Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at 12:50 p.m. today, the Senate proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 651; that there be an hour of debate equally divided in the usual form; that upon the use or yielding back of that time, the Senate proceed to vote with no intervening action or debate on Calendar No. 651, Judge Drain of Michigan, at least a judge-to-be in Michigan.

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, there is no other way to say this than my Republican friends are hopelessly stuck in the past. They continue to want to fight battles that are already over.

At the beginning of this Congress, when we were trying to pass an air transportation bill, the Republican leader offered an amendment to repeal the Affordable Care Act. On February 2 of last year, the Senate voted that amendment down. It was defeated.

In March of this year, when we considered the highway jobs bill, Republicans insisted on voting on stopping women from getting contraceptive coverage--part of the Affordable Care Act. On March 1, the Senate voted that amendment down.

Just this week, when we have been considering a bill to protect our country from cyber attack, the Republican leader gave notice that he wanted once again to offer an amendment to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Remember, the House has already voted 34 times to repeal the Affordable Care Act. I repeat, they are hopelessly stuck in the past.

They are stuck in the past when before the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies didn't have to pay for preventive care. They are stuck in the past when before the Affordable Care Act, there was a gap in coverage for seniors' prescription drugs. That is the doughnut hole that we are filling. Republicans are stuck in the past when before the Affordable Care Act passed, insurance companies didn't have to allow young adults up to age 26 to stay on their parents' health insurance.

I have spoken here at least a half a dozen times about my friend from Searchlight, NV, who, at 22 years old, went off his parents' insurance. The time ran out. Within weeks, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. It about broke his parents. He had no insurance and had two surgeries. That will not happen in the future. This young man was in college. That is what this is to protect.

They are stuck in the past when before this act passed, insurance companies could deny coverage to people because of preexisting conditions. And, by the way, one of those conditions was being a woman; or diabetes; or if a woman had been a victim of domestic abuse. They are stuck in the past when insurance companies could charge women more than men. Republicans are stuck in the past when women didn't have access to the services they need. They are stuck in the past when insurance companies could drop your coverage when you got sick or set some arbitrary limit on how much insurance would pay.

I have talked about a man in Las Vegas who was badly injured, living a pretty decent life even though he was paralyzed--and suddenly he finds he has no insurance, which led him into an awful situation.

Republicans are stuck in the past when insurance companies could use premium dollars for bonuses for the bosses rather than health care. All around America this month there will be hundreds of thousands of people who will be getting a rebate because insurance companies weren't spending enough money on them but, rather, on their own salaries. We set a limit: You have to spend 80 percent of a premium to help people get well. They are stuck in the past and they want to return to when insurance companies were king. They are hopelessly stuck in the past.

But there was a vote that we should all focus on, on the Affordable Care Act. It was a 5-4 vote that upheld that bill. The Supreme Court of the United States did that. But I guess they didn't get the news. The Supreme Court ruled the act is constitutional. It is the law of the land now.

We need to move on. They need to catch up on the fact that people want us to work to create jobs, whether it is in Alaska, Nevada, Kentucky--any of the States. But they want us to vote on repealing the Affordable Care Act.

On July 19, they blocked us from voting on a bill to prevent outsourcing jobs--which, by the way, their Presidential nominee is very good at doing. Now they want us to vote on repealing the Affordable Care Act.

On July 12, they blocked passage of the small business jobs bill that would have helped small businesses all over this country. They wanted to vote on repealing the Affordable Care Act.

But on March 29, they blocked a bill to promote renewable energy.

On March 13, they blocked Senator Stabenow's amendment to extend expiring energy tax credits.

They wanted to vote on the Affordable Care Act, and they stopped us from proceeding to put workers back on the job building and modernizing America, and that was done on November 3.

On October 20, they blocked the motion to proceed to a bill to keep teachers and first responders on the job.

They so badly want to go back and fight these old battles that they blocked a motion to proceed to the American Jobs Act.

They blocked us on a bill to reauthorize the Economic Development Administration, something that has been done as a matter of fact in the past, creating thousands of jobs in America. They wanted us to vote on repealing the Affordable Care Act.

One day last year, after weeks of debate, they blocked the bill to improve small business innovation. That, by the way, is one of the programs that has done so many interesting things, including inventing the electric toothbrush.

Republicans are hopelessly stuck in the past. They need to stop trying to repeal a law enacted 3 years ago. The Supreme Court has declared it constitutional. Let's move on to try to get jobs for people.

So I object.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. President, I believe we are now on a motion to proceed to S. 3457; is that correct?

I have a cloture motion at the desk.

I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum under rule XXII be waived and that the vote with respect to this motion occur at 2:15 on Tuesday, September 11.

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

Mr. President, the Disabilities Convention enjoys strong bipartisan support in the Senate, with Senators McCain, Durbin, Kerry, Barrasso, Coons, Tom Udall, Moran, and Harkin leading the charge to ratify the Convention. With their help, I hope we will be able to move this treaty forward in the future.

Twenty-two years ago, Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act to lift the barriers Americans with disabilities faced in everyday life. And ever since the passage of that law, the United States has been a leader in expanding disability rights across the globe.

We have led, other countries have followed, and persons with disabilities have found ever greater opportunities to succeed. Now we are presented with an opportunity to strengthen our leadership on disability rights around the world by joining the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

This convention is another step towards ensuring that all people with a disability, in any country, are treated with dignity and given the right to achieve to their full potential.

Let me read part of a recent statement to the Foreign Relations Committee from one of my esteemed predecessors, former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, recipient of two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star for heroic achievement, who was wounded fighting for our country in World War II.

U.S. ratification of the [Convention] will improve

physical, technological and communication access outside the

U.S., thereby helping to ensure that Americans--particularly,

many thousands of disabled American veterans--have equal

opportunities to live, work, and travel abroad. . . . An

active U.S. presence in implementation of global disability

rights will promote the market for devices such as

wheelchairs, smart phones,

and other new technologies engineered, made, and sold by U.S.

corporations.

This convention will help U.S. citizens and veterans abroad, and U.S. businesses here at home. And it won't cost us anything. It won't require any changes to existing U.S. law and or new contributions to the United Nations.

As we watch the Olympics this week and admire the incredible feats of all of the athletes, we are reminded of what each of us can achieve.

Just look at Oscar Pistorius from South Africa--also known as the-- ``Blade Runner,'' who this Saturday will run the 400-meter sprint in the Olympics on carbon-fiber legs.

Or watch Jessica Long, an American gold-medal bilateral amputee swimmer, participate in her third Paralympics Games at the age of 20.

This convention will help make the path smoother for Olympians such as Oscar and Jessica.

It has the support of veterans group and disability groups from around the Nation. It has the strong backing of a bipartisan group of Senators as well as leading Republicans such as President George H.W. Bush and Senator Dole.

Just like passing the Americans with Disabilities Act, ratifying this Convention is, quite simply, the right thing to do.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on August 2, 2012, at 10 a.m., in room 215 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on August 2, 2012, at 10 a.m., in SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct an executive business meeting.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on August 2, 2012, at 2:30 p.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on August 2, 2012, at 9 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Examining the IPO Process: Is It Working for Ordinary Investors?''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the following staff of the Finance Committee be allowed on the Senate floor for the duration of today's session: Dan West, Micah Scudder, and Heather Sykes.

I ask unanimous consent that on Monday, September 10, 2012, at 5 p.m., the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nomination: Calendar No. 664; that there be 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; 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; that President Obama be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate then resume legislative session.

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations: Calendar No. 450, 609, 709, 718, 719, 720, 723, 825, 826, 827, 831, 837, 838, 841, 858, 859, 860, 861, 862, 863, 864, 865, 866, 867, 868, 869, 872, 874, and all nominations placed on the Secretary's desk in the Foreign Service; that the nominations be confirmed en bloc; that 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 and the Senate then resume legislative session.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the following nominations under the Privileged section of the Executive Calendar be considered: Presidential Nomination 1513, who is Ingrid A. Gregg, of Michigan, to be on the board of trustees of the Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation, and Presidential Nomination 1514, James L. Henderson, of Kentucky, to be on the board of trustees of the Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation; that the nominations be confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, there be no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to the nominations; that any related statements be printed in the Record, and that President Obama be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee be discharged from further consideration of PN 1731, Kimberley Sherri Knowles to be an associate judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia; that the nomination be confirmed, 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 to the nomination; that any related statements be printed in the Record, and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Foreign Relations Committee be discharged from further consideration of PN 1826, James B. Cunningham, of New York, to be Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan; that the nomination be confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, there be no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to the nomination; 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, as in executive session, if the Senate adjourns under S. Con. Res. 59, I ask unanimous consent that all the nominations received by the Senate during the 112th Congress, second session, remain in status quo, notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXXI, paragraph 6, of the Standing Rules of the Senate, with the following exception: PN 1727.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to Calendar No. 458.

Mr. President, I ask that the bill be read a third time and the Senate proceed to vote on passage of this bill.

The bill was read the third time.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to S. Con. Res. 58, a concurrent resolution to correct the enrollment of H.R. 4240, submitted earlier today by Senator Kerry; that the concurrent resolution be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, and any statements be printed in the Record.