Harry Reid

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. Mr. President, following leader remarks the Senate will resume the motion to proceed to S. 744, the immigration bill. That will take place until 5 p.m. today. Senator Sessions will control 2 hours, and Senator Leahy will control the remaining time today. Senator- designate Chiesa will be sworn in today as a U.S. Senator at 4:30 p.m. At 5 p.m. the Senate will resume consideration of the farm bill. At 5:30 p.m. there will be a vote on passage of that bill. Following that vote, we will resume the motion to proceed to the immigration bill. There will be a cloture vote on the motion to proceed at 2:15 tomorrow afternoon.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. There are two bills at the desk due for a second reading.

Mr. REID. I object to any further proceedings with respect to these two bills.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, for most of her life Anna Ledesma has been afraid. She was a model student at Centennial High School in Las Vegas, an artist and a member of the Key Club. As one of the top academics of a large high school, she received the Millennium Scholarship to study nursing at the College of Southern Nevada. Now she is studying hard for her nursing exams. But 23-year-old Anna has lived for a long time with the constant fear that she will be deported. She is an undocumented immigrant. She was born in the Philippines and brought here by her parents when she was 7 years old. She was in the second grade. This is what Anna told the Las Vegas Sun newspaper: I would tell myself that they're not going to deport me because I'm a nursing student and I'm working really hard and I want to make a difference in my community . . . [But] all the time, constantly in the back of my head, I think about being deported and having to start over. Thanks to a directive issued last year by President Obama, Anna and 800,000 other young people like her--young people who are American in all but paperwork--won't be deported. President Obama's directive suspended deportation of DREAMers--students brought to America illegally when they were children. These young people share our language, they share our culture, and they share our love for America, which in most cases is the only country they have ever known. Like Anna, the DREAMers are talented, patriotic young men and women who want to defend our Nation in the military, get a college education, and work hard to help their communities and our country. Still, the Republican majority in the House of Representatives sent a chilling message last week to Anna and others when it voted to roll back President Obama's directive. Republicans voted to resume deportation of upstanding young people--I repeat, just like Anna--who were brought to this country illegally through no fault of their own. That is why it is vital that Congress act at long last to fix this Nation's broken immigration system. President Obama's directive is temporary--and squarely in the crosshairs of the tea party-driven Republican rightwing. The directive is also no remedy for more than 10 million others--many of whom are the parents or siblings of DREAMers--who are living here without the proper paperwork. But a permanent commonsense solution to our dysfunctional system is in sight. The bipartisan legislation on which the Senate is now working is the solution our economy needs, it is the solution immigrant families need, and it is the solution Anna needs. This bill isn't perfect. That is the nature of legislating. Compromise is necessary and inevitable. But this measure takes important steps to reform our broken legal immigration system, strengthen border security, and hold unscrupulous employers accountable. Over the next 3 weeks Senators will propose a number of ideas to make the legislation better. Some will offer ideas to make it worse. But those suggestions must preserve the heart of the bill--a pathway to earned citizenship that begins by going to the back of the line, paying taxes and fines, learning English, and getting right with the law. Whether we are Democrats or Republicans, whether we are from red States or blue States, we can all agree that the current system is broken. We can all agree on the need for action. This bipartisan legislation is our best chance in many, many years to bend the system toward it working right. We need to mend this broken system. The Senate is about to engage in this important debate about the kind of country we are and must continue to be. This Nation was founded on the promise that success should not be an accident of birth but, rather, a just reward for hard work and determination. It is no wonder so many people from so many nations wish to share that promise, but they can't all get the promise of coming to America, and that is what this legislation is all about. The United States has always welcomed immigrants, and that is never going to change. For those like Anna, the words of the Jewish proverb are appropriate: Dreams do not die. Therefore, it is up to us to help fulfill those dreams and fix our broken immigration system.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. At 4:30. The Senator can talk until 4:30. Go ahead and talk until 4:30.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Madam President, I welcome Senator Chiesa to the Senate. I congratulate him on his appointment to fill the seat of the late Frank Lautenberg. Senator Chiesa--I am sure we will struggle with that name for a little while until we get used to it, but I think I have done it just about right--has served as attorney general for the State of New Jersey. As attorney general, he has done some very remarkable work. He has worked with law enforcement and the State legislature to combat human trafficking, to protect children from predators, to crack down on gang violence. He implemented a successful gun buyback program that took 10,000 weapons off the streets, including 1,200 illegal guns. I commend him for his efforts to keep New Jersey's streets safe, protecting Americans from gun violence. As we all know, that was something that was very close to Senator Lautenberg's heart. Prior to becoming attorney general, he served for 2 years as chief counsel to New Jersey Governor Christie, after leading the Governor's transition team. He spent 7 years in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey and more than 10 years in private practice. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame, got his law degree from Catholic University in the District of Columbia and certainly because of that is familiar with the District of Columbia. I am confident he will serve the people of New Jersey with honor. I welcome him to the Senate.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. We have one more vote tonight on final passage.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, following my remarks--and perhaps Senator McConnell's, if he wishes to speak--the Senate will resume the motion to proceed to S. 744, the comprehensive immigration legislation, on which the Chair has done a masterful job of getting us to where we are on this matter as chairman of the Judiciary Committee. The time until 1:30 p.m. will be for debate on the motion to proceed. Mr. President, I have been told we need a little extra time, so what we will do is extend that time until 2 p.m. Order of Procedure I ask unanimous consent that the prior order, which is in effect, be extended until 2 p.m., and that the extra half-hour be equally divided between the majority and minority, each taking 15 minutes.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be recognized at 2 p.m.

Mr. REID. There will be no rollcall votes today. The next rollcall vote will be on Monday at 5:30 p.m. on passage of the farm bill.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, today Senators will have an opportunity to debate the bipartisan immigration bill reported by the Chair's committee last month. As I have already done once today, I again commend the chairman of that committee Senator Leahy for leading a thorough and transparent process in the committee. I thank Senator Sessions for working with us yesterday to move forward on this measure as quickly as possible. As I have said before, Senator Sessions and I--once in a while--disagree on substance, but we have always had a friendly relationship, which I appreciate. I applaud the efforts of the Gang of 8--four Democrats and four Republicans--to set aside partisanship to address a critical issue facing our Nation. The system is broken and needs to be fixed. It is gratifying to see the momentum behind this package of commonsense reforms, which will make our country safer and help 11 million undocumented immigrants get right with the law. I had a number of meetings over the last few days with pollsters who have taken a look at this legislation, and they all acknowledge that the vast majority of American people want us to move forward. Democrats, Independents, and Republicans recognize the system is broken and needs to be fixed. They all agree on a pathway to citizenship. I have been committed to a process that is as open as possible for amendments. I don't want to say totally because sometimes with the procedures we have here--as with the farm bill--people throw a monkey wrench into things, and we are not able to do things as we would wish to do them. We will wrap up work on this legislation before the July 4 recess. I hope Senators will take advantage of today's time for debate. I look forward to a thorough and thoughtful discussion of the deliberation in the days ahead.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Will the Chair announce the business of the day?

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Madam President, I rise today to recognize Randy Walker for his leadership as Director of Aviation for Clark County. Randy is the consummate public servant, having served the people of Nevada in various positions since 1979, culminating in his appointment as Director of Aviation for Clark County in May 1997. For the past 16 years, Randy has transformed McCarran International Airport into one of the premier airports in the world, and he has greatly expanded the airport's reach to all corners of the globe. Randy became Director of Aviation at an exciting time in southern Nevada. Clark County was the fastest growing county in the Nation, with tens of thousands of new people moving to Las Vegas each year. Tourist numbers hit record levels and new resorts were changing the face of the world famous Strip. Las Vegas was becoming a global destination with new markets in Europe, South America, and Asia fueling southern Nevada's economy. Randy recognized this potential for growth and he played a key role in expanding the airport. During Randy's first year on the job, McCarran International Airport added 26 new gates; more were added in 2005 and again in 2008, which increased the D Concourse's size to 45 gates today. Randy oversaw the construction of a new rental car terminal, which improved the visitor experience for tourists. He also kept airport operations running smoothly at the airport during the construction of a tunnel for Interstate 215 under the runways. Randy has also made McCarran International Airport one of the most technically advanced airports in the Nation. It is the only major airport in the U.S. to use Common Use Terminal Equipment, allowing for seamless integration of airlines' computer systems. In addition, he installed SpeedCheck kiosks, allowing customers to get their boarding passes without having to go to a specific airline counter. The airport also implemented a baggage-tracking system that uses radio-frequency identification so that baggage can be accurately tracked. In 2010, McCarran opened a USO Lounge to serve servicemembers from Nevada and those flying through Nevada. The rest and relaxation lounge serves tens of thousands of our military personnel each year as they travel to Nevada and through Nevada. I worked with Randy, Wayne Newton, and the USO since 2007 to create this lounge. Randy has changed the face of aviation in southern Nevada, but the most important project during Randy's tenure was the opening of Terminal 3, or T3. Building a new $2.4 billion terminal was the largest expansion project in McCarran's history, and one of the largest public works projects in Nevada history. McCarran began this ambitious expansion project before the recession hit my State. When the economy worsened, I worked with Randy to keep T3 on track by having Congress provide tax relief to local governments and their bondholders in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Randy's steady leadership during the challenging economy was critical to the completion of the project. Last year, McCarran International Airport was ranked 24th in the world for passenger traffic, hosting nearly 41.7 million passengers. Under Randy's tenure, the airport saw a 33 percent increase in Las Vegas visitor volume that resulted in a 50 percent increase in revenues for Clark County. This has been extremely beneficial to the economy of southern Nevada. After playing an important role in shaping the future of Las Vegas and southern Nevada for decades, Randy recently stepped down as the Director of Aviation to enter a well-deserved retirement. I am pleased to recognize Randy's extraordinary service to the people of Clark County before the Senate today and I wish him all the best in his retirement or, knowing Randy, in his next phase of remarkable achievement.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that S. 744, as reported by the Judiciary Committee, be star printed with the changes that are at the desk.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 80, S. 744.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have a cloture motion at the desk, and I ask that it be reported.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum required under rule XXII be waived.

Mr. REID. I now withdraw the motion to proceed.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, following leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of the farm bill. The filing deadline for second- degree amendments is 9:45 a.m. today. At 10 a.m., there will be three rollcall votes; first, a cloture vote on the farm bill, then a cloture vote on the motion to proceed to S. 1003, the Republican student loan bill, and, finally, a cloture vote on the motion to proceed on S. 953, which is the Democratic student loan bill. Senator Lautenberg will lie in repose in the Senate Chamber this afternoon. Senators will gather at 2:15 p.m. in the Ohio Clock corridor to go to the floor and pay their respects. I wish to briefly say I truly appreciate, as we all do, the Sergeant at Arms Terry Gainer and his whole staff for making this so very pleasant--at least as pleasant as a funeral can be. It was truly a celebration. Because of the Jewish tradition, this had to be jammed in with not a lot of time, so we were under tremendous pressure. I appreciate the work which allowed us to get this done. I appreciate what Secretary Hagel, Ash Carter at the Pentagon, the Assistant Secretary of the Senate, Sheila Dwyer, and her entire staff in the Secretary's Office have done to make this whole situation as pleasant as it has been. Order of Procedure I now ask unanimous consent that when the Senate resumes consideration of the farm bill this morning, the time until 10 a.m. be equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees.

Mr. REID. Following the vote on the motion to invoke cloture on S. 953, I ask unanimous consent that the time until 11:45 a.m. be equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each; further, that I be recognized at 11:45 a.m. today.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I talked a little bit about the farm bill, but in a few minutes we will consider whether to end debate on the agriculture jobs bill. I commend Chairman Stabenow and Ranking Member Cochran on their excellent work. We were able to get some votes, but we ran into a problem, and we were unable to reach an agreement to consider a finite number of amendments, as they have been trying to do for several days. I am optimistic and hopeful we will advance the measure and be able to pass the bill with a strong bipartisan vote as we did last year. Unfortunately, last year the House of Representative failed to even consider the Senate passed bipartisan farm bill. I hope this year the bipartisan legislation--which will create jobs, cut taxpayer subsidies, and reduce the debt by some $23 billion--will be voted on in the House. America's farms and ranches are the most productive in the world, but to keep America's farms and America's economy strong, Congress must pass a strong farm bill and do it quickly.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. On one final subject, to ensure this Nation's continued economic recovery and long-term success, it is crucial that America invest in our educated workforce, and we need to continue to have an educated workforce. In this country a college education is the surest path to a better life. But higher education has never been more expensive or further out of reach for middle-class families. So it is crucial Congress act before July 1 to keep the interest rates low for 7 million college students who can't afford to pile on more debt. Democrats have a commonsense plan to prevent loan rates from doubling for 2 years without adding a single penny to the deficit. We will consider that legislation, as I have just indicated, later this morning. The Republican alternative proposal, by contrast, would be worse than doing nothing at all. It would be worse than letting the rates double, which would happen if we do nothing. The Republican proposal will saddle students with even more debt--about $6,500 more debt--than they have today. That is a serious blow, considering that Americans have more than $1 trillion in student loan debt. Keeping college affordable is the best investment we can make in our country. Congress should remove the obstacles from keeping young people from getting an education and not put more barriers in their way. I hope our Republican colleagues will work to invest in America's future instead of, once again, sticking it to the students.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, this afternoon the Senate will pay its final respects to a friend and a respected colleague--and that is an understatement--Frank Lautenberg. Frank will lie in repose in the Chamber where he spent three decades of his professional life. Senator Lautenberg was one of the most effective and productive Senators to serve in the Senate and, as we learned yesterday, one of the most humorous. His leadership as well as his laughter and kindness will be missed.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to a period of morning business until 12:30 today, with all provisions of the previous order remaining in effect, and that I be recognized at 12:30. We have some housekeeping stuff we have to do regarding Senator Lautenberg.