Floor Statements

Mr. President, I now move to proceed to legislative session.

Mr. President, is the motion to proceed to H.R. 3979 now pending?

Mr. President, that being the case, I have a cloture motion that has been filed.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that following disposition of H.R. 4152, the Senate proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 689; that there be 2 minutes of debate equally divided in the usual form prior to a vote on the nomination; that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid on the table, with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order; that any related statements be printed in the Record; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate resume legislative session.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 26, 2014, at 2:30 p.m. in room SR- 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled, ``Protecting Personal Consumer Information from Cyber Attacks and Data Breaches.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 26, 2014 at 10 a.m., in room SD-406 of the Dirksen Senate office building, to conduct a hearing entitled, ``Oversight Hearing on the Environmental Protection Agency's Fiscal Year 2015 Budget.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 26, 2014, at 2:30 p.m., to hold a hearing entitled ``Syria After Geneva: Next Steps for U.S. Policy.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 26, 2014, at 10 a.m. to conduct a hearing entitled ``Strengthening Public-Private Partnerships to Reduce Cyber Risks to Our Nation's Critical Infrastructure.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 26, 2014, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``The President's Fiscal Year 2015 Budget for Tribal Programs.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 26, 2014, at 10 a.m. in room SD-G50 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Special Committee on Aging be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 26, 2014, in room SD-562 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building at 1:45 p.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Preventing Medicare Fraud: How Can We Best Protect Seniors and Taxpayers?''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 26, 2014, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Are Alternative Financial Products Serving Consumers?''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support of the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 26, 2014, at 2:30 p.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces of the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 26, 2014, at 2:30 p.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Personnel of the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 26, 2014, at 10 a.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 1827 and the Senate proceed to its consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the bill be read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid on the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the commerce committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 387.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m., Thursday, March 27, 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 10:30 a.m., with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each and the time equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees, with the Republicans controlling the first half and the majority controlling the final half; and that following morning business, the Senate proceed to the consideration of H.R. 4152, the Ukraine bill; that notwithstanding the previous order, the time until noon be equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees and all other provisions of the previous order remain in effect.

There will be a series of rollcall votes at noon tomorrow. Additional votes are possible during tomorrow's session. Senators will be notified when they are scheduled.

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

Following my remarks and those of the Republican leader, the Senate will be in a period of morning business for 1 hour. The majority will control the first half, the Republicans the final half. Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S. 2124, the Ukraine act. That will be postcloture time.

Order of Procedure

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate recess from 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly caucus meetings and that the time during the recess count postcloture on the Ukraine bill.

Very, very soon we hope to work out an agreement to begin consideration of the bill. Senators will be notified when votes are scheduled. I have spoken this morning to Senator Menendez, chairman of the committee, and I spoke last night to Senator Corker and Senator McCain. I talked to Senator McCain this morning, and he was going to talk to Senator Corker. Hopefully, we will move forward very quickly on this legislation.

I am told S. 2149 is due for its second reading and is at the desk.

Mr. President, I object to any further proceedings with respect to this legislation.

Mr. President, last night the Senate took the first steps in supporting the people of Ukraine, sending a clear message to Russia. I am pleased the Senate voted overwhelmingly in a bipartisan fashion to consider this bipartisan bill that was reported to the Senate floor. The measure includes a number of provisions: a loan guarantee, sanctions, and security assistance. This certainly is a step in the right direction. It is not everything, but I certainly applaud the efforts of the Members from both sides of the aisle who have labored diligently to get us this far.

I hope the bipartisan support will continue so we can finish the bill this week and provide the people of Ukraine with the critical support they need while imposing strong sanctions against those in Russia and Ukraine who created this crisis. There is no reason why we can't pass the bill today.

According to all reports, the situation regarding Ukraine is getting worse, not better. Russian troops are seizing facilities in the Crimea. All they have to do is make a phone call. They didn't need to have all the brute force, knocking down doors and injuring people in the process. They have

done this throughout Crimea. The Government of Russia looks foolish. The world community understands that. They are levying foolish retaliatory sanctions, mocking the efforts of the international community to bring about a peaceful and fair resolution to the illegal invasion and the annexation of Crimea.

Yesterday President Obama and other European leaders meeting in The Hague formed a strong, united front in denouncing Russia's unlawful actions against the people of Ukraine. Under President Obama's leadership, the United States, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom took further action by suspending Russia from the G8--as of today it is the G7--and canceling the planned summit in Sochi this summer.

I mentioned those seven countries, but over in Europe yesterday, the President was there with some 42 other nations, all of them looking with an eye toward what Russia had done that was totally contrary to international law. By excluding Russia from the G8, President Obama and our allies have sent the message loudly and clearly that bullying behavior and rhetoric will not go unchallenged. I applaud the efforts of our allies to take a stand against Russia's aggression and welcome their further commitment to hold accountable President Putin and his cronies--and they really are his cronies. If there were ever a thugocracy, this is it. This is a government that is corrupt, and they need to be held accountable for violating international law. This cannot go unnoticed and unretaliated against.

As for action here in the Senate, I look forward to stabilizing Ukraine and imposing new sanctions against Russia by passing the bill that is before us. We should do that today. One way or the other, we need to get it done as quickly as possible.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding cloture having been invoked, the motion to proceed to S. 2124 be withdrawn; that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 328, H.R. 4152; that following the reporting of the bill, a Menendez-Corker substitute amendment, the text of which is at the desk, be made pending; that no other amendments be in order; that no points of order or motions be in order other than budget points of order and the applicable motions to waive; that on Thursday, March 27, following morning business, there be 2 hours of debate equally divided between the two leaders or their designees prior to a vote in relation to the Menendez-Corker amendment; that upon disposition of the amendment, the bill be read a third time and the Senate proceed to vote on passage of the bill, as amended, if amended.

I reserve the right, and will just make a brief comment. The committee action on this bill was really historic. The issue my friend just suggested be part of an amendment process was discussed at some length in the committee.

As I discussed this morning, the situation in Ukraine is critical. The Senate must act as quickly as we can on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations bill.

The bill before us gives additional aid to the fragile Ukrainian economy. As Secretary Kerry said yesterday, he wants this aid that is in our bill now, but he also wanted what was in our bill--IMF funding. But he said: If I cannot get both, the most important thing we do now is the funding that is in our bill, and he is probably right.

We already know there have been many signals--not any hidden signals--from the House that they would not accept the IMF. The Republican leader said he was concerned about the IMF.

So I am very pleased the sanctions inside this legislation that I hope will pass on Thursday is something that is going to help Ukraine. I am confident it will. It sanctions those inside Ukraine and Russia who have undetermined Ukraine's sovereignty and stability.

I think, as far as I am concerned, we will have more legislation on this in the not distant future. As far as I am concerned, I think there should be more sanctions that we look at. I think they need more aid. On Sunday shows, I heard Republican Senator Ayotte, Democratic Senator Durbin both talking about the need for sleeping bags, small arms fire, and things such as that that the Ukrainians simply do not have.

That is why I am pleased we have been able to come to a tentative agreement to vote on this measure Thursday. I would have preferred to include, as I have already indicated, the International Monetary Fund provisions in this bill. It is something that is needed. These provisions would have provided additional funds to stabilize this fragile Ukrainian economy, but my Republican colleagues, for reasons unrelated to Ukraine, were ready to kill the bill over the IMF issue.

Today we are ready to move forward on the bipartisan Senate Foreign Relations Committee bill without the IMF language. Let me just take a minute--a brief minute--to extend my appreciation--and I think I speak for the entire Senate--for the hard work that has allowed us to get where we are.

Chairman Menendez, Ranking Member Corker--they have worked very well together on legislation generally but on this specifically. Senator McCain, who is a long-time leader on national security issues, has been very articulate and forceful in his view as to what should be done. By the way, both Senators Corker and McCain suggested we should have the IMF money in this, but I called Senator McCain this morning and told him reasons why I thought we could not go forward with it, and I think he agrees with that.

I hope my colleagues will join us in voting to pass this important bill on Thursday. The people of the Ukraine are watching. The Russians are watching. It is time for the Senate to act. It is time for Ukraine to get the support it needs, it is time for this body to sanction the Russians, and it is time to send a clear message to Putin that the United States condemns the Russian annexation of Ukraine. I say once again, if he so likes these votes he created in Crimea, why doesn't he have one in Chechnya? Why doesn't he have a vote there? Because I think that would turn out much differently than what he would want.

I understand Senator Barrasso is talking about this issue that my friend from Texas suggested, and it and other issues are something we need to bring up when we talk about further work on Ukraine.

So I object.

Madam President, my friend from Texas is absolutely right.

We need to do more on Ukraine--there is no question about that--and I look forward to working with him and all Senators to do that.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Madam President, is there more that the Chair needs to do?

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that at 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 26, 2014, the Senate proceed to executive session, and that notwithstanding rule XXII, the Senate proceed to vote on cloture on Executive Calendar Nos. 581, 582, 583, and 584; further, that if cloture is invoked on any of these nominations, the time until 2:30 p.m. be equally divided between the two leaders or their designees and that at 2:30 p.m. all postcloture time be expired and the Senate proceed to vote on confirmation of the nominations in the order upon which cloture was invoked; further, that following Senate action on these nominations, the Senate proceed to vote on confirmation of Calendar No. 694; further, that there be 2 minutes for debate prior to each vote and all rollcall votes after the first vote in each sequence be 10 minutes in length; further, that following the disposition of Calendar No. 694, the Senate resume legislative session; further, that upon disposition of the listed nominations, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and President Obama be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Madam President, I now move to proceed to Calendar No. 333,

I suggest the absence of a quorum.