Harry Reid

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 738.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Madam President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

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

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. I move to proceed to legislative session.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Madam 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. Madam President, today I honor and recognize the career of Bishop Don diXon Williams, a member of the organization Bread for the World and the face of antihunger advocacy for over 25 years. At Bread for the World, Bishop Williams has been the national associate for African-American church engagement and a globally recognized advocate for the poorest among us. During his tenure at Bread for the World, Bishop Williams traveled across the world confronting the problem of hunger both at home and abroad. Bishop Williams also served as a US delegate to the G8 summit, and he has traveled to Israel and Palestine to help engage Muslim, Jewish, and Christian leaders in discussions about peace. In addition to his service for Bread for the World, Bishop Williams has been the consummate churchman. He was consecrated a bishop in 2007 for the United Church of Jesus Christ, and he has served in various capacities with other faith-based organizations throughout his career. On behalf of the Senate, I commend Bishop Don diXon Williams on a lifetime of public service and wish him the best in all his future endeavors.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. I ask that the Senate now resume legislative session.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Finance Committee be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 24, 2014, at 10 a.m., in Room SD-215 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Less Student Debt from the Start: What Role Should the Tax System Play?''

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 24, 2014, at 2:15 p.m.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to meet, during the session of the Senate, on June 24, 2014, at 2:30 p.m., in room SD- 106 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Moving Toward Greater Community Inclusion--Olmstead at 15.''

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on June 24, 2014, at 10:15 a.m., in room SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Judicial Nominations.''

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 24, 2014, at 2:30 p.m.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on June 24, 2014, at 2:30 p.m., in room SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``The AT&T/ DIRECTTV Merger: The Impact on Competition and Consumers in the Video Market and Beyond.''

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 24, 2014, at 9:45 a.m., to hold an International Operations and Organizations, Human Rights, Democracy, and Global Women's Issues subcommittee hearing entitled, ``Combating Violence and Discrimination Against Women: A Global Call to Action.''

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 25, 2014; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; that following any leader remarks, the Senate be in a period of morning business until 12 noon, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each, with the time equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees, with the Republicans controlling the first 30 minutes and the majority controlling the final 30 minutes; and that following morning business, the Senate proceed to the consideration of H.R. 803 under the previous order.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Madam President, there will be four rollcall votes at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Madam 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 ask unanimous consent the previous order with respect to H.R. 803 be modified as follows: that at noon tomorrow, Wednesday, June 25, the Senate proceed to the consideration of H.R. 803, with the time until 2:30 p.m. equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees, with Senators Flake and Lee controlling 5 minutes each of the Republican's time; that the provisions regarding 10 minutes of debate prior to voting on the amendments listed in the order and on the bill be vitiated; and that all provisions of the previous order remain in effect.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 384, S. 2363, the Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act of 2014.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, following my remarks and those of the Republican leader, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 5:30 p.m. Following morning business, the Senate will proceed to executive session and proceed to a series of four cloture votes on three U.S. district court judges from Florida and one from Vermont. 60-vote Threshold We tried all last week--I am sorry to say unsuccessfully--to consider three very important appropriations bills. These bills are very significant because they provide this great government of ours with the resources it needs to serve the American people. I think we have had enough sequestrations and government shutdowns, and I hope my Republican colleagues aren't headed in that direction again. Given the importance of the appropriations legislation and the need to keep our government operating, I had hoped we could have a cooperative amendment process and participation from all Senators. Our vote last Tuesday on the motion to proceed was promising, as 95 Senators voted to move forward on these three important bills. However, it is a shame we had to file cloture. If we had not had to file cloture, which resulted in 95 Senators voting to move forward on very important bills, we could have saved 3 days' worth of downtime and doing nothing. But that has happened for many years now with Republicans blocking, obstructing, and misdirecting basically everything we do here. On the bill we had before the Senate last week, unfortunately, the Republican leader stalled the Senate's progress on these appropriations bills with his recent conversion to the idea of insisting on simple majority votes. He now insists on majority votes or nothing. Over the past 5 years, virtually everything we have done here in the Senate has been subject to a 60-vote threshold. Why? Because the Republican leader has insisted on that. Almost 50 times since President Obama took office, the Republican leader has employed the 60-vote threshold in order to block legislation--and good legislation. Bills pertaining to the treatment of 9/11 responders, funding our military, disclosure of campaign contributions, and small business jobs bills all received majority votes but were blocked at one time or another by the new McConnell rule. Under the McConnell rule, everything that comes before the Senate has to have 60 votes. He has called himself ``the proud guardian of gridlock.'' He has even gone to great lengths in defending the use of the 60-vote threshold. Allow me to share, as I did last week--and I will do it again because I think it is worth repeating--a few of the Republican leader's past statements on the importance of 60 votes. The Republican leader said: ``Now, look, we know that on controversial matters in the Senate, it has for quite some time required 60 votes.'' Another direct quote by the Republican leader: [R]equiring 60 votes, particularly on matters of this enormous importance, is not at all unusual. It is the way the Senate operates. The Republican leader also said: Matters of this level of controversy always require 60 votes. So I would ask my friend, the majority leader, if he would modify his consent request to set the threshold for this vote at 60? On July 30 the Republican leader said again--I am running through the months here: For him to suggest that a matter of this magnitude, in a body that requires 60 votes for almost everything, is going to be done with 51 votes makes no sense at all. Again he said: So it is not at all unusual that the President's proposal of this consequence . . . would have to achieve 60 votes. That is the way virtually all business is done in the Senate . . . The Republican leader holds himself as the person who has established this rule--the so-called McConnell rule--and is boasting about it. He has insisted on the 60-vote threshold time and time again over the past 5 years. So it is without logic, and it would deviate from the norm, that he, the Republican leader, has made. So I guess that is where we are. We are now operating under a 60-vote threshold and that is the norm that he, the Republican leader, has established around here. The Republican leader's newfound support of the 51-vote threshold is timely, given his proposal to curb EPA regulatory powers because of an issue he thinks exists, even though there has been no rule promulgated by the White House. He is looking way off into the future. We have had months and months of people offering their opinions and suggestions as to how, if at all, this proposed rule could be changed, but he wants to do something about it even though there is nothing to change right now. It is patently unfair to give the Republican leader a simple majority vote on his amendment when there have been so many other pieces of legislation he has blocked with the 60-vote threshold. However, we Democrats are willing to meet the Republican leader and his caucus halfway. Here is the suggestion. We will agree to a simple majority vote on the Republican leader's EPA amendment in exchange for a 51-vote threshold on bills that are important to American families, such as an increase in the Federal minimum wage. A vast majority of the American people--Democrats, Republicans, and Independents--want the minimum wage raised. How about a vote on equal pay for working women? The vast majority of American people want their wives, daughters, mothers, and sisters to have the same paycheck when they do the same work as a man. How about legislation permitting student borrowers to refinance their student loans? They blocked us on that legislation with the 60-vote threshold. How about energy efficiency legislation? They blocked that many times. How about a simple majority vote on the disclosure of campaign contributions? How about a simple majority vote on updating voting right protections that the Supreme Court did away with? How about a simple majority vote for background checks on gun purchases? Eight-five to 90 percent of the American people support that, and over half the NRA members support that. What I am saying is, OK, if the Republican leader wants to vote on the EPA amendment with a simple majority vote, fine, we will take that. But let's have a simple majority vote on these other issues we feel are extremely important to help the middle class. In exchange for a simple majority vote on legislation--I repeat, legislation that is so timely--such as, minimum wage, student loans, equal pay for men and women, energy efficiency legislation, and background checks for gun purchases, we could have a simple majority vote on the EPA amendment. It is only fair that bills blocked by the McConnell rule be granted the same treatment as the Republican leader's own legislation. To do otherwise would be unjust to the many Senators who introduced legislation that is important to American families. I hope we can come to a quick agreement on this offer and move to an open amendment process on appropriations bills, which should make Republicans happy. They said they wanted amendments; they can have amendments. Reservation of Leader Time Will the Chair announce the business of the day.

Mr. REID

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

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. I yield it back.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to yield back all time.

Mr. REID

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

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today to honor and recognize the career of Dennis Van Roekel, whose term is ending as president of one of the Nation's largest labor unions, the National Education Association. Mr. Van Roekel is also a member of the U.S. Department of Education's Equity and Excellence Commission, which studies how students are affected by inequitable school finance systems. His leadership knows no borders, as he has also served as vice president of Education International for North America and the Caribbean to pursue means to raise student achievement and provide adequate funding in a way that could serve as a model worldwide. Mr. Van Roekel has long been an honorable and fervent supporter of the rights of teachers and public education. Before becoming president of the NEA, he served two terms as NEA vice president and secretary- treasurer, and he has held key positions in all levels of the association, including Arizona Education Association president and Paradise Valley Education Association president. He established the Commission on Effective Teachers and Teaching to examine the teaching profession on a national scale. As a recognized leader on education issues, he has testified before Congress, served on leading boards, such as the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Executive Committee and the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education Executive Board. His excellence is unmistakable and has been recognized at numerous forums and national summits sponsored by the Coalition for Community Schools, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Council of Chief State School Officers, and Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. He has been a leader in discussing education issues with leading publications and networks, including C-SPAN, MSNBC, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Education Week, and TIME. Mr. President, on behalf of the Senate, I commend Dennis Van Roekel on a lifetime of public service, and I wish him the best in all his future endeavors.