Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Maj. Nicole Stoneburg, who is serving as a defense legislative fellow in my office, be granted the privilege of the floor during the consideration of S. 1197, the Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a fellow in Senator Warner's office, Mark D. Simakovsky, be granted the privilege of the floor for the duration of consideration of the Defense bill.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Veterans' Affairs Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 1471 and the Senate proceed to its consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Sanders amendment, which is at the desk, be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read three times and passed, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 202, S. 1545.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported amendments be agreed to as original text, the Menendez-Corker amendment, which is at the desk, be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 298, which was submitted earlier today.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, November 19, 2013; that following the prayer and the 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 for debate only for 1 hour, 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; that following morning business, the Senate resume consideration of S. 1197, the National Defense Authorization Act, with the time until 12:30 p.m. for debate only; finally, that the Senate recess from 12:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly caucus meetings.

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. President, we have seen an array of my Republican colleagues come to the floor, which is their right--and I am glad the government is open so they can have their staff help them prepare their speeches--but I have to say this is typical of the Republicans when it comes to health care. All they do is criticize. Not one--not one because I monitored the speeches--gave one new idea of how to make sure our citizens are protected with the insurance they have or how to insure the 48 million uninsured Americans--not one.

But this is the way the Republican Party has been for years. Let's look at what happened when Medicare came to the Senate floor and to the House floor--Medicare, which is one of the most beloved programs. Sixty percent of Republicans in the Senate and 50 percent of House Republicans voted against Medicare in 1965.

Representative Durward Hall, a Republican from Missouri, said:

We cannot stand idly by now, as the Nation is urged to

embark on an ill-conceived adventure in government medicine,

the end of which no one can see, and from which the patient

is certain to be the ultimate sufferer.

This is typical of Republicans through the generations. Every time we have tried to expand health care they have opposed it and opposed it and tried to derail it.

Senator Milward Simpson, a Republican from Wyoming, said:

I am disturbed about the effect this legislation would have

upon our economy and upon our private insurance system.

That is what they said about Medicare, and they read horror stories. They read horror stories about it.

Here is what the Republicans aren't saying. They are saying there is a problem with the health care law that needs to be fixed, which is that people who want to keep their substandard plans are having trouble keeping their substandard plans. But President Obama has already said he is going to fix that. There is legislation to fix that. We will fix it. But that is not good enough for our Republican friends. They want to tear it down, just like they wanted to tear down Medicare.

They have even wanted to tear down Medicare more recently. This isn't ancient history, let's be clear. In 1995, Dick Armey, the Republican House majority leader, said that Medicare is ``a program I would have no part of in a free world.''

This is the Republican sentiment about health care being offered to our people. That same year, after leading an effort to raise premiums and costs for seniors, Newt Gingrich predicted that Medicare was ``going to wither on the vine.''

We have tea partiers saying hands off my Medicare. OK. That is how out of touch the Republicans are with where the people are.

In 1996, Senate majority leader Bob Dole bragged:

I was there, fighting the fight, voting against Medicare .

. . because we knew it wouldn't work in 1965.

Now Paul Ryan's budget ends Medicare as we know it.

So let's be clear. When you see almost the entire Republican caucus come down and try to repeal the Affordable Care Act, this is not just

stemming from today or yesterday or a glitch in the Web site or a problem we have that we have to fix about people losing their substandard plans. If they want to keep them, we will figure out a way to help them fix that. But notice they never said anything about the good things the Affordable Care Act is doing for millions of people.

Because of the Affordable Care Act, 3 million young adults are now insured on their parents' plan. Yet they want to repeal the Affordable Care Act. What is going to happen to those 3 million young adults?

We have 71 million Americans getting free preventive care such as checkups, birth control, and immunizations. There are 17 million kids with preexisting conditions, such as asthma and diabetes, who can no longer be denied coverage.

They want to talk about people who are having a problem. We are going to fix that. We think it is about 5 percent of the people, but even if it is 1 percent, we should fix it.

Yesterday we learned in the first month of the open enrollment period, 106,000, or 1.4 percent of consumers expected to sign up in the first year, have enrolled. If you look at Massachusetts during its first month--and I am sure the Chair is aware of this, being from New Jersey, close to Massachusetts--only 0.3 percent, or 123 people, signed up for coverage out of the 36,000 who ultimately signed up in the first year.

So let's be clear: We all wanted to see bigger numbers, but the Affordable Care Act numbers are four times better than what Massachusetts did in its first month. If you talk to the people in Massachusetts, they love their health care plan, and our plan is based on their plan. By the way, the Massachusetts plan is a Republican plan.

Hundreds of thousands have started the enrollment process, and I am one of them. I have created an account and I am going to go shopping and buy my plan. I am taking my time because I have some time--until December--and I wish to discuss it with my husband. We are going to decide what is best for us and I am going to sign up. I think it was Secretary Sebelius who said this isn't like buying a toaster. This is a commitment for 1 year and you have to take your time.

So don't come here and tear down the Affordable Care Act without having to put anything in its place and focus on one problem the President has said he is going to fix--and we are going to fix it. Things are going to pick up.

But I wish to tell you the great news about California. Just in the first 2 weeks of November, California's enrollment has doubled. Our story is a truly good one. There is a huge amount of interest in California. People are enrolling. We do have a good Web site, which is important. People are finding affordable health care options.

At the end of the day, when the kinks are worked out, I believe the California experience will be repeated across the country to the benefit of all our families.

So I will break down some of the numbers from California. We have the largest State in the Union. I hate to say this to my friends here, but we are always ahead of the curve.

During the month of October, 370,000 Californians began the process of signing up for private coverage or Medicaid through our health insurance marketplace, Covered California--coveredCA.com. Of those, over 30,000 Californians enrolled in health exchange plans and over 72,000 applied for Medicaid. So we are off to an excellent start in California. In October, there were more than 2.4 million unique visits to Covered California. In other words, this doesn't count people going back and back. These are unique visits. More than 249,000 calls were made to Covered California call centers, and they have got it down to just a couple of minutes of wait time. To date, more than 17,000 counselors, agents, county workers, and others have been certified to offer in-person assistance to Californians.

We have heard the horror stories from over there--one side of the story--of people having a problem. We are going to fix the problem. I will quote what Californians are saying.

I enrolled online on Monday! No website troubles! Took me

about 15 minutes! I'll be saving $628 a month after January

1st! So grateful!

Very short wait on the phone; helpful cheerful person to

talk to. This online app is very easy. Thank you!

The insurance package I am getting is more comprehensive

and way cheaper than the one I've had for the last 9 years.

Thank you for creating the marketplace and making the

information more accessible and understandable.

I find the new coverage provisions to be amazing compared

to what was out there before. Many of the plans are cheaper

than anything I've seen before and the one I chose has zero

deductible.

Simple, straightforward, and intuitive. I haven't had

health insurance since 1985, so this site has made it

unexpectedly easy to enroll. Thank you.

What we heard from the Republicans is from a group of people we are going to help who have substandard plans--they don't meet the standards of the Affordable Care Act; sometimes they are called junk plans--some a little better than junk, many of them are not there when you need them. I have to say, to come down here and echo that sentiment without saying the good things which have been done is outrageous.

I ask unanimous consent for 2 more minutes.

So we now know the history of the Republican Party. Sad to say, but they opposed Medicare when it went in. They tried to tear it down; they still are trying to tear it down in the Ryan budget. They come down here, and they talk about a problem that exists that we are going to fix. They never said: The President is going to fix it. He may be on the way to fixing it in moments here. But they ignore the fact that the signups are ahead of where Massachusetts was at this time.

Sage McCollister from Castro Valley told me how the law is helping her family. She was able to get insurance for her 7-year-old daughter, Leah, who was born with an autoimmune disorder. Sage said that before the Affordable Care Act was passed she applied to eight different companies to try to get insurance, but none were affordable. After the law went into effect, she was able to get insurance for Leah for $8 a month. Leah was able to get a procedure done to treat a spinal cord problem that could have resulted in paralysis. Sage said that without the Affordable Care Act, ``my family would be bankrupt and Leah wouldn't have gotten the health care she needs.''

``Obamacare saved my family from financial ruin,'' said another constituent, Janine Urbaniak Reid.

So let's be fair. To come down to the floor one after the other and shed light on one problem we are going to fix--that the President said he was going to fix--and then say you are going to repeal the whole thing sounds just like their predecessors who said that Medicare was terrible and that Social Security was an awful idea. That is what this is about.

We are going to make history here. We are going to do the right thing. We are going to fix the problems, and there will be more because that is what happens when we are tackling this big issue. But at the end of the day, we will be a better nation, a healthier nation. Our children will have a brighter future, and I stand with those who want progress. We are not going to tear something down like they want to do and go right back to where we were before--with parents like these having to choose between feeding their families and giving their kids health care.

I yield the floor.

Will the Senator yield through the Chair for a couple of questions?

I thank the Senator. I see the Senator from Colorado is here as well. It was so interesting to see Republican Senator after Republican Senator come down here to focus on one of the problems we are having and are going to fix. Not one of them touched any of the issues my colleague spoke about or I spoke about or that the Senator from Connecticut did, which is the broad look at what we were facing when we passed the Affordable Care Act, the benefits that have gone into place that are saving our families from bankruptcy and saving lives. I know my friend was very clear.

When the Senator said that to see this become all about politics is something that is so wrong--we all know there is a time for politics. The Senator and I are into that. We understand that. There is a time and place.

There is also a time and place to put that aside and help our families. I wished to ask my friend a couple of questions. Does he not remember, as I do, that years ago as we were facing a crisis in health care in this Nation, before the Affordable Care Act, we found out from constituents over and over that their insurance company would walk away from them just at the time they got sick?

They thought they had a policy, as some of our people think they have good policies that do not meet the standards, but when they got sick--I remember constituents saying they get a call: You know, back 5 years ago you didn't mention the fact that you once had high blood pressure. We are sorry. We are canceling your policy.

Does my friend remember that? Does my friend remember learning, as I did, with shock, that being a woman was a preexisting condition? For example, if you were a victim of abuse as a woman, they said you were too much of a risk and they turned you away.

Does my friend remember just those two problems before we tackled the Affordable Care Act?

Mr. President, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of Gerardo Ismael Hernandez, a loving husband and father and respected homeland security agent who was dedicated to protecting the safety of the American people. Tragically, Agent Hernandez was struck down by a gunman at Los Angeles International Airport on November 1, 2013, becoming the first Transportation Security Administration officer killed in the line of duty since the agency's creation. He was 39 years old.

A graduate of Los Angeles High School, Gerardo Hernandez was born in El Salvador and came to Los Angeles with his family at age 15. The youngest of four brothers, Gerardo worked hard to succeed and always wanted to give something back to his country. He went to work for TSA in June 2010 and became a behavior detection specialist at LAX. He was devoted to his job, his country, and his beloved family.

Gerardo met his future wife, Ana Machuca, when he was 19 years old. Married in 1998, the young couple settled in Porter Ranch, CA and were proud parents to a daughter and a son. His friends and colleagues remember him as a devoted husband and father and a wonderful friend with a great sense of humor who frequently went out of his way to help others.

Agent Gerardo Hernandez, like all those who serve in law enforcement and homeland security, put his life on the line to protect and serve his community. His commitment to public safety and to the citizens he protected will never be forgotten.

On behalf of the people of California, whom he served so well, I send my gratitude and deep sympathy to his friends and family. We are forever indebted to Agent Hernandez for his courage, service, and sacrifice.

It is very good to see the Presiding Officer in the chair.

Since the Senator has arrived, we have cast some landmark votes for laws that are so critical and for candidates who are so critical. We are about to have a moment in history where we are going to expand opportunities for the LGBT community, expand protection for them so no longer will they face fear in the workplace.

If we have an overwhelming vote--which I hope we will have--it will send a message to Speaker Boehner that he should join with us. After all, what is the purpose that we should serve here? It is really making life better for people. It certainly is protecting our people.

This leads me to the reason I am here at the request of Senator Murray. It is because we need to speak out against the bill that will shortly be introduced. It is ironic, because as we are about to end discrimination on a whole group of worthy people, this bill attacks another group of people, the majority of this country, women.

We are here to say that the extreme and dangerous 20-week abortion ban is not going anywhere in the Senate--not on our watch. Anyone who knows this knows we mean what we say and say what we mean.

The American people continue in election after election to reject the war on women. They did it in race after race in the 2012 cycle, and they did it in these local and State-wide races only a couple of days ago.

The American people, regardless of party, want us to focus on issues that make a difference in their lives, such as creating jobs, reforming our immigration system, keeping college affordable for students, and rebuilding an infrastructure that is failing us. They don't want to take us back to the last century and open up battles that have long ago been fought in 1973.

I see my friend from Iowa, a real champion of Roe v. Wade, a decision that was made by the Court that was a very tough decision. They really did take a moderate view of balancing all of the interests.

We have a bill being introduced today that has been shopped around by the most extreme elements in our country that would essentially say Roe v. Wade doesn't make any difference, and it opens up a direct assault on women's health, a direct assault on Roe v. Wade, a direct assault on doctors.

It is a radical bill. It is an abortion ban. It offers no health exception, no help for women facing cancer, facing kidney failure, facing blood clots or other tragic complications during a pregnancy, no exception for rape or incest when folks are too scared to report that they were raped or they were a victim of incest. It throws trusted doctors into jail for 5 years simply for providing needed health care to their patients.

I wish to tell you who opposes this: the American Congress of Obstetricians

and Gynecologists. They said that these restrictions are ``dangerous to patients' safety and health.''

I want to speak about Judy Shackelford. Four months into her pregnancy, she developed a pregnancy-induced blood clot in her arm. The only guarantee that she wouldn't die and leave behind her 5-year-old son was for Judy to end that pregnancy. She and her husband made that very difficult decision.

No Senators were in the room when she made that decision with her husband. No Governor was in the room. No President was in the room. This was a personal decision she made with her husband, her god, and her doctor. That is how it ought to be. If a family decides they are going to save the life of their mom, that should be respected.

Christie Brooks of Virginia, when pregnant with her second child, after her 20-week ultrasound found out that her daughter would be born with a severe structural birth defect and the baby would suffocate at birth. She made the incredibly difficult decision to end that pregnancy. She wouldn't be allowed to do that under this radical ban.

We need to decide who we stand up and fight for. Is it some ideological rightwing agenda or is it for the people, the families, the loving families that we represent?

What is best for them? That is it.

So we are going to stop this dangerous bill. We are going to stop this dangerous attack on women in its tracks. We are sending a clear message--and I thank Senator Murray for organizing us today--that we will protect women and their families across America.

I thank the Chair. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be recognized for up to 8 minutes, followed by Senator Baldwin.

Mr. President, I rise today to urge my colleagues to vote for ENDA, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. This bill is about basic fairness, and it is really about the Golden Rule--treating others as you would like to be treated. Every single American should have the right to earn a living and provide for his or her family without fearing discrimination in the workplace because of who they are and whom they love. Americans like Marty Edwards, an assistant vice president of First National Bank of Granbury, Texas, whose story was recently featured in The Advocate. Marty was passed over for promotions at work despite a very strong 11-year history at the bank. When he asked for an explanation from his vice president and human resources department, he was told that the workers who had received the promotion were ``a better fit for the image we are looking for.'' Marty Edwards was hired by the bank right out of college. He formed his professional identity there. He was moving up the ladder until he came out as a gay man. When Edwards asked whether his sexual orientation was the main reason he had been denied promotion, the bank's executive vice president demanded his resignation. Edwards refused, and then he was fired.

Sadly, Marty Edwards' story is not unique. Between 15 and 43 percent of LGBT people have experienced discrimination in the workplace or harassment in the workplace as a result of their sexual orientation. Twenty-six percent of transgender people report having been fired from their jobs because of their gender identity, and 90 percent reported experiencing harassment, mistreatment, or discrimination.

Our fellow citizens need ENDA. I was here when ENDA was voted on so many years ago when it was a Ted Kennedy bill. We did not make it then, but I think we are going to make it now because Americans know that ENDA is the right thing to do. As a matter of fact, 80 percent of Americans assume there already is a law prohibiting discrimination against this community. But more than half of Americans still live in States where it is perfectly legal to fire a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender American just because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. So that is why we need this bill. There are many States where there is no protection. This bill would make sure the protections are nationwide.

Seventy percent of the American public supports ENDA. According to the Washington Post, public support ranges from a high of 81 percent in Massachusetts to a low of 63 percent in Mississippi. So it is clear that the support cuts across party affiliation and generational gaps. Whether they are a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent, whether they are a libertarian, whether they are young or old, Americans overwhelming support this bill. The American people are basically giving us a message: This is a no-brainer. We should not have to fight about it. We should just vote for it.

That is why I was so dismayed to read that House Speaker Boehner said he would not support ENDA. His reason was that it will increase litigation. Does the Speaker really think that LGBT Americans, who have families to support and bills to pay, would rather pursue frivolous lawsuits than earn their pay in a workplace free of harassment and discrimination?

Here is what I think is really disingenuous about that. Republicans do not suggest that all the other groups covered by the Civil Rights Act are filing frivolous lawsuits. In other words, all the rest of Americans who are protected because of their religion, because of their color, because of their creed, Speaker Boehner says they are not filing frivolous lawsuits and he does not want to repeal the civil rights of those people. Good. Why does he think that the LGBT community is going to file frivolous lawsuits?

I have to say that evidence shows what he is saying is false. The Speaker ignores the fact that the Government Accountability Office issued a recent report showing that in the 22 States that banned sexual orientation discrimination in the workplace, ``there were relatively few employment discrimination complaints based on sexual orientation and gender identity

filed.'' In other words, there is not a problem with frivolous lawsuits being filed by the LGBT community in the States that have protective laws. That is because LGBT Americans are woven into the fabric of our workplaces, our communities, and every other facet of our American life. This bill is about granting them the just and fair protections they deserve so that they can live their lives and contribute to our economy without fear of losing their jobs because of who they are or whom they love. It is the moral thing to do. It makes good business sense. A majority of Fortune 500 companies have sexual orientation and gender identity nondiscrimination policies in place. Recent polling shows that a majority of small businesses do too.

I have to say that in the States where we have these laws, people are happy with it. People are so happy with it that they think the whole country has already passed a law. So how could the Speaker get up and announce that he is opposed to it because there will be the filing of frivolous lawsuits? It is a made-up straw man, if I might say.

The State of California and many of our cities enforce these policies as well. The economy benefits.

Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote in the Wall Street Journal:

Those who have suffered discrimination have paid the

greatest price for this lack of legal protection. But

ultimately we all pay a price. If our coworkers cannot be

themselves in the workplace, they certainly cannot be their

best selves. When that happens, we undermine people's

potential and deny ourselves and our society the full

benefits of those individuals' talents.

I thank Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, for those progressive thoughts.

Employers know they will be the most competitive when they hire and retain the best people, and folks will apply for and strive to keep their jobs if they know a company only considers their qualifications for the job and the result of their hard work--nothing more, nothing less.

I believe my colleagues will do the right thing and pass this bill. I want to say to my colleague Jeff Merkley, who is not on the floor right now--he has really pushed hard for this vote. I thank Senator Harry Reid, our leader. There are many other bills that compete for attention. I think it was very important because what could be more important than protecting our people, protecting our sons and daughters, protecting all God's children? That is what ENDA does. So I think we are going to see a very good vote on this bill tomorrow. Really, it ought to pass by 80, 90, 100 votes because it is a very simple idea: Everyone should be treated fairly. Everyone should be treated equally. This Nation is at its best when we do that.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I am pleased to congratulate the 2013 Eastlake Little League All-Star team from Chula Vista, CA on capturing the U.S. Championship at the 67th Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA. The determination, sportsmanship, and love of the game exhibited by these young athletes inspired people in Chula Vista and throughout California.

Since its establishment almost 75 years ago, Little League Baseball has grown from just three teams to become the world's largest youth sports program. This year's Little League World Series featured 8 regional champions from the United States and 8 international teams, representing the millions of children in 79 countries on 6 continents who take part in the great American pastime.

The Eastlake Little League All-Stars traveled a long road to Williamsport. In order to qualify for the Little League World Series, these extraordinary young players had to first defeat worthy opponents at the District 42 Championship in South Bay, the Section 7 Championship in Spring Valley, the Sub-Division III Championship in Corona, and the Division III Championship in Long Beach, before securing the West Region Championship in San Bernardino with a 3-to-1 tournament record.

Representing the West at the World Series, the Eastlake All-Stars showcased their talents with several impressive feats of athleticism. In a tense game against the Great Lakes All-Stars, Eastlake's Grant Holman became the first pitcher since 1979 to throw an extra-inning no- hitter at the Little League World Series. Later, Eastlake routed the New England All-Stars 12-to-l to take the U.S. Championship. Reaching the World Series Championship game, Eastlake fought valiantly to take the lead before falling 6-to-4 to the talented team from Tokyo, Japan.

In Chula Vista, the Eastlake All-Stars received a hero's welcome at a community homecoming celebrating the new U.S. World Series Champions. In the spirit of international goodwill and sportsmanship that characterizes the Little League World Series, the Eastlake players were joined in Chula Vista by the neighboring team from the Municipal de Tijuana Little League of Tijuana, Mexico, who placed third in the World Series.

I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing all the members of the Eastlake Little League All-Star team on their extraordinary achievement: Micah Pietila-Wiggs, Ricky Tibbett, Rennard Williams, Dominic Haley, Patrick Archer, Kevin Bateman II, Jake Espinoza, Giancarlo Cortez, Grant Holman, Charly Peterson, Michael Gaines, and Nick Mora, along with the dedicated coaches, parents, and volunteers who contributed to their success.

Madam President, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the memory of Kathleen Joy ``Kathy'' Mullen, a trailblazer in Fresno's special abilities community who was beloved locally and beyond. Ms. Mullen passed away on July 18 at the age of 52.

Kathy was born with Down syndrome, but she never allowed it or anything else to keep her from fully pursuing her dreams. From an early age, Kathy loved performing for others, whether she was shadowing her sister practicing a gymnastics routine or staging her own performances in the family backyard.

Kathy's love of athletics and performing drew her to competitive sports, where through focus and dedication, she made history as Fresno County's first Special Olympian. Kathy was a gifted athlete who broke records as the only Special Olympian to receive State, national and world gold medals in four different sports--gymnastics, swimming, bowling, and ice skating.

In 1983, inspired by Kathy's accomplishments and passion for athletics, her family founded Break the Barriers, a Fresno-based organization that enables athletes of all ages and physical abilities to hone their skills, train together, and establish bonds of understanding and respect. Thirty years later, Break the Barriers provides instruction and training to 3,000 people each year in a 32,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility.

To those fortunate enough to have known her, Kathy Mullen will be fondly remembered not just for her gold medals, but also for her infectious smile, character, resolve and remarkable ability to inspire everyone lucky enough to have known her. She will be missed.

Mr. President, I will take 5 minutes.

Mr. President, I thank the ranking member on the Budget Committee. I know he has a lot on his plate. He and I work well together, and I thank him.

Mr. President, I want to put on the Record my strong support for Congressman Mel Watt to be Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. May I do that.

I hope we have a resounding vote for Mel Watt. He is a terrific person. He has the heart, intelligence, and the experience.

Mr. President, as critical decisions are being made about the future of the housing finance system, it is time that we place permanent leadership at the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, FHFA. Congressman Mel Watt has both the experience and the expertise to help create a system that ensures access to safe and affordable credit and other housing options for all Americans.

Congressman Watt brings with him over 40 years of experience in housing, real estate, and other financial services issues. From 1970 to 1992, he ran a law practice focusing on business, real estate, municipal bonds, and community development, learning the details of housing finance from the ground level. He was first elected to represent the 12th district of North Carolina in 1992 and has served over 20 years on the House Financial Services Committee. In addition, his work on the House Subcommittees on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises, and on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit has given him the necessary policy expertise to run the agency that oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Congressman Watt's experience and expertise made him one of the first policymakers to recognize how predatory underwriting practices were threatening the larger housing market and economy as a whole. Years before the foreclosure crisis began, Congressman Watt, along with Congressman Brad Miller, introduced the Prohibit Predatory Lending Act in 2004. They reintroduced it every Congress after that until it was adopted as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. In March 2007, only 2 months after the Democrats became the majority party in Congress, Congressman Watt joined Chairman Barney Frank in introducing a bill to reform regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The bill passed both the House and the Senate with bipartisan support and now called the Housing and Economic Recovery Act, HERA, was signed into law by President Bush in July 2008.

Congressman Watt also brings with him the experience and balance in vision to represent all stakeholders fairly, and has broad support from both industry and consumer groups.

``The National Association of Realtors has long appreciated Representative Watt's proven ability and willingness to engage the industry, stakeholders, and consumers throughout his service in the House of Representatives. Watt has always aimed to craft policy that is fair, garners wide consensus, and allows all parties to move forward, all of which are vital qualities for the Director of the FHFA.''

The Mortgage Bankers of America said, ``Congressman Watt would bring considerable experience to the post of Director [and] a strong base of understanding on a wide variety of public policy issues related to housing finance. . . . [W]e would urge the Senate to approve his nomination.''

The Center for Responsible Lending said, ``Watt brings to FHFA an ability to work with a variety of stakeholders, with many competing interests and perspectives. He has a track record of crafting practical solutions and alliances for a complex, dynamic marketplace. He is consistently thoughtful, fair, and respectful of all opinions, and his policies have been guided by a concern for all Americans.''

The National Association of Home Builders said, ``We applaud the nomination of Representative Watt to this important position. After four years in conservatorship, the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac stands at a crossroad. Rep. Watt brings years of experience to this position at a pivotal moment as our nation's housing market recovers. NAHB looks forward to working closely with Rep. Watt to help address the many complex challenges facing the U.S. housing finance system upon his confirmation by the U.S. Senate.''

The Center for American Progress said, ``We believe that Mr. Watt has the vision, expertise, and experience necessary to provide strong leadership for FHFA. His personal background and professional experience have provided him with a deep commitment to affordable housing and sustainable credit, which not only support a robust housing market, but also provide shelter and opportunity for America's families and spur economic growth for the nation as a whole.''

The United States Conference of Mayors said, ``It is not surprising that Representative Watt has bipartisan support in the Senate. His record shows that he can work across the political aisle finding solutions to complex problems. Time and time again, mayors have been impressed with his thoughtful approach in developing solutions that are mindful of all stakeholders. As the nation's housing market climbs back as a major part of our economy, we need such a leader as Mel Watt at the head of FHFA.''

Mr. President, I ask to speak as in morning business for the rest of my time.

Mr. President, I am so pleased to be on the floor with some very good news out of California and how ObamaCare, the Affordable Care Act, is working in our great State. People are phoning. People are going

online. People are talking with insurance agencies, with health insurance companies. They are getting health care coverage, some for the very first time, and for many for the first time it is affordable; all good policies--good policies that will be there when they are needed.

We know a small percentage of people, as the President addressed yesterday, are being told their old policies are not going to be offered to them anymore, but all of those folks know they can get better policies. They can't be turned away. There will be competition for their business. Many of them will get subsidies. So at the end of the day, this health care story, although quite bumpy, as we know the prescription drug launch was years ago--we know it is bumpy, and we are angry on both sides of the aisle that it is bumpy--but at the end of the day, I think it is going to be good.

I wish to read some of the comments made by people who have logged in to ``Covered California,'' which is coveredCA.com. Here is one who just got an affordable health care policy:

Thank you so much, President Obama! And everyone who works

there.

This was soooo much easier than I thought it would be! I am

soooo grateful to get medical insurance! Thank you!

Another:

Great phone support, thank you. No wait time, the assistant

answered all my questions clearly.

Another:

GREAT JOB! EASY! WHAT'S All THE FUSS ABOUT?

Another:

Wow. This was easy and my monthly premiums are

significantly less than my previous employer's health care

coverage before the Affordable Care Act.

One who I thought truly summed it up:

Thank God Almighty I'm free at last!

These are the real people. These are not people who have a political agenda. They are real people. They are Democrats. They are Republicans. They are Independent voters. They have had a hard time getting health insurance and, because of the Affordable Care Act, with all of its glitches on the national Web site--and we acknowledge them--it is working. It is working in our State, and eventually, once that national Web site is fixed, it will work for everybody.

I wish to put some real numbers on this: 180,000 Californians have begun the process of signing up for coverage--180,000 families. Imagine the relief they have. Over 2 million unique visitors have been to coveredCA.com. There have been 200,000 calls to coveredCA.com's call centers. The average wait time is under 4 minutes and the average total call time is less than 16 minutes for Californians enrolling in coverage and asking questions. We have 4,000 insurance agents and clinic workers trained so far and certified. They have their badges so they can offer, in person, help to those who are looking to enroll.

Very recently I went to a clinic in my home county and I can tell my colleagues the excitement there is palpable. The doctors, the nurses, the assistants, the people in the waiting room, everybody knowing they can get either insurance on the exchange or insurance through an expanded Medi-Cal Program. We have millions of people who will be able to sign up on the exchanges. We have about 1.4 million people who could sign up for the expanded Medi-Cal Program.

Do I have any time remaining?

Five seconds. I hope we get these two wonderful nominees on the way to confirmation today.

I hope we will be patient and that we will all work together to fix the problems with health care. I think, at the end of the day, it is going to be great.

I thank the Chair and yield the floor.