Harry Reid

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, I ask unanimous consent that the Foreign Relations Committee be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 280.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, 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.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that from Thursday, November 7, through Tuesday, November 12, the majority leader be authorized to sign duly enrolled bills or joint resolutions.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 11:45 a.m. on Friday, November 8, 2013, for a pro forma session; that will be all we will do, with no business conducted; and that following the pro forma session, the Senate adjourn until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, November 12, 2013; that following the prayer and the pledge, 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 Senate be in a period of morning business until 4:30 with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each; that at 4:30 p.m., the Senate proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 346, the nomination of Cornelia Pillard to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia, with the time until 5:30 p.m. equally divided and controlled in the usual form prior to a cloture vote on the nomination; further, that if cloture is invoked on the Pillard nomination, upon disposition of the nomination, the Senate resume legislative session and the Senate proceed to vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R. 3204, the Pharmaceutical Drug Compounding bill; and finally, that if cloture is not invoked on the Pillard nomination, the Senate immediately resume legislative session and the Senate proceed to vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R. 3204, the pharmaceutical bill.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. There will be up to two rollcall votes on Tuesday, November 12, beginning 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 am told that there is a bill at the desk due for its first reading.

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

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, following leader remarks, the motion to proceed to S. 815, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, will be adopted and the Senate will begin consideration of the bill. Senators will be notified when votes are scheduled.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, Kimberly Cates is no stranger to the struggles that come with living without health insurance in America. She works at a health clinic that treats uninsured Kentuckians. The clinic does not provide its employees with health insurance. Over the last few years she has racked up $15,000 in medical bills and recently filed for bankruptcy. Last week, after a month of considering her options, Mrs. Cates signed up for health insurance for the first time in many years. The plan will cost $17 a month--I repeat, $17 a month-- and every hospital near her home will accept her new insurance. This is the difference ObamaCare is making, and Mrs. Cates is only one example of the success of Kentucky's new health insurance exchange created under the Affordable Care Act. More than 1,000 Kentucky residents have signed up for affordable health insurance every single day since the exchange opened, according to the Huffington Post, which reported Mrs. Cates' story. Across the country, in States such as Kentucky that have opened their own exchanges, Americans are signing up for quality, affordable, insurance plans, often for the first time in many years. The national rollout of the ObamaCare Web site was rocky, to say the least. Problems with the site must and will be fixed. But we should not lose sight of important victories happening in living rooms and libraries and community centers across the country, victories like the one Mrs. Cates celebrated last week. ObamaCare is more than a Web site. For tens of millions of Americans who have been living without insurance, ObamaCare is a lifeline. But rather than work with Democrats to fix the problems in this landmark law, Republicans in Washington are busy complaining about it instead. Meanwhile, Republican Governors in States such as Nevada, Ohio, New Jersey, and Michigan are helping more residents of their States access health care by expanding Medicaid coverage. One Nevada woman contacted my office saying that she is counting the days until January, 2014, when her new health insurance plan will take effect and she can finally go to the doctor. In the past she has been denied health insurance because of a preexisting condition, but now she qualifies for a plan she can afford under Nevada's Medicaid expansion, led by Republican Governor Brian Sandoval. Thanks to ObamaCare, Americans like her can no longer be denied insurance because they are a cancer survivor, a woman, a diabetic, or had acne when they were younger. That is one of the many benefits of this new law. Under ObamaCare, insurance companies will no longer be allowed to cancel your policy when you get sick or because you are a woman or set an arbitrary limit on the care you receive. In Nevada alone, tens of thousands of seniors have saved tens of millions on medicine because ObamaCare closed the gap in prescription drug coverage. More than 3 million young people, including 33,000 young adults, stayed on their parents' health insurance plans because of ObamaCare, and hundreds of thousands of businesses that already offer their employees health insurance are getting tax credits for doing the right thing because of ObamaCare. A new study shows 17 million Americans have also qualified for tax credits to purchase coverage and many more are eligible for Medicaid because of ObamaCare. Unfortunately, 5 million people living in States that did not expand Medicare eligibility are left out in the cold. It is shameful that Americans who simply want access to lifesaving medical care will be denied insurance for political reasons. There is no better example of that than Texas. They have far more people who are eligible for Medicaid coverage who will not get it. That is unfortunate. We know that healthcare.gov is not perfect. I know that ObamaCare is not perfect. But ObamaCare is worth more than a Web site, and whenever Republicans are willing to stop complaining and are willing to start working to improve the law, Democrats are ready and willing to work with them.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Madam President, I have an amendment to the committee- reported substitute at the desk.

Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays on that amendment.

Mr. REID. Madam President, I have a second-degree amendment at the desk.

Mr. REID. Madam President, I have an amendment to the underlying bill which is at the desk.

Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays on the amendment that was just reported.

Mr. REID. Madam President, I have a second-degree amendment at the desk.

Mr. REID. Madam President, I have a motion to recommit S. 815, with instructions, which is at the desk.

Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays on the motion.

Mr. REID. Madam President, I have an amendment to the instructions at the desk.

Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays on the amendment.

Mr. REID. Madam President, I have a second-degree amendment at the desk.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Madam President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 236, H.R. 3204.

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

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Will the Senator yield for a unanimous consent request?