Floor Statements

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, I yield to the junior Senator from New Jersey to speak about the Chaplain today.

Mr. President, following my remarks the Senate will be in a period of morning business. The majority will control the first 30 minutes and the Republicans will control the second 30 minutes. Following morning business we will resume consideration of S. 1392.

Mr. President, it was about five decades ago that Vice President Humphrey predicted it was possible to eradicate poverty in America. In fact, this is what he said: ``We can banish hunger from the face of the Earth.'' That was in 1965.

Today, in 2013, there are more than 50 million people living in the United States--including 150,000 families in Nevada--who don't know where their next meal will come from. In the richest country in the world, one in six is in danger of going to bed hungry tonight, and half of those people are children.

But despite these sobering numbers--and despite these difficult economic times--House Republicans have turned their backs on American families struggling to put food on the table. It is true the bill being considered in the House of Representatives today would save $40 billion. How would it save that $40 billion? By snatching food out of the hands of millions of the neediest children and their families.

Why are there people on food stamps? We have tried to create a safety net so

these people have at least the basics of being able to have a meal during the day.

House Republicans are determined to gut the nutrition assistance program in the name of austerity, even though 9 out of 10 recipients are families with children, senior citizens, or people with disabilities. These needy Americans aren't exactly living a life of excess on the government's dime. They get about $4 in food assistance each day.

One of my favorite things I like to do in Nevada and here in Washington is to go grocery shopping. It is such a diversion for me. I love going grocery shopping to look around, buy things. Landra and I are without our children and our grandchildren--we live alone--but we still buy food and I enjoy that so very much. So I have a good idea how much $4 will buy, or $4.50 to be specific. That is enough money to buy, if one is lucky, a pound of hamburger. They have different grades of hamburger. They have the expensive kind, the not so expensive, and then the cheaper kind. Even for the cheaper kind, $4 couldn't buy a pound of that most of the time. A gallon of milk costs about four bucks. So a person couldn't buy them both on the same day; a person certainly couldn't buy hamburger and milk on the same day.

It is possible to make important reforms to both farm and food stamp programs without balancing the budget on the backs of people who are hungry. But instead of cutting waste and eliminating fraud, the House Republicans would cut lunches for 210,000 children and eliminate food assistance for 170,000 veterans.

There is another way. It was done here in the Senate under the direction of Chairwoman Stabenow: the bipartisan Senate agricultural bill, passed under her direction and that of the ranking member. It saves $23 billion without forcing needy children to skip meals. It does it fairly. If the Senate farm bill came to the House of Representatives floor, it would pass overwhelmingly, but the Republican leadership won't let Democrats vote. That is why they will probably pass this very mean-spirited piece of legislation today, because only Republicans will be allowed to vote on it.

The House Republican leadership refuses to consider any bill that would garner votes from both parties. Leave it to the House of Representatives to take the hard way whenever possible.

These same reckless Republicans are also determined to take the uphill route to passing a CR--a continuing resolution. What does that do? It funds the government. Instead of doing what is necessary to keep the economy on a firm footing, Republicans are obsessed with denying and undermining the law of the land--ObamaCare. Remember, the law passed about 4 years ago and the Supreme Court declared it constitutional. Many good things are already working to keep people who are sick from declaring bankruptcy. It is a good piece of legislation that will make America like all modern nations and have health care for everybody, with rare exception.

Watching the Republican Party self-destruct--and that is not coming from me; that is what pundits are saying all over the country--would be good political theater, to watch them self-destruct--and that is what they are doing--if there were not so much at stake.

The economic consequences of a government shutdown are deadly serious. Even today, when I had my news briefing--the Republicans are openly fighting against each other now. Senate Republicans are saying, Well, we know we don't have enough votes to get rid of ObamaCare, but let's send it back to the House and let them hang tough. The House Republicans are saying, Why aren't the Senate Republicans doing it themselves?

The consequences of a government shutdown are deadly serious. The economic consequences of a first-ever default on the full faith and credit of the United States are deadly serious. Look what happened last time they threatened this: The stock market dropped 2,000 points. We lost our credit rating. It dropped.

Anyone listening to this doesn't have to take my word for it. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, not noted for being this base of liberality in the country, wrote to Members of the House yesterday, saying: Prevent a shutdown. Ease the fears of default. Specifically, here is what they said:

It is not in the best interests of the United States or its

business community or the American people to risk even a

brief government shutdown that might trigger disruptive

consequences or raise new policy uncertainties washing over

the U.S. economy.

The quote continues:

Likewise, the U.S. Chamber respectfully urges the House of

Representatives to raise the debt ceiling in a timely manner

and thus eliminate any question of threat to the full faith

and credit of the United States.

But in spite of these warnings from the largest business organization in the country, Republicans either don't realize the stakes or simply don't care. They are willing to put the Nation's economic recovery at risk to make an ideological point.

What remains to be seen is how many innocent Americans will be hurt by their reckless political games. How many children will go to school without breakfast? How many workers will lose their jobs? How many seniors will lose their retirement? How many businesses will lose their hard-earned investments if Republicans tank the economy?

I only hope the anarchists in the House of Representatives come to their senses before it is too late.

I note the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I know how important coal is to the States of Kentucky, West Virginia, Indiana, and a lot of States feel very strongly about coal. We will be happy to work with the Republican leader and others who are concerned about the coal issue in the United States to come up with a procedure where we can try to figure out a way to get a vote on this and have a reasonable debate on it. So I will be happy to work with the Republican leader, but based on my brief review, I think it best now for me to object, and I do object.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate receives H.J. Res. 59 from the House, the measure be placed on the calendar with a motion to proceed not in order until Monday, September 23.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that on Tuesday, September 24, at 11:15 a.m., the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the nomination of Calendar No. 203, that there be 30 minutes for debate equally divided in the usual form; that upon the use or yielding back of that time the Senate proceed to a vote with no intervening action or debate on the nomination; the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon 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 President Obama be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate then resume legislative session.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration en bloc of the following resolutions, which were submitted earlier today: S. Res. 246, S. Res. 247, and S. Res. 248.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid on the table en bloc, 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. on Monday, September 23, 2013; 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 4 p.m. with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, there will be no rollcall votes on Monday. The next rollcall vote will be Tuesday at approximately 11:45 a.m. on confirmation of the Hughes nomination.

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, following leader remarks the Senate will be in a period of morning business, with the Republicans controlling the first 30 minutes and the majority controlling the second 30 minutes.

Following morning business the Senate will resume consideration of the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act.

We have tried really hard to work on this Energy bill. It is no wonder the news is reporting today that this is the least productive Senate in the history of the country.

We have a number of Republican Senators and lots of Republican House Members who don't believe in government. They want to get rid of it. They are doing everything they can to make that a fact. We are waiting now to see what is going to come from the House to fund government or not fund it. As the Presiding Officer knows, they are obsessed with the constitutional law that has been in effect now for 4 years, declared constitutional by the Supreme Court.

The latest we got from our floor staff is that the Republicans on this Energy bill want five nongermane amendments and whatever other amendments are filed dealing with energy, which means we are not going to finish the legislation. That is an understatement. But we will proceed. We have a number of issues we are going to work on. We have one that we filed--what is called a rule XIV procedure--yesterday dealing with continuing to allow our high-tech industry to be competitive.

We will move forward doing the best we can. We will wait and see what the House is going to do. They are still struggling to find out which absurd idea is going to prevail over there.

I am told there are four bills at the desk due for second readings.

Mr. President, I object to any further proceedings with respect to all of these bills that were just read into the Record.

Mr. President, each year Hispanic Heritage Month offers an opportunity to honor the contributions of a community that has contributed to our country's progress for centuries.

In the State of Nevada the influence of Hispanic Americans is evident even in the name of the State, which means ``snowcapped.'' Of course, our most famous city--one of the most famous cities in the world--means ``the meadows.'' It was a place that in pioneer days was an oasis in the desert, and that is an understatement. Water from artisan wells that bubbled out of the ground was the beginning of Las Vegas--the meadows.

The first non-Native American who set eyes on Las Vegas Valley was a man named Rafael Rivera. We honor him in Nevada. In my office here and in my conference room I have a wonderful painting of Rafael looking down over Las Vegas. He looked so good, all dressed in his finery, but in reality he was lost. He had been with a Spanish expedition and was lost, but he was the first to see Las Vegas, and we recognize that. The picture is terrific. We see him looking down at a place where there was nothing other than the meadows, but now there are 2.5 million people there.

In Nevada and across the Nation we see the contributions of Hispanic Americans in every facet of our society--on the battlefield, in the boardroom, in the courtroom and the classroom, at art galleries, and on the playing field. Hispanic Americans have also played an important role in this Nation's Armed Forces, serving in every conflict since the Revolutionary War. More than 2.3 million Hispanic-owned businesses employ millions of Americans, providing critical goods and services and helping to drive our economy.

Nationwide, Latinos are expected to make up about 60 percent of the population growth in the decades to come. To ensure our country thrives, we must ensure this Hispanic population thrives as well. Hispanic Heritage Month should be one to celebrate but also one to reflect on what we can do to help Hispanic families thrive.

This year affords a special moment for reflection as our Nation commemorates 50 years since the historic march on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The struggle for equality, justice, and freedom is ongoing, but through engagement Hispanic Americans and all Americans can make heard in Washington their support for quality education, quality health care, a living wage, and the right to vote without intimidation or discrimination.

Congress heard their calls for quality affordable health insurance. That is why we passed, among other reasons, the Affordable Care Act, known as ObamaCare, which was a huge step forward for Hispanic families and Nevadans across the country. In Nevada alone, more than 160,000 Latinos and more than 10 million nationwide who currently lack health insurance will be eligible for coverage through the new marketplaces that are going to start October 1.

Congress heard the calls for opportunity during tough economic times. Democrats made small business loans possible for 11,000 Hispanic-owned businesses. We have significantly cut predatory and discriminatory lending practices that disproportionately affected Hispanic communities. Last year Congress cut taxes for 98 percent of American families, including every middle-class family.

Congress also heard the calls for fair, practical immigration reform, and this year the Senate passed a bipartisan immigration bill that will reform America's illegal immigration system and reduce the deficit by $1 trillion. This measure will also help 11 million people--people who are tired of looking over their shoulders and fearing deportation--to get right with the law and start down an earned pathway to citizenship. The Senate, though, is still waiting, as we have been waiting for lots of things, for the Republicans in the House to allow a vote on the Senate's bipartisan compromise. What better way to celebrate this important month than by passing a bill that will allow millions of families to stay together and reach their full potential?

I look forward to Hispanic Heritage Month as an opportunity to reaffirm my commitment to supporting the 52 million Latinos in America through our work in the Senate. To me, Hispanic Heritage Month is about recognizing the incredible contributions of Hispanic Americans to our Nation, but it is also about building a brighter future for Hispanic Americans in our Nation.

Madam President, I extend my appreciation to Senator Markey. I had the good fortune of serving in the House of Representatives with him. When he decided to run for the Senate, I was excited, and I am so happy he is here with us. The speech he just gave indicates the work we should be doing. I have always admired him.

I appreciate very much what he has done for the State of Nevada in many different areas. He has been at the forefront of protecting Nevada from the ravages of something that could be an environmental disaster-- nuclear waste--and has been someone who has led the country in so many different ways in recognizing the dangers of climate change.

In telecommunications, no one in the last 30 years has done more for modernizing our telecommunications system than Ed Markey. So I appreciate very much his good work.

As I sat and listened to this remarkably important speech, I thought of the Massachusetts delegation--two new Senators, but what wonderful Senators they are, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator Ed Markey. The potential they have is so astounding.

On the news today: This will be the least productive Senate in the history of the country. People, such as the Senators from Massachusetts, are being prevented from doing good. There is no better example of that than the Senator who was on the floor listening to Senator Markey, the senior Senator from New Hampshire.

A bill to make our energy consumption around America more efficient, energy efficiency, a bill we should have done a long time ago--we can't do it because we have the anarchists running the House of Representatives, and they are doing a pretty good job over here too. I would say about 40 percent of the Republicans over here are anarchists, tea party-driven.

This Energy bill has five nongermane amendments, most of them dealing with health care. The Republicans are obsessed with what is the law of the land--ObamaCare. It has been the law for almost 4 years. The U.S. Supreme Court has said it is constitutional, but that doesn't take away their obsession to try to undercut this legislation, which is going into effect in a big way on October 1.

It is a shame that we are not able to legislate the way we did. Everything is a squabble and a fight. I came here more than three decades ago having already had a legislative career in the State of Nevada, and we have been able to work together to do so many good things--until recently.

We are now waiting to see what the House of Representatives is going to do, how absurd what it sends us is going to be. We know it is going to be something really strange and weird because the Speaker has to do everything he can to try to mold a piece of legislation to meet the needs of the tea party, the anarchists. And I say that without any equivocation. They do not want government to work on any level--not the local level, not the State level, and certainly not here. Any day that is a bad day for government is a cheering day for them.

So I am so impressed with the Senator's speech, but I am distressed at what is going on here in the Senate as far as trying to get work done. Bipartisanship is a thing of the past. Now all we do is ``gotcha'' legislation.

I was given this assurance by many Republicans: Let's do energy. Energy efficiency--let's do it. We will work together on a bipartisan basis.

And the first thing out of the box is something that will derail this legislation.

So I am thankful that we have a new Senator who is as talented and as good as he is, but I wish his talents could be better put to work here in the Senate.