Harry Reid

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 2 p.m. Monday, October 14; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; and that at 5 p.m. the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the Wood and Haikala district judge nominations.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Madam President, under the previous order, at 5 p.m. tomorrow there will be 30 minutes for debate prior to a series of up to two rollcall votes on the confirmation of Andrea Wood to be a U.S. district judge for the Northern District of Illinois and Madeline Haikala for the Northern District of Alabama.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Madam 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. Madam 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. I move to proceed to Calendar No. 211, S. 1569, the debt limit bill.

Mr. REID. The time until 12 noon will be equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees. At noon there will be a rollcall vote on a motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S. 1569, a bill to ensure the complete and timely payment obligations of the United States Government until December 31, 2014. Measure Placed on the Calendar--H.J. Res. 79

Mr. REID. I understand H.J. Res. 79 is due for a second reading.

Mr. REID. I would object to any further proceedings at this time.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nomination: Calendar No. 340; that the nomination be confirmed, the motion 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 nomination; that any related statements be printed in the Record; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate then resume legislative session.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Madam President, it is very hard to comprehend that 4 days from today, unless and until a few extremist Republicans--we hope it is a few--too radical to compromise, could force a default on the Nation's financial obligations for the first time ever. Economists say it won't be long before financial markets react negatively to this continued uncertainty. I believe Monday is a legal holiday and I believe the markets will be closed. That is good. What I see staring us in the face is not a pleasant picture. Everyone should understand that a bad day on Wall Street doesn't only affect these great big banks or wealthy investors. It affects everyone in our country, not only those with 401(k)s but those who have no savings. It affects everybody, because everyone will lose, not only in America but around the world. The life savings of ordinary Americans are at risk, and that is an understatement. While this uncertainty is bad, default would be unthinkably worse. To show my angst is real, one only need look at what took place in the House of Representatives this morning. They walked out of another meeting, a conference, a caucus--call it what you want--defiant: We couldn't do anything. Therefore, the government remains closed, and the debt ceiling is, every day, closer and closer--every hour now. While this uncertainty is bad, I repeat, default is unthinkably worse. Because of the collapse on Wall Street a few years ago, the State of Nevada and States all over the country were hammered. This was only 5 years ago. Americans lost their jobs, their homes, and their savings, as did people around the world. The country is beginning to recover, but it is not in great shape. The crisis we now face is one of even greater proportion. The government has remained closed for 12 days. Think about this. Four States are buying into programs so national parks can stay open. National parks. They were the brainchild of Republican Theodore Roosevelt. It is very sad what is happening to our country. Defaulting on our debt would risk millions of American jobs--not thousands, not tens of thousands, not hundreds of thousands, but millions of jobs. Social Security checks will likely be halted, Medicare payments and even payments for our troops wouldn't happen. Without exception, the most respected economists and business minds of our time have said that if America defaults on its debt, there will be dire consequences here and around the globe. We have heard this from everybody, not only economists but business people. I was pleased to see the Republicans engaged in talks with the President, the House Republicans. That is over, it is done. They are not talking anymore. We learned that this morning. I say to my friends on the Republican side of the Senate, time is running out. They have urged their more radical Members to compromise. For example, my senior friend from Arizona came to the Congress of the United States with me and the assistant leader. We have been together for 31 years. These are the sensible words of the senior Senator from Arizona: Sooner or later, the government will resume its function. Sooner or later we will raise the debt limit. The question is how we get there. . . . Why don't we do this sooner rather than later? Why doesn't the Senate lead? To that end we are trying. We are going to have a vote in 50 minutes on a long-term measure to avert default and give the economy what it needs. I have told my Republican friends that allowing the government to operate again is not a favor to me; it is not a favor to the Presiding Officer; it is not a favor to Democrats on this side of the aisle. It is something that should happen. We shouldn't consider this a time for doing favors for individuals or groups. We should understand the government should open because it should never have closed in the first place. The debt ceiling--reasonable Republicans should understand this should be extended, not for a couple of weeks or a couple of months, it should be extended for a long time. We shouldn't have this fight. To think that this is only a motion to proceed to the legislation, it is not a vote on the measure itself, and the Republicans, I have been told, are all going to vote against this. What a sad day for America. They are voting to not allow us to even debate whether the debt ceiling should be raised. Are they afraid of that? Do they want this to go away? It is not going to go away. Each hour that goes by, we are closer to a calamity for our country. The economy needs more stability than short-term Republican proposals. Congress and the country must not be back in a position a few weeks from now wondering whether Republicans will force our Nation to default on our financial obligations. To think the House Republicans are saying: Well, we will extend the debt for a little while but we are not going to reopen the government, wow, that is so logical, sensible and good for the country--and I say this very sarcastically. The Senate Democrats' position has been and remains this: We open our government and pay our country's bills so we can move forward with good-faith negotiations on a long-term budget. It is not too late for my Republican colleagues to do what is right for this country. I am very concerned. It seems the worry about whether our country should have a functioning government and should extend the debt ceiling is only from Democrats. This isn't the way it should be. I admire President Obama for what he has done the last few days. He has invited every Member of Congress, 535, to meet with him. First he had the House Democrats and then the Senate Democrats, another meeting, then Senate Republicans, and House Republicans. Remember, the last time my friend Speaker Boehner was on television, he said: Maybe, oh, 18 times, I haven't counted. He wanted to have a conversation. The President took him up on that. He invited all 232 Members of the Republican Caucus to come to the White House and visit with him. They refused that. They sent down 20. I appreciate the President being willing to talk with all of us, and he has done that in detail. The problem is the conversation is one way. The Republicans are not interested, it appears at this stage, of doing anything constructive to extend the debt ceiling and open the government. ``Later'' is what they always say. Reservation of Leader Time

Mr. REID. Mr. President, was I originally recorded as ``yes''?

Mr. REID. The record should reflect that I have changed that to ``no.'' Mr. President, I enter a motion to reconsider the vote by which cloture was not invoked on the motion to proceed to S. 1569.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senators be permitted to speak now during our morning hour business for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. REID. I have just been told by my able assistant here that we are still on the motion to proceed. So we are not in morning business. Now, Mr. President, just a quick announcement: Democrats will caucus in the Mansfield Room forthwith, right now. Mr. President, I think it would be appropriate for everyone--this has been cleared with Senator McConnell.

Mr. REID. Following the remarks of Senator Landrieu and Senator Johanns, I would ask that--well, I will say that the Senate will stand in recess subject to the call of the Chair.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I appreciate the kind words of the Senator from Louisiana, but I want the Record spread with the work she has done that I have seen in our years together in the Senate. No one has been more of an advocate for a State than the senior Senator from Louisiana. What she did after that terrible hurricane hit that area is now legendary--the ability that she had to change what had been standard procedures and law in this country for decades. We changed that for a lot of reasons. One was her advocacy. We did it because of her. In fact, the Democrats in the Senate voted for things they never voted for before because of the good Senator from Louisiana. It was not done to help on a temporary basis but long term for the State of Louisiana. I hope they understand what a difference one person can make. She has made a difference and she has changed things forever in Louisiana already. I am sure the best is yet to come.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, as most know now--we did a press event so everybody knows, I guess, but I will say it again--I had a meeting with Senators McConnell, Alexander, and Schumer this morning to work on issues before us. The conversations are preliminary, but we are talking. I hope everyone understands how positive this is. It is the first discussions we have had here, period, during the whole pendency of this artificially driven government shutdown and not raising the debt limit when we should. I am confident Senator McConnell understands that defaulting on our debt would mean millions of jobs in the United States, not thousands, not hundreds of thousands but millions. It could halt Social Security checks, Medicare payments, and even paychecks for our men and women in uniform. Democratic Senators agree with President Obama and we share a simple goal. We want to reopen the government and pay our bills so we can move forward in good-faith negotiations for a long-term budget to protect jobs, the middle class, and the American economy. That is our goal.

Mr. REID

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

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Energy Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 812 and the Senate proceed to its consideration.

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

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I am told that H.J. Res. 76 has been received from the House and is at the desk and due for activity.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask for its second reading and object to my own request.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 1 p.m. tomorrow, Sunday, October 13, 2013, and 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, Senators be permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

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. I move to proceed to Calendar No. 211, S. 1569, the debt limit bill.