Harry Reid

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. I am going to use the leader time, not the 5 minutes we were allocated. Madam President, we have all heard of reverse engineering. What we just heard is reverse reasoning. This is one of the most interesting things I have heard--that makes no sense. We have been trying to get on this bill for weeks. The Republicans have refused to allow us to get on the bill. The student loan issue is important. We should have already completed this--had we been allowed to get on the bill--but we were not allowed to get on the bill. We were faced with one of our many filibusters-- scores of them. Not one, two, three or four, scores of them. This is another example of them stopping us from legislating on a bill. Now to come here and say we could have been doing something--my friend knows the rules of this Senate as well as I do. He knows his suggestion is absurd. I object.

Mr. REID. Has all time expired?

Mr. REID. Time has been yielded back. We think there will be two more votes. I can't say there will be no more votes. We have a few more items to be worked out, such as flood insurance. I can't give everyone that assurance at this time. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. I move to reconsider the vote and I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, as we have noted on the floor many times in the last few days, the Flood Insurance Program covers almost 6 million people. It was set to expire next week. If it were to expire, new housing construction would stall--in fact, it may come to a halt--real estate transactions would come to a screaming halt, and taxpayers would be on the hook for future disasters. We have no choice. We have to get this done. I appreciate the work of Chairman Johnson, Ranking Member Shelby, the chairman of the subcommittee, Senator Tester, and Ranking Member Vitter. I also appreciate the work that was put into this effort by Senator Coburn, who worked closely with Senator Schumer, and we were able to get this extension done. I am grateful for everyone's help. It was team work that got us where we are. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to Calendar No. 407, H.R. 5740, flood insurance extension; that a Johnson of South Dakota substitute amendment, which is at the desk, be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed; and that motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. And if anyone has anything to say about this, they can put it in the Record.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I now move to proceed to calendar No. 410, S. 3220.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have a cloture motion at the desk.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum under rule XXII be waived, and the vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S. 3220 occur at 2:15 p.m., on Tuesday, June 5.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, we are going to arrange a vote Monday night on one of the nominees who is trying to become a judge.

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

Mr. REID. Mr. President, last month, the Senate passed the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization on a strong bipartisan vote of 68 to 31. Fifteen Republican Senators--including all the women on the other side of the aisle--joined Senate Democrats to support this important legislation. Senate Democrats strongly stand behind the bill we passed. It makes clear that all victims of domestic violence and sexual assault should enjoy the protections of the Violence Against Women Act. We don't believe we should be in the business of picking and choosing which victims deserve protection. In contrast, the bill passed by House Republicans fails to include crucial protections for Native American women--I have 22 tribal organizations in my State, for example--gay and lesbian victims, battered immigrant women, and victims on college campuses and in subsidized housing. The House bill would roll back many important and longstanding protections in current law for abused immigrant victims-- protections that have never been controversial and previously have enjoyed widespread bipartisan support. So there are many differences to be worked out between the House and the Senate in this crucial piece of legislation. The right place to work out these differences is in conference. That is why we seek today to go to conference with the House on this important legislation, and that is why we object to simply passing the House bill that has been sent to us. The House has raised, I think unfortunately, the so-called blue slip problem, which seems to be an issue they raise all the time when there is a bill they do not like. Having said that, I now ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of H.R. 5652, Calendar No. 398; that all after the enacting clause be stricken and the language of S. 1925, the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization, as passed by the Senate on April 26 by a vote of 68 to 31, be inserted in lieu thereof; that the Senate insist on its amendment, request a conference with the House on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses; and the Chair be authorized to appoint conferees on the part of the Senate, with all the above occurring with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, the Republican leader is now proposing an amendment to the Senate-passed bill--a Senate-passed bill that we are very proud of. It has been engineered and advocated by all Democratic Senators but mainly by the 12 women who are part of our caucus. This is an important piece of legislation. We all feel very strongly about this. I haven't looked at all the details of this amendment, but I understand it. My first response is that the amendment is something the conferees should be working on. We can't do that without the proper input from all the interested parties, and we have 52, other than myself, on my side of the Capitol. That is why I have sought to go to conference with the product the Senate passed. It may be that sometime in the future, after we evaluate all these pieces that have been suggested by my friend, the Republican leader, we may be able to proceed along this route, if, in fact, we get to conference. But we have to get to conference, and we have to have wider discussions airing the proposed amendment we have had just a little time to look at, at this stage. I understand my friend's proposal, and I object to it.

Mr. REID

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

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the exemplary citizenship of Gary Bates. This is recognition for a life that has been lived and is continuing to be lived well--the kind of honorable life that too often goes unrecognized. Gary's life has been defined by fighting. He began life in Henderson, NV fighting to avoid the challenges of a difficult home. He took this fighting spirit into the Marine Corps, where he served honorably until 1966 when he began an impressive career as a professional heavyweight boxer. As a regular name on the Las Vegas strip, he faced off with big names like Ken Norton, Ron Lyle and Gerry Cooney. There is nothing to idealize about many of the choices he made and paths he took in this phase of his life, but what is admirable is how he fought to turn his life around. He learned from the mistakes he made, and turned potential stumbling blocks into effective stepping stones to a productive life. Recognizing a better way of living, Gary settled down by marrying his wife Carmen and raising two daughters. But Gary did not stop fighting. Finding inspiration in his Catholic faith, he picked up the fight for the less fortunate and endangered. Some of Gary's feats border on the incredible. He once saved the life of a complete stranger, Charles H. Case. While visiting Las Vegas, Charles crashed into an off-ramp rail and his car exploded into flames. Luckily for Charles, Gary witnessed the crash, broke the front left window and freed his pinned body from the enflamed car. Another time, while working in a downtown casino, Gary chased a fleeing thief through an alley into another casino and, as the police reported, decked him with a single punch to the right cheekbone. Gary was never motivated by or sought praise for these actions, a fact that is evidenced by many other low-profile acts of service. He has donated more than 25 gallons of his blood. Additionally, Gary has uniquely compatible blood marrow that he has amazingly matched with five non-relatives. He will tell you that of all his feats he is most proud of his marrow donation that saved the life of a 1-year-old boy. I am pleased to recognize my friend Gary Bates and to give him some of the praise he has never asked, but certainly deserves. He has said he would take a bullet for me, but I think he would take one for anyone in need. Even at 67 he exercises daily so that he can be physically, not just mentally, ready to meet the call of anyone in distress. He continues to be an example to Nevadans and Americans that anyone can turn in their boxing gloves or brass knuckles for the work gloves of a citizen making our society a better place.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to consider the following nomination: Calendar No. 640, and that the Senate proceed to vote without intervening action or debate.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the HELP Committee be discharged from further consideration of PN 1565, 16 Public Health Service nominations received by the Senate on April 26, 2012, beginning with Joseph R. Fontana and ending with Joy A. Mobley; and PN 1679, 114 Public Health Service nominations received by the Senate on May 15, 2012, beginning with Mary J. Choi and ending with Meghan M. Zomorodi; that the nominations 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 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. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session and the Foreign Relations Committee be discharged from further consideration of Presidential Nomination 1520, David J. Lane of Florida, for the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service as U.S. Representative to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture; that the nomination be confirmed; the motion to reconsider be 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 that President Obama be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that on Monday, June 4, 2012 at 5 p.m., the Senate proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 613; that there be 30 minutes of debate equally divided in the usual form; that upon the use or yielding back of that time, the Senate proceed to vote, with no intervening action on the nomination; the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid on the table, with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order; that any further 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 the Senate proceed to consideration of Calendar No. 412, S. 414.

Mr. REID. I ask the bill be read a third time and the Senate proceed to a voice vote on passage of the bill.

Mr. REID. I now ask the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, there be no intervening action or debate, and any statements related to this measure be printed in the Record as if read.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a Levin amendment be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, the motion 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 Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 3992 and the Senate proceed to its consideration.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the upcoming recess or adjournment of the Senate, the President of the Senate, the President pro tempore, and the majority leader and minority leader be authorized to make appointments to commissions, committees, boards, conferences, or interparliamentary conferences authorized by law, by concurrent action of the two Houses, or by order of the Senate.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn and convene for pro forma sessions only with no business conducted on the following dates and times and that following each pro forma session, the Senate adjourn until the next pro forma session: Friday, May 25, at 2:30 p.m.; Tuesday, May 29, at 11 a.m.; and Thursday, May 31, at 12 p.m.; and that the Senate adjourn on Thursday, May 31 until 2 p.m. on Monday, June 4; 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, and that the majority leader be recognized; further, that at 5 p.m., the Senate proceed to executive session under the previous order.