Harry Reid

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Senator Levin gave this to me and said he already talked to Senator McCain about this.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have been asked on a number of occasions by Senator Levin and Senator McCain what we are going to do on the Defense authorization bill. I now ask unanimous consent that at a time to be determined by me after consultation with the Republican leader, the Senate proceed to Calendar No. 419, S. 3254, the Defense authorization bill; and that only relevant amendments be in order on the bill.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, Senator Levin has consulted with John McCain in regard to this matter. Senator McCain knew this was going to happen. That is what the chairman of the committee told me, and Senator Levin has never misled me ever. Again, it is obvious the bill is being held up. So I am not surprised. This has been going on for 6 months.

Mr. REID. Of course.

Mr. REID

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

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Reserving the right to object, Mr. President, the House bill is this big. It has three provisions. The bill we are going to vote on has 20, supported by over 50 groups--NRA, Ducks Unlimited, and more than 50 others, a wonderful piece of legislation that is robust, it is conclusive, and it is not partisan. It is a very good piece of legislation. It should be widely accepted. It is a fine piece of legislation supported by conservation groups, sportsmen's groups all over America. I object.

Mr. REID. I yield back all time.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations: Calendar Nos. 456, 714, 880 through 908, and 910, and all nominations placed on the Secretary's desk in the Air Force, Army, Foreign Service, Navy, and Public Health Service; that the nominations be confirmed en bloc; the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to any of the nominations; 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. I ask unanimous consent that the preamble to S.J. Res. 41 be agreed to.

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

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 I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the Commerce Committee be discharged from further consideration of Presidential Nomination 1958, Kenneth T. Boyt to be Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Coast Guard; and the Foreign Relations Committee be discharged from further consideration of Presidential Nomination 1879, Foreign Service nominations beginning with Michael Lewis and ending with Carolyn Shuckerow; Presidential Nomination 1880, Foreign Service nominations beginning with Bridget C. Riffle and ending with David J. Zanni; and Presidential Nomination 1923, Robert Stephen Beecroft, of California, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Iraq; that the Senate proceed to the nominations en bloc, that the nominations be confirmed; the motions 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 nominations; that any related statements be printed in the Record; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. I now ask unanimous consent that the Senate consider the following nominations en bloc: Calendar Nos. 674, 675; that the Senate proceed to vote on the nominations in the order listed, without intervening action or debate; the motions 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 nominations; that any statements related to the nominations 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. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 484, S. 1956.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee- reported amendment be considered, the Cardin and Merkley amendments at the desk be agreed to, the committee-reported amendment, as amended, be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, and any statements relating to this bill be printed in the Record. I would also extend my appreciation to all Senators who have been involved in this contentious issue--for a while, at least--and especially Senator Thune, who has helped us work through this and a number of other things.

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

Mr. REID

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

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 504, S. 3525.

Mr. REID. Would my friend yield?

Mr. REID. Madam President, it is my understanding we have a couple Senators who would like to speak before that.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, this month I join more than 52 million Latinos in Nevada and across the country to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Each year Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to honor the contributions of a population that is so important to our national identity--a community that has contributed to our country's progress for centuries. We see those contributions in every facet of our society: on the battlefield and in the boardroom, in the courtroom and the classroom, at the art gallery and in the recording studio, and on the playing field. In Nevada Hispanic influence is evident in the name of our State--Nevada, snowcapped Las Vegas, and the meadows. Today, more than one-quarter of Nevada's population is Hispanic. Nationwide, Latinos are expected to make up 60 percent of the population growth in the coming decades. To ensure our country thrives, we need to make sure its Hispanic population thrives as well. That is why President Obama and Democrats in Congress have fought for the policies that are making the Hispanic community stronger and more prosperous. Despite opposition, we have made progress on economic and educational issues that are important to Latinos and to all Americans. The Recovery Act, which included tax cuts for working families and improvements in unemployment insurance, kept more than 2 million Hispanics out of poverty. Unlike Governor Romney, we know Americans who access the employment benefits they have earned while working are not ``victims'' who are unwilling to take ``personal responsibility'' for their lives. ``Victims'' is Mitt Romney's word; ``personal responsibility'' are his words. Democrats secured tax credits for more than 8 million Hispanic children and their families. Mitt Romney, on the other hand, believes tax credits for working parents struggling to make ends meet are a hand out, not a hand up. Democrats fought to give small business loans to almost 9,000 Hispanic-owned businesses. Under a Romney administration, loans for small businesses would be a thing of the past--one more remnant of the dependency culture he loathes. Mitt Romney was caught on tape telling wealthy donors he would be winning this election if he was Latino. That is what he said. But we know Mitt Romney's problem isn't that he is not Hispanic; his problem is that he opposes the commonsense policies that are good for Hispanic families. Republicans have been paying lipservice to concerned Hispanic families in the months leading up to election day. Democrats are helping Hispanic families tackle the challenges they face every day. To us, Hispanic Heritage Month isn't just about recognizing the incredible contributions Hispanic Americans make to our Nation; it is also about building a brighter future for Hispanic Americans in our Nation.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I yield to my friend from Delaware and ask that I be recognized when he finishes his remarks.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, the Senator from Delaware has been such a great addition to the Senate. He is well respected on both sides of the aisle, and he is a man of spiritual quality. Among his other attributes, he has a divinity degree from Yale University. Without elaborating, I am just so pleased he is my friend and a Member of the Senate.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, S. 3576 is at the desk and due for a second reading.

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