Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent we now proceed to a period for morning business until 2 o'clock, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each in that period of time.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, it is my understanding the business before the Senate now is the surface transportation reauthorization bill; is that right?

Does that need to be reported?

Mr. President, I withdraw amendment No. 1730.

Mr. President, I have a first-degree amendment at the desk.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays on the amendment.

Mr. President, I have a second-degree amendment at the desk.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. President, I have a motion to recommit the bill with instructions, which is at the desk.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be waived.

Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays on that motion.

Mr. President, I have an amendment at the desk, and that amendment is to the instructions that we have already set forth.

Mr. President, on that amendment I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I have a second-degree amendment at the desk.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. President, let me take a moment where we are in this important surface transportation reauthorization bill. No one disputes the fact that this is a job creator. Millions of jobs, plural. Today with the Senate's vote to dispose of the Blunt amendment, the Senate completed an important step to advance this bill. The Republican leaders on the Republican side made clear that they would not allow the Senate to move forward on this piece of legislation until they got a vote on contraception. We waited and waited. It is done. Now we can move on to attempting to process other amendments to this important piece of legislation.

Not everything ground to a halt while the Senate was working toward processing the Blunt amendment. The bill's able managers have been working to clear amendments offered by a number of Senators. As I have said before, the managers of this bill--multiple in nature--are seasoned and know what is going on legislatively. They worked together, Senators Boxer and Inhofe especially, because there is more of what they have in this bill than what other committees have. But we have the Banking Committee, the Finance Committee, the Commerce Committee, and they have all worked together in coming up with a number of cleared amendments. All of these Senators have worked closely together. They worked so closely even before the work over the past week, and on February 9, 85 Senators voted on cloture to proceed to the bill. And as I have indicated, over the last several weeks they have continued to work together and clear numerous amendments that Senators have filed.

I offered a revised amendment a few minutes ago. This amendment includes the very same consensus that comes from the product of these three committees regarding my earlier amendment. It includes matters reported unanimously by the Banking Committee, strong bipartisan vote with the Finance Committee, matters negotiated between the chairman and ranking member of the Commerce Committee.

What is new in the amendment I just offered is that it now also includes 37 additional amendments cleared by the managers of this bill and, where appropriate, cleared by other committees, specifically the Commerce Committee and the Banking Committee. Thirty-seven amendments. So that is now part of my substitute that is now before the Senate.

I would be very satisfied if the Senate adopted this amendment, and provided that it serve as additional text for purpose of further amendment. The two managers will work to clear additional amendments.

We need a path forward on this bill, and we don't have it now. We continue to work on an agreement to have votes on a number of nongermane amendments which the Republican caucus says they want. And our side, if they want amendments, we could have some nongermane amendments also. I would rather we disposed of the nongermane amendments, and I am thinking seriously of coming to the floor today and asking consent that we move forward on this bill with no irrelevant or nongermane amendments.

It is vital that we complete work on this surface transportation reauthorization bill. I am determined that the Senate will do so and do so as quickly as possible. Doing so will take cooperation from different Senators, so we

need to keep our eye on the road. We need to get this legislation passed. Saving or creating up to 2.8 million jobs is the destination of this path that we are seeking. Let's work together to get there as soon as possible.

St. Croix River Valley Bridge

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

Mr. President, for everyone's information, it is not as if we have been sitting around doing nothing. We have been trying to work something out on this highway bill. Hopefully, in the next little bit we can do it. We have not been very successful this day. I am glad we had that vote to try to move forward, but there are still some obstacles in the way.

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, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration en bloc of S. Con. Res. 35 and S. Con. Res. 36.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolutions be agreed to en bloc, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table en bloc, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements related to these matters be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 387.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 388.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until Friday, March 2 at 10 a.m.; that following the prayer and the 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 resume consideration of S. 1813.

Mr. President, tomorrow we will continue working on a path forward on the Transportation bill. There will be no rollcall votes, as I previously announced. There be no rollcall votes until Tuesday morning.

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

Madam President, following leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business for 1 hour. The Republicans will control the first half and the majority will control the second half.

Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of the highway bill. We continue to work on a process to complete action on this bill. We are going to have to do that. If we can't get an agreement to move forward on this bill, I have no alternative but to try to stop the filibuster that is taking place. I hope we don't have to do that. We have agreed to work on amendments that are relevant and germane. Senator Durbin, the whip, has worked on side-by-sides and other amendments, so we are ready to move forward, but we can't do it unless we get some basic cooperation, and it will be a shame if we can't move forward on this bipartisan bill.

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

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 382.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 383.

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

Mr. President, I ask consent that floor privileges be granted to Andy Remo and Jesse Haladay, two of Senator Cardin's legislative staff members, during today's session of the Senate.