Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to Calendar No. 43, S. Res. 90.

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. 101.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 102.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 103.

Mr. President, this resolution concerns a request for testimony in a whistle-blower protection case against the Department of the Navy in which a civilian Navy employee is appealing an adverse employment action before the Merit Systems Protection Board. The employee is alleging that the Navy retaliated against him for protected whistle-blowing activities about alleged waste in Navy programs.

Among the whistle-blowing activities that the employee relies on is a brief meeting that representatives of a Navy contracting firm had with staff of the Virginia Senate delegation in February 2008 about their firm's work on an energy management contract that the employee managed for the Navy.

The Navy has requested that the Senate make available through written declaration staff who can testify about whether the employee's allegations were raised at the meeting in order to establish whether that meeting constituted protected whistle-blowing activities.

Senator Webb would like to cooperate with this request. Accordingly, this resolution would authorize Jamie Lynch, a former fellow with Senator Webb's office, to testify. The resolution would also authorize production of relevant documents, except where a privilege should be asserted.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution and preamble be agreed to en bloc, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action.

Mr. President, it is my understanding that H.R. 1256 has been received from the House and is now at the desk.

I would ask for its first reading.

Mr. President, I now ask for its second reading but object to my own request.

Mr. President, as in executive session, I ask unanimous consent that the injunction of secrecy be removed from the following treaty transmitted to the Senate on April 2, 2009, by the President of the United States:

Annex VI to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (Treaty Document No. 111-2).

I further ask unanimous consent that the treaty be considered as having been read the first time; that it be referred, with accompanying papers, to the Committee on Foreign Relations and ordered to be printed; and that the President's message be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the recess or adjournment of the Senate, the President of the Senate, the President of the Senate pro tempore, and the majority and minority leaders be authorized to make appointments to commissions, boards, conferences or interparliamentary conferences authorized by law, by concurrent action of the two Houses or by order of the Senate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding an adjournment of the Senate, the Senate committees may file reported legislation and executive calendar business on Thursday, April 16, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to H. Con. Res. 93.

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

Mr. President, I now move to proceed to Calendar No. 28, S. 386. With it, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

I ask unanimous consent the mandatory quorum be waived.

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, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 2 p.m., Monday, April 20, under the provisions of H. Con. Res. 93; 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 resume consideration of the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 28, S. 386, the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009.

Mr. President, under the previous order, there will be a series of up to four rollcall votes beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Monday.

Mr. 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 leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of the budget resolution. Under an agreement reached last evening, 20 hours of statutory time remains, with the time equally divided between the minority and the majority. Rollcall votes are expected to occur throughout the day. Senators will be notified as soon as votes are scheduled.

As a reminder, when all statutory time expires on the budget resolution, additional amendments can be offered and immediately voted upon. Therefore, Thursday's session could extend into the night.

The two managers of the bill, Senator Conrad and Senator Gregg, have gone through this process many times. It is my understanding that they have suggested to me and Senator McConnell that we start voting sometime this afternoon. There could be as many as 10 votes at that time. We will continue working with the managers. I will notify and communicate with the Republican leader throughout the day.

Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote, and I move to lay that motion on the table.

The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.