Harry Reid

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, what is the issue before the Senate?

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I am going to offer a consent agreement based on the conversations I have had with a number of Republicans, and a long conversation with my caucus just a few minutes ago. I am going to speak for a few minutes because I know everybody has a lot to do, but we have all been working hard to find a way to extend unemployment insurance benefits for 1.4 million Americans who are struggling to get by. We have a filibuster before us again--another one. First, Republicans complained they were filibustering these essential benefits because the extension was not paid for. So Senator Reed of Rhode Island came forward with a pay-for amendment. Then Republicans complained, they were filibustering because they had not been able to offer amendments. So a proposal was made--and I am going to do that in a short time with a unanimous consent request--that would give each side a reasonable number of amendments--five, to be specific. Now Republicans say they want to have their amendments and have a cloture vote to pass the bill too. Sounds as though Republicans want to, for lack of a better way to describe this, have their cake and eat it too. The question is, are Republicans filibustering unemployment insurance benefits or are they not? If we have an amendment process, then what we should get in exchange is an up-or-down vote on the bill, and that is what my consent agreement will call for. Republicans who don't like extending unemployment insurance benefits can still vote no on the bill, but we should at least be able to have a vote on the bill. But we can't set up a system where the minority of the Senate, which opposes unemployment insurance benefits, gets both an amendment process where they can offer these poison-pill amendments and then the minority of the Senate, again, that opposes the bill, can still kill the bill. This doesn't make a lot of sense. I know everybody has worked hard to try to work through this process--to kind of thread the needle. I told a number of Republican Senators I met with a little while ago, as my Democratic Senators know, that we think there should be a new day in the Senate. We think we should start by whatever comes up next--whether it is flood insurance, unemployment compensation, whatever is next--by having a reasonable number of relevant amendments, and see if we, as Senators, can work our way through a bill doing that. If we can do that a few times, maybe we will get better and start having some nonrelevant amendments, but at least let us start someplace so Senators here can have the experience of offering amendments--both us and the Republicans--and try to get some legislation passed. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the cloture motions with respect to the Reed of Rhode Island amendment No. 2631 and S. 1845 be vitiated; that the motion to commit and amendment No. 2631 be withdrawn; that a substitute amendment, which is at the desk, be made pending; that there be up to five amendments related to the bill from each side in order to the substitute amendment; further, that each of these amendments be subject to a side-by-side amendment if the opposing side chooses to offer one; amendments under this agreement must be offered no later than 4 p.m. Wednesday, January 15; that no other amendments or motions to commit be in order; that no points of order be in order to the substitute or the underlying bill; that each amendment have up to 1 hour of debate equally divided; that upon the use or yielding back of time on each of the amendments offered, the Senate proceed to vote in relation to the amendments to the substitute in the order offered with any side-by-side amendment vote occurring prior to the amendment to which it was offered; that all of the amendments to the substitute be subject to a 60-affirmative-vote threshold; that upon disposition of the amendments, the bill be read a third time, as amended, if amended, and the Senate proceed to vote on passage of the bill; that if the bill is passed, the Senate immediately proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 192, H.R. 2009; that all after the enacting clause be stricken and the text of S. 1845, as passed by the Senate, be inserted in lieu thereof; that the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed; that an amendment to the title be considered and agreed to; and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. REID. Reserving the right to object.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, we have seen in the last little bit a significant number of statements on the floor and op-ed pieces written about process--process. On this side we have been talking about 1.4 million Americans needing help getting past the real financial crisis they find. It seems interesting to me the only fix to get no outcome is the Republican strategy to find something to object to no matter what Democrats try. Process--compared to helping in a substantive way people who are in trouble, process never wins. We need to move forward. My friend talks about amendments. Democrats have amendments. We have 5 too. Ours would have a 60-vote threshold just like theirs. This is the new target that my Republican colleague the Republican leader has set. We have a new reality around here of 60 votes. This isn't anything I invented. In fact, I wish we would get rid of it and go back to the way we used to do it. So I repeat. I think this has been constructive. I especially appreciate the junior Senator from Nevada and the senior Senator from Maine working to come up with something. I am disappointed we couldn't work something out. It appears, and I have been told, they are going to object to this consent agreement just as I object to modifying my consent agreement.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, my friend from New York was standing to reserve the right to object.

Mr. REID. I object.

Mr. REID. I object.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I do have a right to object to this; do I not?

Mr. REID. I am not objecting.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the next two votes be 10 minutes in duration.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I enter a motion to reconsider the vote by which cloture was not invoked on S. 1845.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I appreciate very much my colleague, the junior Senator from Nevada, voting with us--voting with himself. He is a cosponsor of this legislation. He and Jack Reed have done admirably good work for the Senate and for the country. Everyone should notice on the first matter we tried to invoke cloture on, I did not enter a motion to reconsider. I did on this one. This is a 3-month unpaid-for. I would hope we could get that passed sometime. If we cannot, there is still an effort, I am sure, out there someplace where we could find a way to work together to get these people the desperate help they need. So that is why I did this, leaving the door open for us to work together to try to come up with something.

Mr. REID. Go ahead and finish.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I express my appreciation to the courtesy of the Senator from California. She is courteous in everything she does in life. She is a pleasure to serve with. Unanimous Consent Agreement--H.J. Res. 106

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at 12 noon on Wednesday, January 15, the Senate proceed to the consideration of H.J. Res. 106, which was received from the House and is at the desk; that there be no amendments, motions, or points of order in order to the joint resolution; that there be 15 minutes of debate equally divided on the joint resolution; finally, that upon the use or yielding back of time, the joint resolution be read a third time and the Senate proceed to vote on passage of the joint resolution.

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 therein up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 3527, which is at the desk.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Veterans' Affairs Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 1434, and we proceed to the matter.

Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m. on Wednesday, January 15, 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; and that following any leader remarks, the time until 12 noon be equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each; and, finally, at 12 noon, the Senate proceed to the consideration of H.J. Res. 106, as provided under the previous order.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. At approximately 12:15 p.m. tomorrow there will be a rollcall vote on passage of the short-term continuing resolution. Tomorrow we will continue to work on an agreement to consider the flood insurance bill and begin consideration of the Omnibus appropriations bill once it is received from the House.

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 am told there are two bills at the desk, and I ask for their first reading en bloc.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask for a second reading on both of these measures and, in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I object to my own request.