Floor Statements

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a fellow in the office of Senator Al Franken, Karen Saxe, be granted floor privileges from July 7, 2014, to July 31, 2014.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 495, which was submitted earlier today.

I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid on the table, with no intervening action or debate.

I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 496.

I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid on the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 8, 2014; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, 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 for 1 hour, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each, with the majority controlling the first 30 minutes and the Republicans controlling the final 30 minutes; that following morning business, the Senate resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S. 2363, the Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act, postcloture; further, that the Senate recess from 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly caucus meetings; and finally, that all time during adjournment, recess, and morning business count postcloture.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it adjourn under the provisions of S. Res. 496 as a further mark of respect to the memory of the late Alan John Dixon, former U.S. Senator from the State of Illinois.

Mr. President, I now move to proceed to Calendar No. 384, S. 2363, the Hagan Sportsmen's legislation.

Mr. President, following my remarks and those of the Republican leader, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until noon, with the time equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees.

Order of Procedure

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the previous order with respect to the Krause nomination be modified so that the Senate will proceed to executive session at 11:45 a.m. and vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the Krause nomination, with all previous provisions remaining in effect.

At 11:45 a.m., the Senate will vote on the nomination of Cheryl Ann Krause to be U.S. circuit judge, and that will be a cloture vote. She has been nominated by the President for the Third Circuit.

At 1:45 p.m., we will confirm several additional nominations, but we expect to have only one rollcall vote at that time.

Measure Placed on the Calendar

Mr. President, H.R. 3301, I am told, is due for a second reading; is that true?

Mr. President, I object to any other proceedings at this time.

Mr. President, the late comedian Leslie Nielsen said: ``Doing nothing is very hard to do . . . you never know when you're finished.'' Perhaps that is the case with the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. They just don't know when to finish doing nothing on immigration reform.

Today marks the 365th day that the tea party-driven House of Representatives has sat on their hands refusing to fix our broken immigration system. The Senate was able to pass immigration reform 52 weeks ago because both Democrats and Republicans in the Senate understood the urgent need to amend our Nation's immigration laws. Yet for 12 months--52 weeks--radical Republicans in the House have refused to address the real issues affecting the

American immigration system. Instead of obsessing over the President's deportation policies, they should pass this legislation. They have made it clear they will not act on immigration reform until they can trust the President--whatever that means--to enforce the law.

The bill that passed the Senate 52 weeks ago has the most stringent border security measures in the history of the world. What we have agreed to do with the border is unbelievable. So any complaint about border security is just not well taken.

It appears to me the Republicans want more deportations and more families torn apart. Do they also want more debt? Immigration reform will reduce the debt by $1 trillion. Is the immigration platform by the extremists in the Republican Party to deport first and find solutions later or never? I guess that is what it is.

Recently, Republican Congressman Darrell Issa circulated a letter demanding that President Obama end a program that prevents young people with longstanding ties to America from being deported. He offers no plan to solve our Nation's immigration quandary or to keep families together--just more deportations.

There is not anyone who believes this country can fiscally or physically deport 11 million people. The bill Congress passed many years ago in 1985--I guess is when it was--didn't work. It allowed people to come here without proper documentation. We tried a program, and it simply hasn't worked--employer sanctions. It doesn't matter how we got to where we are; we have to change things. We must have comprehensive immigration reform. Again, Congressman Issa offers no plan to solve our Nation's immigration quandary or keep families together--just more deportations. They are running out of excuses. Congressman Issa and Republicans have gone so far as to turn a humanitarian crisis at our Nation's southern border into a political game.

The people coming from Central America to America are trying to escape a war-torn and poverty-ridden country. Yesterday, the Republicans reached a new low by accusing these kids--some of them 3 years old--of lying about the reason they have come to the United States. They are fleeing violence, extreme poverty, and they are coming because they are scared. They are afraid. These children are vulnerable and need to be reunited with their parents, and that is what we are trying to do.

Our Nation cannot deport our way out of this problem. Immigration reform is about families, and we are not the Republican-dominated House of Representatives. We, as a nation, value families and see the family structure as a cornerstone of our communities.

Undocumented immigrants, regardless of how they got here and why they lack the proper documentation, are our neighbors and our classmates. As I have just explained, there are 11 million people, and they play a crucial part in our economy and the communities where they live. I don't know why the House Republicans don't realize that. If they did, they would be working to fix our immigration system.

Waiting 52 weeks? They have done nothing for 365 days. They claim to be working on jobs bills and legislation to reduce the debt. If that is the case, why don't they do something about raising the minimum wage? Why don't they do something about extended unemployment benefits? Why don't they do something about making it so my daughter, my wife, and daughters and wives and mothers all over America get paid for doing the same work men do? That would be good for the economy. How about student debt. Why don't they do something about the debt students have--$1.3 trillion.

Yesterday or the day before Senator Durbin spoke about a company that went bankrupt. They have one school in Nevada. It is a for-profit school that has been ripping off young men and women--some not so young--for years. Senator Durbin said more than 90 percent of all the income that institution got came from Federal loans, and the default rate is extremely high. Why don't we do something about student debt?

The fact is the Senate-passed immigration bill reduces the deficit and spurs the economy more than all the House bills currently awaiting Senate action combined.

I urge my Republican friends and the Republican leadership in the House to stop doing nothing and bring immigration reform to a vote.

As the comedian said: ``Doing nothing is very hard to do . . . you never know when you're finished.'' Maybe that is the problem with them. Perhaps now is the time for newly appointed House majority leader Kevin McCarthy, who comes from Bakersfield, in the State of California, where comprehensive immigration reform is certainly necessary, to take a position on immigration reform. Will he bring the Senate-passed bill to a vote? If not, what does he propose?

Republicans in the House have a choice of allowing a vote on commonsense immigration reform in July or certainly be the ones to blame for not doing it. There is certainly a lot of blame to go around, and it is all focused in one direction.

The Republicans in the House have wasted enough time already. Bring this legislation before the House for a vote. It would pass overwhelmingly. I would bet we could get a majority of the Republican votes, and of course it would get 90 percent of the Democratic votes over there. It has enough bipartisan support to pass. So let it come up for consideration. This is a democracy. Let them have a vote. Americans want us to fix this Nation's broken immigration system. So let's do it and do it now.

Recognition of the Minority Leader

Madam President, as the distinguished Republican leader has said, this body--the U.S. Senate--has lost a member of its family, Tennessean Howard Baker.

We know of his long and distinguished career. He served three terms in the Senate. He served as minority leader and ended his career as majority leader. He was an earnest man and worked with any and all Members of this body in passing legislation for the good of America.

As the Republican leader has mentioned, he worked under the direction of President George W. Bush as Ambassador to Japan. He was President Reagan's Chief of Staff. He was someone who could do everything.

He was well liked by Democrats and Republicans. He was a fine man. I did not know him as well as my colleague the Republican leader or of course the two sitting Tennessee Senators.

He enjoyed an illustrious career in public service and it was accomplished, everyone said, by his hard work. He loved foreign affairs and did a great job. He was motivated by his heartfelt desire to do good in the world. Our thoughts go to his family and his wife, whom I had the good fortune to serve with.

I do say this: The two fine men who now serve in the Senate from Tennessee, I am confident, learned a lot from Howard Baker because the senior Senator from Tennessee is also a person who wants to try to work things out. The junior Senator from Tennessee and I have had many conversations. I believe he also wants to be someone who works things out.

So my sympathy goes to Senator Baker's family and friends, especially the two Senators from Tennessee, who I am sure are heartbroken as a result of the loss of their mentor, friend, one of the great people to come out of Tennessee, and there have been plenty.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

I yield back the time.

I ask unanimous consent that the time be yielded back.

I ask unanimous consent that the time be yielded back.

I ask unanimous consent that the time be yielded back.

I ask unanimous consent that the time be yielded back.

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

Madam President, it is always rewarding to see people go on to bigger and better pursuits in their careers, unless, of course, we depend on them. And for almost my entire time as majority leader here in this body, one of the people I have depended on is Meredith Mellody. Isn't that a great name, Meredith Mellody. She has been an important part of the Democratic floor staff for that entire time.

For 8 years she has been here in the Senate, working late hours on the floor, sending me, among other things, the wrapup--she did that for a while--what happened during the day. It is tedious, but it is important, and we did it every day. She has been in the cloakroom making sure the wheels of this body continue turning. She comes from a political family. She comes, as I recall, from Scranton.

Anyway, I am grateful for her hard work and her dedication over the years. We all depend on her and have depended on her, and we are very thankful for her service.

She is leaving the Senate to pursue opportunities in the private sector, and that is important. But the main reason she is leaving--that I don't question, anyway, recognizing this is very important to her, and it is probably one of the most important things she has ever done-- if not the most important--she is going to get married. I have already congratulated her.

But it is really sad to see these people who have become a part of our family go. She is going to be successful in

her future endeavors in the private sector.

I certainly wish you, Meredith, the best in the future. You are a wonderful person. You are kind, thoughtful, and considerate always. You are never rude to anyone. And the pressure that is on each of you to do this yesterday, do it right now, and do it sooner than you are capable of doing it--you have always been polite and never rude to anyone.

So I am grateful to you for your service to the Senate and, in doing that, your service to the country.

I note the absence of a quorum.

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

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

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. 2076, Calendar No. 375.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Boozman amendment at the desk be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 431, S. 1799.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Coons substitute amendment, which is at the desk, be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 439, H.R. 2388.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.