Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that on Monday, April 16, 2012, at 4:30 p.m., the Senate proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 460; that there be 60 minutes for 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. 460; 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 the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate then resume legislative session.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Con. Res. 38, the adjournment resolution, which was submitted earlier today.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 352, H.R. 2297.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Lieberman amendment, which is at the desk, be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read the third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any related statements be printed in the Record as if read.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 345, S. Res. 80.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Paul amendment, which is at the desk, be agreed to and that the Senate proceed immediately to a voice vote on adoption of the resolution, as amended.

Mr. President, I further ask unanimous consent that the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, and that any related statements be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to consideration of Calendar No. 347, S. Res. 356.

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to a vote on this matter.

I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported amendment to the preamble be agreed to; the preamble, as amended, be agreed to; the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate; and any statements relating to the resolution be printed in the Record.

The committee-reported amendment to the preamble was agreed to.

The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.

The resolution, with its preamble, as amended, reads as follows:

S. Res. 356

Whereas Tibet is the center of Tibetan Buddhism, and His

Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the most revered

figure in Tibetan Buddhism;

Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China

continues to enforce policies that infringe on fundamental

freedoms of Tibetans, including punitive security measures

against monasteries, mass arrests, and restrictions on

freedom to practice religion;

Whereas both the Dalai Lama and the Kalon Tripa, Dr.

Lobsang Sangay, the prime minister democratically elected by

the Tibetan exile community, have specifically stated that

they do not seek independence for Tibet from China;

Whereas, in his inaugural address on August 8, 2011, Kalon

Tripa Sangay stated that he will ``continue the Middle-Way

policy, which seeks genuine autonomy for Tibet within the

People's Republic of China'';

Whereas according to the Department of State's 2011 Report

on Tibet Negotiations, since 2002, nine rounds of talks

between the Government of the People's Republic of China and

envoys of the Dalai Lama ``have not borne concrete results'';

Whereas despite persistent efforts by the Dalai Lama and

his representatives, the Government of the People's Republic

of China and envoys of the Dalai Lama have not held any

formal dialogue since January 2010;

Whereas, since March 2011, more than two dozen Tibetans

have set themselves on fire, and at least 19 have died;

Whereas the repressive policies of the Government of the

People's Republic of China have created an environment of

despair, hopelessness, and frustration among many Tibetans;

Whereas, on November 1, 2011, the United Nations Special

Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Heiner

Bielefeldt, expressed concern over ``restrictive measures''

implemented by the Government of the People's Republic of

China in Tibetan monasteries, stating that such measures

``not only curtail the right to freedom of religion or

belief, but further exacerbate the existing tensions, and are

counterproductive'' and affirming that ``the right of members

of the monastic community, and the wider community to freely

practice their religion, should be fully respected and

guaranteed by the Chinese Government'';

Whereas, on January 24, 2012, Maria Otero, Under Secretary

for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights, and United

States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, issued a

statement expressing concern about ``reports of violence and

continuing heightened tensions in Tibetan areas of China,

including reports of security forces in Sichuan province

opening fire on protesters, killing some and injuring

others'';

Whereas the Constitution of the People's Republic of China

guarantees freedom of religious belief for all citizens, but

the July-December 2010 International Religious Freedom Report

of the Department of State states that ``the [Chinese]

government's repression of religious freedom remained severe

in the Tibet Autonomous Region and other Tibetan areas'';

Whereas, on March 10, 2011, His Holiness the Dalai Lama

announced that he would relinquish his last remaining

governmental duties in the Central Tibetan Administration,

and would turn over political authority to the leadership

democratically elected by Tibetans in exile;

Whereas, on March 20, 2011, the Tibetan government in exile

conducted competitive democratic elections that were

monitored by international observers and deemed free, fair,

and consistent with international standards;

Whereas nearly 50,000 people in over 30 countries, more

than half of all the eligible Tibetan exiles voters,

participated in the March 20, 2011, elections;

Whereas Dr. Lobsang Sangay was elected Kalon Tripa, or

prime minister, of the Central Tibetan Administration after

receiving 55 percent of votes in the March 20, 2011, election

and was inaugurated on August 8, 2011;

Whereas Kalon Tripa Sangay was selected to study in the

United States under the Department of State's Tibetan

Scholarship Program, earning a doctorate in law from Harvard

University, and served as a Senior Fellow at the East Asian

Legal Studies Program at Harvard Law School;

Whereas Kalon Tripa Sangay, while at Harvard University,

promoted dialogue among Tibetan exiles and Chinese students

and visiting Chinese scholars to enhance mutual understanding

and advance the prospects for reconciliation; and

Whereas it is the objective of the United States

Government, consistent across administrations of different

political parties and as articulated in the Tibetan Policy

Act of 2002 (subtitle B of title VI of Public Law 107 228; 22

U.S.C. 6901 note) to promote a substantive dialogue between

the Government of the People's Republic of China and the

Dalai Lama or his representatives in order to secure genuine

autonomy for the Tibetan people within China: Now, therefore,

be it

Resolved, That the Senate--

(1) mourns the death of Tibetans who have self-immolated

and deplores the repressive policies targeting Tibetans;

(2) calls on the Government of the People's Republic of

China to suspend implementation of religious control

regulations, reassess religious and security policies

implemented since 2008 in Tibet, and resume a dialogue with

Tibetan Buddhist leaders, including the Dalai Lama or his

representatives, to resolve underlying grievances;

(3) calls on the Government of the People's Republic of

China to release all persons that have been arbitrarily

detained; to cease the intimidation, harassment and detention

of peaceful protestors; and to allow unrestricted access to

journalists, foreign diplomats, and international

organizations to Tibet;

(4) calls on the Secretary of State to seek from the

Government of the People's Republic of China a full

accounting of the forcible removal of monks from Kirti

Monastery, including an explanation of the pretext or

conditions under which monks were removed and their current

whereabouts;

(5) commends His Holiness the Dalai Lama for his decision

to devolve his political power in favor of a democratic

system;

(6) congratulates Tibetans living in exile for holding, on

March 20, 2011, a competitive, multi-candidate election that

was free, fair, and met international electoral standards;

(7) reaffirms the unwavering friendship between the people

of the United States and the people of Tibet; and

(8) both--

(A) calls on the Department of State to fully implement the

Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 (subtitle B of title VI of Public

Law 107 228; 22 U.S.C. 6901 note), including the stipulation

that the Secretary of State seek ``to

establish an office in Lhasa, Tibet, to monitor political,

economic, and cultural developments in Tibet'', and also to

provide consular protection and citizen services in

emergencies; and

(B) urges that the agreement to permit China to open

further diplomatic missions in the United States should be

contingent upon the establishment of a United States

Government consulate in Lhasa, Tibet.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 348, S. Res. 391.

I ask that the Senate now vote on this matter.

I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported amendment to the preamble be agreed to; the preamble, as amended, be agreed to; the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate; and any statements relating to the resolution be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 349, S. Res. 395.

I ask that we now have a vote on this matter, Mr. President.

I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported amendment to the preamble be agreed to; the preamble, as amended, be agreed to; the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate; and any statements relating to the resolution be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 350, S. Res. 397.

I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute be agreed to.

I ask the Senate now vote on adoption of the resolution, as amended.

I further ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported amendment to the preamble be agreed to; the preamble, as amended, be agreed to; the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate; and any statements relating to the resolution be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that we proceed to the immediate consideration en bloc of the following resolutions, which were submitted earlier today: S. Res. 414, S. Res. 415, and S. Res. 416.

I ask unanimous consent that the three resolutions be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table en bloc, with no intervening action or debate on any of those three measures, and any statements related to the resolutions be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I understand there is a bill at the desk, and I ask for its first reading.

I now ask for a second reading, but I object to my own request. The reason I am doing this is to place the bill on the calendar under rule XIV.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that on Thursday, March 29, through Monday, April 16, the majority leader, Senator Webb, and Senator Rockefeller be authorized to sign duly enrolled bills or joint resolutions.

I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the upcoming recess or adjournment, the President of the Senate, the President pro tempore of the Senate, and the majority and minority leaders be authorized to make appointments to commissions, committees, boards, conferences, or interparliamentary conferences authorized by law, by concurrent action of the two Houses, or by order of the Senate.

Mr. President, I was surprised earlier today when I was told by David Schiappa and Gary Myrick that somebody I care about a great deal is going to leave the Senate. I am so surprised. I served here when her dad was the Parliamentarian and I thought so much of him. He was a very courageous man. He jeopardized his position here in the Senate doing what he thought was right. He looked at the law. It didn't matter to him if it were a Republican asking for a decision or a Democrat, he did what he thought was right. I have so much admiration for Bob Dove.

Then I have gotten to know his daughter Laura, whom we all care about a great deal. She is somebody I can joke with or be serious with. She understands what my obligation is here as the majority leader and she doesn't hold it against me. She knows I am trying to do what I think is right.

She has been dedicated to making the Senate a better place during her 10 years as the assistant Republican secretary. This is her last week with us so, for me, since we are going to go out of session, this is her last day with us. She is an example of how this operation works.

Mr. President, I read through this stack of stuff very quickly. Could I have arranged all that myself? No. It is the Laura Doves of the Senate who allow us to get our work done. She was a page, just like these young boys and girls here, as a teenager. She may work for the other party but, as far as I am concerned, I never hesitated to ask her a question when somebody on this side wasn't available and she never hesitated to tell me what she thought or give me the information I was seeking. Her work is essential and she has done it with dedication.

Laura, I really have appreciated our relationship. Please give my warm regards to your very fine father. I have heard a little about what you are going to do in the next little bit. I hope as you have that motor home and come to Las Vegas, hopefully this summer, you will come to Searchlight, because that will be a place you have never been--I am sure of that. What could I do with you there, though? I could show you my home.

Anyway, I am so grateful to you for being the nice person you are.

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. The reason we are going through this pro forma session which we thought we were through with is the House has not acted yet on agreeing to what we have done. But it is very clear there will be no recess appointments, period, because we are not going to be in recess, we hope. We hope the House will go along with us. But that is what Senator McConnell and I have worked for and it has been accomplished.

So 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: Monday, April 2, at 2 p.m.; Thursday, April 5, at 11 a.m.; Monday, April 9, at 10 a.m.; Thursday, April 12, at 2 p.m.; and that the Senate adjourn on Thursday, April 12, until 2 p.m. on Monday, April 16, unless the Senate has received a message from the House that it has adopted S. Con. Res. 38--which will be the adjournment resolution--and if the Senate has received such a message, the Senate will stand in adjournment until 2 p.m. on Monday, April 16, under the provisions of S. Con. Res. 38; further, that when the Senate convenes at 2 p.m. on Monday, April 16, following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; further, following any leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S. 2230, the Paying a Fair Share Act, with the time until 4:30 p.m. equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees; and that at 4:30 p.m., the Senate proceed to executive session under the previous order.

Mr. President, there will be two rollcall votes then, on Monday, April 16. The first vote will be on Judge-to-be Thacker, we hope--that will be the fourth circuit--and the second vote will be a cloture vote on the motion to proceed to the tax measure that is on the calendar.