Floor Statements

Mr. President, with 100,000 troops fighting on the front lines of our battle against terrorists in Afghanistan, the stakes could not be higher. That's why I was pleased that President Obama chose a proven leader for our forces in Afghanistan in GEN David Petraeus.

General Petraeus is the right choice to lead this mission in Afghanistan. He has demonstrated that he can effectively carry out a counterinsurgency strategy and prepare local forces to take over the U.S. combat mission.

The resounding bipartisan support that General Petraeus received in the Armed Services Committee and on the Senate floor sends the right message to our forces on the ground in Afghanistan, our allies who share our mission of defeating terrorism and the enemies who seek to harm us.

It says that we are committed to success in Afghanistan and we will continue to take the fight to the Taliban. And it also says that we will continue to work to transfer responsibility to Afghan forces--with the recognition that our commitment in Afghanistan is not open-ended.

As our Commander in Chief, President Obama must have a military and civilian team that has his full confidence, and with General Petraeus' confirmation, he now has that team in place.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the cloture vote on the motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 4213 with amendment No. 4425 occur at 8 o'clock tonight, and that any time until then be equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees; that upon the conclusion of this vote, if cloture is not invoked, the majority leader be recognized to enter a motion to reconsider the vote by which cloture was not invoked; that upon the conclusion of this vote, the Senate then proceed en bloc to the consideration of Calendar No. 455, H.R. 5623, and H.R. 5569, which is at the desk; that the bills be read a third time, passed, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table en bloc; that any statements relating to these measures be printed in the Record with no intervening action or debate.

Does the Senator from Texas wish to speak?

We will have the vote start at about 3 after 8. Is that OK?

That will give the Senator time to talk.

Yes. I was able to work that out with Senator Landrieu a short time ago so we could do that now.

OK. I was very anxious to get it done. So we can start the vote at 8 o'clock, if the Senator gets through speaking.

Mr. President, I originally said 8:03. I ask unanimous consent that the vote begin now.

Mr. President, I enter a motion to reconsider the vote by which cloture was not invoked.

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider Calendar Nos. 802 to and including 808, 811, 900, 901, 903, 963, 965 to and including 992, and all nominations on the Secretary's desk in the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy; that the nominations be confirmed en bloc and motions to reconsider be laid on the table en bloc; that no further motions be in order and any statements relating to the nominations be printed in the Record, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate resume legislative session.

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, my friend the Republican leader knows full well that everything in the so-called extenders package was paid for. It was paid for because it was the right thing to do. We, as a Congress--Democrats and Republicans--have always extended unemployment benefits because it is an emergency. President Reagan did it for almost 3 years. President Bush did it for a couple years. It has been going on on a bipartisan basis when times are tough in America.

This is only an excuse the Republicans have. We only needed one more Republican to get this done. And I so appreciate the two good Senators from Maine for recognizing that these people who are unemployed deserve this.

Mark Zandi, John McCain's chief economic adviser, said that for every $1 spent on someone who is unemployed with unemployment compensation, $1.61 is returned.

For people to talk about, there are jobs out there and that all they have to

do is go look for them--for every job in America, there are five people looking for that job. It is better than it was. Just a short time ago, it was one job for every six job applicants.

So I understand and I think the American people understand what the Republicans are doing, and I object.

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

Madam President, following leader remarks, the Senate will turn to a period of morning business, with Senators allowed to speak for up to 10 minutes each. The majority will control the first 30 minutes, the Republicans will control the next 30 minutes. Following leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to H.R. 5297, the small business jobs bill. The Senate will recess from 12:30 until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly caucus luncheons. At 2:15, the Senate will proceed to a rollcall vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to the Small Business Jobs Act.

Madam President, H.R. 5175 is at the desk and due for a second reading.

Madam President, I would object to any further proceedings at this time.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

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

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

Mr. President, it is my understanding the matter before the Senate is the bill that was just announced a few minutes ago; is that correct, the small business jobs bill?

On behalf of Senators Baucus and Landrieu, I call up their substitute amendment which is at the desk.

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

I ask for the yeas and nays.

I have a first-degree amendment at the desk.

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

I ask for the yeas and nays.

I have a second-degree amendment at the desk.

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

I have an amendment to the bill at the desk.

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

I ask for the yeas and nays.

I have a second-degree amendment at the desk.

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

I have a motion to commit with instructions at the desk.

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

I ask for the yeas and nays.

I have an amendment to the instructions at the desk.

I ask that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

I ask for the yeas and nays on the amendment.

I have a second-degree amendment to the instructions at the desk.

Mr. President, in jest, I said to my Republican friends that I had kind of practiced this because we hadn't filled up the tree much at all. I say that seriously. We have had an open process here. You can compare it to what went on in the previous Congress, and it has been very open. I hope we can get into an amendment process. We will go back and forth. We will try to have some amendments that will strengthen this bill. This is a bipartisan bill, as indicated by the vote that took place to get us to this. The Republicans were given this amendment last night. They have had ample opportunity to look it over. If they have things they want to do to try to improve it, we on this side of the aisle want to approach this on a bipartisan basis. This is a jobs bill to create jobs where most jobs are created, by small businesses, as 85 percent of all jobs are created by small business. That is why we are here focused on this today. I hope this doesn't become a partisan exercise. It should not. The Small Business Committee has operated for a long time on a bipartisan basis. Snowe was chairman, Landrieu was the ranking member. Now it is just the opposite. Senator Baucus and Senator Grassley have always worked on a bipartisan basis. I hope we can move forward on this matter.

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

Mr. President, I ask the Chair to lay before the Senate a message from the House with respect to H.R. 4213.

The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message from the House of Representatives:

Motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate

amendment with an amendment to H.R. 4213, an act to amend the

Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend certain expiring

provisions, and for other purposes.

I ask unanimous consent that the motion to refer be withdrawn.

I ask unanimous consent that the motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 4213 with the Baucus amendment 4386 be withdrawn.

I now move to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 4213 with an amendment which is at the desk.

I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

I now have a second-degree amendment at the desk.

I have a cloture motion on the motion to concur at the desk and ask that it be stated.

I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum be waived.

I have a motion to refer with instructions at the desk, and I ask that that motion be stated.

I now ask for the yeas and nays.

I have an amendment to the instructions at the desk.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

I now have a second-degree amendment at the desk.

Mr. President, I now 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, as in executive session, I ask unanimous consent that on Wednesday, June 30, following morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 963, the nomination of GEN David Petraeus, and that there be 20 minutes of debate with respect to the nomination, with the time equally divided and controlled between Senators Levin and McCain or their designees; that upon the use or yielding back of time, the Senate proceed to vote on confirmation of the nomination; that upon confirmation, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate then resume legislative session.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of H. Con. Res. 285.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent 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 this matter be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 554.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Foreign Relations Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 564 and that the Senate now take up that matter.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to S. Con. Res. 65.

I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.

I ask unanimous consent to proceed to S. Res. 574.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution and preamble be agreed to en bloc, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table en bloc.