Floor Statements

Mr. President, I rise to recognize the extraordinary work of the Honorable Wilson ``Bill'' Livingood, who served with distinction for 17 years as the House of Representatives Sergeant at Arms, protecting and serving Members, staff and visitors to the Capitol complex.

Mr. Livingood, the House Chief Law Enforcement Officer, served with great merit in his capacity as Sergeant at Arms and as a member and biennial Chairman of the United States Capitol Police Board, shepherding monumental security enhancements post September 11, 2001.

Mr. Livingood was sworn in on January 4, 1995, for the 104th Congress, making him the third longest-serving House Sergeant at Arms in United States history. Prior to 1995, Mr. Livingood was the Senior Advisor to the Director of the U.S. Secret Service, from 1989 to 1995, serving for 33 years as a special agent with the Secret Service.

Born on October 1, 1936, in Philadelphia, Mr. Livingood received a Bachelor of Science degree in Police Administration from Michigan State University. His public service began at an early age, as he served as Michigan State University's student body president in 1959. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, he was appointed as a Special Agent at the Secret Service's Dallas Field Office in 1961 and held supervisory assignments at headquarters and on several protective divisions to include the Presidential Protective Division.

In 1969, Mr. Livingood was promoted to Assistant to the Special Agent in Charge of the Presidential Protection Division. Five years later, he was promoted to Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Protective Forces. Mr. Livingood was named Special Agent in Charge of the Houston Field Office in 1982 until his appointment as Deputy Assistant Director, Office of Training in 1986. From 1988 to 1995, he served as the Senior Advisor to three Directors.

Mr. President, Mr. Livingood is known best around the world for his introduction of the President of the United States at the State of the Union address, and he is the 36th person to hold the Sergeant at Arms office since the House of Representatives first met in New York City in 1789.

Mr. Livingood served during critical, historical and tragic events that include the fatal shootings of two United States Capitol Police officers, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and the anthrax attacks the following month in 2001.

Mr. President, during his tenure, Mr. Livingood has served with great resolution, balancing security needs while maintaining open access to the ``People's House.''

Mr. President, I congratulate Mr. Livingood on his well-earned retirement.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning, Saturday, December 17, the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 257, H.R. 3630; that the majority leader be recognized to offer a Reid-McConnell substitute amendment agreed to by both leaders--a 2-month extension of the payroll tax reduction, doc fix, and unemployment insurance; that following the reporting of the amendment, the Senate proceed to vote in relation to the substitute; that there be no amendments in order to the substitute or the bill prior to the vote; that the amendment be subject to a 60-vote threshold; that if the substitute amendment is agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read the third time and passed; that if the Reid-McConnell substitute amendment is not agreed to, the majority leader be recognized; that upon the disposition of H.R. 3630, the Senate proceed to the consideration of the conference report with respect to H.R. 2055; that there be 15 minutes of debate, 5 minutes each for Senators Inouye, Cochran, and McCain; that upon the use or yielding back of time, the conference report be temporarily set aside and, notwithstanding the lack of receipt of the papers from the House with respect to H.R. 3672, the Senate proceed to the consideration en bloc of the following items: H.R. 3672, a bill regarding emergency disaster funding, and H. Con. Res. 94, a correcting resolution to provide offsets for the emergency disaster funding; that there be no amendments in order to the bill or the concurrent resolution prior to votes in relation to those measures; that following the reporting of the bill and the concurrent resolution, the Senate proceed to votes on the measures in the following order: passage of H.R. 3672, adoption of H. Con. Res. 94, and adoption of the conference report to accompany H.R. 2055, the Omnibus appropriations bill; that there be 2 minutes equally divided prior to each vote; that each of the votes be subject to a 60 affirmative vote threshold; that no motions or points of order be in order prior to the votes other than budget points of order and the applicable motions to waive; further, the cloture motion with respect to the motion to proceed to H.R. 3630 be vitiated; finally, that the House be immediately notified of the Senate's action following the votes.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that from Friday, December 16 through Monday, January 23, 2012, the majority leader be recognized to sign duly enrolled bills and joint resolutions.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9 a.m. on Saturday, December 17, 2011; 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 the consideration of Calendar No. 257, H.R. 3630, the House payroll bill that we have talked about, as provided under the previous order.

Senators should expect a series of rollcall votes tomorrow morning beginning at 9 a.m. in relation to a 2-month extension of the payroll tax, unemployment insurance, the doc fix, disaster aid, and the omnibus appropriations conference report.

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

Following leader remarks, we will be in a period of morning business for 1 hour. The Republicans will control the first half and the majority will control the final half.

Following morning business, the Senate will be in executive session, as the order of last night indicates, to consider the nomination of Morgan Christen of Alaska to be a U.S. circuit judge for the Ninth Circuit. There will be 30 minutes of debate on that nomination. At a time to be determined later today, there will be a vote on confirmation of that nomination.

We are almost certain we are going to consider today the Department of Defense authorization conference report. The issue is how much time people may need, but I think we can work that out very quickly.

Mr. President, the Republican leader and I have done enough back and forth, staking out our positions, and our positions are fairly clear to the American people. What we are going to try to do during the next few hours is work toward resolving some of the outstanding issues.

I just had a very comfortable conversation with Senator Inouye and his Appropriations chief of staff Charlie Houy, along with my chief of staff David Krone, and I think we have made pretty clear the issues that relate to the omnibus. I think, according to Senator Inouye, those issues should be resolvable. We have a few issues that are still outstanding, but they are small in number.

The House is suggesting moving forward on an individual bill. I think that would be a mistake. I think what we should do is the conference report, and I think that is the direction we are headed. There are a couple of issues we have to still work out with the White House, but I am in touch with them also.

On the payroll tax and unemployment tax extenders and SGR, the Republican leader and I have been in discussion on that issue. We hope we can come up with something that would get us out of here at a reasonable time in the next few days.

Would the Chair announce the business of the day.

Mr. President, I appreciate the courtesy of my friend, the assistant leader.

I wish to tell all the Members of the Senate that we will probably have a series of votes around 4 o'clock this afternoon.

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

Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 257, H.R. 3630.

Mr. President, I have a cloture motion at the desk.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum under rule XXII be waived.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that we now proceed to H.R. 3421.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.

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

Following that morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of S.J. Res. 10 and S.J. Res. 24. Both of these resolutions regard the balanced budget amendment. At approximately 10:45, there will be two votes on those resolutions.

We also hope to consider the Department of Defense authorization conference report today as well as the House Republican payroll tax bill.