Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn and convene for pro forma sessions only, with no business conducted on the following dates and times, and that following each pro forma session, the Senate adjourn until the next pro forma session: Friday, February 15, at 12 p.m.; Tuesday, February 19, at 10:30 a.m.; and Friday, February 22, at 10:45 a.m.; and that the Senate adjourn on Friday, February 22, until 2 p.m. on Monday, February 25, 2013, unless the Senate adopts an adjournment resolution pursuant to the previous order, and that if the Senate adopts such a resolution, the Senate adjourn until 2 p.m. on Monday, February 25, 2013; that on Monday, 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 be in a period of morning business until 5 p.m. with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each; further, that the Senate then proceed to executive session, under the previous order.

Mr. President, the next rollcall vote will be on Monday, February 25, at 5:30 p.m., on confirmation of the Bacharach nomination.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it adjourn under the previous order.

Madam President, following leader remarks, the Senate will be in morning business. The Republicans will control the first 30 minutes and the majority will control the second 30 minutes.

We will seek an agreement for the consideration of the nomination of Senator Hagel to be Secretary of Defense during today's session.

In addition, sometime this afternoon, we hope to have a vote on the Kayatta nomination to be a circuit court judge for the First Circuit.

Madam President, last night the President of the United States laid out an agenda to strengthen the middle class and expand upon our economic progress. He outlined an agenda that will restore the core value that makes this Nation great: fairness.

Senate Democrats stand ready to work with the President to make this vision--a vision in which every American shares the prosperity as well as the responsibility--a reality. President Obama's agenda calls for commonsense investments in our future, investments which will breathe new life into a struggling middle class, investments which will make America a magnet for jobs and manufacturing once more, investments which have been deferred for too long due to the worst recession since the Great Depression.

The President's plan will give American manufacturers the support they need to thrive, while ending giveaways to companies that ship jobs overseas. His plan will create jobs building world-class roadways, railways, and bridges which our economy may rely upon tomorrow.

The plan will prepare current and future workers to compete in a global economy by making K-12 schools the best in the world again and college affordable for every graduate. His plan will break our addiction to foreign oil and encourage investments in reliable energy, a change which will be good for the environment and for the economy.

As he said last night, it will be done without adding a single penny to the deficit. These investments in a strong middle class are not just right for our country, they are right for our economy as well. Our efforts to restore prosperity will mean little unless Congress acts immediately to deal with arbitrary, across-the-board spending cuts set to take effect.

If the looming sequester strikes, 70,000 young children would be kicked off Head Start and 10,000 teaching jobs would be at risk. The Small Business Administration will be forced to reduce loan guarantees to small businesses by up to $540 million. Democrats believe we should replace this harsh austerity with a balanced approach that targets wasteful spending, tax loopholes, and asks the wealthiest among us to contribute a little more to reduce the deficit.

The American people know we can't cut our way to prosperity. They agree. We can't ask the middle class to bear the burden of the entire deficit reduction. Later this week Democrats will release a plan to avert the so-called sequester.

Republicans say they agree the deep cuts they voted for will be damaging to

our economy and to national security. Republicans would rather cut Medicare, education, and medical research than close a single wasteful tax loophole or ask a single millionaire to contribute a little more. The Republicans should stop protecting millionaires, billionaires, and wealthy corporations and start working with us to pass an alternative to these terrible cuts that protect the middle class. We want to start to do something to begin changing this so we protect the middle class. We must not jeopardize the progress of the last 4 years.

Even though our work to restore economic prosperity must continue, we should take pride in the 35 months of private sector job growth and 6.1 million new American jobs. Imagine how many more jobs could be created with just a little cooperation from our Republican colleagues.

Now our friends across the aisle have another opportunity to engage constructively. They have a second chance to work with Democrats to rebuild the middle class by investing in that which in the past has made Americans strong--world-class roads, bridges, dams, peerless schools, industrial factories, and creative entrepreneurs who are the best in the world.

President Ronald Reagan, in his first address of a joint session of Congress, spoke of these building blocks of prosperity. Ronald Reagan said:

Substance and prosperity of our Nation is built by wages

brought home from the factories and the mills, the farms, and

the shops. They are the services provided in 10,000 corners

of America: the interest on the thrift of our people and the

returns for their risk-taking. The production of America is

the possession of those who build, serve, create, and

produce.

He didn't say the substance of our Nation is built on profits gleaned from shipping jobs overseas. He didn't say the prosperity of America is the possession of investment banks or wealthy oil companies alone. Rather, he said, our substance and prosperity are earned in factories, mills, farms, and shops. The rewards belong to all those who build, serve, create, and produce--not only to the few strong enough or rich enough to take for themselves.

It is time to return to those roots. It is time to remember fairness is not just a principle for which to strive but a powerful engine of growth and prosperity for all Americans.

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

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that at 2 p.m. today the Senate proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 8, the nomination of William J. Kayatta, to be circuit judge for the First Circuit, with 30 minutes for debate, equally divided in the usual form; that upon the use or yielding back of time, the Senate proceed to vote without intervening action or debate on the nomination; the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid on the table, with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order; that President Obama be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate then resume legislative session.

Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

I ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be rescinded.

Miracles never cease.

Mr. President, I have spoken with Senator Inhofe, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. It is very clear that he and a number of Republicans are not willing to enter into an agreement on the Hagel nomination.

Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 10.

The clerk will report:

Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk and ask the clerk to report.

This is the first time in the history of our country that a Presidential nominee for Secretary of Defense has been filibustered. What a shame, but that is the way it is.

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

I also ask that under the rule the cloture vote will occur on Friday. Membership should plan accordingly.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 13, 2013, at 2:30 p.m. in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 13, 2013, at 10 a.m., in room 215 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 13, 2013, at 3 p.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 13, 2013, at 10 a.m. in SD-430.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 13, 2013, at 10 a.m. to conduct a hearing entitled ``Solutions to the Crisis Facing the U.S. Postal Service.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on February 13, 2013, at 9:30 a.m., in room SH-216 of the Hart Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Comprehensive Immigration Reform.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on February 13, 2013, at 3:15 p.m., in room SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Judicial Nominations.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Rules and Administration be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 13, 2013, at 10 a.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 13, 2013, at 4 p.m. in room 432 of the Russell Senate Office building.

Following leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of S. 47, the Violence Against Women Act. Time until 11 a.m. will be equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees.

At 11 a.m. there will be up to six rollcall votes in order to complete action on this legislation. Following disposition of VAWA, the Violence Against Women Act, we will recess until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly caucus meetings.

The State of the Union Address is this evening. Senators will gather at 8:20 p.m. tonight in this Chamber in order to proceed as a body to the House of Representatives, where the speech will be given.

There are up to six rollcall votes remaining: the Leahy amendment dealing with sex trafficking, the Portman amendment dealing with sex trafficking, the Murkowski amendment dealing with tribal protections, the Coburn amendment dealing with consolidation of DOJ rape programs, the Coburn amendment dealing with notice to victims and, most importantly, final passage of this legislation.

We are still working on some committee hearings that are creating some conflict, and we are going to see if we can work something out. At this stage we have not done that. Unless we ask the Senate to change the voting order, we will have those votes starting at 11 o'clock today.

State of the Union

Four years ago, as newly elected President of the United States, Barack Obama prepared to deliver his first address to a joint session of Congress. The country at that time was in the midst of a grave crisis. Our economy had been shaken to its core by a financial crisis sparked by Wall Street greed. Millions of Americans had lost their jobs, their homes, and their hope.

President Obama predicted America would rise to meet the challenges of the day. He said:

We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of

America will emerge stronger than before. The weight of this

crisis will not determine the destiny of this Nation.

Four years later we can say with certainty he was right. Over the last 35 months, American businesses have created more than 6.1 million jobs--6.1 million jobs--including hundreds of thousands of jobs in manufacturing in the auto industry. As a matter of fact, the figures are staggering. Five hundred thousand manufacturing jobs have been added, and 1 million jobs have been saved due to the President's auto rescue program. That is a fairly significant change.

We still have a long way to go to get back to full strength, and there are still too many Americans out of work. We made solid progress in the last 4 years, but we have a long way to go. The depth of the crisis did not determine our destiny. Instead, determination drove us to prosper again. We are faced with an opportunity disguised as a challenge. We must build on this progress, fostering a lasting recovery that ensures Americans' success is determined by the strength of their will, not the size of their wallet.

Tonight, President Obama will chart a course to maintain the economic progress we made and revitalize the still struggling middle class. I look forward to hearing his vision. I expect the President will call for commonsense investments in our future. Investments have been deferred for far too long because of economic turmoil. When times are hard, these investments are easy to put off. If America hopes to compete in a changing world, we must prepare today's students for tomorrow's jobs. We must give small businesses and American manufacturers the support they need to thrive. We must stop relying on foreign oil and start investing in renewable energy. It is better for our environment and for our economy.

If we hope to rebuild and maintain a world-class economy, we must build a 21st century infrastructure to support that economy. Renewing these investments is not only the right thing to do for our country, it is the right thing to do for our economy.

In the last 4 years the President has repeatedly reached across the aisle to Republicans, suggesting we find common ground for the sake of recovery. Tonight will be no different. He will

reach across that aisle. I expect the President's proposal will include ideas supported by both Democrats and, in the past, Republicans. I hope my Republican colleagues will give his vision the consideration it deserves.

Tonight President Obama will also propose a balanced alternative to the devastating automatic spending cuts which take effect next month. Democrats believe we should prevent these harmful arbitrary cuts, cuts to both military and, initiatives to help middle-class families prosper. Remember, Republicans in the Senate and in the House voted for these harsh measures. We could easily avert these job-destroying cuts which would hinder the economic recovery by ending wasteful tax breaks for corporations and giveaways to companies that ship jobs overseas. A balanced approach to pare senseless spending reduction with a modest contribution from the wealthiest Americans would limit the damage of the so-called sequestration.

I was disappointed to learn yesterday the Republican leaders in the House have no intention of bringing legislation to the floor to replace the sequester with a more sensible approach. They are going to do nothing.

Senate Democrats will offer their own solution to the sequester later this week. If Republicans truly agree that these across-the-board cuts would be damaging to our economy and to national security, they should work to help us pass an alternative.

During his first State of the Union Address a long time ago, the first President of the United States, George Washington, told Congress this:

The welfare of our country is the great object to which our

cares and efforts ought to be directed.

As Republicans and Democrats from both Chambers come together, I repeat, the welfare of our country is the great object to which our cares and efforts ought to be directed.

Democrats and Republicans should hear the message that George Washington gave a long time ago. It is important to listen to the State of the Union tonight, which we will, and we should all keep in mind the words of George Washington. Despite our differences, if there is the will to work together, the power to build an economy works for every American, and we will succeed.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum, and I ask unanimous consent that the time be equally divided between both sides.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Joel Cohen, a Brookings fellow from the Department of Homeland Security, be granted floor privileges through December 31, 2013.