Floor Statements

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 4; 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, and the Senate then proceed to a period for the transaction of morning business for debate only until 12 p.m., with Senators permitted to speak 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 30 minutes and the Republicans controlling the next 30 minutes; further, that the filing deadline for all second-degree amendments to S. 493 be at 11 a.m.; finally, I ask unanimous consent that the cloture vote with respect to S. 493 occur at 12 p.m. on Wednesday.

Madam President, there will be up to two rollcall votes at noon tomorrow. The first rollcall vote will be on the motion to invoke cloture on S. 493, the small business jobs bill. If cloture is not invoked on the bill, the Senate will immediately proceed to a rollcall vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of John McConnell to be a U.S. District Judge for the District of Rhode Island.

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, following any leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 4:30 p.m. today. Following that morning business, the Senate will be in executive session to consider Calendar No. 74, Roy Bale Dalton, of Florida, to be U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Florida; Calendar No. 76, Kevin Hunter Sharp, of Tennessee, to be U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Tennessee.

There will be an hour of debate, equally divided and controlled between Senators Leahy and Grassley or their designees.

At 5:30 this evening, there will be a rollcall vote on the Sharp nomination. The Dalton nomination will be confirmed by unanimous consent.

Mr. President, late last night, we learned the news we have been longing to hear since the worst morning in our memory: an American operation brought Osama bin Laden to justice. This was an American mission ordered by President Obama and accomplished by America's brave and brilliant military and intelligence professionals.

Last night's news stunned the world. But this operation's success should surprise no one. America's special forces and intelligence operatives are the best--the best trained, the best equipped, the best led.

Every day of every year they risk their lives for our sake, for our safety. They are the most professional and proficient forces on the planet. Yesterday, they brought down the most wanted mass murderer on Earth. Their success is the most significant victory yet in the fight against al-Qaida and terrorism and sends a strong and unmistakable message to terrorists who threaten our country, our people, and our interests.

This success is a direct result of President Obama's leadership and the national security priorities he outlined when he took office and the green light he gave our forces this weekend. President Obama insisted that we refocus on Afghanistan and Pakistan as the central battlefields in our fight against terrorism.

Those tremendous military, diplomatic, intelligence, and economic efforts are the reason we woke up this morning in a world that is no longer home to Osama bin Laden. But the end of his life is not the end of the fight. Yesterday's operation is indeed a measure of justice, but it is only one measure of justice. Absolutely it is a definitive victory, but it does not define absolute victory. America welcomes the success of our fellow citizens' extraordinary mission.

Even as we breathe a sigh of relief, though, we are not relieved of our duty to be vigilant, to be persistent and defeat our enemy and to make our Nation stronger. The leader of al-Qaida is gone, but his organization is not. We know our enemy is widespread and motivated. The truth is, it may be more motivated today then it was yesterday.

Our troops continue to fight. Our intelligence professionals continue to work. Their families continue to sacrifice. We continue to support all of them and support each other.

We also pause today to, once again, lend a shoulder to those whose grief

never ends, not with time, not with bin Laden's demise, not ever. This significant measure of justice is but a small measure of comfort for those who lost loved ones in America and around the world, in New York and Virginia and Pennsylvania, aboard the USS Cole, and in American Embassies in Africa, on trains in London and Madrid, and in so many other places.

Bin Laden's death does not bring back the thousands of innocent people his thugs killed or make whole families who will be forever incomplete. But it is an important milestone that reminds the world America does not suffer the wicked and will not submit to evil. Our resolve is strengthened when it is challenged and our unity, though it too is often tested, is unbreakable.

Because of the hard work of courageous Americans and our military, intelligence, diplomatic, and law enforcement communities, a long evil chapter in our Nation's history closed yesterday. Today, we welcome the spring of a new optimism and renewed patriotism. The chapter now behind us ended with justice. We hope the chapter ahead of us will bring security and peace.

Work Continues

While the Nation and the world absorb this crucial development, the work of the Senate continues. Today, we begin a new month and a new work period and a new opportunity to come together to create jobs. I hope this month will be a productive month. There are several important and time-sensitive items on our plate. One, I hope to wrap up the small business jobs bill. This has been on the floor for weeks and weeks and weeks--far too long--and we need to resolve it so we can move on to other matters.

Two, we will have the same debate in the Senate that the American people are having at home; that is, the question of whether we should keep giving away money to oil companies that clearly do not need taxpayer handouts. That will be part of a larger debate we will continue having about how best to reduce our reliance on foreign oil and invest better and smarter in clean energy.

Three, we will vote on the House-passed budget. A majority of the House has embraced it, a majority of the American people have rejected it, and the Senate will soon have its say.

Finally, we will confirm judicial nominees, many of whom we have waited a long time for in the Senate. If the minority forces us to file cloture on those nominees in order to get a final vote, I will file cloture. I think it is too bad if we get involved in this with trial court judges. We cannot waste any more time or play these games for a longer period of time. The country needs these empty benches filled.

We also have other nominations to confirm, including the Attorney General's top Deputy, No. 1 Deputy, Jim Cole. The Deputy Attorney General runs the day-to-day operations of the Department of Justice. He is also the person who signs the critical warrants to permit our intelligence officials to conduct surveillance on suspected terrorists. But he cannot do that unless the Senate confirms him. So we must do that soon.

Especially given last night's developments, it is unthinkable that partisanship and legislative ploys would keep a well-qualified nominee out of this important national security role.

A moment ago we began this remarkable new day in the Senate the same way we begin every day in session. We begin it with the Pledge of Allegiance to our flag. Its closing words were the powerful closing words of President Obama's address to the Nation last night. Their meaning is even more profound today, the first day of this new era.

The words ``liberty and justice for all'' represent America's purpose. This weekend, in the name and pursuit of liberty, heroic Americans halfway around the world secured justice for an evil man's victims, for the survivors of his terror, for Americans, their allies, and the entire world. ``Liberty and justice for all.''

Mr. President, what is the pending business?

Mr. President, at the beginning of this Congress, we entered into an agreement with the minority. One of the things we wanted to do was to make sure there was a process for allowing amendments to bills. We have had the small business jobs bill on the calendar for weeks. I believe this is the fifth week this bill has been around. We have had votes on a lot of amendments. But each time we think we can see the way to closure, my friends on the other

side of the aisle come forward with other amendments, making it impossible for us to move forward on this bill that creates jobs. It is a jobs bill.

I do not know how much more good faith we can show than what we have shown. Before the recess, we had, I think, nine amendments. We said: OK, let's vote on these. Senator Snowe from Maine objected because she wanted to have a vote on a bill on which the chairman of the Small Business Committee said there had not even been a hearing.

We spent days working on an agreement to have votes on amendments to the small business bill to get us closer to passage. Included in this agreement was a Cornyn amendment having absolutely nothing--no relevance--nothing being germane to this bill. We had one from Senator Hutchison--same thing--dealing with health care. It has nothing to do with this legislation that is before the Senate.

We had all kinds of amendments. Very few had anything to do with the subject matter of the legislation. During the course of many weeks of debating the bill, we made efforts to accommodate Senator Snowe and the rest of the Republicans on amendments, but there has been no way of ending this, so we are going to file cloture tonight.

We had a vote on another amendment offered by Senator Snowe. She has already had one vote on this amendment, as well as multiple Republican amendments, nearly all of which, I repeat, have nothing to do with this underlying bill.

In light of the accommodation of extraneous amendments, it is difficult for me to understand why we cannot finish debate on this bill. But, obviously, the Republicans feel differently. We have been more than fair. We should be able to reach agreement on considering the remaining amendments and voting on final passage, but that is not what the Republican leader said is going to happen. I am sure he will tell his Senators we need more amendments and will vote to not allow cloture to take place.

There is only a limited amount of time we can spend on this legislation. We believe jobs is the key to what we do in the Senate. That is why I worked hard to get the FAA bill done and a bill dealing with patents, to get that bill done, because they create about 750,000, 800,000 jobs. This bill would create thousands of jobs. But I guess my friends on the other side of the aisle are more interested in messages than they are trying to get something done that will be good for the American people. So I have to file cloture on this bill.

I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk dealing with John McConnell.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that it be in order at this time to waive the mandatory quorums under rule XXII with respect to both cloture motions.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now resume legislative session.

Mr. President, I hope, as I mentioned this morning, we are not in a situation where we have to file cloture on district court judges. That is a little much. I filed cloture on this because I couldn't get agreement not to do it, but I hope we don't have to have cloture on all the district court judges whom somebody has some concern about.

This is a very good man. Morally his record is impeccable. As a lawyer, he is certainly one of the two or three best lawyers in the State of Rhode Island, and I would hope we could get this done on Wednesday when this cloture motion ripens.

Mr. President, as in executive session, I ask unanimous consent that the injunction of secrecy be removed from the following treaties transmitted to the Senate on May 2, 2011, by the President of the United States:

Protocols 1, 2, and 3 to the South Pacific Free Zone Treaty, which is document No. 112-2. Protocols I and II, to the African Nuclear-Weapon- Free Zone Treaty, document No. 112-3.

I further ask that the treaties be considered as having been read the first time; that they be referred, with accompanying papers, to the Committee on Foreign Relations and ordered to be printed; and that the President's messages in regard to both be printed in the Record.

I understand, Mr. President, you are going to make a report to the Senate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 3; 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, the Senate proceed to a period of morning business until 5 p.m. for debate only, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each, with the first hour equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees, with the Republicans controlling the first 30 minutes and the majority controlling the next 30 minutes; and, finally, the Senate recess from 12:30 until 2:15 p.m. for their weekly caucus meetings.

Mr. President, we are working with the Republican leader on a resolution commending the Armed Forces and the intelligence community regarding the death of Osama bin Laden. We may have a rollcall vote on adoption of this resolution tomorrow afternoon.

Mr. President, 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 any leader remarks, the Senate will be in morning business until we receive the continuing resolution papers from the House of Representatives; therefore, the time until 2 p.m. will be equally divided and controlled between the two parties. Once the resolution arrives, there will be three rollcall votes in relation to the two correcting resolutions regarding health care reform and Planned Parenthood and passage of the long-term continuing resolution. It looks as though the House will vote around 4 p.m. We thought it would be earlier, but that time has slipped. Senators will be notified when we schedule the votes.

People can come and talk all they want. I am very appreciative of everybody in the Senate--Democrats, Republicans--that we were able to get the consent agreement to move forward after we get the papers from the House. If there were ever an issue that has been talked to death, it is this resolution. I think everyone realizes we have talked about this long enough. If anyone has anything to say before 2 o'clock about this or anything else, you are welcome to come to the Senate floor. There will be no debate. These papers will arrive, and we will vote on them as quickly as we can.

Would the Chair announce morning business, please.