Floor Statements

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 3 p.m., Monday, May 1; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; finally, that following leader remarks, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Clayton nomination as under the previous order.

If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order, following the remarks of Senator Cantwell.

Mr. President, yesterday, the administration introduced a plan to serve as the guideline for modernizing and simplifying America's Tax Code. This process is long overdue, and it is a priority that is shared by the Republican House, Senate, and the administration. By bringing down tax rates for individuals, we can help ease the burden on middle-class families, and by lowering taxes for American businesses, both small and large, we can foster job creation here at home, while making our country more competitive in an increasingly competitive international economy. I commend the President and his team for taking this critical first step, and I look forward to working with the administration and our House colleagues to finally overhaul our tax system.

Mr. President, on another matter, despite much unnecessary obstruction, the Senate has continued to move forward with the confirmation process for administration nominees.

Just this week, we have confirmed two more impressive individuals-- Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Today, we will have the opportunity to confirm a third. That nominee, Alexander Acosta, understands the difficult task ahead of him as the next Secretary of Labor. Fortunately, he has an impressive background that will serve him well as he takes on these tough issues. It explains why Acosta has earned high acclaim from numerous pro-job groups, like the National Association of Manufacturers, which called him an ``exceptional choice to lead the Department,'' and the chamber of commerce, which noted his ``extraordinary history of government service and refined skills.''

He has also earned support from across the political spectrum, including from people like Lafe Solomon, a National Labor Relations Board Acting General Counsel in the Obama administration, who said Acosta is ``very open-minded and fair'' and ``deserves to be Secretary of Labor.''

We have also heard from unions that have backed him as well. In their words, Acosta is an ``advocate for the middle class,'' a nominee with ``strong credentials and an impeccable reputation,'' and someone they can work with ``to protect and make better the lives of working men and women across America.''

Acosta's leadership at the Labor Department will serve as a much needed change from what we saw under the previous administration, when, too often, onerous regulations that stifled instead of encouraged growth were given high priority, which came at a disadvantage to the very workers the previous administration claimed to be helping.

Of course, much work remains when it comes to providing relief to middle-class workers, but today's vote to confirm Acosta represents another positive step in that direction.

Mr. President, on one final issue, as we know, talks on government funding legislation have continued throughout the week on a bipartisan, bicameral basis. The House has introduced a short-term funding bill that we expect to pass before Friday night's deadline so that a final agreement can be drafted and shared with Members for their review prior to its consideration next week. This extension will also protect thousands of retired coal miners and their families from losing the healthcare benefits I have fought for throughout this entire process, as I continue to lead the fight to secure them on a permanent basis.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, colleagues, it is my understanding that the four corners who are working on the omnibus appropriations are very, very close to agreement. We still need a few days to process the larger bill. The House has posted a 1-week CR to keep the government open. We are prepared to clear the 1-week CR on this side of the aisle.

Therefore, I ask unanimous consent that the text of a joint resolution, which is at the desk--that is, a 1-week continuing resolution--be printed in the Record; further, that if the Senate receives a joint resolution from the House, the text of which is identical to the text of the joint resolution printed in the Record, the joint resolution be considered to have been read three times and passed, and that the motion to reconsider be considered to have been made and laid upon the table; provided further, that if the language is not identical, then this order be vitiated.

Mr. President, I would only add--not to prolong the discussion, but I don't think the failure to pass the 1-week CR necessarily impacts in a positive way the concerns the Democratic leader has. But that is his call to make. This 1-week CR is cleared on our side.

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

Mr. President, I wish to make sure my colleagues on the other side of the aisle know that if we don't pass the 1-week extension, the miners' healthcare expires, but it is in the 1-week extension. If we don't pass the 1-week extension, the miners' healthcare revision expires.

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

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 11 a.m., Friday, April 28; further, 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; finally, that following leader remarks, the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order, following the remarks of Senator Sullivan.

Mr. President, North Korea's determined effort to field a nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missile threatens the United States and our allies. By all appearances, Kim Jong Un has broken from a predictable cycle of escalation demonstrated by previous leaders by which the regime takes a provocative action, draws the United States into a negotiation, and extracts concessions. Instead, Kim appears willing to risk the disapproval of the U.N. and our regional allies by undertaking a breakneck testing program.

The President has made clear that a North Korea that is armed with a nuclear-armed missile--a capability they have yet to test--is unacceptable to us and threatens our vital national security interest. Thus, in order to allow the Senate to better understand this threat, I asked the administration to brief all Senators on the issue, and the President graciously offered to hold the meeting down at the White House. I encourage all of our colleagues to attend this afternoon's meeting on North Korea down at the White House.

Mr. President, on another matter, I am pleased that the Senate voted yesterday to confirm Rod Rosenstein to serve as Deputy Attorney General, despite the unnecessary delay, and I look forward to advancing another nominee today.

For the past 8 years, burdensome regulations put forth by the Obama administration have held back our economy and taken a toll on too many hard-working Americans. Fortunately, we now have an administration that has already proven its commitment to easing the regulatory burden on our economy and advancing policies that actually promote economic growth and job creation.

The Department of Labor nominee before us today, Alexander Acosta, shares that commitment, and he has just the right experience to address these issues. He was previously confirmed to three positions by voice votes here in the Senate, meaning not a single Senator of either party recorded a vote in opposition, so it is no surprise that he has earned a host of bipartisan support for his current nomination as well. We should confirm him without delay. The sooner we do, the sooner he can advance labor policies that put American workers, businesses, and our economy first.

Mr. President, on one other important matter currently being discussed here in the Senate, conversations are ongoing about the way forward on a government spending bill. Our friends on the other side of the aisle sent me a letter that asked for this bill to reject poison pill riders. I would suggest that if they take their own advice, we can finish this negotiation and produce a good agreement that both sides can support.

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 the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.