Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 4924, which is at the desk.

Mr. President, I 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.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, December 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; and that following any leader remarks, the Senate resume executive session and consideration of the Burrows nomination, with the time until 10 a.m. equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees.

For the information of all Senators, there will be five rollcall votes at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning on the confirmation of the Burrows and Lopez nominations and cloture on the Hale, Kearney, and Pappert nominations. Another series of votes, as many as six, will occur at 5:30 p.m.

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 my remarks and those of the Republican leader, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 5:30 p.m.

At 5:30 p.m., the Senate will proceed to two cloture votes on two Ambassador nominations to two very important countries, Argentina and Hungary; Noah Mamet to be Ambassador to the Argentine Republic and Colleen Bell to be our Ambassador to Hungary.

I, of course, welcome all Senators and our staff back from the Thanksgiving recess. I am sure that, like me, people spent time with their loved ones, some here and some at their homes around the country.

For many families across America, this Thanksgiving was particularly unique and special. Because of President Obama's recent Executive actions, many immigrant families celebrated their holiday together for the first time without the threat of someone knocking on their door in a police uniform.

These people now, instead of staying in the shadows, are having a good time. Their holiday is not threatened to be ruined. All over America they are openly giving thanks or blessings with family that they haven't been able to enjoy in the past. Instead of looking over their shoulder, they joyously revel in the time they spent with their loved ones.

What President Obama did needed to be done.

The chairman of the Judiciary Committee, the presiding President pro tempore, spent days and weeks coming up with a very difficult piece of legislation, comprehensive immigration reform. Amendments by the scores were heard and debated. Republican amendments were adopted, Democratic amendments were adopted, and that matter was brought to the Senate floor where there was a good, genuine, long debate. On the floor, amendments were offered, debated, and voted upon. We created a very good bill based upon the work of the Judiciary Committee. It was bipartisan, and it was one that had an overwhelming vote on the Senate floor.

This had to be done. It had to be done because we have all seen firsthand our Nation's failing immigration system was tearing families apart. Each day Senate offices all over America would receive pleas--I did in Nevada--from loved ones who have fallen victim to our Nation's flawed immigration system.

I met with these people personally. I have talked with them on the telephone, I have read their letters, I have seen their emails, and it is heartbreaking to listen and hear some of their stories, their experiences. So I always try to do everything within the law to help, and sometimes we can help. Other times they cannot be helped within the confines of the law, so they wind up very unhappy.

Early this year I was able to--for example, the experience that we have all had--unite Edith Fawkes, a mother from Las Vegas, with her 12- year-old son Brahyam. That was a festive occasion, it was touching, but it is all too rare. For every one family who is reunited, thousands and thousands of others have been decimated by deportations.

That is why the Executive action taken by the President is so very important. It helps mend our Nation's broken immigration system, gets criminals off the streets, strengthens our border security, and spurs our economy. It spurs our economy. Underline and underscore that.

President Obama's action keeps families together. That is the most important thing. It allows parents with children who are U.S. citizens or green card holders to temporarily stay in our country, this country they call their home. By acting, the President said mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters are no longer relegated to the shadows of American society.

The American community now knows there is a path forward. There really is a way. President Obama took the first step. It is a good first step, but it is only a temporary solution.

If I had my way, the President would have signed a comprehensive immigration bill into law, one that came out of the Judiciary Committee, instead of announcing Executive actions. But we could not sit idly by waiting for the Republicans to act while homes are broken up all over our country--and, frankly, their actions hurt our economy. The President has taken the first step. I repeat, the first step. Now Congress must act to address all the issues in our broken immigration system.

The House Republicans can still and should pass the bipartisan immigration bill that the Senate passed 520 days ago. In the meantime, I will keep fighting in Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform that brings permanent long-term relief to our Nation.

We have done all we can in the Senate. We need to do more. I am begging the House to do something. If they brought this bill to the floor, it would pass overwhelmingly.

I will spend a minute and talk about what we have to do this next week, 1 week, 2 weeks--hopefully not 3 weeks, but we may have to be here through the weekend. I hope everyone understands that our most important task at hand is to pass bills to fund our government, keep it from shutting down.

We have a number of vitally important nominations that must be confirmed.

We need to consider an extension of tax cuts for working families and businesses and we are going to work hard. I had a conversation today with Senator Wyden.

We need to work on reauthorizing Defense authorization legislation. We have a lot to do, and there isn't much time to accomplish it, so I urge all Senators to work hard and work in a timely and efficient fashion. We may have to be here the week before Christmas--and hopefully not into the Christmas holiday--but there are things we have to get done.

I talked to the Secretary of Energy today. He has seven nominations to fill. These are important positions in the Department of Energy-- Chief Financial Officer, head of the science division, fossil fuels-- all of these important issues that these people deal with. We need to confirm these Cabinet-level officers, so I hope people will cooperate and help us get these done.

Will the Presiding Officer announce the business of the day.

Mr. President, through the Chair to the distinguished President pro tempore of the Senate, for me in Nevada it is very important in the State of Nevada because the State of Nevada is 10 or 15 years behind the State of California as far as demographic changes. We have the largest number of Hispanics and Asians in the State of Nevada now. But my friend, the senior Senator from Vermont, basically has very few minorities in the State of Vermont. He did this--led this bill--because it is the right thing to do.

The people of Vermont, I know, are very cognizant of their senior Senator. He has taken on issues during his time in the Senate not because necessarily they are important for the State of Vermont--which they are, because anything that is good for the country is good for Vermont--but he takes these issues on because it is certainly the right thing for the country. There is a long list of things he has done over the years that have very little bearing on the State of Vermont but have a tremendous bearing on this country. That is why he is the tremendous leader he is.

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

Mr. President, there is a cloture motion at the desk.

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

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

Mr. President, there is a cloture motion at the desk.

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

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

Mr. President, there is a cloture motion at the desk.

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

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