Harry Reid

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m., Thursday, June 20, 2013; 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 the time until 11:30 a.m. be equally divided and controlled between the majority and minority.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, Senators should be prepared for a rollcall vote at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow morning. I am doing that in an effort to make progress on the bill. We will try to work through additional amendments tomorrow. Additional votes are expected, and that is an understatement. I tell everyone again that we are doing our utmost to try to make it as convenient as possible for people who have amendments determined by a vote or in some other manner, but we may have to be here this weekend. I hope that is not the case. I have alerted people about this for days now.

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 ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 175, which was submitted earlier today.

Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, following leader remarks the Senate will be in a period of morning business for an hour. The Republicans will control the first half, and the majority will control the final half. Following that morning business the Senate will resume consideration of the immigration bill. The Senate will recess from 12:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. for our weekly caucus meetings. At 3 o'clock there will be four rollcall votes in relation to amendments to the immigration bill. Mr. President, I would simply add on that, I have had a number of calls already this morning saying: You cannot have the votes then. I have this. We have meetings. We would like to have the votes at 4 o'clock. This bill, we have to move forward on it. I was very happy we were able to get consent to have these four votes starting at 3 o'clock today. Time is of the essence on this legislation. I have been patient. We have all been patient waiting to see what amendments people want to offer. I want to make sure that on some of these major issues people have had the time to work through them. We know some of the issues are difficult. I have been told Senator Hoeven and Senator Corker are trying to work with the eight bipartisan Senators to come up with something they believe is important for them to vote on. I have no problem with that, but I am just telling everybody, as I have now for quite a long time, that we are going to either file cloture on this on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or Monday. We have to move forward on this legislation. So I urge people to work together to come up with whatever amendments they believe are important. Of course, we are all looking at this major issue. I have talked to the Republicans' Gang of 8 and the Democrats' Gang of 8. They are working on something dealing with border security. I am not telling anyone what to do other than to do it as quickly as you can. The time has come to make decisions on this important piece of legislation. We say we have been on it 2 weeks. We have really been on it longer than that. That first week after the break there were meetings going on all over this Capitol on what we should do with immigration. So I would hope people understand that this may not be one of our normal weekends where we shoot out of town to go back to whereever we come from. We have to move forward on this legislation.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I talked yesterday at some length on the budget. It is important. We are approaching 3 months where we have not been able to go to conference on this budget. This is so extremely important. I spent yesterday morning at the NIH. I was not able to meet with all the heads of the Institutes, but I met with four of them, plus Dr. Collins, who runs the NIH, the National Institutes of Health. I will have more to say about this later, but South Africa, England, France, India--China is increasing their spending by almost 25 percent for programs just like we have at NIH. What are we doing at NIH? We are cutting spending. They have been flat-funded since about 2004. With the stimulus bill, which is now going on 5 years ago, we gave them a shot in the arm because of Senator Specter. But that money has long since been gone. They are headed downhill, and they have been for several years now. These wonderful scientists we have there are leaving. One of the scientists from the University of Michigan, who, by the way, is best friends with my chief of staff, is basically staying away from NIH because you cannot have--and he is an expert, one of if not the leading expert in the world on melanoma. He is not making application for NIH grants anymore because they cannot do scientific research when it is only available for a year or two. So I hope we can move forward on this budget conference and get something done on this to set the Nation's financial problems in the right direction. We are not going to get anything done unless we are able to get something done on the budget. We cannot do this. I am proud of the budget we passed. I think it is a very good budget, but I realize if we go to conference we may have to change some of the things we have in our budget. But we are never going to get this done unless we sit down and work this out, as we have done for more than two centuries here in conferences between the House and the Senate.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Finally, I see on the floor my friend, the senior Senator from Tennessee, who has been a longtime Governor of his State. He has been the Secretary of Education. We have an issue coming up soon. If we do not work something out in this body before the end of this month, student loan interest rates will go up a lot. If we do nothing, they will double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent. If we do what the House wants to do, if we do what Senate Republicans want to do, these student loans will be used to reduce the debt. I do not think that is what we should be doing with students. While this is not the time to debate this issue, everyone should be aware as we deal with immigration over the next couple weeks, we also have to keep this matter on the radar screen that we are going to have to do something about. I have a number of meetings on this today, and I am sure my Republican colleagues have meetings throughout the day, and we need to have as many as we can to work something out to get this done.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the following amendments be in order to be called up and that they not be subject to modification or division, with the exception of the technical modifications to the Merkley and Paul amendments contained in this agreement: Manchin No. 1268; Pryor No. 1298; Merkley No. 1237, as modified with the changes at the desk; Boxer No. 1240; Reed No. 1224; Cornyn No. 1251; Lee No. 1208; Paul No. 1200, as modified with the changes at the desk; Heller No. 1227; and Cruz No. 1320; finally, that no second-degree amendments be in order to any of these amendments prior to votes in relation to the amendments.

Mr. REID. Madam President, we now have these amendments in order and we will work with all the parties to see if we can have some way of proceeding to set up votes. I would hope we can work something out so we do not have to do procedural things to try to get rid of them. We are going to do our utmost. I appreciate everyone's cooperation getting this long list of amendments so we can start voting on them. I think it would be a pretty fair assumption that we are not going to have any votes tonight on these amendments. We will work something out tomorrow. It is about 7 o'clock and we still have a little more work to do on other issues.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, following leader remarks the Senate will be in morning business until 5 p.m. today. At 5 p.m. the Senate will be in executive session to consider a couple nominations for United States district judges. One is for Pennsylvania and one is for New Mexico. At 5:30 p.m. there will be at least one rollcall vote on the confirmation of the nominations. The Restrepo and Gonzales nominations are the two nominations we have. Restrepo is from Pennsylvania and Gonzales is from New Mexico. Following those votes, the Senate will resume consideration of the immigration bill.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, it has been 86 days since the Senate passed its budget. We have been through this on several occasions. We have had Republican Senators come and criticize the Republican leadership here for not letting us go to conference. They talked about their wanting regular order so we could move forward in dealing with the financial crisis facing this country, but they have ignored us. We are proud of the budget we passed. It was hard, but it reflects our priorities: protecting middle-class families and growing the economy. Even though that is the case, we are still willing to work out a compromise with our Republican counterparts. We are not going to get everything we want. That is what conferences are all about. They have been going on in this country for more than two centuries. But we believe our sound fiscal policy would stand out as being so much better than what they have done in the House. We could do this through the regular order of the budget process. Unfortunately, Democrats and Republicans are not going to find common ground if we never start negotiating. As I said, for 86 days Republican leaders have objected to a conference with the House of Representatives. In conference, Democrats and Republicans could work together to work out our differences--differences between our budgets as well as our priorities. But Senate Republicans have objected to a conference time and time again. Today, I read in the Hill newspaper called Politico that the House Republicans are more than happy for their Senate colleagues to obstruct and delay. They know a budget conference would only put the spotlight on divisions within the House Republican caucus. Here is what the article said: Going to conference to match the House and Senate-passed budgets--or making any movement on the budget right now-- could open up a schism in the [Republican] caucus on spending that for months leadership has managed to keep mostly at bay. So what they are saying is the Republican leadership over here is protecting the House. The House Republican leadership understands they cannot agree on anything--nothing. Therefore, objecting to this is the right thing to do because they will never get out in the open as to how crazy their budget priorities are. But as Senate Republicans cover for their dysfunctional House colleagues, the country inches closer to another crisis: a default on the Nation's bills. Reasonable Republicans are just as concerned as I am about this last manufactured crisis--a crisis that would undercut the economic progress of the last 4 years. Those reasonable Republicans have come to the floor repeatedly to call on Republican leaders to stop blocking bipartisan budget negotiations. I hope those reasonable Republicans prevail. I hope Republican leaders in the House and in the Senate will stop bowing to tea party extremists and listen to the more reasonable Members of their caucus. I repeat, Republican Senators have arrived here on the floor on more than one occasion and criticized our not being able to go to conference. So if past is prologue, using the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government as a political hostage will not only be bad for the economy, it will also be bad for the Republican Party. It is time Republican leaders acknowledge that compromise--not reckless brinkmanship--will put America on the road to fiscal responsibility.

Mr. REID

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

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, for 16 years, Blanca Gamez thought she was an average American girl. But when she turned 16, one by one her friends learned to drive. Her parents sat her down and explained an important truth she did not know at the time: She could not get her driver's license because she is an undocumented immigrant. Blanca's parents brought her from Mexico to the United States when she was 7 months old. Because they came without proper paperwork, she was missing something really important. Blanca's parents told her: ``You need nine numbers.'' That refers to a Social Security number, which she did not have. A Social Security number--those nine numbers-- opens doors to American citizens, which American citizens take for granted. I had an opportunity to visit with Blanca when I was in Las Vegas recently. She is a young woman with everything going for her. She is smart, she is driven, and she loves this country with a passion that is truly moving. In fact, she does not remember the country she was born in, Mexico. She was 7 months old when she came here. To her home means Nevada. That is our State song: ``Home Means Nevada.'' And home certainly means Nevada to this young woman. Unfortunately, without a Social Security number--those nine numbers-- Blanca faced challenges her American-born peers simply did not. But all that changed a year ago this week when President Obama signed a directive suspending deportation of upstanding young people such as Blanca who were brought to this country as children. As a result, she now has her nine numbers. Almost 300,000 DREAMers--undocumented immigrants who came to this country as children--have already taken advantage of this opportunity. Thanks to President Obama's courageous action, Blanca and hundreds of thousands of upstanding young men and women like her can rest easier knowing they are no longer in danger of being deported. They can now drive, they can work, and they can get the nine numbers that unlock a successful future--I repeat: a Social Security number. Blanca's future--and the future of 800,000 young DREAMers--will remain uncertain until Congress passes commonsense immigration reform. President Obama's directive is only a temporary solution. The Republican majority in the House of Representatives has taken aim at the DREAMers, voting recently to resume deportation of promising young people such as Blanca. The directive does not address the 10 million people living in this country without the proper documentation who do not qualify for deferred action. Many of these individuals are the parents or siblings of DREAMers such as Blanca. The bipartisan legislation before the Senate is the opportunity they have been waiting for. This bill offers a pathway to earned citizenship that begins by going to the back of the line, paying penalties and fines, working, paying taxes, staying out of trouble, learning English, getting right with the law. The measure will be good for national security, it will be great for the economy, and it will be good for millions of immigrant families. The bill is not perfect, but it takes important steps to reform our broken legal immigration system and strengthen border security. I know many of my colleagues have ideas about how to improve this bill. I hope we will be able to process additional amendments soon so we can give these ideas the debate they deserve here in the Senate and, after that, of course, the votes they deserve. We have five amendments pending. We could vote on four of them right away. I also think it would be fair to add the Heller amendment. That would mean three Republican amendments and two Democratic amendments. My colleagues should be aware, unless we begin voting on amendments soon, we will need to work through the weekend in order to finish the bill before July 4. Recognizing that this is a Nation founded by immigrants, I hope Senators will consider every amendment to this bill with compassion. Like generations before them, Blanca's parents and millions of other undocumented immigrants came here seeking a better life. The famous author C.S. Lewis said: You are never too old . . . to dream a new dream. It is time for Congress to help 11 million dreamers--young and old-- get right with the law and unlock their potential.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to a period of morning business from now until 6:40 p.m. to allow a colloquy between Senator Brown and Senator Isakson.

Mr. REID. When that time is up, I ask unanimous consent to be recognized.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate resumes consideration of S. 744, which is the immigration bill, on Tuesday, June 18, the time until 12:30 p.m. and the time from 2:15 to 3 p.m. be equally divided between the two leaders or their designees for debate on the pending amendments listed below in the following order: Thune No. 1197, Landrieu No. 1222, Vitter No. 1228, and Tester No. 1198; that there be no second-degree amendments in order prior to the votes; that all the amendments be subject to a 60-affirmative-vote threshold; that there be 2 minutes equally divided between the votes; and that all after the first vote be 10-minute votes. Madam President, I have spoken with my friend, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, the senior Senator from Iowa, because I wanted to add the Heller amendment; however, I understand the Republicans want to pick their own amendments. They do not want me picking them. I understand that, so I haven't included that one in the consent request.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, following my statement the Republican leader will be recognized. I ask unanimous consent that I be recognized when he completes his statement.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, following leader remarks the Senate will resume consideration of S. 744, the comprehensive immigration bill. I renew my request to be recognized following the remarks of Senator McConnell and the reporting of the immigration bill.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, when Alfredo Castaneda crossed the border from Mexico into the United States two decades ago, he didn't climb over a fence. He didn't swim across a river. He didn't fly over the border. He didn't walk through the desert. When Alfredo Castaneda crossed the border, he was a 2-year-old little boy perched on his father's shoulders. The choice to leave Mexico wasn't an easy one for Alfredo's father, but the rumble of hunger in his belly and in his son's belly convinced Alfredo's dad to leave behind the world he knew for a hopefully better life in America. He wrote me a letter; it is addressed to me. Here is what he said: I lived in a shack with one wall of my house leaning on my neighbor's; the other three were made of sticks and mud bricks. I wanted to give my family a better life, and so I hear the U.S. is a land of opportunity. All I want is to have a sliver of that opportunity for my family. So with his wife by his side and his son on his shoulders, Alfredo's father came to America illegally. Alfredo was a 2-year-old boy, as I mentioned, at the time. Today he is a 23-year-old man who appreciates the privileges that come with life in America, but he is also conscious of the opportunities available only to U.S. citizens--opportunities that aren't available to him because of his immigration status. When his friends applied for part-time jobs in high school, Alfredo knew he could never work legally. When he was researching a paper for a class, Alfredo was denied a library card because he had no identification. When he filled out an application for his dream school, selecting ``noncitizen'' on an online form, Alfredo received an error message in bold red letters that said ``noncitizens cannot apply''-- cannot apply for entry into this institution. Alfredo's life in Nevada bears little in common with the shack of sticks and mud he left behind. For him, America truly is the land of opportunity his father envisioned. Yet, until recently, Alfredo could not get a Social Security number, a driver's license, or even a full- time job because he is an undocumented immigrant. But that hasn't stopped him from reaching for his dreams. This is what he wrote in addition to what we have already heard: My parents constantly reminded me to be a good citizen and volunteer in my community whenever possible. They said that it would pay off and would help me acquire citizenship in the future. I took that to heart. So Alfredo worked hard in high school--really hard--volunteered in a local hospital, and became politically active. He enrolled in the College of Southern Nevada. Since he can't find steady work, it has been difficult for Alfredo to afford tuition while he helps support his family. But he believes things are about to change for the better. Thanks to a directive issued last year by President Obama, Alfredo and 800,000 DREAMers just like him won't be deported and will be able to work and drive legally. Alfredo has already applied for several jobs. He has even gotten a few interviews. He looks forward to learning to drive, going back to school, completing his associate's degree, and one day owning a business. But President Obama's directive isn't a permanent answer. The Republican majority in the House of Representatives voted last week to resume deportation of outstanding young people just like Alfredo who were brought to this country through no fault of their own. Remember, this boy got here on his dad's shoulders. And the directive isn't a solution for Alfredo's parents and 10 million people just like them who live in the United States without the proper paperwork. It is more important than ever that Congress pass a permanent fix for this Nation's broken immigration system. Alfredo believes in us. He believes we will succeed. He believes we will find the political will to pass commonsense, bipartisan immigration reform and do it now. His letter contained a reminder of what is at stake in this debate. This is what he wrote: It's not just a piece of legislation; that piece of paper holds our dreams, ambitions, and potential in it. I note 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. President, it is my understanding that the immigration bill was reported, so we are on that bill right now; is that right?

Mr. REID. And the pending amendment is what?

Mr. REID. Mr. President, in a brief moment I am going to move to table that amendment, but I want everyone to understand that I talked to Senator Grassley yesterday and told him I was going to do this, and the staffs have been advised of it as well. So I ask unanimous consent to move to table the Grassley amendment and that the vote on the motion to table occur at 10 a.m. following the remarks of Senator McConnell; and that at a time following Senator McConnell's remarks, there be 5 minutes for the opposition and 5 minutes for those supporting the motion to table. So the vote would occur a little after 10 a.m., but that depends on how long Senator McConnell speaks.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, my dear friend--we have served together in the Congress for more than three decades--I care a great deal about him. He is a good legislator. But I think the only criticism I have is he must be reading my speeches because the speech he just gave is almost a carbon copy of what I have been saying for a long time: that we should not have this 60-vote threshold on everything the Republicans created. For him to come now and say we are going to have 50 votes, he should go back and reread my speeches, which maybe his staff has done. I move to table the Grassley amendment. I ask for the yeas and nays on my motion.