Harry Reid

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, to my friend--and he is my friend for whom I have admiration and respect--the senior Senator from Arizona makes my case. He is absolutely right. This is, I am sorry to say, the least productive Congress perhaps ever. Why? Because everything we have tried to do they have objected to. Everything. Once in a while we are able to work together to get something done, but he has made my case for me, absolutely, because their No. 1 goal has been to defeat the President of the United States for reelection. Now, we have had a lot of debates. Senator Paul has been here many times talking about this issue. I have no lock on wisdom around here. There are a lot of people who have much more wisdom than I do. But I do have the obligation to try to move legislation along on things that we have to work on here. If people want more time on this, fine. I have worked with Senator Paul. He has agreed to this. If there are some reasonable changes, I will agree to those. I am not locked in. But whoever wants to do this, I would suggest they go to Senator Paul, not to me. I am happy to be a conduit to try to get something done that is reasonable and fair. If an hour is too short, we haven't been doing much today, there is plenty of time to debate legislation. So I am happy to do that. Mr. President, I understand the rules of the Senate fairly well. This is not the first time a Senator has held things up. I came here during the days of the Senator from Ohio, Howard Metzenbaum, and he was pretty good at slowing things down and holding things up. Jesse Helms was really good at it, and we have had a number of others. So as I have said on the Senate floor, I think we should change some rules around here. I am not for getting rid of the filibuster. I don't want to get rid of the filibuster, but we need to change the filibuster rule. Why should we have, on every piece of legislation, a motion to proceed? It takes the Senate a week to get on a bill when a single Senator objects to it. That doesn't sound very good to me. I hope with a new Congress we can change some of the rules around here. But I am happy to work with my friend from Arizona. I know he is someone who travels the world. He has been in the forefront of changes that have taken place in this world. I understand his concern about this legislation. If he has something else he thinks might work better than this, talk to Senator Paul. I am always reachable, any time of the night or day.

Mr. REID. I will say this so it will save a lot of trouble for anybody. We are not going to have amendments to this. Amendment days are over. We have been blindsided many times on amendments. I will be happy if my friend can come up with something that will allow maybe a side-by-side or something. I will be happy to do that. I am open to negotiations in any way that is reasonable. If someone does not want to contact Rand Paul, I will--if somebody feels awkward doing that, I do not. I feel totally free to talk to any Senator about anything. That is why I reached out to Rand Paul.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, the reason I went into that is because my friend Senator McCain talked about how little we have accomplished. I didn't bring that up. I indicated why we have accomplished so little. I also say to my two Republican friends who are on the floor--there are three actually--this: The resolution, a piece of legislation that Senator Paul is putting forward, I am not going to vote for it. Senator Paul knows that. Democrats are not going to vote for this. The problem is the Republicans are split, not us. They are split. Their own caucus is split on what to do with the Paul amendment, not us. I am happy to work with everybody. I have conferred. I say to the Republican assistant leader, I talked to my leadership team this morning. I talked to my caucus today about this. Republicans have a caucus the same time we do and they knew, and they knew before the caucus because everybody knew, what was going on with this. It was no secret. I talked to Republican Senators before their caucus. This is no surprise. The hour time I put was arbitrary. I acknowledge that. If somebody wants more time to debate this issue, I am fine. I don't care. I appreciate my friends' involvement, both of them.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, first of all, I extend my appreciation to the senior Senator from Iowa, Mr. Grassley. He indicated he was going to say a few things about me and he told me beforehand, and I appreciate that. That is the way the Senate should operate. So I appreciate very much my friend from Iowa doing that. He came to the floor and, in effect, said that I said--I have said it on a number of occasions, but he picked one date--that Governor Romney could not be confirmed as a Cabinet officer because to be a Cabinet officer, you have to give at least 3 years of your tax returns. Sometimes they ask for more. So my friend Senator Grassley came to the floor and suggested he could be confirmed. Well, not really. The Senator from Iowa conceded my point. Mitt Romney could not be confirmed for Treasury Secretary. He could not be confirmed as Secretary of Health and Human Services. He could not be confirmed as Trade Representative. He could not even be confirmed as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Public Affairs and a number of other positions. But there is a larger point to be made here. And why they would bring this up again I do not know, but they did. But there is a larger point to be made here. When you are running for the highest office in the land--President of the United States--you are also held to a higher standard of conduct than someone who wants to be a Cabinet officer or sub-Cabinet officer who gives us their tax returns. The least Mitt Romney owes the American people--the least he owes them--is some honesty and openness. That we do not have. The Senator from Iowa is correct about one thing--and this is what he said: The contents of a candidate's taxes do speak volumes about his character. That is what Senator Grassley said, and I agree with him. Let's not forget, Mitt Romney could solve this problem tomorrow-- tonight--by releasing his tax returns, which he refuses to do. Why?

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I now move to proceed to Calendar No. 511, H.J. Res. 117, which is the continuing resolution.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I am momentarily going to send to the desk a cloture motion that I will ask be reported. But prior to that, I am filing cloture. What a shame. Why would we have to file cloture on the continuing resolution? It is absurd. But I will go through the process and do it. I think it is just such a shame. 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. Mr. President, per our previous consent agreement which is now before the Senate, we will have the cloture vote after the caucus lunches, at 2:15 p.m. today.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise to honor Phil and Jennifer Satre, who have spent more than 35 years as dedicated stewards of their community and champions for education. These college sweethearts are model parents, grandparents, philanthropists, and business and community leaders in northern Nevada. I am pleased that KNBP Public Broadcasting is recognizing the Satres with a special honor at the 15th Annual Aged to Perfection Tribute Dinner. Phil Satre's work in Nevada began in 1975 with the local law firm Vargas & Barlett in Reno. Five years later, Phil started his career with Harrah's Entertainment, where he held various positions, including chairman and CEO, until his retirement in 2005. Phil was named Best Chief Executive in the Casino and Hotel Industries by the Wall Street Journal and was inducted into the Gaming Hall of Fame by the American Gaming Association, just two of his many outstanding honors and awards. Although Phil is retired, he remains active in the community, serving on boards such as the National World War II Museum and the National Center for Responsible Gaming, NCRG. Jennifer Satre was the cofounder of the Satre Family Fund at the Community Foundation of Western Nevada. She has served the State on multiple boards, including the University of Nevada, Reno Foundation, where she was a board trustee from 2001 to 2006, board chair in 2006, and became a trustee emerita in 2007. Jennifer, a tireless advocate for education, taught at Peavine Elementary School in Reno for seven years, nourishing, developing, and enhancing young minds to continue her legacy of great service to the community. Due to their tremendous personal and professional success, together, Mr. and Mrs. Satre have generously supported the University of Nevada, Reno, and Stanford University, their alma mater. They continue their philanthropic legacy to the State of Nevada through the Satre Family Fund, the Phil and Jennifer Satre Harrah's Employee Scholarship Award, and other initiatives focused on community empowerment and the quality of education. I am pleased to stand here today to recognize their remarkable contributions to the Nevada family. I am grateful to Phil and Jennifer for their exceptional service, community engagement, and love for the Silver State. You will forever be recognized as great champions for the State of Nevada.

Mr. REID

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

Mr. REID. Mr. President, the week of September 17th marks the third annual celebration of Congress Week, sponsored by the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress. The Association is an independent alliance of institutions that preserve the papers of Members of Congress and use those papers to promote the study of Congress. Congress Week's theme this year is ``Congress: Chosen by the People.'' Congress is the only branch of the Federal Government that is elected by the people. It is important, as Members of Congress, to manage and preserve our own papers for future historical research and study of our democracy. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a letter from the President of the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress and the Chair of the Congressional Papers Roundtable about Congress Week be printed in the Record.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I stand before you to recognize and honor Mr. Bill Cline for his dedication to the development and expansion of businesses in Nevada, across the United States, and throughout the world. Bill's leadership was essential to the establishment and growth of two U.S. Commercial Service offices: the first, in Las Vegas in 2001, and the second in Reno in 2004. The offices have assisted and continue to assist small- and medium-sized business in northern and southern Nevada expand their international exports of products and services. Bill has led international initiatives to develop strong, sustainable growth and improve international trade advocacy with the United States. These initiatives have endorsed green building, renewable energy, energy efficiency, water conservation and recycling, all of which hold great potential for U.S. exporters. Bill's dedication to his community is demonstrated by his 36-year commitment to public service, business development, and training. Though Bill retires on October 1, 2012, as director of the U.S. Commercial Service in Reno, I look forward to his continued contributions to the Silver State.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, en bloc, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements related to the resolutions be printed in the Record.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating to the measure be printed in the Record.

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. on Thursday, September 20; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; that the majority leader be recognized and the first 2 hours be equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees, with the Republicans controlling the first half and the majority controlling the final half; that at 2:00 p.m., all postcloture time on the motion to proceed to H.J. Res. 117, the continuing resolution, be considered expired and the Senate proceed to vote on the motion to proceed to H.J. Res. 117; and that following that vote the majority leader be recognized.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, we will begin consideration of the continuing resolution tomorrow. We hope to reach an agreement to move up several votes and avoid being in session this weekend in order to get our work completed.

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 order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 499, S. 3521.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I yield to my friend from Vermont.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, last night cloture was filed on the substitute amendment and the underlying bill, the veterans jobs bill. If we are unable to reach an agreement to move up the timing of the cloture vote, then we will have to have these votes as early as we can under rule XXII. Under such a scenario, the first rollcall vote on cloture on the substitute amendment would occur shortly after 1 a.m. Friday morning, and that is tonight. If there are 60 votes to cut off the filibuster on the substitute amendment, then there will be up to 30 hours postcloture on the substitute amendment prior to a vote on its adoption which would occur at 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning. Immediately following the vote on the adoption of the substitute amendment, the Senate will proceed to the cloture vote on the underlying bill as amended. If cloture is invoked on the bill as amended, then there will be up to 30 hours postcloture prior to a vote on passage of the bill as amended. The vote on passage would occur about 2:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon. That is for the information of all Senators. Until we get this worked out, everybody better stay right where they are and not go places because we will have votes every day. We will then be able to finish this work on Sunday sometime late in the afternoon, and then, of course, with the Jewish holidays on Monday and Tuesday, we would come back and work on the CR and a couple of other things beginning Wednesday. Schedule Mr. President, in the next hour, after I finish my remarks and Senator McConnell finishes his remarks, the majority will control the first half and the Republicans will control the final half. It will be 1 hour that will be equally divided. Veterans Jobs Corps Act Mr. President, as we know, it is Thursday, which means Republicans have once again forced the Senate to waste the better part of a week jumping through procedural hoops that do not do have one positive outcome for our country. This week the Senate waited out yet another filibuster. It was the 380th filibuster in the 6 years I have been the leader in the Senate. This time the Republicans are not just obstructing a measure that would create jobs, which they have done many times, they are obstructing the measure that would create jobs for the men and women who risked their lives over the past 11 years to protect our freedom. Each year 200,000 servicemembers reenter the workforce. The Veterans Jobs Corps Act, which is before this body, would invest in those returning veterans, easing the transition back to civilian life with job-training programs and priority hiring for first responder positions. If young veterans want to continue their service to country and community by becoming police officers, firefighters, or rescue workers, we should do everything we can to help them achieve that goal. This legislation would also create jobs for veterans restoring forests, parks, coasts, and public lands. The least we can do for those who have fought for this country abroad is to ensure they never have to fight for a job when they come home. The legislation that is before this body should sail through the Senate with bipartisan support. Remember, the substitute amendment is a bipartisan measure worked on by Senator Burr and others on the Republican side, but this worthy legislation has met one Republican stall tactic after another. Not only has this bill faced a strong series of procedural hurdles, the Republicans have larded it up with unrelated ideological amendments. That is what they want to do anyway. While some of these amendments are certainly important, they don't belong in any jobs measure, let alone a jobs measure that would assist returning veterans. Unfortunately, I am not surprised to see the Grand Old Party blocking a jobs bill. After all, that has been their tactic all this Congress. It has really been their tactic for 4 years. Republican leader Mitch McConnell said so himself. During the darkest days of the great recession, he said his No. 1 goal was to defeat President Obama--not to create jobs, not to do anything to boost the economy, but to defeat President Obama. Obviously, it is still true today. I am dismayed to see them blocking a jobs bill aimed at protecting those who protect this great Nation. This is really a new low for the Republicans. At a time when 175,000 post-9/11 veterans are out of work, and many of them are homeless, we can't afford to waste time with election-year politics. Less than 3 weeks before his death, President John F. Kennedy wrote: As we express our gratitude, we must never forget the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. It is time that the Senate show its gratitude to a new generation of veterans with deeds. It is my hope that my Republican colleagues will find it in themselves to put American veterans first and political aspirations second. This bill could pass today and we could send it to the House and have the President sign it within a matter of days. It is a shame if that doesn't happen. I have gone over the schedule with everyone within the sound of my voice, and I hope we can move forward. Mr. President, will you announce the schedule of the day. Reservation of Leader Time

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum and that the time be equally charged.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that on Wednesday, September 19, following any leader remarks, the Senate resume consideration of S. 3457, and notwithstanding rule XXII, it be in order for Senator McConnell or his designee to raise a budget point of order against the substitute amendment No. 2789; that if a budget point of order is raised, the majority leader or his designee be recognized for a motion to waive the applicable budget points of order; that the time until 12 noon be equally divided between the two leaders or their designees on the motion to waive; that upon the use or yielding back of time, the Senate proceed to vote on the motion to waive; that if the motion to waive the applicable budget points of order is not agreed to, the cloture motions with respect to the substitute and the underlying bill be withdrawn and the bill be returned to the calendar and the majority leader then be recognized; that if the motion to waive is agreed to, at a time to be determined by the majority leader, after consultation with the Republican leader and notwithstanding rule XXII, the motion to commit be withdrawn; that all pending amendments be withdrawn with the exception of the pending substitute amendment No. 2789; that there be 30 minutes of debate, equally divided between the two leaders or their designees; that upon the use or yielding back of time, the Senate proceed to vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the substitute amendment No. 2789; if cloture is invoked, the remaining postcloture time be yielded back and the Senate then proceed to vote in relation to the substitute amendment No. 2789; that following that vote, the Senate proceed to vote on the motion to invoke cloture on S. 3457, as amended, if amended; and if cloture is invoked, the postcloture time be yielded back, the bill be read a third time and the Senate proceed to vote on passage of the bill as amended, if amended, and following the vote on passage, the majority leader be recognized; if cloture is not invoked on the substitute amendment No. 2789, the cloture motion on the underlying bill be withdrawn and the bill be returned to the calendar; further, that no amendments, motions or points of order be in order to the substitute amendment or the bill other than those listed in this agreement; finally, that when the Senate receives H.J. Res. 117, the continuing resolution for fiscal year 2013, it be placed on the calendar; that on Wednesday, September 19, it be in order for the majority leader to move to proceed to H.J. Res. 117 and file cloture on the motion to proceed; finally, that if a cloture motion is filed, notwithstanding rule XXII, the vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to H.J. Res. 117 occur at 2:15 p.m., on Wednesday, September 19.

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

Mr. REID

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