Floor Statements

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

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding passage of S. 1813, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, the Boxer amendment No. 1903 be agreed to. The Boxer amendment is technical in nature. It strikes title V of division C with the heading entitled ``Research and Innovative Technology Administrative Reauthorization Act of 2012,'' which was moved to division E.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that S. 2076 be discharged from the Committee on Homeland Security and be referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Madam President, S. 2204 is at the desk and due for its first reading.

Madam President, I ask for a second reading but object to my own request.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until Tuesday, March 20, at 10 a.m.; that following the prayer and the pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed to have expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; that following any leader remarks, the Senate proceed to a period of morning business for 1 hour, with Senators permitted to speak therein for 10 minutes each, with the time equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees, with the Republicans controlling the first half and the majority the final half; that following that morning business, the Senate resume consideration of Calendar No. 334, H.R. 3606, with the time until 11:30 a.m. equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees, prior to the cloture vote on the Reed of Rhode Island substitute amendment; further,

that the filing deadline for second-degree amendments to the Reed substitute amendment, the Cantwell amendment, and H.R. 3606 be at 11 a.m. Tuesday; finally, that the Senate recess subject to the call of the Chair at 12:30 p.m. to allow for the weekly caucus meetings and the official photograph of the 112th Congress.

Madam President, there will be as many as three rollcall votes beginning at approximately 11:30 a.m. tomorrow.

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

Mr. President, I am told that S. 2191 is due for a second reading.

Mr. President, I would object to further proceedings on this matter at this time.

Mr. President, on Saturday Senator Barbara Mikulski becomes the longest serving woman in

the history of the U.S. Congress. We will mark that occasion on Wednesday when her family and friends will be present here in the Capitol. I have prepared detailed remarks for that occasion, but I thought it was important that we note very briefly here today this milestone in the history of our country.

Last January Barbara Mikulski surpassed Margaret Chase Smith from Maine as the longest serving woman in the Senate. On Saturday, March 17, she will surpass Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers from Massachusetts as the longest serving woman in Congress.

Mr. President, we appreciate Senator Burr arranging for this good man to come and offer the prayer this morning. We appreciate that very much.

Following leader remarks the Senate will be in morning business until 11 a.m., with the majority controlling the first 30 minutes and the Republicans controlling the second 30 minutes. Following morning business we will begin consideration of the IPO bill, H.R. 3606, the initial public offering for which those letters stand. At 2 p.m. there will be a rollcall vote on Groh, followed by Fitzgerald. These are trial judges in our Federal court system. Additional votes are possible today.

Mr. President, this week the Senate has demonstrated that when Democrats and Republicans cooperate, we are capable of achieving significant results for this country. We passed a transportation bill that will create or save almost 3 million jobs--and these are American jobs--and rebuild our Nation's crumbling infrastructure. Yesterday we chartered a course to confirm 14 new judges in the short term and a path for getting more done following that, and this is important because our Federal courts are overworked and understaffed.

We agreed that Congress should continue its work to improve the economy. To that end, the Senate will move today to a piece of legislation that will improve innovators' access to capital and give startups the flexibility they need to hire and to grow. This bill passed the House by an overwhelming margin. President Obama supports this measure, and both Democrats and Republicans are eager to get to work to pass it next week.

In addition to the small business capital legislation, Democrats will also advance a proposal to help American businesses sell more of their products overseas. Reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank--or Ex-Im Bank, as it is called--will help small businesses export globally. Not only will it help small businesses, it will help large businesses such as Caterpillar and Boeing. These companies really need this to continue the job creation they have been involved in now for the last several years. As an example, last year Ex-Im Bank financed almost 300,000 private sector jobs at more than 3,600 different American companies in more than 2,000 communities throughout America. Foreign governments often provide the financing for companies that compete with American businesses. We need to do this to be more competitive. Ex-Im Bank levels the playing field by being available to help American exporters when private lending is not available. Unless we reauthorize the bank, it will hit its lending limit this month, eliminating support for American exporters.

The Export-Import Bank has always had strong bipartisan support, and the Democrats' legislation reauthorizing this measure has the firm backing of the Chamber of Commerce and organized labor. This is a strong combination that equals one result; that is, jobs.

Advancing these two items--the Ex-Im Bank and the small business capital bill--will continue the important bipartisan work we have done this week to get our economy back on track.

I am pleased that Democrats and Republicans in the Senate have been able to find common ground. President Franklin Roosevelt said:

Competition has been shown to be useful up to a certain

point and no further, but cooperation, which is the thing we

must strive for today, begins where competition leaves off.

I think we have shown this week that achievement comes when Members all strive, as President Roosevelt said, not to compete but to cooperate.

Would the Chair announce the business of the day.

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

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

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