently House Republicans don't see the need for us to invest in education because their budget slashes tens of billions of dollars in funding for schools and rolls back Federal financial aid to college students. The Koch-Ryan budget breaks the promise to seniors we have had in existence since the Great Depression. It would be the end of Medicare as we know it. Health insurance premiums for seniors would skyrocket as would their prescription costs. Finally, a Ryan-Koch budget breaks a promise to every American family that we in the Federal Government have given them; that by working hard and playing by the rules, they can get ahead. That isn't what the Ryan- Koch budget would allow. What do the Republicans propose to do with this money they cut from Medicare, Medicaid, and education? They will create more tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy, but it is more than that. It is some of the things not written--these holes in the budget that we have heard before. We know they want to whack Social Security. They are just afraid to put it in writing. The Koch budget would cut the corporate tax rate to 25 percent and lower the top individual tax rate for America's highest earners. I guess what I would say to the House Budget Committee and all the House Members--Democrats and Republicans--isn't $80 billion personal wealth of the Koch brothers enough? I think most everyone would say, yes, it is enough, but not the Koch brothers. They want more. They are the richest people in the world. Individually they are only fifth, but put them together and they are the richest in the world. Under this budget I have talked about, middle-class families would pay about $2,000 a year more in taxes, but the rich would pay less. Democrats believe in growing the economy from the middle out, but the Republicans are still trapped in the trickle-down economics based on handouts to the superwealthy and special interests. Perhaps the Ryan-Koch budget is summarized best by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities' Robert Greenstein: ``More poverty and less opportunity.'' That is what their budget is all about: more poverty, less opportunity. So whether it is current law such as the Affordable Care Act or much needed legislation such as comprehensive immigration reform or an overhaul of the tax system, I ask my Republican colleagues to work with us for a better America. Recognition of the Republican Leader

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Reserving the right to object, Mr. President, we have had millions of people over the last many months who have lost their unemployment benefits. In most instances it is real tragic. Many of the people who lost these benefits are past middle age. Because of the recession they lost their jobs they had for a long time and they cannot find work. We have read into the Record the tragic stories about people using their Social Security to try to save their son's home. We have the woman who is couch surfing. She said, ``I didn't know what the term meant. Now I know.'' They have had to struggle without extended unemployment benefits. The senior Senator from Rhode Island has negotiated a bipartisan fix to this. It has basically given the Republicans everything they asked for. Everything is paid for. There is no disagreement as to the pay- fors. It hasn't increased the deficit at all. In fact, it would stimulate the economy significantly. We have been told by economist Mark Zandi, John McCain's chief economic advisor when he ran for President, we have been told by him and others that unemployment benefits stimulate the economy quicker and faster and more efficiently than any other thing we do, because they are desperate for money and they spend it. But in spite of the bipartisan agreement negotiated with Senator Jack Reed, Senator Heller from Nevada and other Republicans, we have the vast majority of Republican Senators doing the same thing they have done for a long time. They respond in their usual way. When they face a bill they are trying to kill, they try to change the subject-- diversion. Now already on this piece of legislation before the Senate today we have more than 24 amendments that have been filed by Republicans dealing with ObamaCare alone, in spite of the fact--in spite of the fact--that yesterday it was announced that there are 7.1 million people who have already signed up. That doesn't count the 14 State exchanges that will get another 900,000, it is estimated, plus the 2-week extension in which hundreds of thousands more will sign up. They are tone deaf. They have got to go to some other issue. But they cannot. There are more than two dozen amendments on this bill alone dealing with ObamaCare, repealing it in different ways. Several other amendments have been singled out that we have before the body to attack the administration's efforts to protect the environment. The protests of Republican Senators to the contrary notwithstanding, these amendments show that the other side of the aisle is not serious about unemployment insurance benefits. They are more concerned about protecting the Koch brothers. This is the behavior of Senators who want to kill something, who want to kick up enough dust so they don't get blamed for what they are trying to do. What are they trying to do? Kill extended unemployment benefits. So I object.

Mr. REID. Reserving the right to object, I clearly understood the diversion-and-delay tactics of my friend from Louisiana, and I object.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I move to table and ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. REID

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

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, one of the privileges of addressing the Senate each morning is the opportunity to call attention to what I believe and what I think the country believes are noble causes. I certainly hope so. Today is World Autism Awareness Day. To the Americans who have autism and the millions of family and friends affected by this condition, one day is simply not enough to focus on this misunderstood illness, but it helps--and we certainly hope it does. Autism is a general term for a group of complex disorders of brain developments affecting social interaction, communication, and behavior. According to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control--in fact, the report came out this week--1 in 68 children is diagnosed with having some form of autism in our country. As more and more children are identified as being autistic, it is important we in Congress do all we can to provide them, their families, and their caretakers, the help that is so vitally necessary. Under the Affordable Care Act, autism screenings and other preventive services are available at no cost to families. For those diagnosed with autism, the days of being denied health insurance due to their preexisting condition ended with the passage and implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Today, because of the Affordable Care Act, adult children with autism may stay on their parents' policies through age 26, providing them with the stability and additional treatment they need. With benefits such as these, it is no wonder that more than 7 million people have sought health coverage under the Affordable Care Act. This doesn't count the estimated 800,000 to 900,000 people on 14 State exchanges. But in addition, everyone who tried to sign up during the last many months and were unable to get through, for whatever reason, are also now going to be signing up, which will add hundreds of thousands of more people. So the numbers are pretty clear. The estimate given by the White House many months ago, which my Republican colleagues made fun of, has now been exceeded. So maybe they will quiet down and stop talking about repealing this bill that affects millions and millions of people favorably. While the health care law is helping autistic Americans who have been diagnosed and their families, researchers at the National Institutes of Health are tackling the question of why this disease is here, what are the origins of this condition. Research is critical in supporting development tools, interventions, and evidence-based services to help provide a quality of life for people in the autism spectrum. Over the last year, researchers funded by NIH have made significant advances in understanding the onset of autism. They have learned that brain changes that contribute to autism occur even during pregnancy and continue through the first years of life. They have also concluded that some of the possible signs of autism may begin to appear within the first 6 months it can be identified. The work at the NIH in understanding the problem cannot be understated, but far more needs to follow to better comprehend autism. Congress also has responsibilities. One is providing resources to the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control, and we need to do that. My friend Senator Durbin has introduced legislation that would focus on ways we can provide more help that is badly needed. With sequestration and the other cuts which have taken place it has been unfair to these two agencies. The Achieving Better Life Experience Act--also known as the ABLE Act--would improve the quality of life for individuals with autism and other disabilities through tax-advantaged savings accounts. These special savings accounts would help disabled Americans and their loved ones plan for the future by setting aside money to cover future expenses, including education, housing, therapy, and rehabilitation. I am a sponsor of the ABLE Act and proud to stand with all advocates in celebrating today World Autism Awareness Day.

Mr. REID

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

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, from time to time I have to express my apologies to everyone--staff, the Presiding Officer--but I just can't come to the floor until we know what we are going to do tomorrow, and that takes a lot of time. That is what is going on while I am in my office. So I apologize to everyone. I am sorry that things take so long, and it appears we are doing nothing, but there are things being done.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 409.

Mr. REID. 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. REID

Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business tonight, we adjourn until 9:30 a.m., Thursday, April 3, 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 H.R. 3979; and that all time during adjournment count postcloture on the Reed amendment to H.R. 3979.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, we are doing our best to reach an agreement both on the unemployment insurance and some executive nominations during tomorrow's session.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand adjourned under the previous order.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 250.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, following my remarks and those of the Republican leader, the Senate will be in a period of morning business for 1 hour, with the majority controlling the first half and the Republicans the final half. Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of H.R. 3979, the legislative vehicle for the unemployment insurance extension legislation. The Senate will recess, as we do every Tuesday, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m., to allow for our weekly caucus meetings. Koch Brothers

Mr. REID. Mr. President, as I went about my business in the Senate yesterday, I was informed the Koch brothers are at it again. We know they are at it, but now they are at it in Nevada, among other places. I am told one of their puppet organizations is going to run commercials against me in Nevada. That is quite interesting. As I understand it, they had focused on places where there is an election. They may not know it, but I am not running for anything for a few years, until my 6-year term is up. What issues will they raise in those ads they say they are going to run in Nevada? That by my criticizing the Koch brothers, I have attacked their freedom of speech. The gall of these two brothers is staggering. Keep in mind, they are the fifth richest people not in whatever State they live in--they have lots of different homes in America--but they are the fifth richest people in the world. These two mogul multibillionaires are so eager to force their will on the American people that they will do it even in the face of their own hypocrisy, which we have already established some time ago. I am beginning to think April Fools' Day arrived 1 day early. See, it is a fool's errand for the Koch brothers to think they can use their money to frighten me or to brainwash Nevadans or the rest of the country. They are spending lots of money to try to do that. People of this Nation trace their freedom of speech back to the Constitution, not a bank account which has lots and lots of zeros at the end. The Koch brothers are trying to use their immense wealth to buy their way around the laws and regulations of this Nation to make themselves even richer. Everything they do is so selfish, so self-centered in an effort to make them--I guess the sixth richest is not good enough, the fifth richest isn't good enough. They want to be the richest because they are into making money and as much as they can. There is nothing wrong with that, except what they are doing with their money. I know they say: Well, we gave money in--I think--New York City to cancer research. But what they have done to damage the National Institutes of Health is not possible to measure. Here are the rules the multibillionaire Koch brothers want to play by: They should be allowed to say false and misleading statements about the Affordable Care Act, but we are not allowed to criticize them for it. Just listening to the news, and I haven't heard anything from the White House directly, but I am told that yesterday, in 1 day, more people signed up for ObamaCare than the previous 3 months. People are anxious to have health insurance. They are anxious to have health insurance. I have been very satisfied that I and Members of my caucus and people around the country have been standing up to these moguls and their false, misleading, fearmongering ways. It should be no surprise that these multimillionaire, billionaires, very, very rich, fifth richest people in the world have decided: What we will do is try to frighten Reid. There have been times in my life when I have been a little afraid, but I am not afraid of them. I understand they have spent $30,000. Let them spend $300,000 in Nevada. I don't care--and I truly don't. These oil barons have commissioned a group--one of their many organizations. As I have said on the floor, most of the ads we see we think have come from Americans for Prosperity. That is their name. But they funnel money through many organizations--the chamber of commerce. What does the chamber do with those ads? Run ads against Democratic Senators because the chamber of commerce is a Republican-oriented organization, and it is good to get money from the Koch brothers because they can hide under the chamber of commerce. This organization they are now floating around that is going to run these ads, against me I am told, is called American Encore. It was previously called the Center to Protect Patient Rights. I guess that didn't work so well, as well more than 10 million people have now signed up for ObamaCare, people who didn't have the opportunity before. I guess they decided running ads against me is more important than protecting patients' rights, so now they came up with another catchy name, American Encore. No matter what they call their organization or the myriad of organizations, they all have one stated purpose, to make these oil barons even richer. If anyone needs further proof--and I am not sure anyone does--take a look at the legislation they have influenced with their money. In recent years, the tea party-driven House of Representatives has never missed a chance to funnel more tax cuts to the wealthy by raising taxes on the middle class. The vast majority of wealthy people in America are willing to do more. They have spoken to my friend the Presiding Officer. There are a lot of rich people in the State of New Jersey. Even though the Presiding Officer has worked with people who are badly in need of help, people in New Jersey have walked up to the Presiding Officer and said: I am willing to pay more--and the same in Nevada. But every time we try to do something to get a few more resources to build roads, bridges, highways, dams, water systems, sewer systems, Republicans in the Congress say no. The Republicans in Congress do not represent mainstream Republicans in America today. They don't even represent mainstream rich Republicans around the country. They are driven by and they are afraid of the tea party. We have a budget proposal coming out today from the House of Representatives. The person who ran for Vice President the last go- around on the Republican ticket is the chairman of the Budget Committee and he is coming out with a budget. It is a blueprint for a modern ``Kochtopia.'' In fact, call it whatever one wants. We might as well call it the Koch budget because that is whom they are protecting, the Koch brothers. I am fascinated by this. These proposals are called the Path to Prosperity. It is a path to prosperity for some people--the rich-- because that budget would end Medicare as we know it. Similar to the last budget the chairman of the Budget Committee in the House came out with, it would slash education funding while expanding tax loopholes for the megarich. Whose prosperity is being plotted in these schemes? Today, as we get closer to the new Ryan budget, we will have to see how much of the Koch brothers' agenda is reflected in this year's budget. We don't have to be a fortune teller to know the similarities are extensive. To any and all groups that wish to attack me on behalf of multibillionaires, fire away. I am very happy--I am even proud--to be targeted by those attacks and will gladly endure them in order to call attention to the unscrupulous acts of these two barons. But don't expect Americans to go along with their attempt to rig our democracy and hand it over to a couple of power-hungry tycoons--I guess from Kansas. I know they have homes in New York, and one of them lives near here. The country will be watching but not fooled by the Koch brothers' attempts to purchase influence for whom--for the Koch brothers.

Mr. REID

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

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Madam President, I now ask unanimous consent that today at 2:15 p.m. the Senate proceed to executive session to consider Calendar Nos. 532 and 683; that there be 15 minutes for debate equally divided between the two leaders or their designees; that upon the use or yielding back of that time, the Senate proceed to vote with no intervening action or debate on the nominations in the order listed, with 2 minutes for debate equally divided in the usual form between the votes; that all after the first vote be 10 minutes in length; that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to the nominations; that any statements related to the nominations be printed in the Record; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate then resume legislative session.