Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m., Friday, January 16; 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; and the Senate resume consideration of S. 1 as under the previous order.

We were able to reach an agreement to proceed to the Keystone bill this afternoon and start processing amendments to this bipartisan jobs and infrastructure bill. There are several amendments pending from Senators on both sides of the aisle, and I would encourage everyone to work with Senator Murkowski and Senator Cantwell to get in the queue for consideration.

The next votes will occur on Tuesday, January 20, following the weekly conference meetings.

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

Mr. President, today the Senate will debate the motion to proceed to S. 1, a bill to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline, with the time equally divided until 5:30 p.m. At 5:30 p.m. we will have a cloture vote on the motion to proceed to this bipartisan jobs and infrastructure bill. If all time is used the Senate will begin consideration of the bill at midnight tomorrow night. Once cloture has been invoked, it is my hope that Chairman Murkowski can work with Senator Cantwell to yield back time, get on the bill during the day tomorrow, and begin to process amendments under the regular order.

The Senate will be out of session on Wednesday and Thursday of this week to accommodate our respective conference retreats. We will return for consideration of the Keystone bill on Friday, and Senators should be working with the bill managers to get their amendments in the queue.

Mr. President, I wish to say a few words about what has been happening in Paris. We have seen remarkable displays of support for the French people. Out of terrible darkness, we have seen defiant recommitments to the ideals of free expression, and the French people should know that the Senate stands in solidarity with them as they work to recover from such awful terrorist attacks. They should also be assured that we are prepared to cooperate in whatever appropriate way we can.

Mr. President, last week the House of Representatives voted on a bipartisan basis to pass a Keystone jobs and infrastructure bill. Meanwhile, the Senate energy committee got the process moving in this Chamber as it debated and approved a bipartisan Keystone measure as well. The committee consideration allows Senators from both parties to offer amendments and make their voices heard. It is the kind of serious legislating many Senators have been waiting a long time to see. It is the latest example of Congress getting back to work under a new Republican majority.

Later this afternoon we will consider a cloture motion that will allow us to proceed to a similarly open debate here on the Senate floor. I know Senators from both sides are hungry for a real Senate debate. I know they want to offer amendments. I know they are anxious to finally have their voices and the voices of the people they represent heard here on the Senate floor. I expect the cloture motion to pass on a bipartisan basis.

Of course, we originally hoped to start this process last Thursday. We wanted to spend Friday working on this bipartisan jobs bill, but the Senate lost that opportunity when some colleagues across the aisle objected to beginning the debate.

Now, moving forward, what I would urge is for our Democratic friends to work with us as the new Republican majority continues to bring more openness to the Senate. The changes we are making are ones that many Democrats have indicated they want to see as well. The reforms we are implementing will give a real voice to constituents represented by Democratic Senators. We need to work together to ensure positive change takes hold. I am hopeful that will happen.

Here is one consequence of that delay I mentioned. The Nebraska Supreme Court has since eliminated what has to be the last conceivable pretext to veto the Keystone jobs bill, so we will be starting the Senate's debate at a time when the rationale for building this pipeline has almost never been more obvious.

I know the American people would welcome a change in posture from the President. I know supporters in both parties are determined to get a bipartisan jobs and infrastructure bill to his desk as soon as possible. We will take the next step in the process at 5:30 p.m. today, and then we will have an open floor debate on jobs, the middle class,

infrastructure, and energy. At the end of this process, we will send a bipartisan jobs bill to the President. We will fulfill our pledge to stop protecting him from good ideas. It may force the President to finally make a difficult choice between jobs and the middle class versus the demands of powerful special interests, but President Obama now has every reason to sign the bipartisan jobs and infrastructure bill we will pass.

I yield the floor.

I thank my friend from California.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Tuesday, January 13, 2015; 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 resume the motion to proceed to S. 1 until 12:30 p.m., with the time equally divided between the two leaders or their designees; further, that the Senate recess from 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly conference meetings to occur; finally, that notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII, all time during morning business, the recess, and the adjournment of the Senate count postcloture on the motion to proceed to S. 1.

Unfortunately, there is an objection from our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to yielding back time on the motion to proceed to the bill. So I say to my colleagues that if all time is used, we will be on the bill shortly after midnight tomorrow night, and then we would have to begin to offer amendments under the regular order.

Chairman Murkowski is ready to start that process on the floor tomorrow whenever that may occur--whether it is during the day by agreement or whether it is in the middle of the night without agreement.

I encourage Senators on both sides of the aisle to file their amendments and get them in the queue.

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 Boxer for up to 30 minutes.

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

Mr. President, I move to proceed to S. 1.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senators be permitted to speak as in morning business for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, yesterday the Senate passed a bipartisan terrorism risk insurance bill and sent it to the President for signature. We worked with our colleagues in the House and on the other side of the aisle to quickly process that bill in a timely manner, and I thank the Speaker and all Members of the Senate for granting unanimous consent to set up those votes yesterday.

This morning we will continue to debate the motion to proceed to the Keystone bill. Chairman Murkowski and several members of the energy committee will be here to talk about this bipartisan infrastructure bill.

No votes are scheduled for today, but we will have a cloture vote on the motion to proceed on Monday night. It is my hope that Chairman Murkowski and Senator Cantwell can begin the amendment process under the regular order. Unfortunately, some of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle continue to block our effort to even get on the bill, and therefore the cloture vote on Monday is required.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 2 p.m., Monday, January 12; 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 resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S. 1, the Keystone bill, with the time until 5:30 p.m. equally divided and controlled in the usual form.

The first vote of the week will occur at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, on cloture on the motion to proceed to the Keystone bill.