John Thune

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I wish to speak on the economy. The President has yet again this week--in fact, he gave a speech yesterday where he was pivoting back to the economy, a topic that millions of unemployed Americans haven't had the luxury of pivoting away from. For most Americans, they are living this economy every single day in their personal lives. When the President talks about pivoting back to the economy, this has been a repivot, and a repivot many times. He talks about something else for a while and then talks about coming back to the economy. For the American people, the American economy is, was, has been, and will continue to be the issue for them and their families. As the President steps up his rhetoric to try and convince a skeptical public that his policies have somehow helped our economy, I think it is important to point out that the President's policies, according to facts, simply aren't working. The reality is participation in the labor force continues to decline. The August job numbers report a labor participation rate of 63.2 percent. This is the lowest participation rate since August of 1978, 35 years ago when President Carter was President. What this means is if thousands of Americans haven't given up looking for work, the unemployment rate would be over 10 percent. We talk about the reported unemployment rate, which is 7.3 or 7.4--it has hovered around that range for a long time--but the real unemployment rate should include those who have quit looking for work. When you add that number in, the unemployment goes up to 10.6 percent. In August the number of long-term unemployed--those people who have been jobless for 27 weeks or more--remained roughly at 4.3 million people. Those individuals accounted for 37.9 percent of the unemployed. We are not seeing any improvement in the area of people who have been without jobs for a long period of time. Worse yet, 60 percent of the jobs created this year were part-time jobs. We continue to see evidence that the President's policies, President Obama's policies, are leading to not the creation of full- time jobs but the creation of part-time jobs. In other words, Americans are having to work more than one job to make ends meet, therefore reducing the take-home pay for them and their families. This is another thing we have seen. Take-home pay has gone down in this President's time in office. The American people understand the President's economic policies have fallen short. That is why, as you look at these various polls, most Americans--the majority of Americans--disapprove of the President's handling of the economy. The reality remains that this administration's policies are hurting jobs in our economy. The President's signature health care law is probably as much to blame for that as anything else. As I talk to employers in my State of South Dakota and across the country, the recurring theme is the mandates, the requirements, all the new redtape associated--and the higher taxes with the President's health care law--are meaning higher taxes and fewer hours for American workers. According to Americans for Tax Reform, there are 20 new or higher taxes in ObamaCare that will hit American families and small businesses. As a result of these taxes and other policies in ObamaCare, the President's signature health care law significantly impacts what matters most to people, and that is their jobs and their ability to provide for their families. It is no secret that a good job is a critical part of the American dream, but this President's policies are putting that dream farther and farther out of reach for many Americans. In fact, in selling the law, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared at the time: This bill is not only about the health security of America, it's about jobs. In its life, it will create 4 million jobs-- 400,000 jobs almost immediately. The former Speaker's claims run completely contrary and counter to what we are seeing. People are working fewer hours. As the numbers I have presented before demonstrate, fewer people are actually even participating in the labor force. Americans are discouraged by the lack of economic growth and by ObamaCare's impact on employers. Their ability to offer quality jobs is taking its toll on our investment. Only last week Investor's Business Daily reported that due to ObamaCare at least 258 employers cut work hours or jobs so far. Meanwhile, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 71 percent of small businesses say the law makes it harder to hire workers. According to the July Fed Beige Book, the health care law has been cited as a job market concern. They quote from that report: ``Several retailers reported that the Affordable Care Act would lead to more part-time and temporary versus full-time hiring.'' The President's health care law is smothering employers in bureaucratic redtape, uncertainty, and taxes. Already more than 20,000 pages of regulations have come from the 2,700-page law. The time and cost of complying with these regulations places a serious burden on the ability to spend time and energy creating new jobs. Time and money that would be spent opening a new store, increasing hours, upgrading equipment, which would create more jobs, is instead being spent on lawyers and consultants who have to help small businesses interpret all of the regulations, all the requirements, and all the mandates created by this administration's health care law. Poll after poll has shown that ObamaCare is extremely unpopular among a majority of Americans. According to a recent CNN poll conducted by ORC International, nearly 60 percent of Americans said they oppose the Democratic signature law. I would hope the President would begin to be honest with the American people about what this law truly means for jobs and our economy, and I would hope he would begin to listen to Americans. If he does, he will find what most of us have discovered a long time ago; that is, the American people don't want this and American employers and small businesses believe it will lead to fewer jobs and lower take-home pay for the people they employ. I hope in the days ahead, as we focus on the economy--and if the President is sincere about his pivot back to the economy, he will take into consideration what really ails the economy; that is, excessive taxes, regulations, redtape, bureaucracy, mandates and requirements, many of which are associated with his signature achievement, which is the ObamaCare health care legislation. What the country does not need right now is another tax increase. What the country needs right now is policies that will expand and grow the economy, that will reform our Tax Code in a way that lowers rates and makes us more competitive in the global marketplace and unleashes American energy in a way that gives us a competitive advantage over our foreign competitors. We can do all of that. All the President has to do is sign off, for example, on the Keystone Pipeline, which would create thousands of jobs immediately and many more once it is fully built and working. It would also mean we do away with the onerous, burdensome requirements of the ObamaCare legislation and replace it with policies that make sense, that actually focus on what will give Americans more access to affordable health care in this country. We need to reduce spending here in Washington, DC, and quit looking at every problem as an opportunity to raise taxes. That seems to be the Democratic solution for everything. Their budget proposed a $1 trillion tax increase. The leader of the Democrats here in the Senate has said tax reform has to include $1 trillion in new taxes. It is not revenue that is the problem here in Washington, it is spending. If we look at revenues, they are up $284 billion in the first 11 months of this year. We don't have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem. We don't need another tax increase, we need policies that will lower the rates, that will get rid of the redtape and the regulations that are strangling our economy and allow our small businesses to create jobs that will make lives better for middle-class Americans and improve the take-home pay for every family in the country. The job-killing mandates in ObamaCare are harmful to our economy, they are harmful to jobs, and it is time we delay or repeal it and replace it with commonsense alternatives. We believe that discussion needs to occur, and I hope the President will allow it to occur. It is time to focus on comprehensive, revenue neutral tax reform of our broken tax system, repeal the mandates in Obamacare, and get rid of a lot of the government redtape and regulations that are making it more difficult and more expensive for employers in this country--for small businesses--to grow jobs. Those are the types of things that will get the economy unleashed, that will expand and grow the economy and create more jobs for ordinary working-class Americans who are out of work and will raise the take- home pay for families in this country, which would allow the quality of life and the standard of living to improve for every American family. With that, I yield the floor.

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, as I rise today, I wish to talk about the economy and the need to create an economic climate that strengthens the middle class. Before I do, I wish to acknowledge, as have many of my colleagues, and to comment on the tragedy that occurred here at the Washington Navy Yard yesterday. We are going to debate a lot of issues. The business of the country goes on and the business of the Senate goes on, but for the families of the victims of that tragedy yesterday, things stand still. It is important for all of us to take a moment to mourn with them the loss they have experienced and to extend our thoughts and prayers to their families and their loved ones. It is a horrible tragedy. As we continue the back-and-forth we have on the issues of the day, we will remember and keep those families in our thoughts and prayers. The Economy

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I recognize Matthew Reeves, an intern in my Washington, DC, office, for all of the hard work he has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota. Matthew is a graduate of Sioux Falls Christian in Sioux Falls, SD. Currently, he is attending the University of Arkansas, where he is majoring in international relations and political science. He is a hard worker who has been dedicated to getting the most out of his internship experience. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Matthew for all of the fine work he has done and wish him continued success in the years to come.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I recognize Adam Timmerman, an intern in my Washington, DC, office, for all of the hard work he has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota. Adam is a graduate of Sioux Falls Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls, SD. Currently, he is attending University of Kansas, where he is majoring in environmental studies. He is a hard worker who has been dedicated to getting the most out of his internship experience. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Adam for all of the fine work he has done and wish him continued success in the years to come.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I wish to honor Bethany Buell of the University of South Dakota, USD, for becoming the first NCAA Division I National Champion in school history. Buell captured the National Championship by pole vaulting 14 feet, 7.25 inches on June 7, 2013 at Hayward Field in Eugene, OR. Bethany Buell has had a terrific season for the USD Coyote's, earning All-American honors before ultimately capturing the D-I NCAA National Championship. Buell's record-breaking season was almost cut short after tearing ligaments in her shoulder after setting the highest national mark of 14 feet, 7.5 inches on March 29th. Buell returned from injury to compete on May 9th at the Summit League Championships. Buell was also named the NCAA Division I Outdoor Field Scholar Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association. Bethany Buell is a redshirt junior from Rockwood Summit High School, in St. Louis, MO. Bethany, the daughter of Bill and Kerry Buell, is currently majoring in psychology with a minor in anthropology. Buell's career at USD has been record-breaking; as a true freshman, Bethany won the pole vault at the GWC Indoor Championships and broke the school record in the event twice. In 2011, Buell became the first USD Coyote to qualify for the NCAA D-I National Championships, where she would finish 13th and earn 2nd team All-America honors. In 2012, Bethany continued her ascent as one of the Nation's top pole vaulters becoming the first Coyote to earn All-American First-Team honors. She later finished 3rd at the NCAA D-I National Championships. As a graduate of the University of South Dakota, I am honored to recognize Bethany Buell for her outstanding accomplishments and contributions to the University of South Dakota and to the State of South Dakota. Congratulations to Bethany, and to the Coyote Track and Field Team for a great season. Go Yotes!

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I recognize Erika Bachmeier, an intern in my Aberdeen, SD, office, for all of the hard work she has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota. Erika is a graduate of Central High School in Aberdeen, SD. Currently, she is attending the University of North Dakota, where she is majoring in occupational therapy. She is a hard worker who has been dedicated to getting the most out of her internship experience. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Erika for all of the fine work she has done and wish her continued success in the years to come.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I recognize Madison Blake, an intern in my Washington, DC, office, for all of the hard work she has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota. Madison is a graduate of Liberty High School in Liberty, MO. Currently, she is attending the University of Missouri, where she is majoring in health sciences. She is a hard worker who has been dedicated to getting the most out of her internship experience. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Madison for all of the fine work she has done and wish her continued success in the years to come.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the Sioux Falls Orpheum Theater Center's 100th Anniversary. Opening their doors in 1913, The Orpheum Theater Center was built to serve the City of Sioux Falls as a venue for theatrical presentations. Over the past 100 years, the Orpheum Theater has grown to become a cherished location for South Dakotans to enjoy quality entertainment. The Orpheum Theater was built for the Solari Brothers and opened on October 3, 1913, as a vaudeville house and seated 1,000 audience members. Tickets for the opening night were sold for $5 each and acts included features such as ``An Evening in Honolulu,'' two different comedy acts, and the Orpheum Concert Orchestra. In 1919, the theater was sold to a major theater management firm. It remained as a vaudeville house until 1927, when it was sold and became a second run and B movie theater. It was not until the Sioux Empire Community Playhouse purchased the building in 1954 that it was restored to its original theater space. The City of Sioux Falls purchased the Orpheum and neighboring buildings in 2002 and has since named the entire facility The Orpheum Theater Center. The Orpheum Theater Center has provided quality entertainment to many generations of South Dakotans. It attracts over 100,000 visitors each year with events that include plays, concerts, community events, and private events. Known for its superb acoustics, it is the oldest theater in Sioux Falls. In 1983, the Orpheum Theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places. I am honored to congratulate the Sioux Falls Orpheum Theater Center on their 100th Anniversary and wish them another 100 years of success.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I recognize Owen Shay, an intern in my Sioux Falls, SD, office, for all of the hard work he has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota. Owen is a graduate of Sunshine Bible Academy in Miller, SD. Currently, he is attending South Dakota State University, where he is majoring in history. He is a hard worker who has been dedicated to getting the most out of his internship experience. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Owen for all of the fine work he has done and wish him continued success in the years to come.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I recognize Samuel Reuland, an intern in my Sioux Falls, SD, office, for all of the hard work he has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota. Samuel is a graduate of White Lake High School in White Lake, SD. Currently, he is attending the University of South Dakota, where he is majoring in political science and history. He is a hard worker who has been dedicated to getting the most out of his internship experience. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Samuel for all of the fine work he has done and wish him continued success in the years to come.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I wish to honor Skye Dearborn of Sioux Falls Lincoln High School for being South Dakota's first representative in the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America. Dearborn played the trombone for the inaugural Carnegie Hall National Youth Orchestra. Before Dearborn performed in the National Youth Orchestra she played trombone in Lincoln High School's symphonic band, jazz band, marching band, and was part of the South Dakota Symphony Youth Orchestra. Dearborn also participated in the concert orchestra, won first place in the Young Musicians Concerto Competition, and was an AP Scholar at Lincoln High School. In the future, Skye plans on attending the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where she will major in trombone performance. 2013 marks the inaugural tour for the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America in modern history. The NYO-USA is comprised of 120 of the finest youth musicians from across the United States and is conducted each year by a different celebrated conductor. The conductor for the 2013 orchestra is Valery Gergiev, the principal director of the London Symphony Orchestra. The NYO-USA performed in New York, NY, Washington, DC, Moscow, St. Petersburg, and London. The National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America performed on tour July 11 through July 21 around the globe. I am honored to recognize Skye Dearborn for her accomplishments and contributions to this prestigious group of young people.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I recognize Jenna Headrick, an intern in my Washington, DC, office, for all of the hard work she has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota. Jenna is a graduate of Brandon Valley High School in Brandon, SD. Currently, she is attending the University of Minnesota--Twin Cities, where she is majoring in political science and sociology. She is a hard worker who has been dedicated to getting the most out of her internship experience. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Jenna for all of the fine work she has done and wish her continued success in the years to come.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I recognize Alayna Ackerman, an intern in my Washington, DC, office, for all of the hard work she has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota. Alayna is a graduate of St. Thomas More High School in Rapid City, SD. Currently, she is attending University of South Dakota, where she is majoring in criminal justice and political science. She is a hard worker who has been dedicated to getting the most out of her internship experience. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Alayna for all of the fine work she has done and wish her continued success in the years to come.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I recognize Tara Al-Haj, a page in the United States Senate, for all of the hard work she has done for the Senate and its staff. Tara is currently attending Stevens High School in Rapid City, SD, where she will be entering her junior year this fall. She is a hard worker who has been dedicated to getting the most out of this unique experience. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Tara for all of the fine work she has done and wish her continued success in the years to come.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, this week, the President of the United States, President Obama, has made yet another pivot back to the economy and to jobs, issues the American people have not had the luxury of pivoting away from. While the President is yet again attempting to refocus on jobs and the economy, giving speeches is not a real solution to our Nations problems. In fact, yesterday President Obama said in his speech that Washington is taking its eye off the ball. Mr. President, you are Washington. You have been President now for 4\1/2\ years. These are your policies, policies that are hurting our economy and costing Americans jobs. As for taking your eye off the ball, the President appears to be swinging with his eyes closed, with his eyes closed to the impact that his policies are having on the economy in this country. We do not have to look very far to see the impact of those policies. The ObamaCare legislation is having a crushing impact on jobs in this country--a crushing impact on the economy. As we look at the unemployment rate, it is still over 7\1/2\ percent. It has been there now for 54 months. That is the worst job record of any President since the Great Depression. The President's signature law, ObamaCare, continues to hamstring the job market. In June alone, the last month for which we have data, 322,000 Americans were forced into part-time employment status. Those are people who otherwise would have been willing to work full-time but because of these policies that are encouraging more employers to push their employees into part-time status, we have 322,000 individuals in this country who want to work full-time that are now having to work part-time. ObamaCare and other policies put forward by this administration have been probably the best thing that has happened to part-time jobs. Unfortunately, for most Americans, they want to be working full-time. A recent chamber of commerce survey shows that nearly 75 percent of small businesses are firing workers or cutting hours. As implementation of the ObamaCare law continues, the number of small business owners who take those steps, unfortunately, is only going to increase. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article: Rod Carstensen, owner of 11 Del Taco restaurants around Denver began in April converting his mostly full-time workforce into one comprising mostly part-time help to minimize his health care costs. . . . He is plowing ahead despite the ObamaCare administration's reprieve, he said, because we need to get there anyway, and it will take until January 1 of 2015 to make this transition. He is referring, of course, to the employer mandate which the President has chosen to delay for this next year when it was supposed to take effect, until January 1 of 2015. Most employers, unfortunately, are not taking great consolation in the fact that this is being delayed by 1 year. They know at some point they are going to have to comply with it. So they are taking those steps already, which is adding and fueling the data--the numbers I just mentioned with regard to people being forced into part-time jobs. Americans are facing decreased hours which means decreased wages. Additionally, families are facing higher insurance premiums, which further erodes their disposable income and opportunities to invest in a new home or a better education for their children. A growing number of Americans are realizing ObamaCare is the wrong prescription for families who are at the mercy of an already struggling economy. The administration has been forced to concede that the employer mandate, which is a key component of the ObamaCare legislation, is broken and unworkable, which is why they have delayed it. We are starting to see Democrats, who have historically been supportive of the law, suddenly jumping from the ObamaCare sinking ship. On Monday, a headline in the Washington Post read, ``Moderate Democrats are quitting on ObamaCare.'' The article disclosed that fewer than 50 percent of moderate to conservative Democrats now support ObamaCare, which is down more than 25 percentage points since 2010 when it passed. Congressional Democrats are also becoming increasingly skittish about ObamaCare. The House vote last Wednesday on the employer mandate delay passed 264 to 161--35 Democrats joined 229 Republicans in support for that bill. Additionally, there were 22 House Democrats who voted to delay the law's individual mandate. Even a Democratic Senator has introduced legislation for a 2-year--not a 1-year but a 2-year employer mandate delay. In a recent letter to the Democratic leadership, three large unions expressed grave concerns with the law, led by the Teamsters Union, the organization that Jimmy Hoffa leads. Once some of the biggest supporters of ObamaCare penned a letter-- three major unions penned a letter basically saying that the health care law will ``shatter'' health benefits and cause ``nightmare scenarios.'' Shatter health benefits, create nightmare scenarios, that is what the unions are saying. The unions also slammed the law for defining a full-time employee as one who works less than 30 hours. The unions went on to say in their letter that the law ``will destroy the foundation of the 40 hour work week that is the backbone of the middle class.'' It is very clear that even those who were vocal, those who vigorously defended and supported the ObamaCare legislation, recognize this is not working and are making it abundantly clear in the statements that they are now making. Just yesterday, as I mentioned, the President delivered a speech aiming to yet again pivot, as he says, back to jobs and the economy. He used the speech to kick off another campaign-style tour of speeches in hopes that touting his continued commitment to an economic recovery will overshadow these harsh realities of ObamaCare and other economic woes that plague this country. During yesterday's speech, the President claimed he is dedicated to the middle class and growing the economy from ``the middle out.'' What do these concerns tell us about the state of the middle class? Hard- working Americans are now fearful about their job security, about their health care coverage, and their ability to make ends meet all because of this catastrophic law. The President's strongest political allies who represent millions of workers say the President's signature domestic achievement is ``destroying the backbone of the middle class.'' Although the President continues to pivot to and away from these issues, Senate Republicans remain focused on creating jobs and growth in this country. It is time for a real recovery. The American people are ready to get back to work. For 54 months, we have seen unemployment at or above 7\1/2\ percent. That number does not reflect the people who have given up looking for work. Let's remove the heavy hand of Washington regulations from our job creators. Let's create certainty for employers so they might hire new employees, not cut the hours of those they already have. Let's spare the middle class from premium increases. I have seen studies all over the place that suggest, for families, for individuals, premiums across this country are going up. According to Kaiser, for families, it is $2,500. In order to achieve the goals of addressing these issues in our economy, we have to start with a permanent delay of ObamaCare for all Americans--not just for the employers, not just the employer mandate but the individual mandates, the other regulations that are 20,000 pages high--7\1/2\ feet tall are the regulations that have been promulgated to implement this law. It continues to grow by the week. We did not need a 2,700-page bill. We did not need 20,000 pages of regulations to address the problems we have in our health care delivery system and health care coverage system today. But that is what we got. But the President's job-killing tactics do not stop just at health care. The President's proposed climate change regulations alone would cost 500,000 jobs and reduce household income by up to $1,000 per year. Dodd-Frank has already cost $15.4 billion and 58.3 million hours in paperwork burdens on businesses across the country. Rather than more campaign-style speeches touting the same old flawed ideas, the President should work with Congress to put more Americans back to work. By working together, we can enact meaningful regulatory reform that will provide relief to employers and to employees alike. We can fix our health care system in a manner that lowers costs while allowing families to keep the doctors they want. We can enact tax reform that will create economic growth, lower the unemployment rate, and reduce our unsustainable budget deficit. We can expand access to domestic energy resources in a manner that fully realizes the benefits of increased energy production. This cooperation must start with President Obama getting off the campaign trail and getting to work with Congress on these important issues. So instead of pivoting yet again to the economy, in campaign-style speeches, we need a President that is here, that is working to address the economic woes American families are experiencing. If you want to start by going out and touting things that you are going to do for the economy, start right away by approving the Keystone Pipeline. That is a no-brainer, in most people's estimation. In fact, the President's own administration has analyzed and reviewed and scrutinized and studied this thing now four different times and concluded it would have not an impact on the climate. It would create immediate jobs, thousands of jobs, construction jobs, and then jobs over a long period of time. It would help lessen the dependence we have on foreign sources of energy by freeing up transportation of energy resources that come from friendly allies in countries such as Canada to get to American consumers in this country. There are things the President could be doing that actually will create jobs. Come up here and engage in the debate on tax reform. Commit to tax reform that is revenue neutral, that does not raise taxes on people who create jobs in this country but, rather, lowers the rate to unleash economic growth and job creation in this country. Work with us to repeal, permanently delay, the ObamaCare regulations that are crushing jobs and the economy and, as I pointed out earlier, are forcing more and more Americans into part-time jobs, forcing employers to either cut and reduce their workforce or not hire people they otherwise might hire, and raising premiums for hard-working middle- class families. Mr. President, it is not Washington that does not have its eye on the ball, it is you who does not have your eye on the ball. We need you to focus like a laser on the economy and recognize that you can't close your eyes to the harmful, economic impact that your policies are having on too many middle-class Americans and small businesses who create jobs in this country to generate the economic growth that is necessary to improve the standard of living and the take-home pay of every American family. This is what we need. I hope the President will get off the campaign trail, come back, and focus on what really matters to middle-class Americans; that is, jobs, the economy, and a better life for their children and grandchildren. I yield the floor.

Mr. THUNE

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

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, today I recognize Rosholt, SD. Founded in 1913, Rosholt will celebrate its 100th anniversary this year. Located in Roberts County, Rosholt possesses a strong sense of community that makes South Dakota an outstanding place to live and work. Julius Rosholt presented the plan of the town site next to the proposed railroad. The town of Rosholt was built and born on the economy of agriculture beginning with the first lots sold on August 11, 1913. Rosholt has continued to be a strong reflection of South Dakota's greatest values and traditions. The community of Rosholt has much to be proud of and I am confident that Rosholt's success will continue well into the future. Rosholt will commemorate the centennial anniversary of its founding with celebrations held from August 13-18 featuring a centennial play, fireworks, 3K run, alumni reunion, and a kiddie parade. I would like to offer my congratulations to the citizens of Rosholt on this milestone anniversary and wish them continued prosperity in the years to come.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, today I recognize New Effington, SD. Founded in 1913, New Effington will celebrate its 100th anniversary this year. Located in Roberts County, New Effington possesses a strong sense of community that makes South Dakota an outstanding place to live and work. New Effington was named after Effie Staffer Pratt, who was one of the women who secured the homestead. New Effington has continued to be a strong reflection of South Dakota's greatest values and traditions. The community of New Effington has much to be proud of and I am confident that New Effington's success will continue well into the future. New Effington commemorated the centennial anniversary of its founding with celebrations held from July 5 through July 7 which featured events such as an Alumni Day, Centennial 5K run, parade, and fireworks display. I would like to offer my congratulations to the citizens of New Effington on this milestone anniversary and wish them continued prosperity in the years to come.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, last week a letter was sent to majority leader Harry Reid and minority leader Nancy Pelosi of the House of Representatives, and I wish to read a few quotes from that letter. It says: When you and the President sought our support for the Affordable Care Act, you pledged that if we liked the health plans we have now, we could keep them. Sadly, that promise is under threat. Right now, unless you-- Directed at the majority leader and the minority leader in the House-- and the Obama Administration enact an equitable fix, the

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I appreciate the comments of the Senator from Kansas. I am sure he will have to take a call from the Vice President to discuss his remarks on the floor. I appreciate the way in which he talked about all that has been said on the floor in the past by the Vice President, and President Obama, who was then a Senator, and the leaders here in the Senate. We have had lots of statements on the floor and commitments made in the past. The majority leader has committed twice on the Senate floor not to use the nuclear option, with the last time being a few months ago. These were not conditional commitments. They were not commitments with caveats. They were not commitments to not violate the rules of the Senate unless it became convenient for political purposes to violate the rules of the Senate. As recently as January 27, 2011, the majority leader said, and I quote: I agree that the proper ways to change Senate rules is through the procedures established in those rules, and I will oppose any effort in this Congress or the next to change the Senate's rules other than through the regular order. Earlier this year, on January 24, 2013, there was a discussion between the minority leader Senator McConnell and the majority leader Senator Reid. Senator McConnell said: I will confirm to the majority leader that the Senate would not consider other resolutions relating to any standing order or rules of this Congress unless they went through the regular order process? He was posing a question to the majority leader. Majority Leader Reid said: That is correct. Any other resolutions related to Senate procedure would be subject to a regular order process, including consideration by the Rules Committee. That was January 24, 2013. What has happened since that point that would change the way the majority leader views this issue? Well, let's see. We confirmed the Secretary of Energy by a vote of 97-0. We confirmed the Secretary of Interior with a vote of 87-11. We confirmed the Secretary of the Treasury with a vote of 71-26. We confirmed the Secretary of State 94- 3. I might add in that case, that vote happened just 7 days after the Senate got his nomination. We confirmed the Secretary of Commerce 97-1. We confirmed the Secretary of Transportation 100-0. We confirmed the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 96-0. We confirmed the Administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services 91-7. We confirmed the Chair of the Security and Exchange Commission by voice vote. In other words, he was confirmed unanimously. Not to mention the fact we have passed major legislation out of the Senate. We just completed a 3-week debate on a major immigration overhaul, and it passed with a bipartisan vote. We had a major debate on a farm bill, which passed with a bipartisan vote. Other legislation has moved through the Senate in the last few months. So it begs the question: Why are we now having this discussion? The majority leader said back in January he wasn't going to change the rules, and to change the rules, you have to break the rules. Let's make that very clear. It takes 67 votes to change the rules of the Senate. What is being talked about here is basically using a procedural device--a gimmick, if you will--to be able to change the rules to 51 votes. In other words, breaking the rules to change the rules. There is absolutely no basis and no foundation based on the numbers and the facts I just quoted for the majority to be making the argument that they are here today. If you go back and look at the statements that have been made by others in the past--and I remember coming here in 2005 as a new Member of the Senate from the House of Representatives. At that point we were debating judicial nominations. The Democrats were holding up several of President Bush's judicial nominations. There was a big debate about whether to exercise the nuclear option; in other words, to confirm some of those with 51 votes. I remember at the time being sympathetic to that. I came from the House of Representatives. In the House of Representatives we moved things in an orderly fashion. The Rules Committee decided what legislation came to the floor, what amendments were made in order, and how much time was allowed for debate on each amendment. It was a very structured and orderly process. Those of us who got here to the Senate were frustrated at times with the slow pace in the Senate. On some levels it made sense to think: Gee, wouldn't it be great if we could make the Senate function more like the House. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed because the Senate is not designed to function like the House. It was created for a very different purpose and a very different design. What we are talking about here would completely undermine that purpose and that design for this institution. We have observed traditions, rules, in the Senate for decades. What we are talking about, if the majority has its way, is doing something that would break the rules to change the rules and forever change the Senate in a way the majority leader Senator Reid mentioned back in 2009; that doing that would ``ruin'' the country and the Senate would be ``destroyed'' if we went about a rules change along the lines of what is being talked about today. So I hope cooler heads will prevail again. I certainly understand now, as I look back on what happened in 2005, the wisdom of those who had been here a little bit longer and understood a little bit more about the way this institution operates: the importance of having a Senate where you have open debate, where you have the opportunity for amendments--something that in the House oftentimes you do not have the opportunity to do. It is important, in my view, that Republicans and Democrats come together and recognize if we go back on the traditions, the rules, the precedents in the Senate, we will be forever changing not just the rules, but we will be changing the Senate, and that is certainly not what our Founders had in mind, nor do I think that is what our colleagues on the other side have in mind. They may be well- intentioned, but what they are talking about doing is going to change forever the Senate in a way that would be very perilous to this institution and, more importantly, jeopardize the rights of the American people to have their voice heard in the Senate. I yield the floor.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Last week on July 2, the Tuesday before the Fourth of July Independence Day on Thursday, the administration made an announcement that they were going to delay implementation of a key component of the ObamaCare law. I think that came as a surprise to a lot of people because the expectation has been all along that in January of this next year many of the provisions in that law were going to go into effect. Tomorrow, a majority of the Senate Republican conference will be sending a letter to President Obama asking for a permanent delay of the employer mandate. I say permanent delay because they talked about delaying it for 1 year. In making the announcement about the delay of the employer mandate, the administration unilaterally acted and failed to work with Congress on what is a very significant decision. This action finally acknowledges some of the many burdens this law will place on job creators. I believe the rest of this law should be permanently delayed for all Americans in order to avoid significant economic harm to American families. In response to questions about the administration's decision, the President's senior adviser Valerie Jarrett said, ``We are listening,'' while referring to the concerns of the business community over the onerous employer mandate that will result in fewer jobs and employees working fewer hours. We have been listening as well. As more employers have attempted to understand the burdensome requirements in the President's health care law, the louder their outrage has become. In particular, small- to medium-sized businesses are simply drowning, drowning in their efforts to understand all of the regulations. We are also listening to the views of the American people. A recent Gallup poll from this week showed that a majority of Americans still disapprove of the health care law. The survey showed that 55 percent of respondents disapprove of ObamaCare. A Gallup survey last month revealed for every one person who believes they will be better off under ObamaCare, two believe they will be worse off. Opposition to the health care law is growing and it will continue to grow as more Americans realize the law is built upon broken promises and will result in higher health care costs and more taxes. Under the individual mandate, the IRS, which is still under multiple investigations for unfairly targeting conservative groups, will play a central role in the implementation of the health care law in our country. Last fall the Congressional Budget Office estimated nearly 6 million Americans, primarily in the middle class, will have to pay a tax under the individual mandate, which was 2 million more than were initially estimated. When the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented, the average individual mandate tax will be nearly $1,200, which clearly--clearly-- contradicts the President's previous statement that the individual mandate is ``absolutely not a tax increase.'' Further, families are facing significant increases in premiums. The Wall Street Journal recently published an analysis of premiums and concluded under the health care law some Americans will see their premiums double or even triple, which is the opposite of the promise that was made by the President that premiums would go down by $2,500 for American families. Given the widely held belief by the American people the Affordable Care Act will not fulfill its promises and will result in higher costs for American families, I believe this law should be permanently delayed. This law is unworkable, harmful to the economy and to American families, and action to delay the employer mandate is an acknowledgment of that very fact. Public opinion about the Affordable Care Act has been consistently low. Perhaps Americans don't like it because it is affecting their jobs. Four in ten small business owners say they have held back in hiring, and one in five owners says they have let employees go due to the health care costs associated with the Affordable Care Act. As implementation of the law continues, the number of small business owners who take these steps could increase. Employers are also cutting back on hours in anticipation of the mandate. Even though enforcement of the employer mandate may be delayed, employers still know this is coming down the pike and will continue to make adjustments to their workforce in anticipation of the new mandates. A new mandate will also be imposed on individual Americans. On January 1, Americans will be forced by their government to buy a product--health insurance--for the first time ever. This mandate will be enforced by tax penalties administered through the Internal Revenue Service. The Obama administration has requested over $400 million in funding and nearly 2,000 bureaucrats for the IRS to implement the individual mandate and 46 other statutory provisions. The blizzard of ObamaCare rules and regulations continues. Regulators have now written over 20,000 pages of ObamaCare-related rules and notices in the Federal Register. And just this last week another 606 pages of new regulations were released that were designed to assist in implementing this massive law. It is no wonder the public outcry from employers was so loudly opposed to the employer mandate. American families are also struggling to understand how this complex, burdensome law will affect them. It is critical the President and his administration listen to the American people and permanently delay this law. I would add that if we look at the impact on the economy, not only is this about higher premiums for middle-class families in this country, not only is it about higher taxes that are going to be imposed upon medical device manufacturers, on health insurance plans, pharmaceutical companies--all of which, by the way, will be passed on to individual consumers--it is also about the impact this will have on jobs and the economy. If we look at the numbers that came out last week and what they said about the impact of policies coming out of Washington, DC, and the impact they are having on jobs in this country, the number of people working part time for economic reasons--sometimes referred to as involuntary part-time workers--increased by 322,000 people to 8.2 million total people in the month of June. These are people who are working part time because their hours have been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job. The real unemployment rate, or what we call the U-6 rate, is 14.3 percent for June of 2013, which is an increase of one-half percentage point over the previous month. That is the total percentage of unemployed and underemployed workers, making the real number of unemployed Americans in this country 22.6 million people. These are people who are unemployed, want work but have stopped searching for a job, or are working part time simply because they can't find full-time employment. I would add that when policies coming out of Washington, exemplified by the ObamaCare mandates, are imposed on the American economy, it makes it harder for job creators and employers in this country to create the jobs necessary to affect these numbers in a positive way, to get Americans back to work, and back to work in a full-time way and back to work in a way where they are actually increasing their take- home pay rather than having it decreased by higher costs for everything they have to spend their income on, including the cost of health insurance coverage. We have been saying for a long time and there is study after study that comes out that talks about how the health care law is going to cause health insurance premiums to rise, and there have been a lot of people who have gotten up here in the Senate, others in the administration, in an attempt to defend the ObamaCare law who have said: Oh, no, no, no, that is not going to be the case; it is actually going to drive premiums down. We continue to hear that, but more and more evidence comes in, and not just studies being done out there but real-life examples of the impact this law is having on insurance premiums. In fact, there are some actuarial studies that have estimated premiums in various States around the country and what the impact on premiums would be. For the State of Colorado, in the individual market, the estimate by the actuaries is that the insurance premium rates are going to go up by 19 percent; the State of Indiana by 95 percent in the individual market, by 10 percent in the small group market; the State of Maine, the estimates are the individual market premiums are going to go up by 40 percent, 9 percent in the small group market; the State of Minnesota, in the individual market, a 42-percent increase in premiums and 20 percent in the small group market; the State of Wisconsin, a 30- percent increase in the individual market. In the State of Ohio, last month the Department of Insurance announced the average individual market health insurance premium in 2014 will cost 88 percent more. According to Ohio insurance regulators, the department's initial analysis of the proposed rate shows consumers will have fewer choices and pay much higher premiums for their health insurance starting in the year 2014. Well, it shouldn't be any big surprise when we look at the requirements in the new health care law. The new health care law says you have to have a certain kind of coverage. You can't continue to offer coverage available to people who might want to have different choices about what types of things they want covered, what they want their copays or their deductibles to be. Basically, the law says if you are going to offer a plan, you have to offer this plan, it is a government-approved plan, and it has to have these sorts of coverages and these sorts of things and these bells and whistles. The new law also says you can get insurance after you get sick. It is called the guarantee issue. No longer is there any requirement to go out and get insurance to protect yourself and prevent yourself from having to be in that situation when illness strikes. Now, if you get sick, you can go out and buy insurance. It also requires community rating, which changes the way in which health care costs are distributed across the range of people who are covered by health care premiums in this country, making it more expensive for younger people to get their health insurance coverage. That is why we are seeing these steep increases in the individual market. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to continue for a couple of minutes.

Mr. THUNE. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. THUNE. So when we look at all the mandates, the new requirements in the legislation, the new taxes in the legislation, and when we look at all the States trying to deal with and cope with this, and all the small businesses--and small businesses, obviously, weighed in heavily, which is why, as I mentioned earlier, the White House said, look, we are listening, we got the message, and so they waived this, they delayed this at least for 1 year for the small businesses under the employer mandate--all we are simply saying is: Look, there are lots of problems associated with this law. This was a bad law. It is based upon broken promises. It promised lower premiums; we are seeing higher premiums. It includes higher taxes. We are going to see effects all across the economy when it comes to jobs as people cut back and start forcing people into part-time jobs so they are not hit with the employer mandates under this legislation. So the law affects jobs and it affects the economy. We have a sluggish economic growth rate that has now been adjusted down to 1.8 percent in the last quarter, and we continue to sort of muddle along. One of the reasons for that is because we here in Washington, DC, continue to pile more and more costs on employers trying to do business. So until we understand that to create jobs and grow the economy we have to make it less difficult and less expensive for employers and job creators to create jobs, we will continue to see this trend in the future. I would simply say to my colleagues here in the Senate, and to the administration, if we are going to delay implementation of the employer mandate for a year, let's delay the individual mandate as well, and let's not just do it for a year, let's permanently delay this. Let's start over and do this the right way, in a way that actually reduces premiums and health care costs for people in this country, that makes it less expensive and less difficult for small businesses to create jobs and grow the economy, and to get Americans back to work in good jobs that pay well, that increase the take-home pay so they can provide in a better way for their families. Madam President, with that, I yield the floor.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I wish to honor the South Dakota Wheat Growers as it celebrates its 90th anniversary. Over the years, the Wheat Growers has faithfully served member-owners by promoting integrity through business transactions, providing customers with reliable markets, and practicing sustainability through the best applications of science and technology. The Wheat Growers aims to meet the food challenges our world faces by coupling the expertise of farmers in the Dakotas with state-of-the-art technology and facilities to improve production agriculture capabilities. The Wheat Growers was established in 1923 as a response to widespread farm bankruptcies caused by depressed wheat prices. Through their collaboration and commitment to serving South Dakota farmers, the Wheat Growers endured the Great Depression and has since expanded its grain storage capacity and farming supply services. It continues to develop its industry as it seeks new opportunities for expansion and value- added potential for producers. Today, the Wheat Growers serves 5,400 member-owners in eastern North and South Dakota, markets 160 million bushels annually, and operates in 37 locations. I would like to thank the Leadership Team, the Board, and delegates of the Wheat Growers who have committed their time and energy to helping member-owners succeed in agricultural production. On behalf of the State of South Dakota, I am honored to have this opportunity to congratulate the South Dakota Wheat Growers for 90 successful years of service in providing a healthy market for producers and consumers. Congratulations to the Wheat Growers as it celebrates its 90th anniversary in Aberdeen, SD, on Friday, June 28th.