Harry Reid

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Madam President, would the Presiding Officer tell me the pending business.

Mr. REID. The motion to proceed to Calendar No. 297 is the pending business; is that right?

Mr. REID. I withdraw my motion to proceed.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. I move to proceed to Calendar No. 298, S. 1963.

Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum required under rule XXII be waived for the cloture motions just filed and that Wednesday, February 5, 2014, count as an intervening day.

Mr. REID. I want to take a moment to explain where we are. Over the last few months, we have been struggling to find a way to help some desperate people in our country. It is hard to find a way to convince our Republican colleagues that these people are in a desperate situation and to join with us in extending unemployment insurance benefits for 1.6 million of our fellow citizens. Last month, we tried to pass a bipartisan bill that would simply extend those benefits on a short-term basis for 3 months. All but a few Republicans voted against proceeding to that measure. Republicans complained that we had not paid for the extension, so we offered them a paid-for 11-month extension. Every Republican voted against the cloture motion, every Republican, and all but one Republican voted against cloture on the bipartisan 3-month extension. So today we are trying yet again, offering an amendment that extends unemployment benefits for 3 months and pays for that extension, not a disputed, controversial extension and certainly not a controversial pay-for. Our alternative also includes something that Senator Coburn has been talking about for several months, an amendment to prevent millionaires from getting unemployment benefits, because it has happened. A person won a lottery and still got unemployment benefits. Thursday, we are going to vote on cloture on that amendment, one that is paid for and would take care of this issue for lots of people. After that have we will vote on cloture on the bill, as amended. In the meantime, I am pleased to continue discussions with Senators about setting up votes on the relevant amendments. The Republican leader's proposal is an absolute absurdity. I don't know why they just don't come out and say we are not going to do this, we are not going to extend unemployment benefits. But they have alternating amendments, and they want amendments related to--George Mitchell, who was the Democratic leader for a period of time that I served here, a wonderful human being, his statement was don't depend on the Republicans; they will break your heart every time, and that is what they are doing. They are breaking our hearts, and 1.6 million people, their hearts are broken. The main proponent of this bill has been Jack Reed of Rhode Island. Jack Reed and I have a contest--I wish we didn't--and that is which State, Rhode Island or Nevada, has the highest unemployment number. We care about this greatly, but others care about this. I am sure there are some Republicans who care about it, but why are they hung up on this foolishness that they can only do it if one time they have alternating amendments? They wouldn't take 20 amendments. There are a handful of Republicans who tried very hard and worked in good faith with Senator Reed of Rhode Island. But the problem is they have no control over the tea-party-driven Republicans who make up most of this Republican caucus.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I move to Calendar No. 297, the veterans omnibus bill.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, following my remarks and those of the Republican leader, we will resume consideration of the conference report to accompany the farm bill, H.R. 2642. The time until 5:30 p.m. will be equally divided between the two leaders or their designees. At 5:30 p.m. there will be a cloture vote on the farm bill conference report. As we have already announced, final passage will be tomorrow after our weekly caucuses. Measure Placed on the Calendar--S. 1977

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I am told that S. 1977 is due for a second reading.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I object to any further proceedings with this legislation at this time.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, tonight the Senate will vote to end debate on the farm bill conference report. I expect the Senate to conclude work on this measure, which will reduce the deficit and protect hungry families. This will happen, as I indicated, tomorrow afternoon. Passing this legislation will support our Nation's farmers and ranchers and more than 16 million jobs in the farm industry. Ensuring that our farms remain the most productive in the world and protecting American agricultural jobs is vital for our economic recovery. I have been in the Senate and the House for a while, as has the chairman of the agriculture committee, the junior Senator from Michigan, so I have seen people handle legislation. The work done by Senator Stabenow has been remarkably good. It is exemplary for her to work to the point where we are now going to pass this important legislation. I look forward, as she does, to a strong bipartisan vote on cloture tonight and on the passage of the bill tomorrow. Unemployment Insurance As we continue to work toward final passage of the farm bill, a bipartisan group of Senators has been working behind the scenes to reach an agreement to restore emergency unemployment benefits to 1.6 million people. In the 3 weeks since the Republicans filibustered a bill to extend this important program, 220,000 more Americans lost their benefits. State economies across the country have suffered as unemployed people, who are already getting by on so little, had to find ways to survive on even less. When unemployment benefits dry up, customers disappear from local stores and businesses suffer. More than $2.2 billion has been drained from State economies since the emergency unemployment insurance expired. Nevada alone lost $29 million in economic activity just last month, and $28 million has drained from the economy in the Republican leader's home State of Kentucky since the emergency benefits expired on December 31. It is no wonder two-thirds of Americans--including 65 percent of Independents--believe we should extend unemployment assistance. Helping neighbors who have been hit hard is not only the compassionate thing to do, it is also the smart thing to do for our economy. Economists say there is no way to stimulate the economy more than to give these people who don't have jobs some money because they are going to spend it. Since Republicans filibustered a bill to restore benefits without adding a penny to the deficit--that legislation would not have added a penny to the deficit--the toll on local and national economies has been devastating, but the toll on unemployed Americans has been immeasurable. For people who worked all of their lives and lost their job through no fault of their own, being unemployed is difficult enough, but worrying about how to pay the rent, put gas in the car, and buy groceries while they look for a new job can be demoralizing. For the long-term unemployed, some of those who have been struggling to find work for more than a year, $300 a week in unemployment benefits can be the difference between keeping a roof over their heads or becoming homeless, and this is no hyperbole. A 57-year-old Nevada woman wrote to me last week to say that the loss of her unemployment check was the last straw. Now she is homeless and couch surfing. She is sleeping on the couches of friends kind enough to take her in. This is what she wrote: Can you imagine sleeping on friends' couches at my age? Can you imagine having to sell everything you worked hard for just to keep gas in the car in the event someone calls for an interview? She went on to say: I have worked my whole life, since I was 16 years old, and contributed to a system that is now failing me on a major scale. Millions of people--such as this unfortunate Nevada woman--who have worked hard all of their lives and contributed to their communities and played by the rules are on the verge of losing everything, just like her. It doesn't have to be this way. I remain cautiously optimistic that Republicans will heed their constituents back home and help Democrats restore emergency benefits to Americans in need. Congress can't solve every problem, but we can solve this problem. All we have to do is work together--Democrats and Republicans--to do what is right for our constituents, our country, and our economy. I urge Republicans to join us to restore these crucial benefits.

Mr. REID

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

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. No problem.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I am sure not many people care, but the reason I didn't go first today is that those of us who serve in office depend on other people to prepare materials for us so we can make a reasonably good presentation. Well, I came here today and looked at my stuff--it was yesterday's. So I figured I would be better off waiting until I got the right one--which reminds me of something I heard as a very young Lieutenant Governor. This story may be true; it didn't happen to me, but I have always remembered it. It has always made me aware of the great work my staff does. A man is used to his staff preparing his remarks, flowery remarks, and always so very, very well. He has a long speech he has to deliver. He gets to page 5, and it says, ``OK, you SOB, you are on your own'' and the rest is blank. I remembered that today, and figured I had better wait until my office had the right speech.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I now move to proceed to Calendar No. 297, S. 1950.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, following my remarks the time until 11:15 a.m. will be equally divided and controlled dealing with flood insurance. At 11:15 a.m. there will be up to four rollcall votes in relation to amendments to that bill. Order of Procedure

Mr. REID. Mr. President, following those votes the recess which was originally scheduled until 2 p.m.--and that will still be the case, except I ask unanimous consent that on the passage of S. 1926, as amended, the votes start at 1:50 p.m., with all other provisions of the previous order remaining in effect.

Mr. REID. Additionally, we expect to receive momentarily the conference report to accompany the farm bill today, and we will work on getting an agreement to move forward on this today. Retirement of Joel Breitner

Mr. REID. Mr. President, here in the Senate we work closely with so many people, but no one do we work more closely with than the court reporters. They are right here in our face every time we talk, taking down a verbatim transcript of what we say, and they work extremely hard. We went through a period of time when we were working through all these nominations, and they went for days without going home. They had a cot in their office, and they never missed a beat. I always watch very closely the court reporters because my brother-- who is 22 months younger than I am--was a court reporter. He retired from doing that, but I watched him work so hard. Court reporting is extremely difficult. It is very intense. In court we rarely have court reporters who take what we call a daily. They will have a couple of court reporters during a trial and they will transcribe their notes sometime later. But here in the Senate they transcribe their notes now--immediately. The reason I mention that today is one of our reporters is going to retire. Joel Breitner has been here for three decades in the Senate. Prior to coming here, he was a court reporter. He has this designation now--as this young woman in front of me is reporting what I say--as an Official Reporter for the United States Senate. Joel began working here in this body in 1987, after having been a court reporter already for 23 years. During his time in the reporters office, he has witnessed both innovation and a lot of history. He was one of the first reporters to use computer-aided transcription, which is a modern miracle--it really is--because the stenographic notes at the same time they type them, are already translating into English. That isn't the way it used to be. I can remember my brother--and, of course, Joel, who was one of the first here in this body to use the computer-aided transcription and did what my brother did--you took down what people said with your machine, and then you would go back to your office, look over your notes, and transcribe them, and then either you would type them up or have someone do so. So it was a lot of work. It is still a lot of work, but it is a lot different than it used to be. He is one of the first, if not the first, in this body to use this computer-aided transcription, and it really helped modernize the Office of Official Reporters. He has reported historic events, countless numbers of them--President Clinton's first inaugural address, his impeachment. Over the years he has been a friend and resource to the Senate pages. Joel is a very nice, quiet person whom I will miss. When we cross--I always see them--I say: ``Saddling up again''-- putting on the heavy equipment they wear during the time they are here. They work very, very hard, and they transcribe every word we say. There are times I wish they hadn't, but they did. Mr. President, it is no surprise, with the affection that Joel has shown for the pages, that Jamie, one of his children, has been a Senate page. So I thank him on behalf of the entire Senate for his years of service not only to Senators but everybody, for his years of service in the reporters office, and I congratulate him on a very distinguished career. I wish him the best in retirement. I know he will enjoy spending more time with his children and with Carol, his wife of almost three decades. working together

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I need to comment on part of what my Republican counterpart said. The President gave a good State of the Union Address to the country on Tuesday night. It was a dramatic speech, and he called upon us to work together. You would never know that from what the Republican leader said today. He also said, as President of the United States, he has the power to do things when the Senate finds itself bogged down, as we have been with countless filibusters. During the years I have been leader of the Senate, there have been more than 470 filibusters conducted by the Republicans. Is it any wonder the President is going to do some things administratively because of the logjam we have here? Hopefully we can do better than we have done. I hope that is the case. This country has been hurt by the constant obstruction we have had. I am surprised--but not too much--that my Republican colleague would say the President has to do something to help create jobs. One need only reflect on when President Obama took office. We were losing 700,000 jobs a month at that time. But because of his patience and wisdom and the fact that he had a Democratic Senate and Congress for the first 2 years of his Presidency, we were able to do some terrific things for the country. Since then, as we know, the Republican leader has said his No. 1 goal was to defeat Obama for the reelection, and that is how the Republicans have legislated. Over the last 3 years, they have done everything they could to stop the country from moving forward. They actually did it during the first 2 years he was President, but they didn't have the power to do much then except obstruct, and we had enough votes to overcome their obstruction. I don't know if my friend the Republican leader understands that in spite of his No. 1 goal to defeat the President that he was reelected overwhelmingly because the American people agreed with his view of the country. I am not going to go into more detail about how I believe my Republican colleague is wrong on what has happened with bogging down the Senate, but I will comment on one aspect of his presentation: Because of the U.S. Supreme Court case called Citizens United, there has been some really untoward stuff going on in the political world. We have two brothers who are actually trying to buy the country. Last year the Koch brothers made billions of dollars. They are spending their billions of dollars by going into State legislatures, Governors races, and secretary of state races on a State level, and, of course, spending huge amounts of money around the country in an attempt to defeat Democrats both in the House and the Senate. The Republican leader has long been an opponent of campaign finance reform. This has been part of his career. So it is no surprise that he opposes the administration's effort for greater disclosure. The abuse here is not the administration enforcing the law, but folks like the Koch brothers pretending to be social welfare organizations. The Presiding Officer has dedicated much of his life to improving the social welfare of people from his State. These social welfare organizations are extremely helpful for people who have problems. The Koch brothers are not a social welfare organization. They are plainly acting as a political organization. They are spending tens and hundreds of millions of dollars on political activities. They have not contributed to anything that deals with social welfare. Folks who act as political organizations should have to disclose where the money comes from. As the Presiding Officer knows, the Koch brothers hide all of their campaign efforts. They disguise themselves, with rare exception, as social welfare organizations. They have all these fancy names and go after people who are trying to improve the country. We have an important piece of legislation we are going to pass today to improve the ability of our country to prosper. The bipartisan measure called the flood insurance bill will protect the Nation's recovering housing market and save consumers money. I thank Senator Menendez, the chairman of the banking committee, and Chairman Landrieu, who is chairman of the small business committee. They have done a wonderful job--these two working together with Senator Isakson--with their leadership on this issue. I look forward to a strong bipartisan vote on this measure this afternoon. I would note that the bipartisan agreement to vote on a reasonable number of relevant amendments and on final passage of the flood insurance measure is exactly the kind of agreement that Republicans have rejected on other legislative priorities. For example, when Democrats offered to vote on 20 relevant amendments to a full offset extension of unemployment insurance a couple of weeks ago, the Republicans refused. Since then, 150,000 more Americans have lost emergency benefits that were helping them to stay above water while they look for work. In all, more than 1.6 million out-of-work Americans have lost benefits to help them put food on the table and gas in the tank so they can focus on their job search. I hope in the coming week Democrats and Republicans will be able reach a bipartisan agreement to have an up-or-down vote on the extension of unemployment insurance as well. I hope it is not again bogged down with obstruction. I am confident that we have the opportunity to do that, and we should do it. Millions of fellow Americans are counting on us to do this on an affirmative basis. While we work toward an agreement to restore unemployment benefits, the Senate will also, as I mentioned earlier, consider the farm bill conference report. America's farms and ranches are the most productive in the world. They support 16 million private sector jobs. Smart farm policies will help American farmers thrive. That is an important part of our work to keep the economic recovery rolling. The farm bill will create jobs and cut taxpayer subsidies and save $23 billion which will be used to reduce the deficit. I would also note that we have done an admirable job of reducing the debt. Do we need to do more? Of course we do. We have already reduced the debt during the Obama years by almost $3 trillion, and if we could get the Republicans in the House to agree on the bill we passed dealing with immigration reform, it would be another $1 trillion toward reducing the debt. I would also note, as I indicated earlier, that when President Obama first took office, we were losing 700,000 jobs a month. We have now created more than 8 million jobs. We need to do more and the farm bill will help that. The farm bill will create jobs and cut taxpayer subsidies and save $20 billion which will be used to reduce the debt and deficit. The bill includes important reforms to farm programs, and while this measure doesn't include as much funding for programs to reduce hunger as a number of us would like, it is a good compromise and it will protect needy families. Senator Stabenow from Michigan has been the chairman of this committee. She has worked so hard for years to get this done. We have passed it twice here in the Senate. We have struggled to get something done in the House, and we were finally able to get this done under her leadership.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Would the Chair announce the business of the day.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the conference report to accompany H.R. 2642.

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

Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum under rule XXII be waived; that the cloture vote occur at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, February 3; that if cloture is invoked, there be 20 minutes remaining postcloture at 2:15 p.m., Tuesday, February 4, to be equally divided between the two leaders or their designees; that upon the use or yielding back of that time, all postcloture time be considered expired and the Senate proceed to vote on adoption of the conference report.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that we resume consideration of S. 1926.