Floor Statements

Madam President, I understand there are two bills at the desk due for their first readings.

Madam President, I now ask for a second reading but object to my own request on both these measures.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until Tuesday, March 13, at 10 a.m.; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed 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 up to 10 minutes each, with the time equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees, with the majority controlling the first half and the Republicans controlling the final half; that following morning business, the Senate resume consideration of S. 1813, the highway bill; further that following the vote in relation to the Bingaman amendment, the Senate recess until 2:15 tomorrow for our weekly caucus meetings.

Madam President, there will be two rollcall votes tomorrow at noon.

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

Mr. President, following leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business for an hour--The majority will control the first half, Republicans the final half. Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of the surface transportation bill.

As most know, late last night we reached an agreement to move forward on the highway bill. Under the order that has been issued, I can schedule those votes anytime after consultation with the Republican leader, so we have some 30 votes to complete today. We will see how this works. I think we will have the first vote about 2:15 today and start working through these amendments.

There is not going to be a lot of debate, so if anybody wants to speak on these amendments they better come over after the morning business hour and start telling people how they feel about some amendments, because there is not going to be a lot of time during the voting on the amendments.

Mr. President, I believe S. 2173 is at the desk and due for a second reading.

Mr. President, I object to any further proceedings with respect to this bill.

Mr. President, I was reminded this morning as I came to the floor about an old standard political joke. When I looked at my papers I had here, my outline of what I was going to say, I was missing a page. That is what the Republican leader and I were joking about here this morning. That is why he went first, because I didn't have my speech. The old political joke, as we have all heard many times--this politician was giving a speech and he is flipping through his pages and he is in the midst of giving it. After he gets wound up in his speech, he is going through the speech and he is waving his hands and shouting and he comes to the third or fourth page of his speech and it says: ``You are on your own, you SOB.'' His speechwriter had had enough of him.

But that is not what happened here today. Phoebe prepared the speech for me and I left a part of it in my office.

I am pleased to say Democrats and Republicans reached an agreement to advance the highway bill that has been before this body for a month. It is a bipartisan bill. As I have said here over this past month, this is a piece of legislation that was prepared the way legislation should be prepared. A very conservative Member, Jim Inhofe from Oklahoma, and a very liberal Member, Barbara Boxer, managed this bill. They have worked very hard.

Just a little side note; as we were struggling, trying to come up with these amendments, I was happy to hear from Barbara Boxer. She said to me privately: I have talked to Senator Inhofe and he thinks, as we are coming to this agreement, this is not what should be done.

That was important to me in reaching consensus on how we move forward on this bill. As I have said many times, not everything we do this year should be a big fight. We should be able to move things forward without waiting for a month to get things done. This bill is truly indicative of how we have to get these done and why I appreciate the cooperation of Senators Boxer and Inhofe.

We have a dilapidated system of highways. We have 70,000--I am not misspeaking, not 7,000--70,000 bridges in America that are in dire need of repair--or replacement even. Twenty percent, 1 out of every 5 miles of your roads in America are not up to safety standards. Thousands of pedestrians are killed because they relied on unsafe sidewalks or nonexisting sidewalks.

Every day millions of Americans--a disproportionate number who are low income, minority, disabled, or old--are forced to rely on overcrowded mass transit systems, straining to meet the demands of a growing ridership. America's crumbling infrastructure is a terrible drain on our economy.

A number of years ago when my wife and I took a few days off around Christmas in southern California, rather than fly back I thought why don't we drive back to Las Vegas. We did that. This was a couple of years ago. I hadn't done it in a long time. I 15, this famous road, was jammed. We came to complete stops on a number of occasions coming back from San Diego to Las Vegas. Think about that, a complete stop. There were trucks on that road. Drivers were being paid for their time on the road. The cargo they were hauling needed to get someplace. It is not only someone wanting to take a vacation, coming to Las Vegas; it is what it does to commerce to have these roads that are in a state of disrepair. So this crumbling infrastructure certainly is a drag on our economy.

But rebuilding this infrastructure will have the opposite effect. Investing in our transportation system will save or create almost 3 million jobs. This legislation has to be completed before the end of this month or we have no way of collecting the taxes; when you buy a gallon of gasoline, that funds what we need to do here to repair our roads, bridges, et cetera.

This is not some wild program invented in the last few months here in Washington. This is a program that was initiated by President Eisenhower. This week I received a letter from an organization called I Make America. It is a group of more than 850 businesses and 20,000 individuals who support this transportation bill. Many people across this country, some in this Chamber, would write off the rest of this Congress, but I am not going to do that. We have a lot more to do and we need to get it done. When we complete our work, we need to look back and say what has happened that is good.

``There is no single piece of legislation now before Congress that will do more to create American jobs and sharpen our global competitiveness'' than this legislation said Dennis Slater on behalf of I Make America, the program I just talked about.

We need to push this bill over the finish line and I think the finish line is now in sight. This is one of the most important pieces of legislation we can consider. I indicated earlier why. But even as I recognize the bipartisanship that made this progress possible, I will sound a note of caution. Eighty-five Senators voted to begin on this legislation. Only a handful--it wasn't 15, because we had absent Senators that day--said we should not begin voting on it. Yet it has taken a month to begin voting on the amendments. Republican leaders have wasted weeks of the Senate's time directing this valuable jobs bill to extract purely political votes on unrelated matters, completely unrelated matters. Weeks were wasted on this vital legislation with an iconic attack on women's health.

I suggest to the Republican leader who just left the floor, if it takes more than a month to pass a noncontroversial, bipartisan bill that is supported by almost 90 Senators, how can we ever expect to get anything more done?

We have to. We have much more to do. Americans are not satisfied with the glacial pace of this body and neither am I. Americans are tired of delay tactics and obstructions and so am I. People across the country and in this Chamber would write off this Congress and say we have done enough. I am not going to do that.

When we complete this legislation on the Transportation bill, we have other work to do. We have a score of judges who are waiting, some of whom have been waiting since last year. We have to do something about the post office. The Postal Service in America has changed. People don't pay their bills the way they used to; they don't send letters the way they used to. We have to reorganize the post office. We have to do that.

We had a demonstration in the classified briefing room to talk about what is going on in America and what could go on in America with bringing down our country. The demonstration last night dealt with electricity, but it could be banking. It could be our hospitals. We have to recognize that we now have new enemies in the world, not enemies who are flying airplanes and dropping bombs and shooting us with bullets, but they are prepared to do something that is so damaging to our economy, and we were given that illustration last night.

We have a cybersecurity bill we have to bring to the floor, which is another

bipartisan bill. Senator Lieberman and Senator Collins, an Independent and Republican, have acknowledged they want to bring this bill forward, and they have it done, so we will bring it to the floor. We have all our Appropriations bills, and we have to do those. So we have a lot to do to accomplish even a fraction of our to-do list, and it is going to take more cooperation and less conflict. Not everything has to be a knock-down, drag-out fight as it was on this highway bill. To think we wasted 3 weeks on a matter dealing with the health of women in America, but we did. So we stand ready to work with our Republican colleagues.

The Republican leader mentioned the small business jobs bill. We have been trying to do one for a long time. We are going to do a small business jobs bill. The House bill is not perfect. We are glad it is moving forward, and we are going to try to do something here to match so we can get it to conference and get this done.

I am hopeful that when Democrats reach across the aisle, we will find willing partners on the other side for a change.

I thank the Chair. I ask that the Chair announce the business of the day.

At 2 o'clock we are going to start the votes on a mass number of amendments. The first one will be on the Outer Continental Shelf. It is my understanding that I have the right to start the voting at 2 o'clock; is that right?

Madam President, everyone should know--staffs, alert your Senators--the first vote will be 15 minutes, with 5 minutes for people to get here. After that, we will have 10-minute votes. I ask unanimous consent that all subsequent votes be 10 minutes and the first one 15 minutes.

Madam President, we are going to enforce that. We have 30 votes to get through today. It is going to be a lot of work on the clerks to do this, but Senators should stay here rather than wander off and do other things; otherwise, they are subject to missing votes. I want to make sure everyone understands that. The only time we would deviate from that is with votes that are separated with one or two minutes. Usually we have to take a little longer time on that to make sure there are no mistakes. But other than that, we will whip through these votes as quickly as we can.

Has the hour of 2 o'clock arrived yet, Madam Chair?

I ask for the yeas and nays.

I yield back all time.

Mr. President, it is 4:15 p.m. We have a matter that I believe will be decided by voice in just a few minutes. This will be the last vote until Tuesday, when we finish this bill. I appreciate everyone's cooperation. I have talked before about how fortunate we are to have the two managers we have on this bill--Senators Boxer and Inhofe. They have done a remarkably good job.

We have a locked-in set of amendments now. There is no reason to work into the night. We have had a good week. We will have a good week next week, and I wish everyone a good break.

Motion to Waive

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the vote changes entered by Senators Murkowski and Collins reflect that the vote on the Vitter amendment was vote No. 28.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that on Tuesday, March 13, the Senate resume the sequence of votes remaining under the previous order at a time to be determined by the majority leader after consultation with the Republican leader, with all other provisions of the previous order remaining in effect.

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

Mr. President, I now ask we proceed to S. Res. 393.

I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until Monday, March 12, at 2 p.m.; that 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; that following any leader remarks, the Senate proceed to a period of morning business until 4 p.m., with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each; that following morning business, the Senate resume consideration of S. 1813, the surface transportation bill.

Mr. President, as I indicated, following morning business the Senate will resume consideration of the surface transportation bill. As previously announced, there will be no rollcall votes on Monday. Senators should expect several votes Tuesday morning, going into the afternoon or evening, to complete action on that bill.

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 for 1 hour. Republicans will be in control of the first half, Democrats the final half. Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of the surface transportation act.

Order of Procedure

I ask unanimous consent that there be a recess at 5 p.m. and that be extended until 6:30 p.m. to accommodate Senators on the briefing.

Madam President, we are having a briefing this evening at the request of Senator Mikulski, who is a long-term member of the Intelligence Committee, to have an actual demonstration of why we need to pass the cybersecurity bill. All Senators should be there, and that is why we asked for the recess.

Madam President, 47 years ago today a group of 600 freedom- loving men and women set out on a march from Selma, AL, to Montgomery, AL. The purpose of the march was to call for an end to discrimination and violence against African Americans. Among those peaceful protesters was a young man by the name of John Lewis, now Congressman John Lewis. His life has been one of truly a great civil rights leader, outstanding legislator, and a patriot beyond excellence.

Only 6 blocks from the church where the march began, they were met at Edmund Pettus Bridge by police dogs, firehoses, and clubs. The terrible violence that day, known as Bloody Sunday, was broadcast across the country.

March 1965 marked a turning point in the civil rights movement, as Americans cried out against the injustice and bloodshed they saw on television. Later that month about 25,000 courageous souls finally completed that 12-mile march from Selma to Montgomery that started on Bloody Sunday, and 6 months later President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

A year ago I was privileged to lock arms with Congressman John Lewis and Congressman Jim Claiborne, two men whom I admire deeply, as we reenacted the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. It was really a humbling experience as John Lewis, with throngs of people--but we were together--explained to me what he remembered from that day:

As we were starting up the bridge there was a drug store

that doesn't exist anymore, but a lot of whites were gathered

there. They were, of course, up to mischief.

John Lewis had on his back a backpack--they were not very common in those days--he had a backpack on his back. He thought perhaps he would be arrested, as he had been many times, and he would have something to read while he was in jail. He had a book and an apple in that backpack, but, of course, he was beaten very badly, and no one will ever know what happened to the backpack and the apple and the book.

It was really a humbling experience--I repeat, one I will never forget. On this day, I think we should all pause to

think that, while we have come a long way, we have a long way to go to make sure we have civil rights for everyone in America.

The Highway Bill

Madam President, we were disappointed, as I indicated yesterday, at not being able to invoke cloture on this highway bill. I was satisfied yesterday that the Speaker of the House indicated that he thought the best thing to do, at least as I read the reports, would be to take the Senate version of a bill, if we can figure out a way to pass one, and then they would use that--he would bring it to the floor for a vote. I hope that is the case. The press doesn't always get things right, but I hope in this case they did.

Senator McConnell's staff and my staff are exchanging paper as we speak. I hope we can work our way through this bill. I think it is unfortunate that we are going to have to have votes on a number of amendments that have nothing to do with this underlying piece of legislation.

This is one thing the American people really do not like. At our townhall meetings, our visitations with people throughout our States, I have come to the realization that they hate what they call riders-- things that have nothing to do with bills. The Senate rules allow them in most instances, so if it takes this to get this bill done, then we will have to move forward in that way. I hope we can do that. As I said, we are going to exchange paper, and I hope both sides will react positively. I am confident we will over here, and I hope we can work something out.