Floor Statements

I ask unanimous consent the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 1456, and the Senate proceed to its consideration.

Madam President, I know the day is long; I feel it as much, if not more, than anyone else. But before consent is granted, I can't let the night go by and this about to pass without saying something about this good man.

I have had the good fortune to travel the world meeting Kings, Presidents, Prime Ministers, and many people, but I have never met anyone more impressive than this man. He is a visionary. What he has done for the small country of Israel, which is so important to us, is something the history books will report for generations to come.

I spoke with him earlier this week about another matter. I haven't been to Israel a lot of times, but I have been there a few times. Every time I go, I make sure to take my delegation to visit him. I always tell them this is my favorite. I think so much of this man. It is the least we can do for someone who has done so much for world peace and so much for our country.

I will be fairly quick. I was a Member of the House of Representatives and was on a delegation led by the late Tom Lantos, a Hungarian Jew who escaped the Holocaust because of Raoul Wallenberg. There have been a lot of Members of Congress there and a number of delegations, but Tom Lantos said to him in that beautiful speaking voice he had in that Hungarian accent: Here is our delegation, Mr. Prime Minister. We are so sorry to bother you. We know how busy you are, how many difficult situations you have in your country.

I will never forget this. He said: You don't understand. I am never too busy to meet with the delegation from the Congress of the United States. They have done so much for my country.

He said a few other things. I have said--and I want the Record to so reflect--this is something we need to do as quickly as possible.

Amendment No. 2851

I ask unanimous consent the Bennet 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 made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. 2147, introduced earlier today.

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

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to H.R. 4076, which was received from the House.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and

passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Indian Affairs Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 2650 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Madam President, I further ask unanimous consent that the bill 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.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 324, S. Res. 375.

Madam President, I further ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported amendment to the resolution be agreed to, the resolution, as amended, be agreed to, the committee-reported amendment to the preamble be agreed to, the preamble, as amended, be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to Calendar No. 325, S. Res. 376.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the amendment to the preamble, which is at the desk, be agreed to; the preamble, as amended, be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to Calendar No. 326, S. Res. 377.

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

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration en bloc of the following resolutions which were submitted earlier today: S. Res. 388, S. Res. 389, S. Res. 390, S. Res. 391, and S. Res. 392.

Mr. President, this resolution concerns a subpoena for documents and deposition testimony in a civil action pending in New Jersey Federal District Court. Plaintiffs in the case own and manage five assisted-living facilities in Connecticut and are in a labor dispute with the employees of those facilities. They have sued the union representing those employees for allegedly criminal and fradulent tactics in this labor dispute.

Plaintiffs have sent a subpoena to Senator Blumenthal seeking testimony and documents involving a broad scope of matters beyond merely the underlying labor dispute. Senator Blumenthal has agreed to seek Senate authorization to provide written communications between his office and the union regarding the underlying labor dispute. However, the Senator believes this subpoena presents an undue burden as it is overly broad in scope and seeks material that is not relevant to the lawsuit, and also encroaches on areas subject to privilege, and therefore objects to producing other documents and to the request for deposition testimony.

This resolution would authorize the production of documents from Senator Blumenthal's office except where a privilege or objection is asserted. The resolution also authorizes the Senate Legal Counsel to represent Senator Blumenthal in this matter.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table en bloc, with no intervening action or debate.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to H. Con. Res. 93.

I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

I understand S. 2122 is due for a second reading.

I object to any further proceedings with respect to this bill.

I am told there are three bills at the desk and I ask for their first reading.

Have all three titles been read, Madam President?

I now ask for a second reading of each of the bills but object to my own request, en bloc.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the upcoming recess or adjournment of the Senate, the President of the Senate, the President pro tempore, and the majority and minority leaders be authorized to make appointments to commissions, committees, boards, conferences, or interparliamentary conferences authorized by law, by concurrent action of the two Houses, or by order of the Senate.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that during the adjournment or recess of the Senate from Thursday, March 13 through Monday, March 24, Senators King, Reed, Rockefeller, and Casey be authorized to sign duly enrolled bills or joint resolutions.

Madam President, I have a brief statement that I know everyone is excited to hear, but everyone should be advised that when we return after next week, there is so much, so much to do. We need to pass the Ukrainian bill that Foreign Relations reported yesterday. We have a new bipartisan unemployment insurance compromise introduced today that was put together by a group of bipartisan Senators. We have the SGR, the so-called doc fix, to prevent a 24-percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors, which would be extremely hurtful to patients. We have to do that. We have a backlog of nominations we have to do.

Everyone should understand--I hope it is not necessary--because of the enormous amount of work we have to do this month, Senators should be on notice--all Senators--that there is a high probability that we need to be in session on the weekend of March 29 and 30, before the end of the month.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn and convene for pro forma sessions only with no business conducted on the following dates and times; and that following each pro forma session, the Senate adjourn until the next pro forma session: Friday, March 14, at 10:30 a.m.; Tuesday, March 18, at 10:30 a.m.; and Friday, March 21, at 9 a.m.; and that the Senate adjourn on Friday, March 21 until 2 p.m. on Monday, March 24, 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; and that following any leader remarks, the Senate resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S. 2124; that at 5:30 p.m. the Senate vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S. 2124.