Harry Reid

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I am so used to the President pro tempore allowing someone else to preside that I was speechless. I am very glad the President pro tempore is here. We have not seen him a lot, and it kind of keeps us on our toes. I am glad he is here.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, following leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 12:30 p.m., with the majority controlling the first 30 minutes and the Republicans controlling the second 30 minutes. The Senate will recess, as we always do, for our weekly caucus meetings today at 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. We expect that the Foreign Relations Committee will report out Senator Kerry's nomination to be Secretary of State, and I look forward to full Senate consideration of that very important nomination today.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I am told S. 164 is at the desk and due for a second reading.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I object to any further proceedings with respect to this legislation at this time.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that at 2:15 p.m. today, the Senate proceed to executive session to consider Executive Calendar No. 1, the nomination of Senator John Kerry to be Secretary of State, with 2 hours of debate equally divided in the usual form; that upon the use or yielding back of that time, the Senate proceed to vote without intervening action or debate on the nomination; that 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; that any related statements be printed in the Record; and that President Obama be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate then resume legislative session.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, last week, after the Nation celebrated the second inauguration of President Obama, I expressed a hope that this Congress would be characterized by its commitment to finding common ground. I am pleased that a bipartisan group of eight Senators--four Democrats and four Republicans--will announce an agreement on a framework for comprehensive immigration reform as early as this afternoon. No one denies America's immigration system is broken. As I have said, this is one of the most important legislative missions Congress will undertake this year. I applaud these eight Senators for setting aside partisanship to tackle a crucial issue facing our Nation. This is a positive first step, but the true test of our congressional leadership will be to pass a comprehensive bill. As a Senator from Nevada who has for years witnessed firsthand the difficulties our broken immigration system presents for immigrants and their families, it is very important to me personally that we finally resolve this issue. So I pledge that I will do everything in my power as the majority leader to get a bill across the finish line. Nothing short of bipartisan success is acceptable to me. President Obama has already taken commendable executive action to suspend deportation of outstanding young men and women who were brought to this country illegally by their parents. I thank President Obama for his leadership and for making comprehensive immigration reform a top priority of his administration. I am also pleased President Obama will present to the Nation his own ideas to fix the current broken immigration system during a visit to Las Vegas tomorrow. With bipartisan support building in both Houses of Congress, and a President who is eager to solve this issue, there is no reason we should not pass comprehensive immigration reform immediately. It will be good for our economy and good for immigrant families. But successful immigration reform cannot be piecemeal, and it must include a path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million undocumented individuals in our country. Legislators must craft a comprehensive solution that, among other things, continues to secure our borders; punishes unscrupulous employers who exploit immigrants and undercut American wages; improves our dysfunctional legal immigration system; and requires the 11 million people who are undocumented to register with the government, pay fines and taxes, and go to the back of the line--not to the front of the line. They have to learn English, work, pay taxes, and stay out of trouble. Only then they, as I have indicated, get to go to the back of the line. But they do obtain legal status, which is so important. The framework proposed by the bipartisan group of eight Senators meets these criteria. I hope we will soon have a bill to send through the committee process and bring to the floor for a vote. I have long said when my Republican colleagues were truly ready to craft a commonsense legislative solution that was tough, fair, and practical, we would stand ready to cooperate. We have been doing this alone. It is good to have some friends and partners in this effort. For years Democrats have been eager to pass comprehensive immigration reform, but the Republicans have been unwilling to work to find common ground. I am glad things have changed. I am so happy to see that my Republican colleagues--at least some of them--finally seem ready to find a bipartisan way to correct the flaws in this Nation's immigration system instead of just complaining that the system is broken.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, following leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 4:30 p.m. During that time Senators will be permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. At 4:30 p.m. the Senate will begin consideration of the Hurricane Sandy emergency supplemental, H.R. 152. At 5:30 p.m. there will be at least two rollcall votes. The first vote is expected to be in relation to the Lee amendment to H.R. 152, and the second vote will be on passage of H.R. 152.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, there are seven bills at the desk due for a second reading.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I object to any further proceedings with respect to these bills en bloc.

Mr. REID

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

Mr. REID

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

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the consideration of the following resolutions en bloc: S. Res. 5, Harkin; S. Res. 15, a resolution providing a standing order to improve procedures for the consideration of legislation and nominations in the Senate; and S. Res. 16, a resolution amending the Standing Rules of the Senate relative to conference motions and bipartisan cloture motions on the motion to proceed.

Mr. REID. Further, Mr. President, that the time until 7:55 p.m. be equally divided between the two leaders or their designees for the purpose of debating these resolutions concurrently; that the only amendment in order to any of the resolutions is a Lee amendment to S. Res. 15, that upon use or yielding back of time, the Senate proceed to vote in relation to S. Res. 5; that upon disposition of S. Res. 5, the Senate vote in relation to the Lee amendment to S. Res. 15; that upon disposition of the Lee amendment, the Senate proceed to vote in relation to S. Res. 15, as amended, if amended, and S. Res. 16, in that order with no intervening action of debate; that S. Res. 15 be subject to a 60-vote threshold for adoption; further, that S. Res. 16 be subject to a threshold of two-thirds of those voting for adoption; that there be no other amendments, motions, or points of order in order to any of these resolutions prior to the votes in relation to the resolutions; finally, none of the resolutions be divisible.

Mr. REID. I yield 1 minute to the Senator from Iowa.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I believe I have no further requests for time on this side. If that, in fact, is the case, and the Republican leader has no request for time, I yield whatever time I have.

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

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for the Republican leader and me to have a brief colloquy about the application of the standing order related to motions to proceed and nominations that the Senate will consider. The template for this order was a bipartisan proposal developed by Senators Levin and McCain and other Members on both sides of the aisle.

Mr. REID. In addition, the amendment process set out in this order is not to be understood as establishing a ceiling for offering amendments, but instead setting a floor for offering them. The order sets out a structure for beginning the amendment process, not ending it.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, H.R. 325 has been received from the House and is at the desk. I would ask the clerk to read this matter if the Presiding Officer so advises.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 18.

Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to and the motion 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, with Senators allowed to speak for up to 10 minutes each. The majority will control the first 30 minutes and the Republicans the final 30 minutes. Would the Chair announce the business of the day.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I note the absence of a quorum.