Harry Reid

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. As do we.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 25, 2014, at 9 a.m.

Mr. REID. 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 February 25, 2014, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Reauthorizing Tria: The State of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Market, Part II.''

Mr. REID. 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 February 25, 2014, at 10 a.m., in room 430 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building to conduct a hearing entitled ``Examining Mental Health: Treatment Options and Trends.''

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 25, 2014, at 10 a.m., in room SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Nominations.''

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 25, 2014, at 2 p.m., to conduct a joint hearing with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs for the legislative presentation of the Disabled American Veterans The Committee will meet in room 345 of the Cannon House Office Building.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 25, 2014, at 2:30 p.m.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights, be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 25, 2014, at 2:30 p.m., in room SH-216 of the Hart Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Reassessing Solitary Confinement II: The Human Rights, Fiscal, and Public Safety Consequences.''

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 25, 2014, at 3:30 p.m., to hold a Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs subcommittee hearing entitled, ``Lebanon at the Crossroads.''

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Oversight of the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 25, 2014, at 2 p.m., in room SD-406 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing, entitled, ``Natural Resource Adaptation: Protecting ecosystems and economies.''

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, this resolution concerns a request for testimony and representation in a Federal criminal action pending in Montana Federal district court. The defendant is charged with, among other offenses, conspiring to defraud the United States by making fraudulent statements in connection with a grant of Federal money for a project serving disadvantaged youth. The prosecution has requested the production of testimony from Senator Tester's chief of staff, who has information relevant to the charged offenses, which include the charge that the defendant conspired to represent falsely to Federal authorities that employees of the Senator's office were contributing in-kind services to the youth project at issue. Senator Tester would like to cooperate with this request by providing relevant employee testimony from his office. The enclosed resolution would authorize the production of testimony from the Senator's chief of staff and any other current or former employee of the Senator's office from whom relevant testimony may be had, with representation by the Senate legal counsel.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I now move to proceed to Calendar No. 301, S. 1982.

Mr. REID. Following my remarks and those of the Republican leader, if any, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 5 p.m. Senators, during this period of time, will have an opportunity to speak for up to 10 minutes. At 5 p.m. this afternoon the Senate will proceed to executive session to consider the nomination of Jeffrey Meyer to be U.S. district judge for the State of Connecticut. At 5:30 p.m. there will be a cloture vote on the Meyer nomination, and there will be additional votes on nominations this evening. Measure Placed on the Calendar--S. 2024

Mr. REID. Mr. President, it is my understanding S. 2024 is at the desk and due for its second reading.

Mr. REID. I object to any further proceedings with respect to this legislation.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I thank very much the Senator from Maine, Mr. King, for his fluent reading of President George Washington's Farewell Address, a message to the American people at the close of his great Presidency--the first Presidency. The annual reading of the farewell address is one of the Senate's longstanding traditions. The custom began in 1862 as a commemoration of the 130th anniversary of President Washington's birth. It was intended to boost congressional morale during the Civil War. As then-Senator Andrew Johnson--by the way, I have a great painting of President Johnson in my office. I always tell people who come to my office to contrast that with the statue of President Johnson when he was Vice President. I have the good fortune of having Andrew Johnson's desk at the time Lincoln was assassinated. I have that beautiful piece of furniture in my office. It is stunningly beautiful. I haven't had a chance to talk about that before, so I took this opportunity. As then-Senator Andrew Johnson of Tennessee said before the first recitation of the address: The time has arrived when we should recur back to the days, the times, and doings of Washington and the patriots of the Revolution, who founded the government under which we live. In 1888--the 100th anniversary of the Constitution's ratification-- the Senate then observed the ritual, and every year since 1896 the Senate has marked Washington's birthday, honored his legacy, and recurred back to those who founded the government under which we live, as we did today with the reading of Washington's Farewell Address. As Senator King mentioned, President Washington prepared the address with input from James Madison, America's fourth President, as well as Alexander Hamilton, the Nation's first Treasury Secretary. Similar to our Nation's founding documents, including the Constitution, the Farewell Address was a collaboration between the great minds of our country's formative years. Each year, for 118 years, the Senate selects one of its Members, alternating parties, to deliver these valedictory remarks. I am pleased the Senator from Maine, an avid student of history--and he truly is--was able to carry on this important tradition today. Senator King has delivered unique aspects of history to our caucus and, of course, on the Senate floor he has no parallel to his being able to pinpoint times of history. I admire him very much, as we all do. With this bipartisan custom of honoring our Nation's founder fresh in our minds, the Senate embarks on a fresh work period today. I hope this session will be marked by a tone of cooperation. Washington's collaboration with Madison and Hamilton, among others, is proof enough that when patriots collaborate with the country's good in mind the product is vastly improved. Too often over the past few years our two parties have found themselves working at odds instead of pulling together for a common purpose. I hope to change that this work period. In addition to considering a number of important nominations, the Senate will consider legislation that should draw overwhelming support from Members of both parties, a bill sponsored by the Senator from Vermont Mr. Sanders which expands health care and benefits for our Nation's veterans. I also hope Democrats and Republicans will work together to pass the child care block development grant bill this period. It is bipartisan in nature, and I think it should pass. This measure ensures working families have safe child care options, protecting both children and working parents. This bipartisan bill, as well as the veterans measure we will consider this week, will offer an opportunity for Democrats and Republicans to find common ground and work together.

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, I ask unanimous consent that at a time to be determined by me, after consultation with Senator McConnell, the Senate proceed to Calendar No. 251, S. 1752; that if a cloture motion is filed on the bill, there be 2 hours of debate on S. 1752 and S. 1917, equally divided between the two leaders or their designees; that upon the use or yielding back of that time, the Senate immediately proceed to vote on the motion to invoke cloture; that if cloture is invoked, all postcloture time be yielded back and the Senate immediately proceed to vote on the passage of the bill; that no amendments, points of order or motions be in order to the bill prior to a vote on passage; that if the motion to invoke cloture on S. 1752 is not agreed to, the bill be returned to the calendar; that upon disposition of S. 1752, the Senate immediately proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 293, S. 1917; that if a cloture motion is filed on the bill, the Senate immediately proceed to the vote on the motion to invoke cloture; that if cloture is invoked, all postcloture time be yielded back and the Senate proceed to vote on passage of the bill; that no amendments, points of order or motions be in order to the bill prior to the vote on passage; that if the motion to invoke cloture on S. 1917 is not agreed to, the bill be returned to the calendar.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I reserve the right to object. There is no more important national security concern today than keeping Iran from getting a nuclear weapons capability. For our own national security and for that of Israel, our ally, we are committed to stopping Iran from getting that capability. That is why President Obama has entered into international negotiations with Iran. The Senate has a long tradition of bipartisanship on this issue, including numerous strong bipartisan votes that we put in place to initiate the very sanctions that have brought Iran to the negotiating table. In summation, I am terribly disappointed that my Republican friends are trying to turn this vital national security concern into a partisan issue by trying to inject it into a setting where it is clearly not relevant. I object.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. On behalf of the majority, I yield back 58 minutes.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, if the President pro tempore could wait for just a minute, I wish to tell everyone what we are going to do this evening. We will have two more votes tonight. I ask unanimous consent that if cloture is invoked on Executive Calendar No. 570, at 11:15 tomorrow, Tuesday, February 25, the Senate proceed to Executive Session and that all postcloture time with respect to Calendar No. 570 be dispensed with and the Senate proceed to vote on the confirmation; further, that following disposition of Calendar No. 570, the Senate proceed to vote on cloture on Calendar No. 566, and that if cloture is invoked, all postcloture time be dispensed with and the Senate proceed to vote on Calendar No. 566; further, that following disposition of Calendar No. 566, the Senate proceed to vote on cloture of Calendar No. 567, and that if cloture is invoked, all postcloture time be dispensed with and the Senate proceed to vote on confirmation of Calendar No. 567; that all after the first vote on Tuesday be 10 minutes in length; that with respect to the above nominations the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate; that President Obama be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate then resume legislative session. I express appreciation to my friend for yielding to me.

Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that there be 2 minutes for debate equally divided in the usual form prior to the second rollcall vote tonight.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid on the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.