Floor Statements

Mr. President, I appreciate everyone's cooperation. I am glad we were able to get cloture on this legislation. This legislation and this vote that just took place are, of course, important for our country, especially for the people from Connecticut who have lived through their tragedy. But it is also important for this body, this Senate. There have been many things written in the last several months about how the Senate cannot operate. And I so appreciate the Members on the other side of the aisle--especially John McCain on a Sunday show who said: I don't think there should be a filibuster on this. John McCain is a leader and has been a leader in this country for 31 years and people respect his opinion. I am grateful to all Republicans who joined with us to allow this debate to go forward.

The hard work starts now. As everyone knows, because we have all heard this on a number of occasions, the first amendment is going to be one that has been worked on for weeks by Senator Manchin, Senator Toomey, and Senator Kirk. That will be the first amendment. We expect to lay that down later today. I hope there will be no efforts to continue this filibuster with the 30 hours. There is no reason we shouldn't get to legislating.

We have an important lunch, as everyone knows. We are going to finish that lunch, and I hope we can come back and lay down this amendment and start some debate on it. I have indicated to Senators Toomey and Manchin--they want to spend a lot of time because they have to get prepared for what they are going to do beginning Tuesday morning--and I said that is fine. In the meantime, there are other things we can do on this legislation.

We know there are other amendments, and I hope no one is going to say, Well, I am going to filibuster every amendment that is offered. That defeats the whole purpose of why we are here. We can't allow that to happen. It would be such a shame if that, in fact, did happen.

We are going to have an open amendment process, meaning Senators are going to be able to offer amendments. One thing we can't do is have pending scores of amendments and we are not going to do that. We need to make this debate so people understand what is going on.

There are certain things we are going to have to vote on here. We are going to have to vote on the Manchin-Toomey amendment. We are going to have to have a vote on assault weapons. Some people love it, some people hate it, but we are going to have to have a vote on it. We are also going to have to have a vote on the size of clips or magazines. Those are the only votes I am going to make sure we have. Other than that, we should have amendments. If people think the present law is too weak, they can change that or if people think it is too strong, have some amendments to change that. We cannot have just a few Senators spoiling everything for everyone here. This is the time we should lay down amendments and see if we can pass them. We can set up procedures here, as we have done, to make sure everyone is heard.

I can remember when I had to meet with the families from Newtown. To be very honest, I didn't want to, but I did. I met them over here in room 219. That was a hard meeting, because everyone knows how I have approached things in the past with regard to these matters now before us. I am like virtually everyone in America: The events of the last few months have been very tragic--people going to a movie theater to watch a movie and they are gunned down, and more would have been gunned down but for the fact that the man's 100-clip magazine jammed. Newtown, we have all seen the pictures that are not here today of those babies who were shot, more than once. So America has a different view of this violence than they did just a little while ago.

We all believe in the Constitution. We all know what all of these amendments are about and what they are supposed to do and we are going to make sure that during this debate we keep the Constitution in mind.

The families of the most recent tragedy in Newtown deserve a debate, because these people from Newtown who are the survivors of this tragedy are representing everybody in America. That is why we need this debate. The Senate is going to give these family members, friends, and people who live in Newtown, no matter how long it takes, the ability to see how people stand on these issues. So the Senate is going to give them votes. We hope it will be sooner rather than later, but we are going to work through this.

Senators on both sides have amendments they want to offer. We have our most experienced Senator, who has been here longer than anyone else, managing this bill, Senator Leahy of Vermont. He has always been a fair man and he will continue to be. He knows there are a few amendments that have to go forward, but after that we are going to be as deliberative as we can to make sure people have the opportunity to offer amendments.

I repeat, after we get through the Manchin-Toomey amendment, the assault weapons, and the high-capacity

magazines, we are going to make sure everyone has the opportunity, and the Republicans can catch up. We can have the first amendment, the Toomey-Manchin amendment--I don't know if it is a Democratic amendment or a Republican amendment, but that is the first one we are going to do. After we get through these two things, we will have the Republicans. If they are two or three behind, they can catch up with us and then we can alternate back and forth. Even though there is no rule requiring it, that is the best way to move forward.

I am grateful to everyone we are here and able to start legislating on this issue that has caught the attention of the American people and, frankly, the world.

Order For Recess

Mr. President, we are having a joint meeting. I ask unanimous consent the Senate recess from 12:30 until 2:30 today to allow for a joint caucus meeting, and that all time during recess and morning business count postcloture on the motion to proceed to S. 649.

I note the absence of a quorum.

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

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

I ask unanimous consent that all postcloture time on the motion to proceed be yielded back.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that we now proceed to a period of morning business with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, I rise to honor the Rotary Club of Carson City. Celebrating 75 years of service to the community, the Rotary Club has shown great dedication to America's ideals of prosperity, education, and opportunity. It is my great honor to acknowledge the Rotary Club of Carson City's rich history of service, particularly in light of its recent anniversary.

Hans Jepson, president of the Minden Rotary Club, and the civic- minded Rev. John L. Harvey, began plans to create the Carson City Rotary Club in the summer of 1937. The first meeting saw five attendees who sketched plans for the organization's future. Their first plan of action was to add the Carson City Rotary Club to the Nevada roster.

After carefully selecting additional members, the Rotary Club of Carson City had its first official meeting on January 25, 1938. A month later, it was accepted as a member of Rotary International--an achievement that reflected several months of earnest effort on the part of the pioneers of the local movement.

Initially comprised of only 25 men, the Rotary Club of Carson City has since expanded to encompass almost 90 members. Ever mindful of the organization's previous motto ``He Profits Most Who Serves The Best'', the members provide ``Service Above Self'' to the Carson City community.

Since its founding, the Rotary Club of Carson City has realized many accomplishments, including its participation in the global campaign that reduced transmission of the Polio Virus

by 99 percent since 1985 and its successful efforts to place a town hall clock in front of the Legislative Building of Carson City.

The Rotary Club has a special focus on education. It awards a 4-year scholarship to a non-traditional student and recognizes exceptional educators through Teacher of the Year and Teacher of the Month awards. It also sponsors high school students' involvement both in the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy and the Rotary Youth Exchange Program, where students spend a year abroad and, host international students in Carson City.

Moreover, the club supports various programs offered by FISH, Friends in Service Helping, Capital City Circles Initiative, Western Nevada Boys and Girls Club, and Food for Thought, in addition to its various community service projects, such as Rotarians at Work Day.

I laud the Rotary Club of Carson City's dedication to the community and am pleased to congratulate its members on seventy-five much appreciated years of service.

Mr. President, I rise to honor a man who has dedicated his life to serving others, Craig Warner. Although this chapter of his career is coming to a close, his legacy in volunteerism will live on.

Craig began his career in public service by joining the Peace Corps after graduating from Iowa State University. He spent two years in Lesotho, Africa, after which he became a recruiter for the Peace Corps. He then served for 16 years as a state program specialist with the ACTION Agency in the Tennessee State Office supporting VISTA and Senior Corps programs. In 1991, he brought his expertise to Nevada. When ACTION was replaced by the Corporation for National and Community Service, CNCS, Governor Bob Miller made Craig one of the original appointees to CNCS, where he served as the state director for more than 20 years.

Bringing his great sense of humor to every project he works on, Craig has been a mentor in addition to director. Craig is a warm and compassionate man with a kind heart, intent on doing everything possible to make life better for those seeking help. He has high expectations for projects and pushes to make sure they are done right. Even so, he is always ready to lend a hand and give advice to make sure projects are successful. Craig is an honest man who treats colleagues with respect, genuine kindness, and interest.

Volunteerism is a vital component of every community, and I am proud to honor Craig for the tradition of service he has built in Nevada. Working with the Nevada Commission for National and Community Service since its inception, Craig has shaped the organization, now called Nevada Volunteers, as well as the way Nevada has served its community for the last 20 years.

Craig is to be commended for his more than 40 years of service to the citizens of our State and to our Nation. He is an exemplary model for all Nevadans. I join in recognizing Craig and look forward to his future contributions.

Mr. President, following leader remarks the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to the gun safety legislation. The first hour will be equally divided with the Republicans. They will control the first half, and we will control the final half. Last evening I filed cloture on a motion to proceed to that legislation. Hopefully, today we can reach an agreement to begin debate on this bill--even today.

We also hope to formalize an agreement for the confirmation of Sarah Jewell to be Interior Secretary.

Mr. President, I am told--and I believe this is right-- there are two bills at the desk due for a second reading.

Mr. President, I object to any further proceedings with respect to these two bills.

Mr. President, for many months now my Republican friends have promised the impacts of the sequester's arbitrary cuts would be minimal--don't worry about them. When they voiced any concern at all about the sequester cuts, it was over the potential impact on the U.S. military. The impact on middle-class families and the national economy wouldn't be that drastic, they promised in February and in March.

Well, now it is April and contrary to Republican promises, Americans in communities from Massachusetts to Nevada, from coast to coast, in red States and in blue States, are beginning to feel the pinch of those across-the-board cuts.

In the District of Columbia, tourists traveling from home to here for the National Cherry Blossom Festival experienced long lines to go through airport security because of these furloughs. Coming home from Nevada on Sunday there were mobs of people. When anyone sits down to talk to any of them, they will speak about how miserable it is getting through security checks at airports all over the country.

In Murray, UT, a food pantry that feeds more than 1,000 people every month has closed because of these cuts. In Durham, NC, scores of employees at a medical research facility will get pink slips. In central Maine fewer senior citizens will be able to participate with Meals on Wheels. In Bethlehem, PA, more than 100 children are going to be kicked off Head Start.

Now, maybe my Republican friends don't feel this, but I guarantee my colleagues the parents of these little children in Bethlehem, PA, feel it. People waiting in these airport lines feel it.

Why, at this medical research facility, should these people get pink slips? Are they unnecessary? Of course not. If the food pantry in Utah closes, are the people still hungry? Of course they are--more of them than before this cut took place.

In central Nebraska emergency response times have increased significantly since the local airport control tower closed. In southern Ohio the director of the local public defender's office--a man by the name of Steve Nolder--fired himself. He did that rather than lay off other members of his staff. He figured: I am one; I can save the jobs of three people. And that is what he did. That is quite unbelievable, but it is true. He has worked there for 18 years in the public defender's office. I repeat, he gave up his job so three could keep theirs.

Perhaps most concerning of all, community cancer centers around the country are facing difficult choices. For the people who have experienced cancer or experienced cancer in their families, this is something that is noted. Community cancer centers around the country are facing a very difficult choice: send Medicare patients away or just close their doors. The Washington Post reports that because of the sequester cuts to Medicare reimbursements, cancer centers around the country can no longer afford to administer many common drugs. For people who have watched loved ones have chemotherapy--it was just a few months ago when people worried about whether they were going to be able to get the chemo drugs because there was a shortage. Well, now it is widespread.

The Post reports, I repeat, because of the sequester cuts to Medicare, reimbursements for these cancer centers around the country have to make a choice: close or change their hours, which is tough on patients. These clinics, where two-thirds of the cancer patients receive treatments, would lose so much money so quickly they could have to go out of business. So providers are sending cancer patients to overcrowded hospitals instead, not to the cancer centers. For patients in clinical trials for these new cancer drugs--lifesaving experiments-- the situation is really dire. Some in these clinical trials are going to have to travel across the country, to Washington, DC, Boston, or New York. People can't afford that, especially when they are sick.

As I said last month, the effects of the so-called sequester didn't break over us like a big wave, they sneaked up on us like a rising tide, and that tide is here now. But the effects are devastating, even though we didn't feel them immediately, and there is more pain to come. That is the sad part about it.

In the coming months, meat inspectors, FBI officers, and Border Patrol agents will be furloughed. We haven't even begun to see the worst of the job losses. There will be 750,000 jobs lost because of sequester across the country.

The overwhelming majority of Americans wanted us to compromise before their friends and family members got pink slips or furloughed or were told there is no more treatment for them even though they have cancer. For some it is already too late. But we can repair that damage, perhaps, and we should do it immediately, to put Americans back to work--no more furloughs.

To give our economy a foundation for growth, we must replace the sequester with a balanced approach to deficit reduction. A balanced approach is one that asks the richest among us to contribute a little bit more--their fair share--to deficit reduction. The rich are willing to do this. If we did this, we would avert cuts that hurt American families, harm our military readiness, and hinder our economic recovery.

I want everyone within the sound of my voice to doublecheck my statistics, but I heard on the radio on the way to work the Pentagon has decided that one-third of all of our aircraft simply will not be used because they don't have enough resources to fuel them. So that training just will not go forward. That is what I heard on the radio, and someone can doublecheck what I heard, but I am confident that is right.

In the House and in the Senate, both Republicans and Democrats voted to impose these cuts quite a long time ago, so it is going to take Republicans and Democrats working together to avert them. That is what we need to do. It is senseless to go on as we are done with these cuts that are done with a meat cleaver, not a scalpel.

Mr. President, would the Chair announce the business of the day this Wednesday.

I note the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I appreciate my friend yielding. My time on the floor is going to be very brief.

Unanimous Consent Agreement--Executive Nomination

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at 4 p.m. today the Senate proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 59; that 2 hours of debate be equally divided in the usual form; that upon the use or yielding back of that time, the Senate proceed to vote without intervening action or debate on the nomination; that 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; and that President Obama be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate then resume legislative session.

I note the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, tomorrow at 11 o'clock we are going to vote on cloture on the motion to proceed to the gun legislation that is now before this body.

This morning and throughout the day, our friend from Connecticut spoke, a freshman Senator who was brought to the Senate with this tragedy having taken place shortly after he arrived. My friend the Presiding Officer, a longtime attorney general, the chief law enforcement officer of the State of Connecticut, has lived with this tragedy that happened at Sandy Hook like nothing that ever happened in his career. And, of course, for Senator Heinrich, a new Senator, this was something he never appreciated he would be faced with.

I saw the pictures today of those little babies who were murdered, some of them shot multiple times--little tiny kids shot multiple times. The shooting was on December 14, about 4 months ago--120 days. So the time has come--it has arrived--when we have to debate this issue. We have to have a response to this tragedy.

When this incident took place on December 14, it struck me, as it did everyone in America--virtually everyone in America; we had been through Aurora, CO--that vicious, brutal machine-gunning of people going to watch a movie, and then little kids getting killed in an elementary school, kindergartners, first-graders--so we need to respond, this great deliberative body, to what the American people want. So we are going to vote. It is time to vote. I hope we get cloture on this matter. We certainly should. After that, there is no reason not to start legislating immediately. I hope we do not have to go through this procedural mishmash--30 hours; somebody on the floor all the time; if people are not, there are dilatory tactics; only one quorum call--and all this. Let's get past that. If somebody has something to say, come and say it. But this week we are going to start legislating. We are going to start legislating whether there is cloture or not. One will be a little longer process. But we are going to start legislating on this bill this week. I hope we can get to it tomorrow.

I do not think it is any secret, if we are on this bill, I am going to--the first amendment in order will be the amendment to change the background checks that has been worked on for weeks by Senator Manchin, Senator Kirk, and Senator Toomey, and then we will decide where we go from there.

To all my friends, we are going to have amendments. Some of them are going to take a little bit of time. We are not going to finish the bill this week. I do not know if we will finish it next week. But that really does not matter. Are we going to legislate the right way? Are we going to legislate? I have in my mind these little children who were murdered. What we do here is not going to prevent all gun violence in America, but if we stop a few, isn't that remarkably important for us to do? I think we can do a lot more than saving the lives of just a few people.

But let's work on this bill. We are going to start. If we have to use up the 30 hours, we will use up the 30 hours. I think there are ways around that procedurally. I hope we do not have to test that. There are a number of amendments. We all know. We have been reading about them. There are lots of amendments; people have been waiting a long time for this legislation.

One of my Republican colleagues yesterday said: I have a number of germane amendments I want to offer.

I said: Fine. Good. Do it.

We know we have to do background checks, assault weapons, the ammunition capacity of clips or magazines, mental health. That is just to name a few of the things. And I repeat, we are going to begin this process before we leave here this week.

I so appreciate the work done by Senators Manchin, Toomey, Kirk, and many others. My friend Senator Schumer has been working on this issue. My friend Dick Durbin, who has been involved in guns for a long time, has been involved. I appreciate the work of everyone. As the press has indicated, we are likely going to get cloture on this tomorrow. I hope so. But, as I have told individual Senators, if we do not get cloture, we are going to have a vote in the Senate on capacity clips, assault weapons, background checks, and some mental health items or item. That we are going to do. I hope we can do it in the regular process.

We have had people for a long time now--my friends on the other side of the aisle--saying: We want regular order. We want to be able to offer amendments. Well, I do too. And I hope people will not see how many amendments they can offer, not see if they can set a record for how many amendments can be laid down, because we should have this as a civil process and culminating in a better set of laws for our people in this great country in which we live.

For those of us who have the opportunity to try to address this issue, I hope we all understand that the world is watching what we do.

Mr. President, are we in a period of morning business?

I thought so. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to S. Res. 95.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid on the table, with no intervening action or debate.

I now ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m. tomorrow morning, Thursday, April 11, 2013; that following the prayer and pledge, 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 consideration of the motion to proceed to S. 649, the gun safety legislation; further, that the time until 11 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, and upon use or yielding back of that time, the Senate proceed to a cloture vote on the motion to proceed to S. 649.

Mr. President, about 11 o'clock tomorrow, then, we will have a cloture vote on the motion to proceed to the gun safety bill.

If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent it adjourn under the previous order.