Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 346.

I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be charged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 394.

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.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to H. Con. Res. 88, which was received from the House and is at the desk.

I ask unanimous consent the concurrent resolution be agreed to, and the motion 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 2 p.m., Monday, April 7, 2014; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; that following any leader remarks, the Senate be in a period of morning business until 5 p.m. with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each; and that following morning business, the Senate resume consideration of H.R. 3979, the vehicle for the unemployment insurance extension, postcloture, with the time until 5:30 p.m. equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees prior to the vote on passage of H.R. 3979, as amended, as provided for under the previous order.

There will be a rollcall vote on passage of the unemployment insurance bill, which takes a simple majority, at 5:30 p.m. on Monday.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent it adjourn under the previous order.

Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 250.

Mr. President, following my remarks and those of the Republican leader, the Senate will resume consideration of H.R. 3979, which is the legislative vehicle for the Unemployment Insurance Extension bill, with the time until 10 a.m. equally divided and controlled. The filing deadline is 9:30 a.m. today.

At 10 a.m. there will be a cloture vote on the Reed amendment. Additional votes are expected throughout the day. Senators will be notified when they are scheduled.

Measures Placed on the Calendar--S. 2198 and S. 2199

Mr. President, there are two bills at the desk due for a second reading.

I would object to any further proceedings to both of these matters at this time.

Mr. President, in what has become an annual frustration for the American people, the tea party-controlled House Budget Committee released its budget proposal yesterday. This budget is frustrating for Americans because it doesn't reflect what they envision for this Nation. In fact, the Ryan budget more closely resembles the wants of the multibillionaire Koch brothers than it does a pattern for helping America.

For those who haven't seen the prequels; that is, the newest budget proposal, it is the same old story, and it is a story of broken promises--of broken promises to our children, to our seniors, and to our families.

To our children we have promised we will protect and provide for them, safeguarding them during the vulnerable years of childhood and adolescence--at least try to do everything we can to help them. Yet by repealing the expansion of health care to millions of Americans by cutting Medicaid by $1.5 trillion, the Ryan-Koch budget tells our Nation's children they are on their own.

We must provide for our children by supplying the tools they need to succeed--most importantly, a quality education. But evidently House Republicans don't see the need for us to invest in education because their budget slashes tens of billions of dollars in funding for schools and rolls back Federal financial aid to college students.

The Koch-Ryan budget breaks the promise to seniors we have had in existence since the Great Depression. It would be the end of Medicare as we know it. Health insurance premiums for seniors would skyrocket as would their prescription costs.

Finally, a Ryan-Koch budget breaks a promise to every American family that we in the Federal Government have given them; that by working hard and playing by the rules, they can get ahead. That isn't what the Ryan- Koch budget would allow.

What do the Republicans propose to do with this money they cut from Medicare, Medicaid, and education? They will create more tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy, but it is more than that. It is some of the things not written--these holes in the budget that we have heard before. We know they want to whack Social Security. They are just afraid to put it in writing. The Koch budget would cut the corporate tax rate to 25 percent and lower the top individual tax rate for America's highest earners.

I guess what I would say to the House Budget Committee and all the House Members--Democrats and Republicans--isn't $80 billion personal wealth of the Koch brothers enough? I think most everyone would say, yes, it is enough, but not the Koch brothers. They want more. They are the richest people in the world. Individually they are only fifth, but put them together and they are the richest in the world.

Under this budget I have talked about, middle-class families would pay about $2,000 a year more in taxes, but the rich would pay less. Democrats believe in growing the economy from the middle out, but the Republicans are still trapped in the trickle-down economics based on handouts to the superwealthy and special interests.

Perhaps the Ryan-Koch budget is summarized best by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities' Robert Greenstein: ``More poverty and less opportunity.'' That is what their budget is all about: more poverty, less opportunity.

So whether it is current law such as the Affordable Care Act or much needed legislation such as comprehensive immigration reform or an overhaul of the tax system, I ask my Republican colleagues to work with us for a better America.

Recognition of the Republican Leader

Reserving the right to object, Mr. President, we have had millions of people over the last many months who have lost their unemployment benefits. In most instances it is real tragic. Many of the people who lost these benefits are past middle age. Because of the recession they lost their jobs they had for a long time and they cannot find work.

We have read into the Record the tragic stories about people using their Social Security to try to save their son's home. We have the woman who is couch surfing. She said, ``I didn't know what the term meant. Now I know.'' They have had to struggle without extended unemployment benefits.

The senior Senator from Rhode Island has negotiated a bipartisan fix to this. It has basically given the Republicans everything they asked for. Everything is paid for. There is no disagreement as to the pay- fors. It hasn't increased the deficit at all. In fact, it would stimulate the economy significantly.

We have been told by economist Mark Zandi, John McCain's chief economic advisor when he ran for President, we have been told by him and others that unemployment benefits stimulate the economy quicker and faster and more efficiently than any other thing we do, because they are desperate for money and they spend it.

But in spite of the bipartisan agreement negotiated with Senator Jack Reed, Senator Heller from Nevada and other Republicans, we have the vast majority of Republican Senators doing the same thing they have done for a long time. They respond in their usual way. When they face a bill they are trying to kill, they try to change the subject-- diversion.

Now already on this piece of legislation before the Senate today we have more than 24 amendments that have been filed by Republicans dealing with ObamaCare alone, in spite of the fact--in spite of the fact--that yesterday it was announced that there are 7.1 million people who have already signed up. That doesn't count the 14 State exchanges that will get another 900,000, it is estimated, plus the 2-week extension in which hundreds of thousands more will sign up.

They are tone deaf. They have got to go to some other issue. But they cannot. There are more than two dozen amendments on this bill alone dealing with ObamaCare, repealing it in different ways.

Several other amendments have been singled out that we have before the body to attack the administration's efforts to protect the environment. The protests of Republican Senators to the contrary notwithstanding, these amendments show that the other side of the aisle is not serious about unemployment insurance benefits. They are more concerned about protecting the Koch brothers. This is the behavior of Senators who want to kill something, who want to kick up enough dust so they don't get blamed for what they are trying to do. What are they trying to do? Kill extended unemployment benefits.

So I object.

Reserving the right to object, I clearly understood the diversion-and-delay tactics of my friend from Louisiana, and I object.

Mr. President, I move to table and ask for the yeas and nays.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to a period of morning business with Senators allowed to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, one of the privileges of addressing the Senate each morning is the opportunity to call attention to what I believe and what I think the country believes are noble causes. I certainly hope so.

Today is World Autism Awareness Day. To the Americans who have autism and the millions of family and friends affected by this condition, one day is simply not enough to focus on this misunderstood illness, but it helps--and we certainly hope it does.

Autism is a general term for a group of complex disorders of brain developments affecting social interaction, communication, and behavior. According to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control--in fact, the report came out this week--1 in 68 children is diagnosed with having some form of autism in our country. As more and more children are identified as being autistic, it is important we in Congress do all we can to provide them, their families, and their caretakers, the help that is so vitally necessary.

Under the Affordable Care Act, autism screenings and other preventive services are available at no cost to families. For those diagnosed with autism, the days of being denied health insurance due to their preexisting condition ended with the passage and implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

Today, because of the Affordable Care Act, adult children with autism may stay on their parents' policies through age 26, providing them with the stability and additional treatment they need.

With benefits such as these, it is no wonder that more than 7 million people have sought health coverage under the Affordable Care Act. This doesn't count the estimated 800,000 to 900,000 people on 14 State exchanges. But in addition, everyone who tried to sign up during the last many months and were unable to get through, for whatever reason, are also now going to be signing up, which will add hundreds of thousands of more people.

So the numbers are pretty clear. The estimate given by the White House many months ago, which my Republican colleagues made fun of, has now been exceeded. So maybe they will quiet down and stop talking about repealing this bill that affects millions and millions of people favorably.

While the health care law is helping autistic Americans who have been diagnosed and their families, researchers at the National Institutes of Health are

tackling the question of why this disease is here, what are the origins of this condition.

Research is critical in supporting development tools, interventions, and evidence-based services to help provide a quality of life for people in the autism spectrum.

Over the last year, researchers funded by NIH have made significant advances in understanding the onset of autism. They have learned that brain changes that contribute to autism occur even during pregnancy and continue through the first years of life. They have also concluded that some of the possible signs of autism may begin to appear within the first 6 months it can be identified. The work at the NIH in understanding the problem cannot be understated, but far more needs to follow to better comprehend autism.

Congress also has responsibilities. One is providing resources to the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control, and we need to do that. My friend Senator Durbin has introduced legislation that would focus on ways we can provide more help that is badly needed. With sequestration and the other cuts which have taken place it has been unfair to these two agencies.

The Achieving Better Life Experience Act--also known as the ABLE Act--would improve the quality of life for individuals with autism and other disabilities through tax-advantaged savings accounts. These special savings accounts would help disabled Americans and their loved ones plan for the future by setting aside money to cover future expenses, including education, housing, therapy, and rehabilitation.

I am a sponsor of the ABLE Act and proud to stand with all advocates in celebrating today World Autism Awareness Day.

Mr. President, from time to time I have to express my apologies to everyone--staff, the Presiding Officer--but I just can't come to the floor until we know what we are going to do tomorrow, and that takes a lot of time. That is what is going on while I am in my office.

So I apologize to everyone. I am sorry that things take so long, and it appears we are doing nothing, but there are things being done.

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 409.

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.

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business tonight, we adjourn until 9:30 a.m., Thursday, April 3, 2014; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; that following any leader remarks, the Senate resume consideration of H.R. 3979; and that all time during adjournment count postcloture on the Reed amendment to H.R. 3979.

Mr. President, we are doing our best to reach an agreement both on the unemployment insurance and some executive nominations during tomorrow's session.