Floor Statements

Will the Chair announce the business of the day?

Madam President, I rise today to recognize Randy Walker for his leadership as Director of Aviation for Clark County. Randy is the consummate public servant, having served the people of Nevada in various positions since 1979, culminating in his appointment as Director of Aviation for Clark County in May 1997. For the past 16 years, Randy has transformed McCarran International Airport into one of the premier airports in the world, and he has greatly expanded the airport's reach to all corners of the globe.

Randy became Director of Aviation at an exciting time in southern Nevada. Clark County was the fastest growing county in the Nation, with tens of thousands of new people moving to Las Vegas each year. Tourist numbers hit record levels and new resorts were changing the face of the world famous Strip. Las Vegas was becoming a global destination with new markets in Europe, South America, and Asia fueling southern Nevada's economy. Randy recognized this potential for growth and he played a key role in expanding the airport.

During Randy's first year on the job, McCarran International Airport added 26 new gates; more were added in 2005 and again in 2008, which increased the D Concourse's size to 45 gates today. Randy oversaw the construction of a new rental car terminal, which improved the visitor experience for tourists. He also kept airport operations running smoothly at the airport during the construction of a tunnel for Interstate 215 under the runways.

Randy has also made McCarran International Airport one of the most technically advanced airports in the Nation. It is the only major airport in the U.S. to use Common Use Terminal Equipment, allowing for seamless integration of airlines' computer systems. In addition, he installed SpeedCheck kiosks, allowing customers to get their boarding passes without having to go to a specific airline counter. The airport also implemented a baggage-tracking system that uses radio-frequency identification so that baggage can be accurately tracked.

In 2010, McCarran opened a USO Lounge to serve servicemembers from Nevada and those flying through Nevada. The rest and relaxation lounge serves tens of thousands of our military personnel each year as they travel to Nevada and through Nevada. I worked with Randy, Wayne Newton, and the USO since 2007 to create this lounge.

Randy has changed the face of aviation in southern Nevada, but the most important project during Randy's tenure was the opening of Terminal 3, or T3. Building a new $2.4 billion terminal was the largest expansion project in McCarran's history, and one of the largest public works projects in Nevada history. McCarran began this ambitious expansion project before the recession hit my State. When the economy worsened, I worked with Randy to keep T3 on track by having Congress provide tax relief to local governments and their bondholders in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Randy's steady leadership during the challenging economy was critical to the completion of the project.

Last year, McCarran International Airport was ranked 24th in the world for passenger traffic, hosting nearly 41.7 million passengers. Under Randy's tenure, the airport saw a 33 percent increase in Las Vegas visitor volume that resulted in a 50 percent increase in revenues for Clark County. This has been extremely beneficial to the economy of southern Nevada.

After playing an important role in shaping the future of Las Vegas and southern Nevada for decades, Randy recently stepped down as the Director of Aviation to enter a well-deserved retirement. I am pleased to recognize Randy's extraordinary service to the people of Clark County before the Senate today and I wish him all the best in his retirement or, knowing Randy, in his next phase of remarkable achievement.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that S. 744, as reported by the Judiciary Committee, be star printed with the changes that are at the desk.

Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 80, S. 744.

Mr. President, I have a cloture motion at the desk, and I ask that it be reported.

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

I now withdraw the motion to proceed.

Mr. President, following leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of the farm bill. The filing deadline for second- degree amendments is 9:45 a.m. today.

At 10 a.m., there will be three rollcall votes; first, a cloture vote on the farm bill, then a cloture vote on the motion to proceed to S. 1003, the Republican student loan bill, and, finally, a cloture vote on the motion to proceed on S. 953, which is the Democratic student loan bill.

Senator Lautenberg will lie in repose in the Senate Chamber this afternoon. Senators will gather at 2:15 p.m. in the Ohio Clock corridor to go to the floor and pay their respects.

I wish to briefly say I truly appreciate, as we all do, the Sergeant at Arms Terry Gainer and his whole staff for making this so very pleasant--at least as pleasant as a funeral can be. It was truly a celebration.

Because of the Jewish tradition, this had to be jammed in with not a lot of time, so we were under tremendous

pressure. I appreciate the work which allowed us to get this done.

I appreciate what Secretary Hagel, Ash Carter at the Pentagon, the Assistant Secretary of the Senate, Sheila Dwyer, and her entire staff in the Secretary's Office have done to make this whole situation as pleasant as it has been.

Order of Procedure

I now ask unanimous consent that when the Senate resumes consideration of the farm bill this morning, the time until 10 a.m. be equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees.

Following the vote on the motion to invoke cloture on S. 953, I ask unanimous consent that the time until 11:45 a.m. be equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each; further, that I be recognized at 11:45 a.m. today.

Mr. President, this afternoon the Senate will pay its final respects to a friend and a respected colleague--and that is an understatement--Frank Lautenberg. Frank will lie in repose in the Chamber where he spent three decades of his professional life.

Senator Lautenberg was one of the most effective and productive Senators to serve in the Senate and, as we learned yesterday, one of the most humorous. His leadership as well as his laughter and kindness will be missed.

Mr. President, I talked a little bit about the farm bill, but in a few minutes we will consider whether to end debate on the agriculture jobs bill.

I commend Chairman Stabenow and Ranking Member Cochran on their excellent work. We were able to get some votes, but we ran into a problem, and we were unable to reach an agreement to consider a finite number of amendments, as they have been trying to do for several days. I am optimistic and hopeful we will advance the measure and be able to pass the bill with a strong bipartisan vote as we did last year.

Unfortunately, last year the House of Representative failed to even consider the Senate passed bipartisan farm bill. I hope this year the bipartisan legislation--which will create jobs, cut taxpayer subsidies, and reduce the debt by some $23 billion--will be voted on in the House.

America's farms and ranches are the most productive in the world, but to keep America's farms and America's economy strong, Congress must pass a strong farm bill and do it quickly.

On one final subject, to ensure this Nation's continued economic recovery and long-term success, it is crucial that America invest in our educated workforce, and we need to continue to have an educated workforce. In this country a college education is the surest path to a better life. But higher education has never been more expensive or further out of reach for middle-class families. So it is crucial Congress act before July 1 to keep the interest rates low for 7 million college students who can't afford to pile on more debt.

Democrats have a commonsense plan to prevent loan rates from doubling for 2 years without adding a single penny to the deficit. We will consider that legislation, as I have just indicated, later this morning.

The Republican alternative proposal, by contrast, would be worse than doing nothing at all. It would be worse than letting the rates double, which would happen if we do nothing. The Republican proposal will saddle students with even more debt--about $6,500 more debt--than they have today. That is a serious blow, considering that Americans have more than $1 trillion in student loan debt.

Keeping college affordable is the best investment we can make in our country. Congress should remove the obstacles from keeping young people from getting an education and not put more barriers in their way. I hope our Republican colleagues will work to invest in America's future instead of, once again, sticking it to the students.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to a period of morning business until 12:30 today, with all provisions of the previous order remaining in effect, and that I be recognized at 12:30. We have some housekeeping stuff we have to do regarding Senator Lautenberg.

Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that following any leader remarks on Friday, June 7, tomorrow, the Senate resume consideration of the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 80, S. 744; that the time until 1:30 p.m. be divided as follows: Senator Sessions or designee controlling 3 hours, and the majority leader or designee controlling the remaining time; further, following any leader remarks on Monday, June 10, the Senate resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S. 744; that the time until 5 p.m. be divided as follows: Senator Sessions or designee controlling 2 hours, and Senator Leahy or designee controlling the remaining time; further, that at 5 p.m., the Senate resume consideration of S. 954, the farm bill, with the time until 5:30 p.m. equally divided between the two leaders or their designees; that at 5:30 p.m., all postcloture time be considered expired and the Senate proceed to vote in relation to the Leahy amendment, with no amendments in order to the amendment prior to the vote; and upon disposition of the Leahy amendment, the Senate proceed to vote on passage of S. 954, as amended; that upon disposition of S. 954, the Senate resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S. 744, with Senator Sessions or designee controlling 1 hour of debate on Monday evening; that following any leader remarks on Tuesday, June 11, the Senate resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S. 744, with the time until 12:30 p.m. equally divided between the proponents and opponents; further, Senator Sessions or designee controlling up to 1 hour of that time; that at 2:15 p.m., on Tuesday, June 11, the Senate proceed to vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S. 744; finally, if cloture is invoked on the motion to proceed, the time until 4 p.m. be equally divided between the proponents and opponents; and at 4 p.m., the Senate proceed to vote on the adoption of the motion to proceed to S. 744.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations: Calendar Nos. 141, 142, and 143; that the nominations be confirmed, en bloc; the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to any of the nominations; that any related statements be printed in the Record; that President Obama be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate consider the following nominations: Calendar Nos. 147, and each number in order, through 174, and all nominations on the Secretary's desk in the Air Force, Marine Corps, Army, and Navy; that the nominations be confirmed, en bloc; the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to any of the nominations; that any related statements be printed in the Record; that President Obama be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that at a time to be determined by me in consultation with the Republican leader, the Senate proceed to executive session to consider nominations Nos. 47 and 49; that there be 30 minutes for debate equally divided in the usual form; that following the use or yielding back of that time, the Senate proceed to vote with no intervening action or debate on the nominations in the order listed, the motions 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.

Madam President, tomorrow there will be another class of pages who will graduate after serving the Senate so well. We expect a lot of our pages, who often work as hard as Senators and staff. Their contributions to make the Senate run smoothly day in and day out are greatly appreciated. I commend them for their hard work, thank them for their efforts, and wish them the best of luck in their next endeavor.

Speaking from a personal perspective, my two oldest grandchildren served as pages. It really changed their lives. Even though their grandfather was heavily involved in politics--and that was all my adult life--they really were not in tune with what was going on or I guess they really didn't care that much. But after having served here as pages, they became avid readers of the press, listened to the news, and became interested in what goes on here.

These jobs as pages are really life-changing. There are lots of examples of that. Senator Chris Dodd, who recently retired, was a longtime Member of Congress and Senator from Connecticut. His serving as a page really paved the way for him to be a Peace Corps volunteer, a Member of Congress, and a Member of the Senate. Each of these young men and women has a golden opportunity.

I appreciate very much how hard they have worked. These young men and women have gone to school, and it has been hard. It is not easy to complete the semester of school that they do here--it is very hard. People who run that school cut them no slack. Whether it is English or math, they work them very hard. They go through a drill, living in the dorm. It is not easy. They are strictly supervised.

I am proud of every one of them. I wish I had more time to spend with them individually because it is really important for this institution that the page program continue.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m. tomorrow morning, June 7, 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 resume the motion to proceed to S. 744, the comprehensive immigration reform bill, under the previous order.