Floor Statements

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 rise today in recognition of National Disability Employment Awareness Month. This annual observance is an opportunity for us to celebrate the achievements of people with disabilities, whose contributions to the workforce have strengthened our Nation. During the month of October, we pay tribute to these men and women while renewing our commitment to ensuring opportunity and inclusion for all Americans--regardless of their ability or disability.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month originated in 1945 when Congress designated a week in October as a time to educate the public about the employment issues facing people with disabilities. Eventually expanded to the entire month of October, the observance has become a valuable tool to enhance the American people's understanding of these issues. It is also

an important opportunity to mark the progress we have made and the steps forward yet to be taken.

Today, more people with disabilities than ever are graduating from school, participating in their communities, and succeeding in the labor market. For the tens of millions living in the United States with a disability, realizing the American dream is a real possibility that often did not exist a generation ago. I am especially heartened by the growing recognition that tapping these individuals' talent, character, and hard work is as important to the Nation's future as it is to theirs.

At the same time, we must acknowledge the sobering reality that faces too many people with disabilities, including our brave servicemembers and veterans returning from war with severe injuries and conditions. While people with disabilities have long experienced far higher unemployment rates, they are also particularly hard hit by the current economic downturn. Physical, financial, and social barriers to employment remain, as well as the discrimination and prejudice that keep some from competing in the American economy on equal footing as everyone else. Moreover, many individuals with disabilities struggle to afford good, continuous health coverage, a hardship given their intensive health care needs.

Clearly, we have much work ahead of us in order to fulfill the promise of National Disability Employment Awareness Month. I am pleased that Congress is continuing to work toward this priority, most recently with the enactment of the ADA Amendments Act and the Higher Education Opportunity Act. On behalf of all Nevadans, I look forward to building on these successes in the 111th Congress.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to S. Con. Res. 42.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid on the table, 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. Con. Res. 43.

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, and that any statements relating to the concurrent resolution be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 298.

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 that any statements relating to the resolution be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 299.

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, and that any statements relating to the resolution be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 300, which was submitted earlier today.

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 suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. President, you will note my closing script is here. I will end after 9 o'clock tonight. I think that is fairly clear.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 2 p.m., Monday, October 5; 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, and the Senate then proceed to a period of morning business until 4 p.m., with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each; that following morning business, the Senate proceed to the consideration of H.R. 2847, the Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill.

Mr. President, does the Chair agree with me, it is after 9 o'clock?

Mr. President, as previously announced, there will be no rollcall votes on Monday.

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

Madam President, following the remarks of the leaders, there will be a period of morning business for 90 minutes. The majority will control the first half and the Republicans will control the final half. Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of the Defense appropriations bill. Last night, cloture was filed on the committee-reported substitute amendment. As a result, the filing deadline for first-degree amendments is 1 p.m. today. Senators should expect rollcall votes to occur throughout the day as we work through amendments to this bill.

Mr. President, I was thinking this morning after the prayer and pledge how things in the Senate, because of tradition, rarely change. But one of the things that has changed during the time I have been in the Senate is the Pledge of Allegiance. That wasn't done before. I don't know how many years ago the pledge was started, and it doesn't matter who the leader of the Senate is, it is something I think will be with us forever in the Senate. I think it is a good tradition we picked up.

As I recall--my friend is on the Senate floor, the Republican leader--this was started during--was it Senator Frist or Dole? When was that, do you recall? It was one of the Republican leaders.

When I was president of the senate in Nevada, that was something we always did. Of course, I remember Bob Smith. I think it was a Republican leader, but, regardless, it is something that is a part of the tradition now, and I am glad we are doing it.

Mr. President, following leader remarks, the Senate will be in morning business for 1 hour; Republicans will control the first 30 minutes and the majority will control the next 30 minutes. Following that morning business, the Senate will proceed to the consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 2918, the Legislative Branch appropriations bill and the continuing resolution, with the time until 4:30 equally divided and controlled between Senators Nelson of Nebraska and Murkowski. Senators should expect a series of three rollcall votes. We hope there could even be more than that, to begin about 4:30 this afternoon.

The Senate will recess from 12:30 until 2:15 to allow for our weekly caucus luncheons.

I am sure Republican luncheons are packed with a lot of discussion. I know I had a meeting earlier this morning with a number of Senators, and we have a lot to talk about. We have the health care bill. We have to talk about energy, which is something we need to do. Regulation reform, we are going to talk about that at our caucus. And we are going to spend a little bit of time on Afghanistan.

That brings us to the point that this afternoon there is going to be a Members-only, classified briefing at 5:30 with GEN Jim Jones, the National Security Adviser to the President. The issue of dealing with Afghanistan has heated up. That is going to be there--perhaps on this bill that is before us, if not shortly thereafter--as to what we are going to do on Afghanistan.

Briefly, on health care, the committee is making progress. I am happy about that. I would say that under the Republicans' plan, insurance companies can deny coverage for a preexisting condition, because you are getting older or because you are a woman. Under their plan, insurance companies can take away your coverage when you need it the most.

Under our plan, if you like what you have, you can keep it; but if you don't, there will be affordable choices for you that cannot be taken way. We will protect Medicare, will not raise taxes on the middle class, and we are not going to add any money to the deficit.

Mr. President, I have been reminded to announce to the Senate--I talked to the Republican leader about this last week--Columbus Day is fast approaching. It is the week after next. With all the things going on here, it would not be right for us to take that week off.

What we are going to do, as I have explained to the Republican leader last week, we will be off that Monday--which is the holiday, Columbus Day--and the following Friday. To make it as convenient as we can for everyone, on Tuesday we will be in session and have a vote late that afternoon. I know that is inconvenient for others because we had indicated there would be that recess.

It is a long period of time, as I have announced on the Senate floor, 11 weeks from the time we started this work period until Thanksgiving. That is a long time when a number of us have families at home, and the work we want to try to do during the week rather than just on weekends. So I apologize to everyone.

Tuesday after Columbus Day. It is October 13.

We will vote at 5, 5:30. OK?

As I have indicated, I apologize to everyone for not being able to have that whole week off, but I think with health care, which is beginning to firm up, it would not be right for us to be gone that week. I think we should be able to start our health care work that week in the Senate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 12:30 recess be extended so that I may finish a statement.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. President, on the Senate floor this morning, there has been some debate about one of the provisions in one of the proposals that will ultimately make up the health insurance reform bill, a bill that will finally make it more affordable to live a healthy life in America. I welcome such a debate. It is an important part of a democracy. It is how we do business in the Senate. I would like to take a little time to respond.

My Republican colleagues made two primary points this morning. The first is that they were upset that we are helping the hardest hit States in the country. It is hard to comprehend, but that is what they were saying. The second is, they were upset that we want to address an urgent national problem such as the health insurance crisis.

Let's talk about them one at a time. First, Republicans are upset that we are helping the hardest hit States. The specific section they mentioned would look at all States in the Union and see which are suffering the most in our troubled economy, which citizens are suffering the most from an unhealthy health care system, and make sure these States' Medicaid Programs get the support they need to make people's lives a little easier. The four States affected are Michigan, Oregon, Rhode Island, and the State where I was born, Nevada.

Were these four States selected at random? No. Were they just picked out of a hat in the Finance Committee? No. Were they chosen to intentionally exclude 46 other States? Of course not. These States are suffering more than most, and that is an understatement. Three of the four are the top three in unemployment, and as national legislators, we know our job is to help States in precisely that position.

First, Michigan. Time magazine this week: ``The Tragedy of Detroit.'' Look at this picture. I was in Detroit a few months ago. I am not an expert on Detroit. I have been there a few times, but I was stunned by the buildings

boarded up, the streets in distress. ``How a Great City Fell.'' That is what it says in Time magazine, a major feature article. Who can say that Michigan is not bleeding? Who can say its Medicaid Program doesn't need a hand? The cover of Time magazine shows a dilapidated city, dilapidated streets with debris covering the road and windows knocked out of abandoned buildings. It looks like a ghost town.

I am pulling for Detroit. I know I am going to upset everybody here, but I was glad they beat the Redskins. They have lost so many games in a row, they needed a lift. It is not going to hurt the Redskins to be on the losing side of playing the Detroit Lions. I am pulling for the Detroit Tigers. They are a game or two ahead, and they might make it to the playoffs. Detroit needs a little boost.

If we look at this cover--windows knocked out, debris covering the roads--it is like a ghost town. The cover reads: ``The Tragedy of Detroit.'' The State of Michigan is in trouble. Even Sports Illustrated put Detroit on its cover this past week and wrote about how the city is trying to cope with its unparalleled plight. The cover stories in both these national magazines tell the distressing tale of the largest city in our most populous States, a State where unemployment is more than 15 percent. Do Senators want to come here and say Michigan doesn't need a little shot in the arm? That is higher than any State in the country. That is why we are supporting Michigan's Medicaid Program. That is what this legislation is all about in the Finance Committee that people complained about today.

Second, Oregon. Oregon's unemployment is more than 12 percent. In March the unemployment rate was 12.1 percent, and many economists said that was as bad as it could possibly get. Guess what. It got worse. Not only did the unemployment rate rise, but the rate of underemployed people in Oregon, those looking for full-time jobs who can only find part-time work, went up also. Together the unemployed and the underemployed in the great State of Oregon is almost 23 percent. Yet people are coming to the Senate floor saying Oregon doesn't deserve this little shot in the arm they get from Medicaid. Almost a quarter of the people in that State cannot find the work they want. That is why we are supporting Oregon's Medicaid Program.

Third, Rhode Island. Unemployment in that State is 12.8 percent. It has been hit very hard by job losses, foreclosures, and evictions. In fact, last month a record number of Rhode Island residents sought emergency shelter. At no month in the 219-year history of that State did more citizens seek emergency shelter than in August of this year. That is tragic, and that is why we are supporting Rhode Island's Medicaid Program. People should be embarrassed to come and complain about trying to help Michigan and trying to help Rhode Island with their Medicaid Programs.

Let's talk about Nevada. We have talked about Michigan, we have talked about Oregon, and we have talked about Rhode Island. Let's talk about my State, I repeat, where I was born, a State that was on a financial uptick for more than two decades. Well, there is not a single State in the Nation now that has felt the full force of the foreclosure crisis like Nevada. We have led the Nation in foreclosures for 31 months in a row. Let people come and complain about trying to help Medicaid recipients in Nevada.

In the nationwide housing crisis that has been both a cause and an effect of the global economic crisis, Nevada has been hit the hardest. We lead. It is nothing we are proud of, but it is true. On top of that, our unemployment rate is more than 13 percent. The people of Nevada are hurting, and I make absolutely no apologies, none, for helping people in my State and our Nation who are hurting the most.

Let me repeat, Mr. President, I make absolutely no apologies for helping Michigan, Rhode Island, Oregon, and my State of Nevada. That is why we are supporting Nevada's Medicaid Program.

In fact, that is what our entire health care debate is all about: helping those who are hurting. That is what our jobs are all about-- yours, Mr. President, and mine--looking out for our constituents who give us the incomparable honor of representing them and serving their interests.

I said this before, but it bears repeating: The price of living a healthy life in America is simply unaffordable with many people. Those with health insurance are at the whim of insurance companies that look out only for their bottom line and drop patients left and right, even when they need coverage the most.

Those without health insurance are forced to file foreclosure, go into bankruptcy, or simply succumb to curable diseases because of exorbitant costs and abusive policies. Those fortunate enough to have health insurance are already paying a hidden tax to cover those who do not. Surely, that is no way for the wealthiest and greatest Nation in the history of the world to treat its citizens. We should not do that. We have to do better.

I said I wanted to comment on two points my Republican colleagues made on the floor this morning. I have done one. The second is their objection to how this bill is moving through the Senate. They are complaining it is moving too fast. That is a subject for a Jay Leno comedy spot.

Since May 2008, the Senate Finance Committee has held 20 roundtables, summits, and hearings on their proposal for fixing our health care system. They are complaining the process is going too slowly?

If I told you the Senate Finance Committee held more than 50 meetings on their proposal for fixing our health insurance system--including more than a dozen member meetings, hundreds of hours of negotiations with the bipartisan group of six members of that committee--we have watched that on national television over the last several months--well, you could be excused, I guess, for thinking the other side is complaining that this process is moving too slowly.

If I told you the Senate Finance Committee is adding to that number as we speak, since it is now in its second week of marking up their proposal for fixing our health insurance system, you might assume the complaints are that the process should be sped up.

I could go on, Mr. President. If I told you when the HELP Committee drafted its own proposal to fix our health care system, it held 14 bipartisan roundtables, 13 bipartisan committee hearings, and 20 bipartisan walk-throughs, you might think they are complaining that this process is going too slowly. Hard to comprehend.

If I told you that committee accepted more than 160 Republican amendments on the HELP bill, you might say the same.

If I told you we have known our health care system is headed for disaster since Harry Truman was President, you might think the complaint is that we are taking too much time.

But here is the surprise: Republicans think this process is going too fast, not that it is moving too slowly. We have talked about all these hearings. Republican Senators are on the record saying they will vote against health insurance reform, even though they admit they do not need to read the bill to draw that conclusion. Pretty good. But it is just another excuse.

They have all these diversions. They come up with them: death panels, frightening people who are old in America, which is absolutely untruthful. Not a scintilla of evidence that is true. Then they came up with one: All these Democrats want to do is give insurance to illegal immigrants. Absolutely false. And there are many other red herrings they have thrown up along the way. It is just more evidence that for some on the other side there will never be a good time for health care reform--never. It is just more proof they want to defend the status quo, refuse to take care of their suffering and struggling constituents, and ignore the will of the American people. Their accusations are false, their complaints are disingenuous, and their rhetoric is dangerous.

Under the Republicans' plan, insurance companies can deny you coverage for a preexisting condition, because you are getting old or you are a woman. Under their plan, insurance companies can take away your coverage when you need it the most. They want the status quo. That is what that is.

Under our plan, if you like what you have, you can keep it, but if you do

not, there will be affordable choices for you that cannot be taken away. We will protect Medicare, we will not raise taxes on the middle class, and we will not add a dime to the deficit.

Mr. President, debates are great. But the reason--my being a trial lawyer--you have a judge determining what happens in a trial is because the judge makes sure what takes place is honest from both parties. Here we do not have that kind of a judge. So people can come to the floor and make the most false accusations, and it is up to us to explain to the American people whether what they are saying is true. Just because someone comes to this floor and says something, it does not mean it is true. And the complaint of my friends on the other side of the aisle about Michigan and Rhode Island and Oregon and Nevada getting special consideration is false.

Mr. President, I ask the Chair to put the Senate in recess at this time.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the agreement be modified so that after the first vote, the following votes be 10 minutes in duration.