Floor Statements

Madam President, the next rollcall vote will be on Monday, March 24, at 5:30 p.m.

Madam 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, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 309, S. 1086, the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014.

Mr. President, following my remarks and those of the Republican leader, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 10:30 a.m., with the majority controlling the first half and the Republicans controlling the final half.

Following morning business the Senate will proceed to executive session. At 10:30 a.m., there will be up to 6 rollcall votes on the confirmation of several executive nominations.

Upon disposition of the nomination of Sarah Bloom Raskin to be Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, the Senate will begin consideration of S. 1086, the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act reauthorization bill.

Measures Placed on the Calendar--S. 2110 and H.R. 4152

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

I would object to anything at this time as to these two matters.

Mr. President, in our great country we think of a college education as the key to unlock our children's success. But many families in this country struggle to afford child care, leaving no money whatsoever for higher education.

In 2011, in most States, 1 year of daycare for an infant was more expensive than 1 year of tuition at a public university.

Let me repeat that. In America, in almost every State, 1 year of daycare is more expensive than 1 year of tuition at a public university. It is no wonder that middle-class families are struggling with sticker shock, and for many low-income families childcare is simply out of reach.

For millions of families in the United States, childcare is their single largest household expense at nearly $15,000 a year. In an economy where most families have two working parents, childcare isn't a luxury, it is a necessity.

That is why President Bush signed the first Child Care and Development Block Grant Act into law in 1990. He did this to ensure working families

have access to quality, affordable childcare.

I thank HELP Committee Chairman Harkin and Senators Burr, Mikulski, and Alexander for their diligent bipartisan work to reauthorize this measure.

The program serves more than 1.6 million children, including more than 7,300 in Nevada, making access to affordable, high-quality care possible. But the program serves only a fraction of the need. We should be doing more to guarantee every parent who wants to work can afford adequate supervision for their children and for every child, regardless of income, so that kids have a safe place to learn.

This bipartisan measure is an investment in America's mothers, 65 percent of whom work outside the home. Yet women earn less and are less likely to go back to work after having children--than men--in part because of the shortage of safe, affordable daycare.

This program is helping millions of parents, and especially mothers, get back to work to help support their families. In the two decades since this important program was last authorized, we have learned a great deal about the importance of early childhood education and high- quality childcare.

This bipartisan measure builds on that knowledge, updates health and safety standards for childcare centers, and requires providers to undergo comprehensive background checks.

This reauthorization is only the first step. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on the larger effort to broaden access to quality early childhood education.

We are going to take up this bill later today. As I have said before, and I will say again so everyone understands, this is a bipartisan bill. I hope the managers of this bill will do everything they can to move this expeditiously through this body. But we are going to finish-- not finish it this week, but I prefer finishing it, and I hope we can do that.

Reservation of Leader Time

Would the Chair announce the business of the day.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, I yield back the remaining time.

Mr. President, throughout this year, my home State will celebrate the 150th anniversary of its path to Statehood, on October 31, 1864.

Next week, while I will be home visiting my family and constituents, the Battle Born State will celebrate the day that Congress passed and President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation paving the way for Nevada to become the 36th State. At that time Congress was in a rush to welcome Nevada into the Union. It was during the Civil War; it was raging.

The only other State admitted to the Union during the war was West Virginia, which seceded from Virginia to remain part of the Union in 1863.

Congress didn't want to wait until the next session to admit another new State--a new State that could swing the Presidential election in Lincoln's favor and provide crucial votes for the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery. Nevadans had already rejected one proposed State constitution, so there was no time to waste.

On March 21, 1864, in the waning hours of the 38th Congress, a law was passed allowing Nevada to enter the Union whenever voters finally passed and President Lincoln approved a State constitution.

It wasn't during the normal course of business, but this wasn't the normal course with the Civil War going on. Typically Congress would get the final word on admission of a new State to the Union.

But these, as I have indicated, were certainly not normal times. Even today we acknowledge Nevada's unique path to Statehood on our State flag with the words: ``Battle Born.''

Throughout this year, we will celebrate Nevada's 150th birthday with events in every corner of the State. From my hometown of Searchlight to Virginia City to Elko, there is a 150th anniversary event to match every interest.

Nevada is a very large State. Area wide it is the seventh largest in the country. It is a unique State with more mountains than any place other than Alaska. We have 314 separate mountain ranges. We have one mountain that is 14,000 feet high. We have 32 mountains over 11,000 feet high. We have wide-ranging land, and we have some of the coldest places in the Nation and some of the hottest places in the Nation.

We have all kinds of wildlife. Theodore Roosevelt created an antelope range that is large and sparsely populated. We have not only the antelope, we also have desert bighorn sheep. In Nevada we have mountain goats; we have almost 3 million acres of wilderness. It is a very beautiful State. It is more than the bright lights of Las Vegas, Reno, and Lake Tahoe--even though we are very proud of sharing the stewardship of Lake Tahoe with the State of California--as Mark Twain said: ``the fairest picture the whole earth affords.''

We will mark Nevada's second constitutional convention, the day Nevada voters finally approved its constitution and the day, Halloween, October 31, 1864, that Lincoln proclaimed Nevada's Statehood. The 150th anniversary of our admission to the Union provides a wonderful opportunity to study Nevada's history. It is also the birthday of my young brother, so it is easy to remember--admission day, Halloween, and my brother's birthday all occurred the same day.

It is also a chance to reflect on Nevada's unique pioneer spirit--a spirit that continues to make our State very special.

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

I apologize to the Presiding Officer and all the staff, but I have been conducting for the last hour and a half or more a meeting in the classified room dealing with Ukraine. I am sorry I couldn't be here, but I just couldn't because I had to conduct that meeting.

Mr. President, the senior Senator from Iowa is my friend, but I am quite disappointed in my friend the senior Senator from Iowa. This afternoon he delivered another one of his ``Alice in Wonderland'' speeches. He has delivered a few of these, but the one today especially is a view of reality that only exists in fairy tales.

He complains that I file too many cloture motions. His complaint is like that of an arsonist who complains about having to hear the sirens of too many fire engines.

The real reason I have had to file so many cloture motions is because Republicans have engaged in a systematic pattern of obstruction--and not last week, not last month, but this has been going on for 5 years. We have come to see this as something of the pinnacle, the landmark, the zenith of obstructionism led by my Republican colleagues.

I have now had to file cloture motions during the time I have been the majority leader more than 500 times. Lyndon Johnson, who had the job for 6 years--I have had it a little longer than that--only had to face one filibuster. I have had to deal with 500.

I don't file cloture, as the Senator from Iowa would like folks to think, in this fairy tale world he believes in, I guess, because I enjoy it. It is not something I enjoy. It takes a lot of my time, the staff's time, the Senate's time, and the country's time. I don't like to do it. I file these motions because Republicans have made it clear that we can't get a vote on anything without going to cloture, and that is basically true.

What is the solution of the Senator from Iowa to the problem? Listen to this. Now, this really is ``Alice in Wonderland.'' He proposes it should take longer to file. He proposes it should take longer to file cloture. Now, that is some dreamland that I don't understand. He says the solution to the problem of Republican obstructionism is to make obstruction easier.

We have on the Executive Calendar 140 nominations. We have Ambassadors--there is an Executive Calendar here someplace. The pages have stripped all the desks of the calendars, but they are always around. The Republic of Mauritania, the Republic of Colombia--South America is a continent that has been our friend for decades--we have most all countries in Africa waiting to have Ambassadors appointed: Zambia, Niger, Peru, Belize, Albania, Angola, Palau, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Lesotho, Namibia, Tanzania, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Hungary, Iceland, U.S. Human Rights Council.

I am not going to take more of the staff's time, but throughout this Executive Calendar there are about 40 Ambassadors--40 Ambassadors--who are waiting to be confirmed and 35 or so judges. Do the math yourself. That is 75 or 80 very important jobs they have stopped.

So my friend from Iowa is living in a dream world. I don't know where it exists, but it doesn't exist here in the Senate. And his solution is to give them more time? Can you imagine that. This is an ``Alice in Wonderland'' speech from the Senator from Iowa, and he should have better use of his time than playing fairy tales in the Senate.

The obstruction led by Republican Senators from all over this country is an embarrassment to our country. It is preventing the people of this country from getting what they need.

Now, I know people around the country are not too worried about an Ambassador to some foreign country, but to our country it is important. Our foreign policy is important. Being able to get work done here legislatively is important, and we have been stymied every step of the way.

I am sorry to say my friend has stepped over the line with his speech here today about what a terrible thing has happened here, that we have filed cloture 500 times. The record speaks for itself.

Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 309, S. 1086.

Mr. President, following my remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 11:30 a.m., with the majority controlling the first hour and the Republicans controlling the next hour.

Order Of Procedure

I ask unanimous consent that Senator Feinstein be allotted a full hour. I have taken some of her time.

At 11:30 this morning, the Senate will proceed to executive session and there will be four rollcall votes on the motions to invoke cloture on four nominees to be United States district judges.

Following the votes, the Senate will recess until 2:15 p.m. to allow for our weekly caucus meetings.

Reservation Of Leader Time

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

Mr. President, I wish to take a minute to commend Senator Dianne Feinstein. There is not a more dignified, competent Senator in this body than Dianne Feinstein. She works tireless hours leading the Intelligence Committee. It is a very difficult job, always away from the press, one that is very important to our country.

Her statement outlined I believe one of most important principles we must maintain; that is, separation of powers. The Founding Fathers were visionary in creating this great government of ours, three separate but equal branches of government: executive, judicial, and legislative.

Her statement today pronounced, in a very firm fashion, that must continue, that separation of powers. The work the committee has done over the last many years dealing with what went on in the prior administration is imperative.

I do not know much of the details as to what they are working on, but I know what they have been working on generally. I admire what she has done and the committee has done, and especially her statement today was one of courage and conviction. We know, those of us who have worked with her over the years, that no one has more courage and conviction than Dianne Feinstein.

Mr. President, I reserve the right to object.

Mr. President, we on this side accept this measure, but I do have a few things I want to say before saying there is no objection.

Sequestration cut $1.6 billion from NIH last year--$1.6 billion. In the omnibus we passed, we gave them current level funding, but that hole for NIH is still there. NIH has lost huge amounts of money over the past few years in the way that we have struggled to get financing for our country. We in the past have been the guiding light for research on diseases and conditions. We are still there, but we are losing ground. Every country in the world looks at the NIH as a place they would like to be.

This is a small amount of money, but it will be extremely helpful to the NIH.

I would hope my Republican colleagues would join with us in increasing funding for the National Institutes of Health.

Senator Durbin is going to introduce a bill today that will fund NIH at levels they need to be funded. It has to be paid for, but it is so very important that we not claim victory for the NIH because of this. It is a small victory and I accept that. I think it is extremely important that we understand the NIH is billions of dollars short of being able to maintain the place they have had in years past.

I repeat, they have been losing ground. The last 5 years have been extremely tough for them. We need to do better for the National Institutes of Health. We have scientists around our country who want to do good work. They want to devote their lives to medical research, but they are not applying for these grants. So many of them are turned down that they are basically--well, maybe I won't even bother trying.

I am pleased to hear the Republican leader move forward. It is something that is a small step forward to help children who badly need help in the ways of these diseases, which are so difficult for the kids, of course, for the parents and families and certainly our country.

Again, before we leave this issue, I would hope that the appropriations process we are going to go through this year will help us get money. What we have done today is only an authorization, and the public out there should understand it is only an authorization. Until we have appropriations going, there will be nothing going to pediatric research at the National Institutes of Health. We have to carry forward and not have all of these banner headlines that the kids are going to suddenly get help they deserve. That will not happen until we appropriate money for this.

I do not object.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that at 2:15 today the Senate proceed to morning business until 6 p.m. tonight. Senators may speak for up to 10 minutes each.

Madam President, I yield back any time on the subsequent nomination on which we are about to proceed.

Madam President, I rise today to honor and thank Shaun Carey, who is retiring from his position as Sparks city manager on April 4, 2014.

After serving the city of Sparks for over 20 years, Sparks native Shaun Carey leaves behind an impressive legacy of accomplishments. He played a major role in streamlining city services, in building Golden Eagle Regional Park--one of the largest artificial turf sports complexes in the United States--and in turning an abandoned hole in the ground into the Sparks Marina, a community gathering point and anchor for further development. Mr. Carey has also helped lead city staff in rebranding Sparks as a premier event destination, hosting events in ``downtown'' Victorian Square and throughout the city.

Shaun Carey grew up in Nevada, graduating from Sparks High School in 1975 and receiving his civil engineering degree from the University of Nevada, Reno shortly thereafter. Mr. Carey began his career in public service in 1982 and worked as a civil engineer, traffic engineer, and city engineer throughout the West before he returned to Sparks in 1992 to assume the position of public works director. He held this position for 7 years, becoming assistant city manager in 1999. Just 1 year later, in 2000, he was named City Manager.

Mr. Carey's training as an engineer reflected his desire to create systems designed to improve citizens' lives. This background also explains his longevity and success as a public servant; as he told the Sparks Tribune, ``I got to do things I enjoyed. I got to be a part of building communities and producing things that I found very rewarding.''

Geno Martini, the mayor of Sparks, spoke eloquently of Mr. Carey's contributions to the Silver State, saying, ``I can't find a big-enough word to tell you how I feel about Shaun and the professionalism, dedication, and commitment he has shown for more than two decades . . . [He] has gotten things done, and is largely why so many residents are proud to call Sparks home.''

We thank Mr. Carey for proudly serving his hometown of Sparks and wish him, his wife Jane, and his sons Scott and Pat all the best.