Harry Reid

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, Democrats are ready to move forward and vote on an amended S. Res. 380, the bipartisan Graham-Casey-Lieberman legislation. This amendment would put the Senate on record, along with President Obama, ruling out a policy of containment on Iran. Yet Republicans have objected again. We cannot afford to delay these sanctions and slow them down any longer. On May 23 there is a round of international negotiations taking place with the Iranians on subjects related to this resolution we have. Democrats are ready to move forward. We are ready to pass both the Iran sanctions bill and the containment resolution now--not later, now. We cannot afford any more delays. Sanctions are a key tool in our work to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, threatening Israel, and jeopardizing the national security of the United States. I am to the end of my patience. I usually never raise my voice with a Senator. I apologize to my friend from Arizona. I did a few minutes ago. The conversation was between him and me. But I am really upset about this. I feel that I have been jerked around--that is a pretty good understanding of the language people have--because we can never quite get there. The Republicans have kept us from moving forward on this for 2 months. We should have done what Shelby and Johnson told us to do. So I hope something will happen on this in the near future, but I have to be honest with you, I do not have much faith that it will.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, when my friend indicates, why is there any problem, and that they agree--it is just like the issue of student loans when they say they agree, except they will not let us legislate on that bill. They think this is a great thing to do, but we cannot do it. They say they need more communication. How about 2 months? How much more do they need? I will not get into getting anyone in trouble, but the Republicans were given this in mid-afternoon. Maybe they were busy, but that doesn't matter. The point is we have tried to get something done, and we cannot get it done. I think it is too bad for this institution. I am not outraged; I am upset because I feel I have been used as a tool to try to adversely affect the President in some way. I will continue to keep an open mind, but I have to say that I am terribly disappointed. It looks as though we are going to arrive at May 23--and the Iranians have people around who are watching this. They are laughing at us. We cannot even come up with a simple resolution. It has no force of law--I should not say that; it does have some. But they are laughing at us. Here is the U.S. Senate quibbling over a sentence that has been in this resolution since it was drafted.

Mr. REID. No matter how many times you say it, the language we are told they are complaining about was in the initial bill. Mr. President, I appreciate my friend saying most people work 5 days a week. I work more than 5 days a week, and I have been working the last 2 months trying to get this done. Every time we tried to do it in the last few weeks--and Senator Kirk is ill, and I gave him every benefit of the doubt. Let's try to do what Senator Kirk thinks is a good idea. If we can agree, we will do it. Mr. President, we have been trying to get this done for a long time. It is not just today at 1 o'clock; I wanted to move forward on this a long time ago. They say: Let's just give it another day or so and we will take care of this. But that is not how it has worked. I yield to the Senator from New Jersey.

Mr. REID. During the last 2 months, the Senator from New Jersey and his staff have been heavily involved in what is going on during the negotiations that have taken place; is that fair?

Mr. REID. Jessica Lewis, who is seated by me, my foreign policy adviser--is it true that she worked for the Senator from New Jersey?

Mr. REID. Mr. President, if my friend will yield, I want to make sure the record is clear. When I talked about it having no force of law, we were talking about the containment resolution. I ask this question to my friend from New Jersey: What does he think the Iranians are doing watching this performance today? How does he think they are feeling about what we are doing today--that we cannot pass this resolution?

Mr. REID. Before my friend leaves, I direct a question to him. Is it true that he is a member of the Banking Committee?

Mr. REID. It is true that this resolution came from the Banking Committee?

Mr. REID. And it is true that we have worked over this period of time--our staffs, working with Republicans--very hard to try to get something done. I say to my friend, is it true that each time we were there, were not there the next few minutes, the next day--it has taken forever, 2 months, right?

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum under rule XXII be waived.

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 therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Marc Labonte, a detailee on Senator Johnson's Banking Committee staff, be granted floor privileges for the remainder of today's session.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the consideration of H.R. 4119.

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

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to Calendar No. 394, H.R. 4849.

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

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, as in executive session, I ask unanimous consent that the injunction of secrecy be removed from the following treaties transmitted to the Senate on May 17, 2012, by the President of the United States: Protocol Amending the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters (Treaty Document No. 112 5). Convention on the Law Applicable to Certain Rights in Respect of Securities Held with an Intermediary (Treaty Document No. 112 6). Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Treaty Document No. 112 7). Tax Convention with Chile (Treaty Document No. 112 8). I further ask that the treaties be considered as having been read the first time; that they be referred, with accompanying papers, to the Committee on Foreign Relations and ordered to be printed; and that the President's messages be printed in the Record.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of H.R. 4045.

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

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, it is my intention to resume the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 400, S. 3187, the FDA user fees legislation, when we convene on Monday. At 5:30 p.m. Monday there will be at least one rollcall vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the Watford nomination.

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. Madam President, I now move to proceed to Calendar No. 365, S. 2343.

Mr. REID. Madam President, following my remarks and those, if any, of the Republican leader, the Senate will begin debate on several motions to proceed to Republican budget resolutions. Consent was asked last night, I am quite sure, that the first hour be equally divided between the two leaders, with the majority controlling the first half and Republicans the final half. That is already done?

Mr. REID. There will be up to 6 hours of debate on the motions to proceed to the budget resolutions. Senators should expect five rollcall votes around 4 p.m. if all time is used, and it probably will be. Measure Placed on Calendar

Mr. REID. Madam President, S. 3187 is at the desk and due for a second reading.