Floor Statements

Mr. President, I too want to comment on the great service of Terry Gainer and Daryl Chappelle.

Our departing Sergeant at Arms, Terry Gainer, whose decade-plus period of Senate service has been the capstone to a very long and distinguished career.

Terry is a familiar presence in the halls of the Capitol and always a reassuring one. Whenever you saw Terry, you always had the sense that things were under control around here, even though you knew how much work and preparation went into it. It is the same feeling you might have being around the father of a large family or a veteran big city cop, and I think it is no accident that Terry is both of those as well.

He has the bearing of a guy with long experience who has seen it all. We have all gotten the benefit of that experience over his years here, and that is something that just can't be bought.

Those of you who have watched the majority leader and I spar down here on the floor in the mornings know we don't agree on much, but picking Terry was one decision he got just right.

Terry's resume is pretty well known by now. He spent nearly half a century enforcing the law at the Federal, State, and city levels in a number of very demanding, high-profile posts. He started his law enforcement career in Chicago during the tumultuous year of 1968, making him one of five boys in his family to serve in the Chicago Police Department. That is to say nothing of his extended family. It is a point of pride in the Gainer family that there has been a Gainer on the Chicago PD for more than a century.

Terry volunteered to serve his country in Vietnam and served with distinction. He spent several years as a homicide detective in Chicago before moving over to the State police. He later served as an official at the Transportation Department, and for a time he was No. 2 in the DC Police Department. Somehow along the way he also got a law degree and helped negotiate Chicago's first-ever labor contract with the police union there.

He is the only person ever to serve as both the Chief of the Capitol Police and the Senate Sergeant at Arms. During his tenure as the Senate's top law enforcement officer, he has overseen a dedicated team of 850 professionals. He has presided over major improvements to the physical safety of the Capitol Complex and the Senate's IT infrastructure here and in our State offices. He has kept us all informed during emergencies.

For one night every January, he is the public face of the institution. I know Terry says he tries to get out of camera shot during the State of the Union, but we won't blame a guy with 14 grandkids for sneaking in a little face time on the State of the Union night.

Terry recently admitted to having a few secret signals for the grandkids--sort of like a third base coach. One time, he even got President Obama and the First Lady to pose for a photo with Flat Stanley. It is just one of the fond memories he says he will carry with him into his next chapter, and we wish him all the best.

We will miss his intelligence, his professionalism, and his good humor. Terry's colleagues will tell us that among his many other qualities, he is a lot of fun to be around. We will also miss the wisdom and judgment he brought to the job every morning. Terry leaves a legacy of excellence and a stellar example for his successors.

Let me add on that note that one of the most impressive aspects of Terry's legacy is the fact that despite the incredible demands of a high-pressure, high-profile career, he and Irene managed to raise six wonderful kids. I know they both share a deep and lively faith and would attribute much of their success to that. But it is still impressive, and we are glad the family will get to spend even more time with Terry now.

So, Terry, thanks for your service. You are a credit to your profession, your native Chicago, and to the Senate you have served so well. You have every reason to be proud. Now go enjoy your retirement, at least for awhile.

Tribute To Daryl Chappelle

Mr. President, I wish to pay tribute to another beloved member of the Senate family, Mr. Daryl Chappelle. Daryl has been here for more than four decades, and this week he takes his final turn at the helm of one of the two subway cars that run from Russell to the Capitol.

Daryl came here right out of Springarn High School, over in northeast Washington, when he was 19 years

old, and by all accounts he has been an exemplary worker. He began his career in the night labor division of the Senate superintendent's office in 1972. Since 1986, he has worked off and on as a mechanic and driver for the subway service. By one estimate, he has taken 130,000 trips between Russell and the Capitol.

But it is not the length of Daryl's tenure that I wish to honor this morning, as impressive as that is. It is the spirit in which Daryl did his job every day. It is literally legendary.

The motto of the Architect of the Capitol is to serve Congress and the Supreme Court, preserve America's Capitol, and to inspire memorable experiences, and I think Daryl Chappelle embodies that motto.

First of all, he is the happiest guy you ever met, and he has a genius for lifting people's spirits. One of the stories I heard about Daryl this week came from a woman on my staff. She told me she met Daryl on her very first day here, more than a decade ago, and still remembers it vividly. She had just moved here from Kentucky for an internship. She didn't know her way around, and she was pretty nervous, and it must have shown too because after giving her directions to the office, Daryl not only gave her a big warm smile, he also left her with a message that she has never forgotten. As she stepped off the train and headed off to her first day on the job, Daryl looked at her and said, ``Everything is going to be OK.''

It is a great story, because it not only captures Daryl's spirit, it points to the secret of his success: Daryl is the undisputed champion of making the most of a brief encounter.

He showed us all the power of the small gesture. He reminded us that when all is said and done, what really matters is how we deal with each other. If you didn't happen to find yourself down by the trains this week, you missed something special. People were pretty much tripping over each other to say goodbye to Daryl Chappelle: Senators, visitors, colleagues, locals--everybody saying goodbye. It has been like a rolling party down there all week.

Over the years, through all of these trips, Daryl has had a tremendous impact on this place. Today we want to thank him for warming this place every single day, and for helping our image around here, because Congress may not have a very high approval rating these days, but nobody who ever had the pleasure of riding Daryl's train could ever leave Washington without feeling a little bit better about this place.

Now, Daryl, you may not have had any major pieces of legislation named after you during your years here; reporters may not have snapped photographs of you when you walked down the hall, but at the beginning or the end of the day, you lifted our spirits. You brought us all back to Earth. It is hard to think of this place without you.

We wish you and Pat all the best in your retirement. I know you have been looking forward to spending more time with your bride. Thank you for your service, my friend, and thank you for your wonderful example.

Reservation of Leader Time

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

Mr. President, I would like to start this morning by reading an excerpt from a 1998 memo from Gene Sperling to President Clinton. It relates to a minimum-wage proposal similar to the one we are considering today. Here is what he wrote:

Your entire economic team believes that this approach is

too aggressive and are concerned that . . . [it] could prove

damaging to employment prospects of low-skilled workers, as

well as to the general macroeconomic performance of the

economy.

But the memo noted there was a plus side to supporting that proposal. ``[It] would unify [the] liberal wing of the Democratic party.''

Today feels like deejaa vu all over again because even though our constituents keep telling us they expect Washington to focus on jobs, that is clearly not what they are getting from the Senate. Instead, Senate Democrats are pushing legislation today that would cost as many as 1 million jobs in this country--legislation that the left flank of their party demands. That is their response to the pleas of our constituents to do something about jobs--a proposal that nonpartisan analysts tell us could cost jobs.

But then again, these are the same Washington Democrats who have been at the helm of our economy for 5\1/2\ years, the same ones who have been bragging about a recovery for the past 4.

We learned this morning the economy grew by just 0.1 percent--0.1 percent. So I can assure you that if this is the Democrats' idea of a recovery, the people in my State at least are not terribly impressed. They are ready for new ideas. They are ready to turn the page from the liberal playbook that just has not worked.

It is clearer every day that the DC liberal establishment is completely out of ideas. They do not even pretend to be serious about jobs anymore. The clearest proof of that is today's vote--on a bill that could cost about 17,000 jobs in Kentucky alone, and potentially as many as a million nationwide.

But Senate Democrats do not seem to care. They do not seem to care that about 6 in 10 Americans oppose a bill like this if--if--it means losing hundreds of thousands of American jobs. Washington Democrats' true focus these days seems to be making the far left happy--not helping the middle class.

They seem to think they can coast on talking points and stale ideas and that the American people have not been paying attention to their recent dismal record at actually helping the people they claim to care about.

They seem to think people will not notice that time and time and time again they have ended up making things harder for the people they claim they want to help.

But the American people see through that game. It is crystal clear from new polling that we have seen this week.

People realize the Washington liberal establishment is just out of energy and out of ideas. If they did not realize it before this year, they got confirmation of it when Senate Democrats effectively admitted that their so-called agenda for the rest of the year was drafted by campaign staffers.

In short, Washington Democrats are just not serious about helping the middle class. That helps explain why they would even consider legislation that we all know could cost up to a million jobs at a time when Americans need those jobs more than ever.

It helps explain why satisfying their leftwing patrons has become a more urgent priority than helping to create the kind of well-paying middle-class jobs our country needs.

I think our constituents deserve a lot better than what they have been getting this year from Democrats who control the Senate. They are already struggling under the weight of Washington Democrats' last ideological adventure--ObamaCare.

Washington Democrats promised the Sun and the Moon to sell that law, and then just rammed it through anyway when Americans refused to buy what they were selling.

Washington Democrats told us ObamaCare would lower costs, but polls show that nearly twice as many people believe the government is adding secret mind-control technology to our TVs as believe the law is actually decreasing health care costs.

Washington Democrats promised Americans that they could keep their plans if they liked them too. As we know, that turned out to be the ``Lie of the Year.''

Washington Democrats downplayed ObamaCare's negative impact on jobs, just as they are doing with this legislation we will consider later today.

Yet the government's own nonpartisan analysis shows that ObamaCare will effectively drive 2.5 million people out of the American workforce. We are already seeing the effects in Kentucky, where hospitals are laying off workers and cutting salaries because of the impact of this law.

One of the largest health care systems in the State recently let go nearly 500 employees, and its CEO stated that ObamaCare was a factor in that decision. The head of another community hospital in Glasgow, KY, also said that ObamaCare was a factor in his hospital's recent decision to reduce salaries and cut as many as 49 employees.

It is happening at other businesses too.

As a result of ObamaCare, a company in Kentucky with 8,000 employees was forced to cut part-time workers' hours to below 30 hours a week. That was a difficult decision--one that particular company, like so many others, never wanted to make because of the impact it will have on its own employees, but one that it felt was necessary to comply with ObamaCare.

I recently read a story about Paul Deskins, who runs an auto dealership in Pikeville with about 50 employees. Paul says that ObamaCare might force him to reduce his workforce or sell his body shop altogether. ``We were hoping that Obama thing would go away,'' he said. Millions of Americans feel the same way.

Washington Democrats promised this law would help the little guy, but it ended up hurting many of the people it purported to help.

We are seeing the same thing with the legislation before us today. Six in 10 Americans do not want a policy like this if--if--it costs jobs. No matter how Senate Democrats try to spin their support for this bill, the bottom line is this: It could cost up to 1 million American jobs--17,000 of those jobs in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. That is really the opposite of what Americans expect us to do on jobs.

So it is time for Washington Democrats to drop the tired ideological approach that has failed so miserably the last 5\1/2\ years. It is time for them to work with Republicans to boost job creation and start helping the middle class. That has been Republicans' focus all along, and it is about time Washington Democrats joined us in working for the middle class too.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I wish to take a moment to offer condolences to those affected by this week's storms. Tornadoes struck a terrible blow in several towns, and we are thinking today of all of those who were killed and injured and their friends and families as well.

Jobs

Mr. President, the American people want Congress to focus on one thing above all else: Jobs. Jobs. One would think the Democrats who control the Senate would want to help us advance bipartisan ideas to boost job creation. One would think they would actually work with us to address the concerns and anxieties of our constituents. But, instead, Senate Democrats are pushing legislation this week that would actually cost--not create but actually cost--up to a million American jobs.

This is completely tone deaf. Their bill would cost up to 17,000 jobs in Kentucky alone. Apparently, this is what Senate Democrats have made their top priority. It is not much of a surprise, though. As I have said many times, Washington Democrats often seem to hurt the very people they claim to be fighting for. When it comes to so many of their proposals, Washington Democrats appear to prioritize the desires of the far left over the needs of the middle class. Let's be honest. The interests of the far left and the interests of the middle class seem to be in fierce opposition these days.

Take the Keystone Pipeline, for example. The Obama administration recently announced yet another punt on this critical jobs project--one that would lead to the creation of thousands--literally thousands--of good jobs. Why? Because of pressure from the far left. One union leader called the administration's decision ``a cold, hard slap in the face for hard-working Americans.'' Another labor leader, whose union endorsed the President twice, put it this way: ``No one seriously believes that the administration's nearly-dark-of-night announcement . . . was anything but politically motivated. It represented,'' he said, ``another low blow to the working men and women of our country for whom the Keystone XL Pipeline is a lifeline to good jobs and to energy security. . . . ''

Here is a project the government has been studying for 5 or 6 years now. For 5 or 6 years they have been studying this project.

Americans have learned that building Keystone would produce significant economic benefit for our country, that it would lower energy prices, and that it would lead to the creation of thousands of jobs at a time when we need them more than ever. President Obama's own administration has concluded that approving Keystone would not significantly impact net carbon emissions anyway. Approving the project wouldn't have an adverse impact on carbon emissions.

So one would think Washington Democrats would join the large majority of Americans who say Keystone is a good deal for our country. One would think they would jump at the chance to advance sound policy that has already been thoroughly vetted. But, then, we would be missing the point because Democrats' opposition to Keystone isn't really about policy at all. They basically surrendered the policy argument a long time ago. That is not really what this is about for them. Remember: This is the same party that effectively conceded its agenda for the rest of this year was drafted by campaign staffers. The whole agenda for the rest of the year was drafted by campaign staffers. They said that.

So for them this is more about politics and symbolism, and the far left has apparently decided that killing Keystone is the symbolic scalp they want. In fact, they are demanding it. Washington Democrats seem perfectly willing to go along.

Of course, the big loser in all of this is the American middle class--the moms and dads and sisters and brothers whose primary concern is paying the bills and putting food on the table. These are the people who have had it worse in the Obama economy--the very people Washington Democrats should be doing literally everything to help.

What I am saying to my colleagues today is it is not too late. They can still work with Republicans to create more opportunity and to help us rebuild the middle class, but to do so they need to abandon the left and start focusing on the middle class for a change. If they are ready to get serious about job creation, then there are some easy ways to demonstrate that to the American people. For starters, they can stop pushing legislation that would cut rather than create jobs, and they can stop blocking projects such as Keystone--a project that almost everyone knows will create jobs. Americans want jobs, not symbolism. So start working with us to give the American people the kind of pro-jobs policies they want and deserve.

Reservation Of Leader Time

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

For days now Republicans have been coming to the floor to ask the Democratic majority to work with us on jobs. This is the issue Americans say they care the most about. So it is hard to see why Senate Democrats seem so allergic to various jobs ideas we have been proposing, not to mention dozens of job-creating bills already passed by the House.

Look, our constituents want us to work together to rebuild the middle class, to help create opportunities for the families struggling out there just to pay the bills. In recent days we have given our Democratic colleagues ample opportunity to do that. We have offered one innovative proposal after another, proposals that haven't had much of a problem attracting bipartisan support in the past, ideas such as reducing the tax burden on small businesses, freeing them to grow, to hire, to innovate, ideas such as approving the Keystone Pipeline, which would create thousands of jobs right away; ideas such as repealing the medical device tax which even Democrats acknowledge is killing jobs-- although they haven't acted to fix it yet--and ideas such as eliminating ObamaCare's 30-hour workweek mandate, a rule that cuts people's hours against their will, that disproportionately affects women and is forcing too many Americans to look for extra work to get by.

But we go even further than just tackling the causes of joblessness. Our ideas go beyond just helping Americans secure jobs with a steady paycheck and the hope of a better future. Because we have also put forward legislation that offers Americans more choices and greater flexibility in the workforce. This is something a lot of our constituents are asking for, and we are responding to those concerns.

One bill we have proposed would let working moms and dads take more time off to strike a better work-life balance. Another bill would prohibit

union bosses from denying pay increases to an employee who works harder than her coworkers.

These are the kinds of practical, commonsense proposals our constituents sent us here to actually pass. These are the things that would make jobs more plentiful and life a lot easier for men and women across our country. For some reason Senate Democrats are blocking all of these ideas from getting a vote. Maybe it is because they are so single-mindedly focused on an election that is still 7 months away.

I mean, they have already conceded that their ``agenda'' for the rest of the year was drafted by campaign staffers. It is a stunning admission. It explains their near-total lack of interest in practical solutions to the everyday concerns of our constituents. It also explains why the only jobs that Senate Democrats seem to be interested in these days are their own.

This is a big problem. Not only does it reinforce the widespread belief that Democrats are not serious about jobs, it also reinforces a growing impression that Democrats are simply out of their depth when it comes to our economy. Think about it: Washington Democrats are well into their sixth year of trying to get the economy back on track--6 years.

Yet for many in the middle class things only seem to have gotten worse. Average household income has fallen by nearly $3,600. The number of Americans actually working in the labor force has dropped to its lowest level since the Carter era. Millions are looking for work and can't find it, and the new rules and regulations just keep on coming. They have tried all their usual liberal solutions--higher taxes, ``stimulus,'' and more regulations. They have tried all the standard stuff and it has not worked. Doing more of it won't work either.

This may be difficult for Washington Democrats to hear, but it is time they switched from their failed ideological approach. It is time for them to shelve their political games and work with us to pass practical legislation for a change--legislation that can finally rescue the middle class from so many years of economic failure.

I have laid out a number of commonsense proposals already. There is more we can do if Democrats are willing to reach across the aisle and help deliver for the American people. My constituents expect us to do that. I am sure theirs do too. Honestly, there is no reason not to do that.

I yield the floor.

Reservation of Leader Time

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

I think it is important to put all of this in context. My good friend, the majority leader, broke his word last year when he said we had settled the issue of what the rules were going to be for the Senate for this Congress. He then broke the Senate rules in order to change the Senate rules, setting a very unfortunate precedent, and continues to abuse the Senate rules by using the device called filling the tree to prevent Members of the Senate, from his party and from our party, from even offering alternatives.

Despite this heavyhanded behavior, he expects the minority to simply expedite consideration of, in the case of the matter we are discussing, a lifetime appointment. As Senator Grassley has pointed out, we are simply exercising our rights under the rules of the Senate. I might say many of these nominees would have been confirmed last December had we not experienced this event perpetrated by the majority in a heavyhanded attempt to alter the balance, to change the nature of the Senate with a simple majority. It was an unfortunate decision, but those kinds of decisions have consequences. And all we have done here is exercise, as Senator Grassley pointed out, the rights that Senators have under the rules of the Senate. If the majority leader doesn't like the way the Senate is working, I would recommend that he change his behavior.

You know, we don't have a rules problem. We have a behavior problem.

We have had a couple of examples of trying to edge back to normal here, where we brought up a bill that was actually open for amendments, and amendments were processed from Members on both sides. But it seems of late we are back to the old Senate. All we are about is scoring partisan points and denying Members the opportunity to offer amendments.

I think most Members on both sides of the aisle came here to be Senators, which involves having your committee work taken seriously and having the opportunity to offer amendments taken seriously. This body-- when it was at its peak and operating the way it should under Members of majorities of both parties--has been a more civil place in which rights were respected.

The Senator from Iowa--the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee--is pointing out that we are simply exercising our rights under the rules of the Senate.

Madam President, I have just a couple of brief observations that are relevant to the point. No. 1, we have approved more judges at this point for President Obama than President Bush had approved at the same time in his Presidency.

No. 2, the majority leader has a curious definition of filibuster. The reason the majority leader has had difficulty getting onto bills is because as soon as we get on bills, there are no amendments allowed. Once you get past the motion to proceed--I would say to the people who may be listening and are not as deeply steeped in Senate rules--there is a 2-step process. You vote to get on a bill, and then you are on the bill.

What happens is that once we get on the bill, the majority leader has made

it impossible for Members of his party or ours to offer amendments more often than the last six leaders combined. In other words, he gets to decide whether anybody's amendments are considered--either on his side or our side. That is what has degraded the Senate. That is what has turned the Senate into looking more like the House. In fact, I am told of late that the House has voted on more amendments than the Senate. The assistant majority leader used to say--and he was quite right at the time--if you want to have a chance to vote, come to the Senate; that is what the Senate is about. That is not what it has been about in recent times.

All that is really required to get the Senate back to normal is for the one Member of the Senate who has the right of prior recognition and the right to set the agenda to open the Senate and let Members of both parties offer amendments.

When we used to be in the majority, I would tell our Members that the price of being in the majority is you have to give the minority their votes. It is an unpleasant experience for us, but that is the way the Senate operates, and that is the way you move a bill to completion.

There were a couple of times this year when it looked like we were going to get back to normal. I still hope it is not too late for that. It would be in the best interests of the institution and the best interest of both the majority and minority to begin to restore the institution to the way it used to operate.

Mr. REID addressed the Chair.

Madam President, I believe I have the floor.

Do I have the floor?

I am happy to yield for a question.

I am sure the majority leader will announce at some point what we are going to do next, but I am not quite sure what that is at this particular point.

I do. The Senator from Texas is entirely correct. There was a rather candid admission at a press conference that the whole agenda was basically crafted by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and that getting an outcome was sort of irrelevant. It was mainly about scoring political points for the fall election here on the floor of the Senate.

If that is one of the urgent items the majority leader has in mind that would somehow be prevented if we had a vote on this judge on the Monday after the recess, it is perplexing to reach the conclusion that this is a matter of great urgency for the American people if there is no interest whatsoever in getting an outcome.

I yield the floor.

The Obama economy has had a devastating impact on the people we represent. It has hurt millions in the middle class and people from every region of the country in almost every walk of life. When we consider the debate in the Senate, a few statistics jump out in particular.

Under this President's watch more than 3.7 million American women have fallen into poverty. The average American woman now makes about $730 less than when the President took office. If she is a college graduate, she has actually seen her income shrink by about double that amount. In other words, when it comes to American women overall, what we have seen over the past 5\1/2\ years is less income and more poverty. That is the story Senate Democrats don't want to talk about.

Perhaps that is why for weeks now they have blocked the efforts Republicans have made to improve the picture. Senate Democrats want to control this debate from start to finish and basically do nothing to help with our efforts to expand opportunity and jobs for women and for men. It would appear, as some have put it, they have no interest in solutions or any concern for the consequences of their actions. We see that in how uninterested they seem to be in the statistics I just mentioned, and we can see it in some other policies they have been defending literally for months.

Take Obama's 30-hour workweek rule, which is basically forcing employers to slash workers' hours. Who is impacted the most by it? As one study pointed out, it is women. Nearly two-thirds of those adversely impacted by this arbitrary provision of ObamaCare are women, but Washington Democrats don't seem to care about that. They don't seem to care about the ways people we represent are being hurt by their policies.

As I said, they continue to block all the innovative ideas that Republicans have been offering to turn the tide. Just look at what happened on the Senate floor yesterday. I, along with several other Republican colleagues, offered a series of measures that would not only have helped the jobs picture in our country, it would have provided greater opportunities for men, women, and families desperate to get ahead. Had Democratic Senators not blocked these ideas, they would have passed.

Why did Senate Democrats object to Senator Collins' proposal to restore the 40-hour workweek? Do they think it is fair that Obama's 30- hour workweek discriminates against working women? Do Democrats think it is fair to protect the rules that disproportionately reduce their wages?

Why do they object to the workplace flexibility proposal that Senator Ayotte and I offered? Here is legislation that would have given working moms and dads the option to take time off to help them find a better work-life balance--flexibility that is more critical than ever now that ObamaCare's 30-hour work rule is forcing people to pick up a second or third job just to scrape by.

Why are Democrats so opposed to a policy that a lot of working women say they want, a policy that is tailored to the needs of the modern workforce and that many government employees already enjoy?

Why do Senate Democrats object to our job creation legislation, which includes so many smart ideas from so many different Senators? Here is a bill that strikes right at the heart of what has ailed our country for 5\1/2\ years, a lack of jobs and opportunity. Passing it should have been a no-brainer.

But Senate Democrats blocked all of it, every last one of our proposals, just like they shut down the proworker legislation Senator Paul and I offered last week. The Right to Work Act is smart policy that promises to boost competitiveness while advancing workers' rights, ensuring they are not limited by the dictates of a union.

It is similar to another bill I am proud to cosponsor: Senator Rubio's RAISE Act, which would allow workers to get a raise even if union bosses didn't want them to. Take for instance a worker who outperforms her colleagues and then is told by a union boss to sit down and accept less pay than she deserves--not a dime more than the coworker she is outperforming. It is completely and totally unfair, and workers such as she shouldn't be penalized by some archaic rule dreamt up before the age of ``Mad Men.''

These are the ideas that everyone who claims to stand for workplace fairness should want to help us pass. Yet Washington Democrats always seem to find some excuse not to. Maybe the Big Labor bosses they are answering to are telling them they cannot. Who knows. Or maybe it is the trial lawyers they seem to be so attentive to these days.

It makes sense when we consider what Senate Democrats have been talking about this week, a bill that even publications such as the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, and the Boston Globe have said is bad policy. At a time when the Obama economy is already hurting women so much, this legislation would double down on job loss, all while lining the pockets of trial lawyers. In other words, it is just another Democratic idea that threatens to hurt the very people it claims to help.

It is time for Washington Democrats to stop protecting trial lawyers and start focusing on actually helping the people we were sent to represent. We have already seen what 5\1/2\ years of Washington Democratic control has meant: more poverty and lower wages for women. So they need to stop blocking innovative ideas that would move us further along the path to opportunity because, look, the college graduate who has seen her annual paycheck decline by $1,400 over the past several years is counting on Senate Democrats to change their game plan. The part-time worker who cannot imagine how she is going to make ends meet under ObamaCare's 30-hour work rule is counting on Democrats to think outside the box.

The American people are tired of Washington Democrats' 5\1/2\ years of failed policies and all the political games that helped us get here in the first place. Americans actually want solutions and they want them now and we owe it to them to start passing the kinds of innovative ideas Republicans are committed to pursuing, no matter how many times the majority tries to shut us down.

I yield the floor.

Reservation Of Leader Time

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

Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to and lament the passing of a man of great faith from my home State, the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Mr. Ernest B. Hillenmeyer, Jr., devoted his life to serving others. He passed away last Thursday at the age of 92.

Ernest, or ``Ernie'' as he was affectionately known by friends and family, was born on a farm in Lexington, KY, on February 26, 1922. Ernie's formative years occurred when our country was trapped in the depths of the Great Depression. It was during this time that he learned the value of a good education, of family and community, and of faith in God. Through good times and bad, Ernie carried these ideals with him for the rest of his life.

Ernie's daughter, Katy Hillenmeyer, has said that ``we'd all have to live to be 200 to accomplish what he did in his 92 years.'' This is hardly an understatement. After graduating from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Ernie served his country for 10 years in the U.S. Naval Reserve. In 1985, he was ordained as a deacon and served his parish at St. Patrick Church in Maysville and St. James Church in Brooksville. Ernie was heavily involved in establishing the Meadowview Regional Hospital and the Hospice of Hope, both in Maysville, KY. He also chaired the Hayswood Foundation for 10 years, served as a director of the Maysville-Mason County Area Chamber of Commerce, and was the first lay chair of the board of trustees at Thomas Moore College. Those are only a few of Ernie's many accomplishments from a lifetime of service to others.

Ernie is survived by his wife, Mary Agnes Farrell Hillenmeyer, his sister, Mary Hillenmeyer Fiore, 6 children and 11 grandchildren. Said his cousin, Robert F. Houlihan, Jr., ``He's loved and respected. And he was totally unafraid to die. You can't live a bad life and be unafraid of death.'' Although he may have been unafraid, Ernie will undoubtedly be missed by those who knew and loved him. I ask that my Senate colleagues join me in remembrance of the life of Ernest B. Hillenmeyer, Jr.

Mr. President, Ernie's obituary was recently published in the Ledger Independent. I ask unanimous consent that it be printed in full in the Record.

Mr. President, I wish to take a minute to congratulate the Kentucky Wildcats for an extraordinary season. My home State has held on to the NCAA national championship trophy for the past 2 years, with the Louisville Cardinals claiming it last year and the Kentucky Wildcats winning it in 2012. John Calipari's young Wildcats started five freshmen who played like seasoned veterans and made an incredible run that captivated both our State and the Nation.

While the Commonwealth will now relinquish the trophy to Connecticut, I only ask that my colleagues, Senator Murphy and Senator Blumenthal, see to it that the trophy remains in pristine condition--pristine condition--as my State will undoubtedly reclaim it next year.

Job Creation Solutions

Mr. President, America's middle class is struggling. They need serious job creation solutions, but that is not what they have been getting from the President. He seems more intent on staging campaign- style rallies to bemoan an economy he has been presiding over for the last 5\1/2\ years, not to offer solutions but more to do what he does best, which is to shift the blame to others.

Meanwhile, yesterday in the Senate Republicans were hoping the majority leader would finally work with us to pass a job creation package that contains ideas from many of our Members--legislation with provisions several key Democrats support as well--but that is not what the majority leader chose to do. Instead of focusing on jobs, he launched into another confusing attack on the left's latest bizarre obsession.

Think about that. The percentage of Americans in the workforce is almost at a four-decade low, and Democrats chose to ignore serious job creation ideas so they could blow a few kisses to their powerful pals on the left.

At a time when so many Americans are desperate--desperate for a good job, at a time of fewer opportunities, people are hurting, college graduates cannot find a job, working families cannot afford to pay their bills--what Americans need right now are real job creation solutions, not some tone-deaf, blame-deflection rally or some daily bout of shadow boxing on the Senate floor.

Some say this is all embarrassing, but there is one positive side to the Washington Democrats' never-ending political road show. It throws the divide between the two parties into stark relief. On the one side we have a Washington Democratic Party that simply has run out of ideas. When it comes to fixing the economy, they have tried just about everything their ideology will allow: taxing, regulating, spending, stimulating, you name it, and none of it has worked. So at this point they have basically dropped any pretense of doing anything serious on the economy. That is why we heard them essentially admit that their governing agenda is actually a political document drafted by campaign staff, that the proposals it contains are basically just show votes designed specifically not to pass. So that is one side of American politics: a party that is out of ideas, campaign-obsessed, and utterly beholden to the far left.

On the other side we have a Republican Party that is committed to getting our economy working for the middle class. We believe in the power of ideas, and we know that with the right forward-looking policies we can and will break through the stagnation of the Obama economy. The Republicans' focus is on offering more opportunity to the middle class and those who aspire to it. Our focus is on offering innovative ways to generate the kind of stable, well-paying jobs that Americans actually want. We also know we can get more done as a country if both parties can work together to see these policies through and leave behind the sterile campaign theatrics that have been on daily display in the Senate under the Democratic majority.

I am asking our Democratic colleagues to consider dropping all the show votes, the blame deflecting, and the perpetual campaigning. What I am asking is for them to consider shifting from policies that don't work--in other words, what they have been trying for the last 5\1/2\ years--to ones that will. Every Senator was sent here to get things done for our constituents, and we can. We can pass a positive jobs agenda for the American people. All we need is for Washington Democrats to work with us for a change.

I have one other item. This morning IRS Commissioner Koskin will testify before the Finance Committee. I am sure Members will be reminding him of this, and I know several sent a letter yesterday too. But I would like to underline the point. Commissioner Koskin led Congress to believe that his agency will not be imposing anti-free speech rules before this November's election. It is a point he basically reiterated again just the other day, so Congress plans to hold him to what he has been leading the American people to believe.

Honestly, what he really needs to do is to stop the IRS from stepping on the First Amendment all together. He needs to stop this proposed regulation just as the Secretary of the Treasury told us he could do if he wanted. In fact, the House of Representatives recently voted to halt it too.

Remember, tens of thousands of Americans made their opinions known directly to the IRS about this regulation. It was an unprecedented response and nearly all of the comments were opposed. The comments came from straight across the political spectrum.

Commissioner Koskin needs to live up to what we told the Senate when we confirmed him when he led us to believe he would be an independent voice for reform. As I said before, Commissioner Koskin has a choice. He can be a hero--like the IRS commissioner who stood up to President Nixon--or he can be another pawn of this administration. Both Congress and the American people expect him to make the right decision.

Mr. President, for weeks Republicans have been trying to get Democrats to focus on the one issue Americans say they care the most about, and that is jobs and the economy. Everyone agrees we are in the midst of a jobs crisis in our country. Republicans are saying: Here are some concrete things we can actually

do about it. But Democrats have completely shut us out. If government isn't part of the solution or if it doesn't drive a wedge between one group of people and another, they are just not interested.

Here is one idea that I proposed and Democrats have brushed aside: How about helping workers better balance the demands of work and family by allowing them time off as a form of overtime compensation? This is an idea that is tailored to the needs of the modern workforce. It is something a lot of working women say they want, and it is something government employees have already enjoyed for years. What we are saying is to give today's working women in the private sector the same kind of flexibility working women have in the government.

Everybody is familiar with the idea of getting paid time-and-a-half for overtime work. What this bill would do is give people the choice of getting a proportionate bump in time off for overtime work. So if you work an extra hour, you can get an hour-and-a-half off work. This should be a no-brainer. This is a concrete proposal to help men and women adapt to the needs of the modern workplace and for the workplace to adapt to the modern workforce. This is not just a way to help workers, it is a way to especially help working women. Flexibility is a major part of achieving work-life balance, especially for working moms. That is what this amendment is all about.

Therefore, I ask unanimous consent that if cloture is invoked on the motion to proceed to S. 2199, that all postcloture time be yielded back and the Senate proceed to the consideration of the bill and that it be in order for me to offer amendment No. 2962, and then for the majority leader or his designee to offer an amendment, and then it be in order for the leaders or their designees to continue to offer amendments in an alternating fashion.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor a fallen soldier from my home State, the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Nearly 64 years after being killed in the Korean war, Army CPL William F. Day's remains were finally returned home last week.

Corporal Day was 25 years old when he was deployed to the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. On November 29, 1950, his company was overwhelmed by enemy forces and began a fighting withdrawal from their position. Three days later, Corporal Day was reported missing in action.

Gloria Shonrock, Day's daughter, was only 4 at the time and has lived her life not knowing the location of her father's final resting place. Unbeknownst to her at the time, Day's remains were contained in one of 208 boxes given to the United States by North Korea between 1991 and 1994. Two years ago, Shonrock provided her DNA to the Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office, which they were able to use to identify her father's remains.

Now, over 60 years after being reported missing in action, Corporal Day is back in his old Kentucky home. Day was laid to rest yesterday in La Center, KY, next to his mother, Mattie Day, in a funeral with full military honors.

Corporal Day made the ultimate sacrifice in giving his life for our country. That his remains were returned home after so many years is a remarkable testament to our Nation's commitment to leaving no man behind. I ask that my Senate colleagues join me in honoring this fallen hero.

The Paducah Sun recently published an article chronicling the incredible story of the discovery and return of Corporal Day's remains. I ask unanimous consent that the full article be printed in the Record.

[From The Paducah Sun, Apr. 3, 2014]

La Center Korean War Veteran Comes Home

(By Leanne Fuller)

Army Corporal William F. Day, of La Center, was reported

missing in North Korea on Dec. 2, 1950. After a long and

winding search of nearly 64 years, his remains were brought

home Wednesday.

Day's daughter, Gloria Shonrock--along with her husband,

Ernie Shonrock; other relatives, and two military liaisons--

brought the veteran's remains from Nashville, Tenn., to

Morrow Funeral Chapel in La Center Wednesday. They were

escorted from Nashville by Patriot Guard Riders, Shonrock

said, and welcomed into Ballard County with an escort of

firetrucks, ambulances and police vehicles.

Shonrock was four when her father was reported missing.

While Shonrock's mother didn't talk about Day often while she

was growing up, the absence was still felt.

``I'd sit at the recess and cry because I wanted my daddy

and--you know--you grow out of that, but you still want your

dad,'' she said.

Shonrock said she has been searching for information about

her father since 1992, a search that took her from her home

in Erie, Colo., to Washington, D.C., and La Center.

Day's remains were found among 208 boxes of remains North

Korea gave the United States between 1991 and 1994. In a

recent announcement of the identification of Day's remains,

the Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO)

said the boxes were believed to contain remains of 350 to 400

U.S. servicemen.

However, the remains were heavily commingled, which made

identification difficult. Two years ago, Shonrock provided

DNA to help identify her father's remains. Five years ago,

she said, her uncle, Herman Day, and her father's niece,

Mattie Terrell, also provided DNA.

In the search for her father, Shonrock attended yearly DPMO

conferences in Washington and various cities across the

country. At last year's conference, she said, X-ray records

had been found that could possibly be used to identify the

remains.

``And between the DNA and those X-rays, they found my

dad,'' Shonrock said.

Scientists from the Joint POW/MIS Accounting Command and

the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used the DNA

and X-rays to identify Day's remains, which were located in

Hawaii before they were flown to Nashville. Shonrock said Day

was the 100th person identified from the remains contained in

the 208 boxes.

``It's been hell sometimes, and good other times,''

Shonrock said of the long process. ``And then it's been hell

again because you have to deal with the government, and you

sit there and hurry up and wait.''

Among the good that came out of her search is that a

military office in Colorado helped connect Shonrock with

relatives on her dad's side of the family.

``I had an aunt in Washington, and I had this aunt and

uncle here in Kentucky,'' Shonrock said. ``And I've been here

many times to see them.''

On Monday, Day will be buried in La Center--with full

military honors--next to his mother, Mattie Day. Day's name

is among those listed on the veterans monument at Ballard

Memorial High School, and before the funeral a memorial

service will be held in his honor at the school.

According to the DPMO, Day was assigned to Company C, 32nd

Infantry Regiment, 31st Regimental Combat Team in November

1950, deployed east of North Korea's Chosin Reservoir. The

31st RCT, known as Task Force Faith, was engaged by

``overwhelming numbers of Chinese forces.'' On Nov. 29, 1950,

what was left of the task force began fighting a withdrawal

to positions near Hagaru-ri, south of the reservoir.

``Personally it's a closure that I don't have to worry

about where he's at anymore,'' Shonrock said, ``or whether

he's in a ditch in Korea in the frozen area where he passed

away, or . . . where he's at: because he's been in Hawaii

since 1992-94.''

Mr. President, this past Saturday, April 5, I was extremely pleased and honored to be a part of the awarding of the Purple Heart Medal to a brave soldier Kentucky is proud to call one of its own. SGT Jesse T. Wethington of Liberty, KY, received his Purple Heart for wounds suffered while serving our country in Iraq. I want to share the honor and majesty of this event with my colleagues and so therefore ask unanimous consent that the full text of my remarks at the ceremony to award SGT Jesse T. Wethington his Purple Heart, as well as the text of the proclamation for the Purple Heart be printed in the Record following my remarks.

Mr. President, I wish to start this morning with a word about yesterday's tragic shooting at Fort Hood.

As the investigation continues, we will learn more facts, but what we already know is that Fort Hood has faced a great deal of adversity and challenges over the past few years and that the community there has rallied around our uniformed personnel. We also know that the on-base military police appear to have responded quickly, appropriately, and obviously at great personal risk to themselves. So, as always in a tragedy such as this, we admire the courage and commitment of those who rushed to help the victims. And of course we are all thinking and praying today for the victims, their families, and their fellow soldiers and civilians at Fort Hood.

Mr. President, all week Republicans have been coming to the floor to talk about our proposals to ignite job creation and get the economy back on track. We have been talking about ideas that can help middle-class Americans who have been struggling just to make it in the Obama economy. But our Democratic colleagues don't seem to care all that much. They seem too preoccupied with an election still 7 months away. Instead of working with us on ideas for job creation, they have been talking about pretty much anything else.

Time and again yesterday Republicans asked our Democratic colleagues for consideration of our amendments by the Senate. And time and time again those efforts were rebuffed.

Republicans have a lot of good ideas. All we are asking is for those ideas to get fair consideration. Let's get our amendments pending, have a debate, and actually take a vote.

Some Senate Democrats seem to see things entirely differently. They don't even want the elected representatives of the people to have a say--a say on what Americans say is the most important issue facing our country. This is especially galling because our friends across the aisle always seem to find time for poll-tested show votes aimed at firing up the left. They may not be overly concerned about passing jobs legislation for the American people, but we can bet they will be forcing everyone to endure plenty of political show votes as we get closer to November. The so-called agenda that rolled out last week basically guarantees it. They have already admitted they don't intend to pass the things it contains. That is not the point, they say. The true end is to help Democrats retain their Senate majority. They have essentially already admitted that, which is somewhat dishonorable. No wonder Americans are so disillusioned with Washington.

Look, the American people want us to focus on their concerns, not political show votes talked about by a few political strategists over at the Democrats' campaign committee. As I indicated, jobs are right up there at the top of that list. We will see today whether Senate Democrats are actually serious about giving our constituents what they want. It appears our colleagues might allow consideration of one amendment--just one. We are not even sure about that yet.

At least the amendment we would be considering is a good one, and I appreciate the work of Senator Thune and others in putting that together. This would reduce the tax burden on small businesses. It would provide relief to the Kentucky coal communities that have been under continual assault by this administration. It would approve the Keystone Pipeline, which would create thousands of jobs right away. It would repeal the medical device tax, which even many Democrats acknowledge is killing jobs. It would eliminate

ObamaCare's 30-hour workweek rule which is cutting paychecks to the middle class. In other words, this is an amendment that seeks to take the causes of joblessness head on rather than simply treating the symptoms of a down economy. It is an amendment that aims to help Americans find jobs with a steady paycheck and the promise of a better life.

There are other amendments not contained within this package the Senate should be voting on too. For instance, the national right-to- work amendment Senator Paul and I have just introduced-- transformational legislation that would empower American workers and put our country on a path to greater prosperity.

But the larger point is this: The Senate needs to be allowed to function again. While Members file amendments on behalf of their constituents, those amendments should get due consideration. That is particularly true when those amendments have bipartisan support and aim to address our still-ailing economy and the families struggling in it. My hope is our Democratic colleagues will allow this to happen.

These are serious times and we cannot afford to waste months on purely partisan proposals that have no hope of passing. We need to work together to advance serious proposals that expand jobs and opportunity.