Floor Statements

Mr. President, there will be up to, as I mentioned, two rollcall votes at 1:45 p.m. tomorrow.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it adjourn under the previous order, following the remarks of the distinguished junior Senator from Wyoming, and that he be recognized for up to 7 minutes.

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

Following my remarks and those of the Republican leader, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 11 a.m., with the majority controlling the first half and the Republicans controlling the final half.

At 11 a.m. the Senate will proceed to executive session to consider the nomination of Keith Harper to be a U.S. Representative to the U.N. Human Rights Council, postcloture. The time until noon will be equally divided and controlled in the usual form.

At noon there will be two rollcall votes: first on confirmation of the Harper nomination, and then there will be a cloture vote on the nomination of Sharon Bowen to be commissioner at the CFTC.

Following the votes, the Senate will be in recess until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly caucus meetings.

I yield the floor.

Recognition of the Minority Leader

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that with respect to the Harper nomination the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and President Obama be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, the time following the scheduled recess until 4 p.m. be equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees, and at 4 p.m. all postcloture time be expired and the Senate proceed to vote on confirmation of Calendar No. 755, Bowen; that following disposition of Calendar No. 755, the Senate proceed to vote on cloture on Calendar Nos. 691, Mastroianni; 692, Hendricks; 733, Chutkan in the order listed; further, that if cloture is invoked on any nomination, then, on Wednesday, June 4, 2014, at 11 a.m., all postcloture time on the nominations be expired and the Senate proceed to vote on confirmation of the nominations in the order listed; further, that following these votes, the Senate proceed to vote on cloture on Calendar No. 798, Burwell; further, that there be 2 minutes for debate prior to each of these votes, equally divided in the usual form; that any rollcall votes, following the first in each series, be 10 minutes in length; that if any nomination is confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to the nominations; that any statements related to the nominations be printed in the Record and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Madam President, with this agreement we will have four rollcall votes today at 4 p.m. and as many as four rollcall votes on Wednesday at 11 a.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to yield back the time.

Madam President, I yield back the time.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that following the cloture vote on Calendar No. 733, Chutkan, the Senate proceed to consideration of Calendar Nos. 752, 753, and 754, and the Senate proceed to vote on confirmation of the nominations in the order listed; further, that if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to the nomination; that any statements related to the nomination be printed in the Record; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Madam President, we hope and expect these three nominations to be confirmed by voice. So we expect the next rollcall vote to be the final rollcall vote of the day, and that should start in just a few seconds. The next series of rollcall votes will occur tomorrow morning at about 11 a.m.

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 5:30 p.m.

At 5:30 p.m. there will be a rollcall vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Keith Harper to be U.S. Representative to the U.N. Human Rights Council.

Caring for Veterans

Our esteemed colleague, the chairman of the Budget Committee, Patty Murray, has said, ``Caring for our veterans is the duty of a grateful nation.''

She knows of what she speaks because she led that committee in a very vibrant, positive way as chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee. I have no doubt every Member of this body agrees with the sentiment she expressed. There is a big difference between nodding one's head in approval and actually doing something to take care of our veterans.

The chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee today is Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and he is doing something to help our veterans. The junior Senator from Vermont has introduced a bill to ensure that American veterans are getting the care they need. This legislation allows veterans facing long delays in health care to seek outside help, and they can go to private doctors, community health centers or military bases. Additionally, this bill authorizes the VA to use emergency funding to hire new doctors and nurses, which are badly needed.

Senator Sanders' legislation increases accountability through the Department of Veterans Affairs, holding senior officials responsible for poor job performance. This is very good legislation. This bill will improve the manner in which the United States of America cares for its veterans, and I hope all Members will support this. In light of the shocking reports of inappropriate practices at the VA, and especially their hospitals, every Senator should support this legislation.

Last week the Veterans Affairs inspector general's office released its report detailing many troubling systemic failures which are unnecessarily putting our Nation's veterans at risk. They are so wrong, and they are putting our Nation's veterans at risk. Instead of receiving the proper care they deserve, thousands of combat veterans have been languishing on nonexistent waiting lists at a VA hospital in Arizona.

The inspector general's report declared that many of these men and women who have been relegated to health care limbo are ``at risk of being lost or forgotten.'' The brave veterans of our Nation's Armed Services should never be lost or forgotten. These soldiers went to war and pledged not to leave their brothers- and sisters-in-arms behind. Now, in their moment of need, some of our most vulnerable veterans have been left behind. We must

never allow any servicemember--past or present--to simply fall through the cracks.

Now that the Senate has returned from its State work period, we should pass Senator Sanders' bill as soon as possible, ensuring that our veterans get the care they deserve. Yet even as Senate Democrats try to improve the reliability of our veterans health care, certain Republican Members of Congress are content to scapegoat the VA. Even more disappointing is the fact that these same Republicans have, through their obstruction, deprived the VA of essential resources it needs to help veterans.

Last February Senate Republicans blocked legislation introduced by Senator Sanders which would give the VA the tools needed to meet the demands of a changing veteran population. We tried to break that filibuster. We couldn't do it. We didn't have 60 votes.

That bill would help our Nation's veterans by improving health and dental care, providing educational and employment opportunities and addressing claims backlogs. The legislation that has been introduced this week does the same. That legislation was shot down because as the junior Senator from Florida said, it had a cost issue, but that junior Senator, a Republican Senator from Florida, was correct--taking care of our Nation's wounded veterans does cost money, but it is money well spent.

Senator Rubio is not alone. The junior Senator from Alabama, along with the rest of his caucus, opposed the same bill because he didn't want to ``bust the budget.'' Republicans didn't worry about busting the budget when they initially sent our troops by the hundreds of thousands to Iraq on a credit card, the credit card of the taxpayers of America, running up--in that war alone--about $1.5 trillion in money that was borrowed.

Therein lies the problem. Republicans ignore the true cost of democracy. The lives and well-being of the brave men and women who fight to protect our way of life are part of the cost of our democracy. Instead, Republicans focus on the monetary costs only, the dollar bills, because any money going to our veterans is $1 less going to billionaires, corporations, and unnecessary tax cuts.

The American people are tired of the doublespeak coming from the Republican Party when it comes to caring for our soldiers and our veterans. If Republicans support our Nation's soldiers, then help us protect our Nation's soldiers and help us support our Nation's soldiers. Instead, there is always an excuse, some exception they find to justify prevention of them standing with America's veterans and our soldiers.

Let's give American veterans the care and attention they deserve. As the Department of Veterans Affairs works to remedy these serious shortcomings, we in Congress must do our part to help. We owe America's veterans far too much to leave them behind in their hour of need.

Eric Shinseki

I wish to say a few words about the retired Secretary, retired general, Eric Shinseki, who resigned in the wake of the Veterans Affairs' troubling performance.

General Shinseki is a very good man, a devoted, disabled combat veteran. Under his leadership the VA drastically improved its care of veterans suffering from mental illness, and they addressed the issue of veterans' homelessness. He oversaw initiatives which decreased dependence on pain killers and other drugs, addressing a problem which was crippling many combat veterans.

General Shinseki's work at the VA has also helped cut waiting times for GI benefits down to just 1 week, helping countless veterans get paid the aid they were promised. As the Secretary has done his best, I am sorry his time as head of the VA ended with his resignation, but I understand why he felt the need to step aside.

Eric Shinseki has served this country for decades: on the battlefield, as Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army, and as Secretary of Veterans Affairs. I personally thank him for his service and wish him well as he undoubtedly continues his work for America.

Reservation of Leader Time

Would the Chair announce the business of the day.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor and thank Lt. Col. Matthew Rytting for over two decades of service in the U.S. Air Force. Colonel Rytting will be retiring on June 13, 2014, and I am grateful for his service and dedication to our Nation.

Colonel Rytting's career with the U.S. Air Force has been diverse and impressive, and it has included service as a combat control team officer, an F-15C fighter pilot, an F-4 instructor pilot, a chief of flight safety, a Civil Air Patrol commander, an Air Force One advance agent responsible for logistical and security support for Presidential travel, and most recently as a UV-18B instructor pilot, director of operations and cofounder of the Wings of Blue Association at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Within just a few years of his graduation from the Air Force Academy, while serving as a combat control team officer and squadron commander during Haiti's ``Uphold Democracy,'' he led a special operations team in providing communications and air traffic control in nonpermissive environments, specializing in parachute insertion techniques. Shortly thereafter, he won accolades as the top Air Force graduate in undergraduate pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi. His many accomplishments since then include Distinguished Graduate of the Air Force's Squadron Officer School, Top- Wingman Awards in Singapore and Alaska as an F-15C Pilot, a Chief of Staff of the Air Force Safety Award in May 2007, Outstanding Graduate in the top 1 percent of his class from the U.S. Air Force Air War College, a Civil Air Pilot Meritorious Service Award, and a Big Brothers Big Sisters Big Brother of the Year Award in Fairbanks, AK.

Colonel Rytting's many accomplishments serve as a representation of his strong sense of duty and commitment to our great Nation. I am particularly impressed by Colonel Rytting's commitment to enhancing the capabilities of our Nation's airmen, both through investigating catastrophic aircraft mishaps in order to prevent future losses and through devoting years of service to the instruction of students and airmen in employing their aircraft and supporting joint, coalition and multinational forces. As recently as 2013, as a safety officer and a BD-700 instructor pilot in Afghanistan, Colonel Rytting trained pilots on how to provide the needed airborne communication bridges to ground forces entrenched in enemy areas, ultimately saving American lives. He also instructed German Luftwaffe students in F-4 basic flight and air- to-air combat at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, led successful safety programs for 250 aircrew at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska, established a facility to train combat aircrews in advanced techniques at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, and directed 19,000 skydives and 2,400 accident-free flight hours annually for the U.S. Air Force's parachute team Wings of Blue. Throughout his time in the Air Force, Colonel Rytting set a wonderful example for his family and for the men and women who served with him in the Air Force. His commitment to the United States and his leadership within the Air Force is truly commendable.

Colonel Rytting was proud to serve our country, and today I am proud to thank Colonel Rytting for his service to this Nation. I congratulate him on his well-earned retirement.

Mr. President, I now move to proceed to Calendar No. 384, S. 2363, which is 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 1:45 today, with the time until then equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or our designees, with the majority controlling the first 30 minutes and the Republicans the second 30 minutes. Additionally, Senator Leahy will control the final 5 minutes and Senator Paul will control the 5 minutes prior to that.

At 1:45 p.m. there will be two rollcall votes. The first vote will be on confirmation of the nomination of David Barron to be U.S. circuit judge for the First Circuit, and the second vote will be on the adoption of the conference report to accompany H.R. 3060, the WRRDA bill.

Tax Extenders

This week Senate Republicans voted against tax cuts that most of them have said they like. The legislation is widely applauded around the country. I have a letter from 152 different entities that say they love this legislation, and they said it should pass, two of which are the Chamber of Commerce, which is certainly no leftwing group, and the National Association of Manufacturers--the same--and there are scores of others. It seems the only Republicans who do not want this tax cut are the Republicans in Congress. Republicans around the country want these tax cuts, Democrats want these tax cuts, and so do Independents.

This legislation is very important because it would bolster nearly every segment of our society. It helps students and teachers, workers and employers, American families and businesses, all while saving money and growing our economy.

These 152 organizations that signed this letter to me are pleading with the Senate to extend these tax provisions because not doing so would ``inject instability and uncertainty into our economy.''

Republicans say the reason they voted against the bill is because they want to vote on amendments. Yet the only amendment they have identified was a poison pill amendment. Of course, what was the subject matter? Their favorite subject--ObamaCare. It has nothing to do with the extenders.

But we have seen this game play out before. The Senate is not going to vote on ``gotcha'' amendments designed to score political points. This legislation is too important. I have said all along that I am willing to undertake reasonable, germane amendments. That is certainly appropriate. That is what they did in the Finance Committee. They had an extended markup of this bill in the Finance Committee. The rule they have there is that amendments have to be germane. That rule applied to this bill, as it should, and that is what should be applied here on the floor.

So if Republican Senators can come up with a list of reasonable, germane amendments, I am more than happy to return to the tax extenders bill. Those are amendments I would not pick. They always say: Well, Reid is picking our amendments.

Those are their amendments. They can file reasonable, germane amendments. There are a multitude of amendments they could offer.

So let's see if Republicans want to get something done on this legislation. We can debate back and forth on the finer points of Senate procedure endlessly, as has happened around here in the last 5\1/2\ years. But at the end of the day it comes down to a simple question: Do you want to get something done for the middle class? Do you want

to get something done for business? Or do you want to impose more gridlock and obstruction and delay for the sake of delay?

We are here because we want to get something done for the middle class. That is how we feel on this side of the aisle. It is a shame my Republican colleagues cannot say the same.

Reservation of Leader Time

Madam President, I ask the courtesy of the Senator from Nevada to do a brief unanimous consent request.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that following the vote on H.R. 3080, the WRRDA legislation, the Senate proceed to the consideration of Executive Calendar No. 638, the Frank nomination, and vote on confirmation thereof; further, that there be 2 minutes for debate prior to the vote, equally divided in the usual form; further, that if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action of debate; that no further motions be in order to the nomination; that any statements related to the nomination be printed in the Record; that President Obama be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate resume legislative session.

Madam President, with this agreement, at 1:45 p.m., there could be as many as three rollcall votes; however, we expect only two rollcall votes.

I appreciate again the courtesy of my friend from Nevada.

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

There have been a number of inquiries and statements made today, one by the Chamber of Commerce, saying the reason that Stanley Fischer, the Vice Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, hasn't been done is because of me. Try that one on for size.

That is what happens around here. Here is a man who has been approved with a very strong vote, a strong vote, bipartisan vote, to be a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. He is eminently qualified, nationally and internationally. You can't become vice chair until you become a member of the board.

Janet Yellen has called, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, and said: It would really be important. He has administrative duties that we need his help with.

So I have made inquiry with my Republican colleagues: Why don't we do him? We have already approved him. But we have a situation around here where no one gets approved. We will eat up time, this will take hours-- wasted time--and then we will approve him. In the meantime, all we do is eat up the taxpayers' time.

Anyway, without further dialog from me, I would simply say that the Chamber of Commerce and others should understand every person on this side of the aisle would approve him in a second. I would do it by unanimous consent. I would have a vote as soon as we can, which, without having filed cloture, wouldn't be until we get back a week from Monday.

Unanimous Consent Request--Calendar No. 767

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 767, the nomination of Stanley Fischer

to be Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System for a term of 4 years; that the nomination be confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to the nomination; that any related statements be printed in the Record; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate then resume legislative session.

May the Record be spread that Harry Reid, who is being blamed for this nomination not being put forward, is not at fault. I don't mind taking the fall for some things--and I probably have deserved a few things--but not this.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Madam President, there is a cloture motion at the desk on this matter.

I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum under rule XXII be waived.

I now move to proceed to legislative session.