Floor Statements

Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 368, S. 2262, the Shaheen-Portman energy efficiency legislation.

Mr. President, following my remarks and those of the Republican leader, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 11:15 a.m., with the time equally divided and controlled. At 11:15 a.m. there will be three rollcall votes, cloture on two U.S. district judges from Maryland and cloture on a U.S. circuit judge for the Tenth Circuit.

At 1:45 p.m. there will be up to four rollcall votes on confirmation of the U.S. district judges in Maryland and the circuit judge.

Tribute to Terry Gainer

Mr. President, there are a number of us who have large families. I have five children and lots of grandchildren, but the person about whom I am going to speak has an even larger family than I have. Terry Gainer has a huge family. He and his wife Irene have 6 children and 14 grandchildren, but that is just the beginning because he has 10 siblings himself.

His family extends far beyond the immediate family I just talked about. As the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate, Terry Gainer has taken care of roughly 6,500 people who work in the Senate and all the facilities around here, but that is not the end of it. He is also someone who is concerned and feels responsible for the thousands and thousands of people who come to this building every day. They are also a part of his family. So he has a huge family, and he has nurtured and taken care of his family, from his wife Irene to the thousands of people whom he has never known and never will know who come into this building, and he has done a wonderful job.

Senators and staffers are oftentimes split along ideological lines, but we all agree on one thing: We are utterly dependent on the Sergeant at Arms office, and we are aware of the wonderful job Terry Gainer has done as Sergeant at Arms.

The daily needs of the world's greatest deliberative body are not few in number, and Chief Gainer has been up to this task. As the Sergeant at Arms, he has been responsible for the enforcement of Senate rules as well as the security of the Capitol and Senate office buildings.

I try not to talk about this often, even though I would like to talk about it more than I do. For a number of years of my life I was a police officer. I was a Capitol policeman. I have my badge in my office across the hall from here, and I am very proud of that. I was a Capitol policeman, but today the Capitol policemen who work in this facility and around this great building and all the office buildings have so many more responsibilities than someone who was a police officer during my day.

Every minute of every day we have evil people trying to do harm to these beautiful buildings and the people who work in them. It is the responsibility of the Sergeant at Arms and the Capitol Police--for whom he is responsible--to take care of us, and he has

done an admirable job. We are confident in him every day.

Under his leadership, the day-to-day operation of the Senate has never been better, even though we have been through some difficult times with the government shutdown, sequestration, and all of those issues that have been very difficult, but none of this is surprising considering that Terry Gainer has been in public service for almost 50 years.

He was a young homicide detective in Chicago. He comes from Chicago. He did a lot of things as a police officer. He is a lawyer. He has been Chief of the Capitol Police. Over the many years I have seen Chief Gainer--that is what I call him, Chief Gainer. I don't call him Mr. Gainer or Terry, I call him Chief because to me he will always be the Chief of Police of the U.S. Capitol Police Force, for whom he did an admirable job.

I check with the officers often and ask: How are things going? I think that during the time he was the Chief of Police, the positive attitude of the police officers has been significant because of his experience with the bad guys and his ability to do such a good job. They felt very confident in his leadership abilities. He has been a wonderful Sergeant at Arms. Only one of his functions is to take care of the Capitol police.

As his time in the Senate comes to an end, Terry leaves his successor with an organization that has weathered a government shutdown, as I mentioned, a crippling sequestration, and is adequately prepared for the challenges of the future.

I try to be as praiseworthy as I feel is appropriate, but having done that, I know I have not done justice to Terry Gainer. I will truly miss him. I will miss him significantly. He is somebody we can all turn to, and he is very direct; whether it is the latest big problem we had with some issues dealing with the Intelligence Committee and their battles with the CIA, whatever it is, he has the ability to step forward and put out the flames.

I say to Terry Gainer: I am going to miss you. I have great affection for you. I have great confidence in your having a wonderful future. You have experience that very few people in the world have, and I wish you the very best in all of your future endeavors and that of your wife Irene and all the kids.

Tribute to Daryl Chappelle

Mr. President, not everybody knows the next individual I am about to acknowledge. He has a job in a small part of this great Capitol complex. He is retiring after having been a Senate employee for approximately 40 years. His name is Daryl Chappelle.

When I first came to the Senate, all rides to the office building were in an old train. It was, as they still are, old, old, old. They would crunch and bang as they went along the tracks. The handicapped can't get on those trains. But a Republican Senator from Oklahoma who is now retired and I worked to change that so the train system would not be the old, dilapidated trains, and now all the people coming from Hart and Dirksen are in these beautiful enclosed trains that you can wheel a wheelchair in without any effort whatsoever, and that is wonderful.

There is a person there to help people who travel from the Old Senate Office Building, as it was called when I was there. It is now called the Russell Building. They still have this old train, and Daryl is always there. He is so nice and greets everybody who comes on those trains. We all recognize him when we are trying to get from here to the Russell Building.

He has operated the underground trains that run between the Capitol office buildings for 41 years. He has a smile that covers his whole face. He has a voice that is infectious. You can hear him when he laughs, and we will all miss that.

I join my colleagues in wishing Daryl all the best as he embarks on his much needed and deserved retirement.

Recognition of the Minority Leader

Mr. President, I yield back the time.

Mr. President, we are going to have one more recorded vote. The next vote will be on Monday at 5:30. We will have two votes at that time.

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

Mr. President, the motion to proceed to S. 2262 is now pending?

I have a cloture motion that I would ask to be reported.

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

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

Mr. President, I understand that S. 2280 introduced earlier today by Senators Landrieu and Hoeven is at the desk, and I ask for its first reading.

I ask for a second reading but object to my own request.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 2 p.m. on Monday, May 5, 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 be in a period of morning business until 5:30 p.m., with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each; and that at 5:30 p.m., the Senate proceed to executive session under the previous order.

Mr. President, there will be two rollcall votes at 5:30 p.m.

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, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 354, the minimum-wage legislation.

Mr. President, following my remarks and those of the Republican leader, the Senate will be in morning business until 10:30 a.m. this morning. The Republicans will control the first half and the majority will control the final half. Following morning business, the time until noon will be equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees prior to a cloture vote on the motion to proceed to the minimum-wage bill at 12 p.m. today. At 4 p.m. there will be additional rollcall votes in relation to nominations.

Mr. President, later today, as I have announced, we are going to have, we hope, the beginning of a debate on the increase of the Federal minimum wage. Millions of American workers will be watching how each Senator votes today. To them it is a matter of survival.

They will be observing to see if we ensure that a full-time worker in America receives a livable wage.

For Republicans, this vote will demonstrate whether they truly care about our economy. Republicans have fashioned themselves over the years as defenders of the economy. Congressional Republicans have told the American people they are the party of jobs and financial prosperity. How illogical then that the Senate Republicans today will not be supportive of legislation to increase the minimum wage.

What is preventing my Republican colleagues from giving the American workers a livable wage--a fair shot--knowing that 75 percent of the American people support increasing the minimum wage? If Americans are searching for an answer as to why they would refuse to raise the minimum wage, they should look no farther than the Republicans' billionaire benefactors--I repeat, billionaire benefactors--the Koch brothers. Absolutely no one was surprised yesterday when Americans for Prosperity, which is only one of the Koch-funded political organizations, instructed Republicans in Congress to vote against a minimum-wage increase. They said: We are going to score this vote.

What does that mean? It means if you vote yes, you are not going to get any help from Charlie and David. They want a ``no'' vote so they can make Charlie and Dave happy.

In case any of their followers in the Senate were to experience a change of heart and be inclined to vote for an increase, the organizations have warned that they will really go after these people. Again, I repeat, score the vote.

In other words, when it comes time for the Koch brothers to play the role of Santa Claus, Republicans should know that Charles and David are making a list and checking it twice--probably more than that. Even though 75 percent of Americans support this legislation--and our economy stands to profit from a wage increase--the will of the Koch brothers seems to be the top priority for my Republican colleagues.

Former Governor Pawlenty, who was considered by many people in the last election cycle to be the right person for the Republicans to nominate for President, came out today strongly and said words to the effect of: I am not afraid of the Koch brothers. I believe the minimum wage should be increased.

My Republican colleagues should listen to this respected Republican leader.

To add to the Republicans' theater of the absurd, the House of Representatives Budget Committee is holding a hearing today on poverty in America. How about that.

The Presiding Officer will recall that committee chairman Paul Ryan ran for Vice President. He was part of the ticket that labeled 47 percent of Americans as moochers and not deserving the Republicans' attention--moochers. Representative Paul Ryan himself has even called struggling Americans ``takers.'' Taking into account his well- documented disdain for hard-working Americans trying to help their families, I am anxious to learn how Representative Ryan plans to eradicate poverty since he considers them takers and moochers. Maybe he will need to check with the Koch brothers first, as it seems he did with his recent budget proposal.

While House Republicans hold hearings and Senate Republicans do nothing, Senate Democrats are doing something. We continue to propose meaningful legislation, such as this minimum-wage bill, that gives American families a fair shot at prosperity. The Republicans filibustered extended unemployment benefits. They filibustered giving women the right to make the same amount of money as men. Why should my daughter get 77 cents when a man doing the same job she does gets $1? It is unfair, but they filibustered that. We are going to continue to propose meaningful legislation.

Senate Republicans assert that increasing the minimum wage will not help working families. That assertion is not only wrong, it makes no sense. It is illogical. Twenty-eight million Americans stand to benefit from an increase in the minimum wage. I repeat: About 10 percent of all Americans stand to gain from the legislation before this body. We are going to vote to see if we can begin debate at noon today.

Republicans assert that boosting the minimum wage would hurt businesses and slow down our economic recovery. Almost 75 percent of small businesses support raising the minimum wage. Why? It creates more business for them. It is good for the economy. The assertion that boosting the minimum wage would hurt businesses, again, is wrong and it is illogical.

Researchers at the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank have found consumer spending increases--yes, increases--dramatically following a minimum- wage hike and businesses reap the benefits of a minimum-wage increase. That is what these experts said. This minimum-wage legislation is good for American workers, businesses, and the economy, but Republicans refuse to even allow us to debate the issue. Instead, they have signaled their intention to filibuster the minimum-wage legislation just as they have filibustered virtually everything the President suggested during the past 5 years.

When it comes to helping working-class families, the Republicans in Washington are echoing what the Republican leader declared last week in Kentucky: It is not my job to create jobs.

Well, it is his job. It is the Republicans' job, it is my job, and it is the job of every Member of Congress to do everything we can to help create jobs. That is why in addition to raising the minimum wage, which will create jobs, we believe there should be something done about the infrastructure deficit we have in this country which would help create tens of thousands of jobs. It is so badly needed.

Today we have an opportunity to help our hard-working constituents from sea to shining sea and show them that we are attentive to their needs.

I urge my Republican colleagues to join us and Governor Pawlenty and give American workers a fair shot at the American dream by ensuring they are paid a livable wage. At the end of the day our job is to give every American a fair shot to provide for themselves and their families--no welfare, just a job.

Reservation of Leader Time

Will the Chair announce the business of the day.

I note the absence of a quorum.

I enter a motion to reconsider the vote on which cloture was not invoked on the motion to proceed to S. 2223.

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

Madam President, yesterday, all America watched while Commissioner Adam Silver and the National Basketball Association acted justly in punishing Donald Sterling for his harmful racist behavior.

Commissioner Silver banned Mr. Sterling from the NBA for life, and there was a $2.5 million fine.

I, along with most all of America, applaud the NBA's work in swiftly moving to stamp out bigotry from its ranks.

Commissioner Silver and the NBA leadership have set the standard for how professional sports organizations should act in the face of racism.

I wonder today how the leadership in the National Football League, the NFL--that money-making machine--I wonder if they have taken notice of the NBA's decisive action?

How long will the NFL continue to do nothing--zero--as one of its teams bears a name that inflicts so much pain on Native Americans?

I have 22 tribal organizations in Nevada. All over America, especially in the western part of the United States--but not only in the western part of the United States--we have large numbers of Native Americans.

It is untoward of Daniel Snyder to try and hide behind ``tradition''--tradition? That is what he says--in refusing to change the name of the team.

Tradition? What tradition? A tradition of racism is all that name leaves in its wake.

Mr. Snyder knows that in sports the only tradition that matters is winning.

So I urge Daniel Snyder to do what is morally right and remove this degrading term from the league by changing his team's name.

It has been done before--right here in Washington, DC.

Seventeen years ago, the owner of the Washington Bullets, the late Abe Pollin--a wonderful man--saw all the gun violence and murders taking place in the DC area. And what did he do? He voluntarily decided that name--the Washington Bullets--was not any good and changed it. He did not want his team to be associated with bullets. So he changed the name of the organization from the Washington Bullets to the Washington Wizards.

We have all followed the Washington Wizards over the last couple weeks. They are now in the second round of the playoffs. We are all happy about that. They have struggled for a long time. We support--the American people support--the Wizards, as do the people in the DC metropolitan area. Wizards is a good name.

Don't you think Daniel Snyder can come up with a name? It should be easy. He could invite the fans to choose a name. He could ask high school kids to come up with a name. Anything they came up with, with rare exception, would be better than the Washington team name they have now.

But since Snyder fails to show any leadership, the National Football League should take an assist from the NBA and pick up the slack. It would be a slam dunk, Madam President.

For far too long, the NFL has been sitting on its hands, doing nothing, while an entire population of Americans has been denigrated.

So I say to Commissioner Roger Goodell--I believe Roger Goodell is a good man--it is time to act. Remove this hateful term from your league's vocabulary. Follow the NBA's example and rid the league of bigotry and racism. I am sure your fans will support it.

I suggest 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 following disposition of the Levy nomination, the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 711, that there be 2 minutes for debate, equally divided between the two leaders or their designees, prior to a vote on confirmation of that nomination; further, that notwithstanding rule XXII, on Thursday, May 1, 2014, at 11 a.m., the Senate proceed to executive session and vote on the cloture motions for Calendar Nos. 591, 592, and 575; further, that if cloture is invoked on any of these nominations, all postcloture time be expired and at 1:45 p.m., the Senate proceed to vote on confirmation of Calendar Nos. 591, 592, 730, and 701; further, that on Monday, May 5, at 5:30 p.m., the Senate proceed to executive session and vote on confirmation of Calendar Nos. 575 and 703; further, that there be 2 minutes for debate prior to each vote, equally divided in the usual form, that any rollcall votes following the first in each series be 10 minutes in length and, if confirmed, the motions 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; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate then resume legislative session.

With this agreement, we will have up to seven rollcall votes this afternoon and as many as three rollcall votes beginning at 11 a.m. tomorrow, and as many as four rollcall votes tomorrow afternoon beginning at about a quarter of 2.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that even though we are a minute or so short, we start the votes.

Madam President, I have not had the opportunity--and it is my fault--to speak to the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, but hoping he will not be upset, I ask unanimous consent that the 2 minutes prior to this first vote be yielded back, and then I will talk to Senator Leahy to see how he feels about the others.

Mr. President, the last rollcall vote will occur in a matter of a few seconds, and after that there will be a voice vote.

The first series of votes tomorrow will be at 11:15 a.m. Starting at 1:45 p.m. tomorrow afternoon, we will have up to four votes. If we are fortunate, there will only be two or three votes.

This is the last vote tonight. We start at 11:15 a.m. tomorrow morning, and then at 1:45 p.m. tomorrow afternoon.

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

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.