Harry Reid

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, the Disabilities Convention enjoys strong bipartisan support in the Senate, with Senators McCain, Durbin, Kerry, Barrasso, Coons, Tom Udall, Moran, and Harkin leading the charge to ratify the Convention. With their help, I hope we will be able to move this treaty forward in the future. Twenty-two years ago, Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act to lift the barriers Americans with disabilities faced in everyday life. And ever since the passage of that law, the United States has been a leader in expanding disability rights across the globe. We have led, other countries have followed, and persons with disabilities have found ever greater opportunities to succeed. Now we are presented with an opportunity to strengthen our leadership on disability rights around the world by joining the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This convention is another step towards ensuring that all people with a disability, in any country, are treated with dignity and given the right to achieve to their full potential. Let me read part of a recent statement to the Foreign Relations Committee from one of my esteemed predecessors, former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, recipient of two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star for heroic achievement, who was wounded fighting for our country in World War II. U.S. ratification of the [Convention] will improve physical, technological and communication access outside the U.S., thereby helping to ensure that Americans--particularly, many thousands of disabled American veterans--have equal opportunities to live, work, and travel abroad. . . . An active U.S. presence in implementation of global disability rights will promote the market for devices such as wheelchairs, smart phones, and other new technologies engineered, made, and sold by U.S. corporations. This convention will help U.S. citizens and veterans abroad, and U.S. businesses here at home. And it won't cost us anything. It won't require any changes to existing U.S. law and or new contributions to the United Nations. As we watch the Olympics this week and admire the incredible feats of all of the athletes, we are reminded of what each of us can achieve. Just look at Oscar Pistorius from South Africa--also known as the-- ``Blade Runner,'' who this Saturday will run the 400-meter sprint in the Olympics on carbon-fiber legs. Or watch Jessica Long, an American gold-medal bilateral amputee swimmer, participate in her third Paralympics Games at the age of 20. This convention will help make the path smoother for Olympians such as Oscar and Jessica. It has the support of veterans group and disability groups from around the Nation. It has the strong backing of a bipartisan group of Senators as well as leading Republicans such as President George H.W. Bush and Senator Dole. Just like passing the Americans with Disabilities Act, ratifying this Convention is, quite simply, the right thing to do.

Mr. REID

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

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 432, S. Res. 402.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee- reported amendment be withdrawn; that the Coons substitute amendment, which is at the desk, be agreed to, the resolution, as amended, be agreed to; that the committee-reported amendment to the preamble be agreed to, the preamble, as amended, be agreed to; that the committee- reported amendment to the title be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating to this measure be printed in the Record.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee be discharged from further consideration of PN 1731, Kimberley Sherri Knowles to be an associate judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia; that the nomination be confirmed, 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 to the nomination; that any related statements be printed in the Record, and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Foreign Relations Committee be discharged from further consideration of PN 1826, James B. Cunningham, of New York, to be Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan; that the nomination be confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, there be no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to the nomination; that any related statements be printed in the Record; that President Obama 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 following nominations under the Privileged section of the Executive Calendar be considered: Presidential Nomination 1513, who is Ingrid A. Gregg, of Michigan, to be on the board of trustees of the Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation, and Presidential Nomination 1514, James L. Henderson, of Kentucky, to be on the board of trustees of the Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation; that the nominations be confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, there be 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 President Obama be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, as in executive session, if the Senate adjourns under S. Con. Res. 59, I ask unanimous consent that all the nominations received by the Senate during the 112th Congress, second session, remain in status quo, notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXXI, paragraph 6, of the Standing Rules of the Senate, with the following exception: PN 1727.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to Calendar No. 458.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask that the bill be read a third time and the Senate proceed to vote on passage of this bill. The bill was read the third time.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to S. Con. Res. 58, a concurrent resolution to correct the enrollment of H.R. 4240, submitted earlier today by Senator Kerry; that the concurrent resolution be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, and any statements be printed in the Record.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 3245 and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a Leahy- Grassley substitute amendment, which is at the desk, be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed; that a Leahy- Grassley amendment to the title, which is also at the desk, be agreed to; the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; and any statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Commerce Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 3670, and the Senate proceed to its consideration.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read the third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements related to the measure be printed in the Record.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to H.R. 1402.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the bill be read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statement related to this matter be printed in the Record at the appropriate place.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Armed Services Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 418, and the Senate proceed to its consideration.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Foreign Relations Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 524, and the Senate proceed to its consideration.

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

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed en bloc to the following resolutions: S. Res. 544, S. Res. 545, S. Res. 546, and S. Res. 547.

Mr. REID. 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 relating to the resolutions be printed in the Record.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Con. Res. 59.