Floor Statements

Madam President, I come to the floor this afternoon to request unanimous consent to pass a bill that is a very small step in what will be a very long recovery process for a community in my home State of Washington that was devastated by a landslide less than two weeks ago.

This is the Green Mountain Lookout bill, which will be passed shortly. It is not going to rebuild anybody's home--which needs to be done--or provide desperately needed human aid that we are supporting through our recent Federal disaster designation. What this small, little bill does is provide a glimmer of hope for the long-term recovery of this region, and in particularly of the community of Darrington.

For years now, along with Senator Cantwell, I have fought to pass this bill through procedural and political hurdles because I know what it means to Snohomish County and that region of my State. The Green Mountain Lookout is more than a hiking destination. It is part of the Pacific Northwest heritage. It is a cherished historical landmark. It is a place where parents have brought their kids for generations to appreciate the splendor of the great outdoors in the Northwest, and it is a place that has been a vital source of tourism-related income for the people who have been impacted by this deadly landslide that struck this region.

I was in Darrington this weekend and had an opportunity to sit down with the mayor and many of the town officials--a town of about 1200 people--and they told me tremendous stories about the families that have been lost, about people who had driven to the store on that Saturday morning and now only had what they wore when they left their homes a few hours earlier. I heard about the needs this community is going to have for a long time and the emotional impact.

After finishing our official meetings, the mayor took us aside and told me, Senator Cantwell, and Congresswoman DelBene that the one glimmer of hope he thought he could provide for this community was passage of this Green Mountain Lookout bill that we are going to pass in just a few moments.

So I want to extend truly heartfelt thanks to both Senator Landrieu and Senator Murkowski, who have been incredibly understanding, and to all the Members of the Senate who have been helpful in going through the process of getting the bill to the floor today. They know what it means when communities large or small are impacted by a disaster of this size, and both of them know that the Federal Government needs to be there quickly to provide support.

Madam President, the people of Oso, Arlington, and Darrington have a very long road to recovery ahead, so I was very pleased when the President granted a major disaster declaration just last night which will be vital to meeting many of the immediate human needs that we are going to be facing.

It is important that these communities know we are in it for the long term as well. Even a small step like this one that supports the region's tourist economy and brings that little bit of hope is critical to showing them that all of us and the Federal Government will be there for them. So as they mourn their loved ones and work hard to recover and ultimately rebuild, I am proud that we will not forget them.

With that, Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 338, S. 404.

I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported amendment be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Thank you, Madam President.

I know the town of Darrington will thank you as well.

I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senator Begich's NOAA fellow, Bill Mowitt, be granted floor privileges for the remainder of the 113th Congress.

Mr. President, section 114(d) of H.J. Res. 59, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, allows the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee to revise the allocations, aggregates, and levels filed on January 14, 2014, pursuant to section 111 of H.J. Res. 59, for a number of deficit-neutral reserve funds. These reserve funds were incorporated into the Bipartisan Budget Act by reference to sections of S. Con. Res. 8, the Senate-passed budget resolution for 2014. Among these sections is a reference to section 302 of S. Con. Res. 8, which, in subsection (c), establishes a deficit-neutral reserve fund for unemployment relief. The authority to adjust enforceable levels in the Senate for unemployment relief is contingent on that legislation not increasing the deficit over either the period of the total of fiscal years 2013 through 2018 or the period of the total of fiscal years 2013 through 2023.

I find that amendment 2874, the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2014, to H.R. 3979 fulfills the conditions of the deficit-neutral reserve fund for unemployment relief, including not increasing the deficit over either of the 2013 through 2018 or 2013 through 2023 budget windows. Therefore, pursuant to section 114(d) of H.J. Res. 59, I am adjusting the budgetary aggregates, as well as the allocation to the Committee on Finance.

I ask unanimous consent that the following tables detailing the revisions be printed in the Record.

I thank the Chair.

(The remarks of Mrs. MURRAY pertaining to the introduction of S. 2164 are printed in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')

Thank you, Mr. President.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the time under quorum calls be equally divided between the majority and the minority.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, as many in this Chamber know, I am very proud of the many ways my home State of Washington is leading the way. Our State is an economic leader. We are home to the American aerospace industry, we have a thriving agricultural sector, and dozens of companies creating new products and new jobs with cutting-edge technology. We are a leader in protecting the environment and educating our children. Washington State is also the place that tens of thousands of servicemembers and veterans call home.

Last, but not least, I could not be more proud of our State's history of protecting the rights of all of our citizens, including members of the LGBT community. We know in Washington State that it is wrong to discriminate against people. We know that a person's race, religion, or gender have nothing to do with their worth as a human being, and we know that actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity don't either. We get that in my home State of Washington, but we can't stop working until the same is true in all 50 States, and that is why I have come to the Senate floor today.

I want to share with everyone a story about a young man by the name of Kris. Kris will be the first to tell you he has not led the easiest of lives. After turning 18 years old and aging out of the foster care system in Texas, Kris found himself homeless at 18 years old in Houston and sleeping on whatever park bench or apartment roof was available to him that evening.

As luck would have it, one night while Kris was searching for a public restroom to use, he stumbled on an admissions fair for the University of Houston's downtown campus. Kris had always had ambitions to go to college, but because of his very unstable childhood and minimal income, pursuing higher education was never a priority. Once he learned that night that tuition for the school was waived for foster system alumni, this dream seemed more like a reality so Kris decided to enroll.

He went to school, declared his major in social work, and settled into college life. He made friends and participated in extracurricular activities on campus.

In fact, Kris got so involved that one of his good friends, Isaac, invited him to be his running mate for the upcoming student government election. Kris was very excited about that idea and realized it was his opportunity to make a real difference for many of the students on campus who had been through some of the same trying experiences he had.

Kris and Isaac kicked off their campaign and pursued elective office. Then 1 day--in fact 1 year ago this month--Kris was called into the dean of students office. Kris sat down and the dean reached into his briefcase and pulled out a stack of fliers with Kris's photo on each and every one of them with a big X across his picture. In big, bold letters across the top of the flier, it read: ``WANT AIDS?'' Across the bottom of that flier it read: ``Don't Support the Isaac and Kris Homosexual Agenda.'' On the back of the flier--unbelievably--was a copy of Kris's official

private medical record displaying in plain view that Kris was HIV positive. Stunning. I am sure every one of you are as stunned as I was.

The dean then informed Kris that these had been found all over the campus. As if the situation couldn't get any worse, the dean told Kris that there is nothing the university or the administration could do about it--nothing.

At one point Kris said the administration even accused him of being responsible for these acts. Kris was told the administration's sole responsibility was to simply inform him this was going on and nothing more. They just had to make sure he knew about it.

Kris was told that words such as homosexual or AIDS were proper terms, protected speech, and not grounds for punishment.

As you can imagine, Kris was devastated. He didn't attend class for weeks after that. His friends, family, and loved ones started to seriously worry about his well-being.

In the meantime, the word of this and Kris's status as HIV positive, as you can imagine, spread like wildfire across the campus. While Kris had been out to a small group of friends, there was no going back once the local paper picked up on the story which eventually circulated in the national media.

Thankfully, there is a happy ending to this heartbreaking story. In yet another example of how the younger generation in our country is swiftly helping to turn the tide against intolerance, Kris and Isaac won that election, and Kris served a term as the student body vice president. Kris has now moved on to serve in a different but somewhat similar capacity, and that is as a congressional intern here in my office in Washington, DC. I am proud to say that Kris is here with us on the floor today. And just like the fate he found that one night in search of a public restroom, Kris now has another chance to be part of a life-changing experience because today I have come to the floor to reintroduce the Tyler Clemente Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act of 2014.

As many of you may remember, this legislation is named after Tyler Clemente. He was an 18-year-old freshman at Rutgers University. Back in 2010, without his knowledge, Tyler's roommate streamed video footage on the Internet of Tyler in his dorm room being intimate with another male. After his roommate and another student invaded his privacy in such a serious way and continued to harass him over the Internet, Tyler leapt off the George Washington Bridge and sadly took his own life.

When I sat down and spoke with Kris about this recently, he told me how his story was very close to ending just like Tyler's story. He didn't have anyone on campus to turn to. Since the administration said they were unable to do anything about this hate crime, Kris felt he had no opportunity for closure.

Kris told me:

For most young people, when things like that happen, we

have got to have people who are going to be proactive in

helping them. And not someone telling them there's nothing we

can do to help you.

Quite shockingly, despite statistics telling us that LGBT students are nearly twice as likely to experience harassment when compared to their heterosexual peers, there is no Federal requirement that colleges and universities have policies to protect their students from harassment.

That is why I feel so strongly about this legislation.

The legislation I am introducing will require colleges and universities that receive Federal aid to establish anti-harassment policies for students no matter who they are or what they identify with, and they will be required to have the language of those policies easily accessible. It will recognize cyber bullying of all kinds as serious means of harassment. Finally, the Tyler Clementi act authorizes competitive grants for schools to initiate or expand programs to prevent these kinds of things from happening, to provide counseling for victims of the accused, and to train everyone on campus about how to prevent this in the future.

When I was back home last week in Spokane, I told Kris's story, just as I did today, and talked about the desperate need for these kinds of protections. I am sure, as with many of those listening, most of my constituents were pretty surprised to learn these policies aren't already in place at all of our institutions of higher learning. I couldn't agree more. Why aren't colleges and universities across our country all being proactive in establishing these programs and points of contact for students such as Tyler or Kris who have experienced or could experience such a life-changing event?

While many schools currently have successful prevention and counseling programs in place, students shouldn't have to take their health and safety into account when they decide where they are going to study in this country.

Kris recounted for me how each day during this horrible experience he would awaken, and there were 5 or 6 seconds where he would feel normal again, as if nothing had happened. But then reality would set in, and it felt as though a ton of bricks had fallen on top of him. Fortunately for Kris, he was able to lean on the campus LGBT community for support during this very trying time. But he said:

If I hadn't reached out to the community, I probably

wouldn't be here today. Every day going to school felt like a

battlefield.

Unfortunately, there are others similar to Kris who don't have that point of contact on campus--a supportive parent or a tight-knit group of friends who help them get through these kinds of experiences.

I am very proud to be here today, with the support of my outstanding cosponsor, Senator Baldwin, to take a major step to change this.

I would be remiss if I didn't take a moment to pay tribute to my friend Senator Frank Lautenberg and his staff for their tireless work to craft this original bill which serves as a tremendous honor to the life of Tyler Clementi. No student, whether they are gay or straight or Black or White or Christian or Muslim, should have to face discrimination and harassment in pursuit of their education. While I know it is impossible to eradicate all bad behavior from our society, we have to arm our campuses with the tools and resources necessary to not only efficiently and effectively support the victims but also to take action against those who have perpetrated such senseless crimes.

That is why I am here today. I am very proud to introduce this legislation.

I wish to thank Kris for his courage in speaking out and his ability to be here today to make sure no other student in our country ever has to go through what he did.

Mr. President, as many in this Chamber know, I am very proud of the many ways my home State of Washington is leading the way. Our State is an economic leader. We are home to the American aerospace industry, we have a thriving agricultural sector, and dozens of companies creating new products and new jobs with cutting-edge technology. We are a leader in protecting the environment and educating our children. Washington State is also the place that tens of thousands of servicemembers and veterans call home.

Last, but not least, I could not be more proud of our State's history of protecting the rights of all of our citizens, including members of the LGBT community. We know in Washington State that it is wrong to discriminate against people. We know that a person's race, religion, or gender have nothing to do with their worth as a human being, and we know that actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity don't either. We get that in my home State of Washington, but we can't stop working until the same is true in all 50 States, and that is why I have come to the Senate floor today.

I want to share with everyone a story about a young man by the name of Kris. Kris will be the first to tell you he has not led the easiest of lives. After turning 18 years old and aging out of the foster care system in Texas, Kris found himself homeless at 18 years old in Houston and sleeping on whatever park bench or apartment roof was available to him that evening.

As luck would have it, one night while Kris was searching for a public restroom to use, he stumbled on an admissions fair for the University of Houston's downtown campus. Kris had always had ambitions to go to college, but because of his very unstable childhood and minimal income, pursuing higher education was never a priority. Once he learned that night that tuition for the school was waived for foster system alumni, this dream seemed more like a reality so Kris decided to enroll.

He went to school, declared his major in social work, and settled into college life. He made friends and participated in extracurricular activities on campus.

In fact, Kris got so involved that one of his good friends, Isaac, invited him to be his running mate for the upcoming student government election. Kris was very excited about that idea and realized it was his opportunity to make a real difference for many of the students on campus who had been through some of the same trying experiences he had.

Kris and Isaac kicked off their campaign and pursued elective office. Then 1 day--in fact 1 year ago this month--Kris was called into the dean of students office. Kris sat down and the dean reached into his briefcase and pulled out a stack of fliers with Kris's photo on each and every one of them with a big X across his picture. In big, bold letters across the top of the flier, it read: ``WANT AIDS?'' Across the bottom of that flier it read: ``Don't Support the Isaac and Kris Homosexual Agenda.'' On the back of the flier--unbelievably--was a copy of Kris's official

private medical record displaying in plain view that Kris was HIV positive. Stunning. I am sure every one of you are as stunned as I was.

The dean then informed Kris that these had been found all over the campus. As if the situation couldn't get any worse, the dean told Kris that there is nothing the university or the administration could do about it--nothing.

At one point Kris said the administration even accused him of being responsible for these acts. Kris was told the administration's sole responsibility was to simply inform him this was going on and nothing more. They just had to make sure he knew about it.

Kris was told that words such as homosexual or AIDS were proper terms, protected speech, and not grounds for punishment.

As you can imagine, Kris was devastated. He didn't attend class for weeks after that. His friends, family, and loved ones started to seriously worry about his well-being.

In the meantime, the word of this and Kris's status as HIV positive, as you can imagine, spread like wildfire across the campus. While Kris had been out to a small group of friends, there was no going back once the local paper picked up on the story which eventually circulated in the national media.

Thankfully, there is a happy ending to this heartbreaking story. In yet another example of how the younger generation in our country is swiftly helping to turn the tide against intolerance, Kris and Isaac won that election, and Kris served a term as the student body vice president. Kris has now moved on to serve in a different but somewhat similar capacity, and that is as a congressional intern here in my office in Washington, DC. I am proud to say that Kris is here with us on the floor today. And just like the fate he found that one night in search of a public restroom, Kris now has another chance to be part of a life-changing experience because today I have come to the floor to reintroduce the Tyler Clemente Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act of 2014.

As many of you may remember, this legislation is named after Tyler Clemente. He was an 18-year-old freshman at Rutgers University. Back in 2010, without his knowledge, Tyler's roommate streamed video footage on the Internet of Tyler in his dorm room being intimate with another male. After his roommate and another student invaded his privacy in such a serious way and continued to harass him over the Internet, Tyler leapt off the George Washington Bridge and sadly took his own life.

When I sat down and spoke with Kris about this recently, he told me how his story was very close to ending just like Tyler's story. He didn't have anyone on campus to turn to. Since the administration said they were unable to do anything about this hate crime, Kris felt he had no opportunity for closure.

Kris told me:

For most young people, when things like that happen, we

have got to have people who are going to be proactive in

helping them. And not someone telling them there's nothing we

can do to help you.

Quite shockingly, despite statistics telling us that LGBT students are nearly twice as likely to experience harassment when compared to their heterosexual peers, there is no Federal requirement that colleges and universities have policies to protect their students from harassment.

That is why I feel so strongly about this legislation.

The legislation I am introducing will require colleges and universities that receive Federal aid to establish anti-harassment policies for students no matter who they are or what they identify with, and they will be required to have the language of those policies easily accessible. It will recognize cyber bullying of all kinds as serious means of harassment. Finally, the Tyler Clementi act authorizes competitive grants for schools to initiate or expand programs to prevent these kinds of things from happening, to provide counseling for victims of the accused, and to train everyone on campus about how to prevent this in the future.

When I was back home last week in Spokane, I told Kris's story, just as I did today, and talked about the desperate need for these kinds of protections. I am sure, as with many of those listening, most of my constituents were pretty surprised to learn these policies aren't already in place at all of our institutions of higher learning. I couldn't agree more. Why aren't colleges and universities across our country all being proactive in establishing these programs and points of contact for students such as Tyler or Kris who have experienced or could experience such a life-changing event?

While many schools currently have successful prevention and counseling programs in place, students shouldn't have to take their health and safety into account when they decide where they are going to study in this country.

Kris recounted for me how each day during this horrible experience he would awaken, and there were 5 or 6 seconds where he would feel normal again, as if nothing had happened. But then reality would set in, and it felt as though a ton of bricks had fallen on top of him. Fortunately for Kris, he was able to lean on the campus LGBT community for support during this very trying time. But he said:

If I hadn't reached out to the community, I probably

wouldn't be here today. Every day going to school felt like a

battlefield.

Unfortunately, there are others similar to Kris who don't have that point of contact on campus--a supportive parent or a tight-knit group of friends who help them get through these kinds of experiences.

I am very proud to be here today, with the support of my outstanding cosponsor, Senator Baldwin, to take a major step to change this.

I would be remiss if I didn't take a moment to pay tribute to my friend Senator Frank Lautenberg and his staff for their tireless work to craft this original bill which serves as a tremendous honor to the life of Tyler Clementi. No student, whether they are gay or straight or Black or White or Christian or Muslim, should have to face discrimination and harassment in pursuit of their education. While I know it is impossible to eradicate all bad behavior from our society, we have to arm our campuses with the tools and resources necessary to not only efficiently and effectively support the victims but also to take action against those who have perpetrated such senseless crimes.

That is why I am here today. I am very proud to introduce this legislation.

I wish to thank Kris for his courage in speaking out and his ability to be here today to make sure no other student in our country ever has to go through what he did.

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

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

Mr. President, our workforce has changed a lot in the last few decades. Thirty years ago the majority of families with children had only one parent working outside the home. More of the country's low-wage workers were teenagers earning some extra spending money. Today two-thirds of families with children rely on earnings from both parents, and millions of low-wage workers in our country are far less likely to be teens supplementing their allowance and far more likely to be adults struggling to support their families. It has also gotten a lot harder for young people just starting out to find work that puts them on a strong path. There is a very concerning pattern of young people dropping out of the labor force rather than keeping up their search.

These are the kinds of trends we need to be thinking about as we look for

ways to help today's workforce succeed in today's economy. There are many steps we can and absolutely should take to tackle the barriers our workers and our families are facing. We should start with raising the minimum wage because no one working full time in the United States today should live in poverty. Low-wage workers in today's economy, who are putting in very long hours while raising their children, paying taxes, and trying to pay the bills, deserve a better shot at success.

But that is not the last step we should take. As we are looking for ways to expand opportunity for struggling workers and families, we should be using every tool in the box--including our Tax Code. Policies such as the earned-income tax credit have succeeded in helping millions of households lift themselves out of poverty, which is why Republicans and Democrats have come together to strengthen the EITC so many times in the past. But today too many struggling workers and families are left behind under our outdated Tax Code.

It is time to build on these efforts to support work, including the critical expansions of the EITC in 2009, which should be made permanent, and we need to update our Tax Code so that it reflects the needs of today's workforce.

I am proud to be here today to introduce the 21st Century Worker Tax Cut Act. It is a bill that would complement critical reforms, such as raising the minimum wage, by providing targeted tax cuts designed for today's workforce. It is paid for by closing wasteful loopholes that both Democrats and Republicans have proposed eliminating.

The 21st Century Worker Tax Cut Act would put in place a new tax deduction to help struggling families with two workers keep more of what they earn. The way our Tax Code is currently structured, the second earner in a household often pays a higher tax rate on his or her earnings. Making matters worse, when a second earner decides to enter the workforce, the family usually faces many new costs, such as childcare or transportation, and the family can lose eligibility for credits, such as the EITC and other benefits.

Add it all up, and many struggling two-earner families today end up taking home a smaller percentage of their paycheck than many of the wealthiest households in America. These realities often discourage a potential second earner, such as a mother who is considering reentering the workforce to return to her professional career.

Struggling families face a lot of challenges to getting ahead today. The very least we can do is keep our Tax Code from forcing families to take a half step backward for every step forward, and that is exactly the problem the 21st Century Worker Tax Cut Act will help to solve.

This bill will give our working families a 20-percent deduction on the second earner's income. A mom or dad who goes back into the workforce and brings home an extra $25,000, for example, would get a $5,000 deduction. For a family in the 25-percent bracket, that means $1,250 back in their pocket for groceries, childcare, transportation, or retirement savings.

The bill also reflects the reality that workers without dependent children and young workers who are just starting out are being left behind under the current EITC. My colleague Senator Brown has been a leader on this issue. He is a cosponsor of the bill I am introducing today.

Unlike low-income workers with kids at home, workers without dependent children receive little or nothing from this credit. As workers file their 2013 tax returns this spring, a single worker with no dependent children is eligible for a maximum credit of only $487. She is entirely phased out of the credit once her income reaches $14,340, which is about what a full-time minimum wage worker would earn in a year. Young, childless workers under 25, who are starting out in a tough labor market, are not eligible at all. In an economy today where more low-wage earners are middle-aged and where young people are struggling to gain a toehold in the job market, it doesn't make any sense.

Our bill, the 21st Century Worker Tax Cut Act, would increase the EITC for workers without dependent children to about $1,400 next year and expand the income range over which workers are eligible for the credit. It would also lower the eligibility age for the childless worker to qualify for the EITC from 25 years old to 21 so that young workers without dependents get the same incentives that have helped so many others get on their feet. The Treasury Department estimated that EITC changes similar to these would help more than 13 million struggling workers climb the economic ladder.

As we expand the EITC, we have a responsibility to do everything we can to make sure this credit is going straight to the workers and families who need it, and part of that responsibility is to make sure that the EITC claims are filed correctly. Professional tax return preparers complete 70 percent of these EITC claims. Under our bill, the 21st Century Worker Tax Cut, they would receive twice the current penalty if they don't follow due diligence requirements put in place by the IRS.

Workers and families are playing fair, and the biggest corporations should too, and that is why this bill would be paid for by closing loopholes that the biggest corporations take advantage of. The 21st Century Worker Tax Cut would draw on a proposal from my colleague Senator Reed of Rhode Island, who is also a cosponsor of this bill. His proposal closes a loophole that lets corporations claim outsized tax breaks by paying their executives stock options instead of regular paychecks. This bill would also stop multinational corporations from shifting profits into tax havens such as Bermuda and the Cayman Islands to avoid paying their fair share.

There is bipartisan support for closing those loopholes. Both Democrats and House Ways and Means chairman Dave Camp have proposed eliminating each of them. Updating our Tax Code to give tax breaks to our struggling workers instead of big corporations is the right thing to do.

As we continue this important debate about how to expand opportunity to those who are struggling today, we need to make sure we are giving today's workforce the best shot in today's economy. We should increase our outdated minimum wage to give millions of workers a raise, and then Democrats and Republicans need to come together to update our Tax Code and give today's struggling workers the tax relief they deserve. The 21st Century Worker Tax Cut would be a strong, fiscally responsible step toward that bipartisan goal, and I am hopeful we can get this done for our workers as quickly as possible.

Mr. President, our workforce has changed a lot in the last few decades. Thirty years ago the majority of families with children had only one parent working outside the home. More of the country's low-wage workers were teenagers earning some extra spending money. Today two-thirds of families with children rely on earnings from both parents, and millions of low-wage workers in our country are far less likely to be teens supplementing their allowance and far more likely to be adults struggling to support their families. It has also gotten a lot harder for young people just starting out to find work that puts them on a strong path. There is a very concerning pattern of young people dropping out of the labor force rather than keeping up their search.

These are the kinds of trends we need to be thinking about as we look for

ways to help today's workforce succeed in today's economy. There are many steps we can and absolutely should take to tackle the barriers our workers and our families are facing. We should start with raising the minimum wage because no one working full time in the United States today should live in poverty. Low-wage workers in today's economy, who are putting in very long hours while raising their children, paying taxes, and trying to pay the bills, deserve a better shot at success.

But that is not the last step we should take. As we are looking for ways to expand opportunity for struggling workers and families, we should be using every tool in the box--including our Tax Code. Policies such as the earned-income tax credit have succeeded in helping millions of households lift themselves out of poverty, which is why Republicans and Democrats have come together to strengthen the EITC so many times in the past. But today too many struggling workers and families are left behind under our outdated Tax Code.

It is time to build on these efforts to support work, including the critical expansions of the EITC in 2009, which should be made permanent, and we need to update our Tax Code so that it reflects the needs of today's workforce.

I am proud to be here today to introduce the 21st Century Worker Tax Cut Act. It is a bill that would complement critical reforms, such as raising the minimum wage, by providing targeted tax cuts designed for today's workforce. It is paid for by closing wasteful loopholes that both Democrats and Republicans have proposed eliminating.

The 21st Century Worker Tax Cut Act would put in place a new tax deduction to help struggling families with two workers keep more of what they earn. The way our Tax Code is currently structured, the second earner in a household often pays a higher tax rate on his or her earnings. Making matters worse, when a second earner decides to enter the workforce, the family usually faces many new costs, such as childcare or transportation, and the family can lose eligibility for credits, such as the EITC and other benefits.

Add it all up, and many struggling two-earner families today end up taking home a smaller percentage of their paycheck than many of the wealthiest households in America. These realities often discourage a potential second earner, such as a mother who is considering reentering the workforce to return to her professional career.

Struggling families face a lot of challenges to getting ahead today. The very least we can do is keep our Tax Code from forcing families to take a half step backward for every step forward, and that is exactly the problem the 21st Century Worker Tax Cut Act will help to solve.

This bill will give our working families a 20-percent deduction on the second earner's income. A mom or dad who goes back into the workforce and brings home an extra $25,000, for example, would get a $5,000 deduction. For a family in the 25-percent bracket, that means $1,250 back in their pocket for groceries, childcare, transportation, or retirement savings.

The bill also reflects the reality that workers without dependent children and young workers who are just starting out are being left behind under the current EITC. My colleague Senator Brown has been a leader on this issue. He is a cosponsor of the bill I am introducing today.

Unlike low-income workers with kids at home, workers without dependent children receive little or nothing from this credit. As workers file their 2013 tax returns this spring, a single worker with no dependent children is eligible for a maximum credit of only $487. She is entirely phased out of the credit once her income reaches $14,340, which is about what a full-time minimum wage worker would earn in a year. Young, childless workers under 25, who are starting out in a tough labor market, are not eligible at all. In an economy today where more low-wage earners are middle-aged and where young people are struggling to gain a toehold in the job market, it doesn't make any sense.

Our bill, the 21st Century Worker Tax Cut Act, would increase the EITC for workers without dependent children to about $1,400 next year and expand the income range over which workers are eligible for the credit. It would also lower the eligibility age for the childless worker to qualify for the EITC from 25 years old to 21 so that young workers without dependents get the same incentives that have helped so many others get on their feet. The Treasury Department estimated that EITC changes similar to these would help more than 13 million struggling workers climb the economic ladder.

As we expand the EITC, we have a responsibility to do everything we can to make sure this credit is going straight to the workers and families who need it, and part of that responsibility is to make sure that the EITC claims are filed correctly. Professional tax return preparers complete 70 percent of these EITC claims. Under our bill, the 21st Century Worker Tax Cut, they would receive twice the current penalty if they don't follow due diligence requirements put in place by the IRS.

Workers and families are playing fair, and the biggest corporations should too, and that is why this bill would be paid for by closing loopholes that the biggest corporations take advantage of. The 21st Century Worker Tax Cut would draw on a proposal from my colleague Senator Reed of Rhode Island, who is also a cosponsor of this bill. His proposal closes a loophole that lets corporations claim outsized tax breaks by paying their executives stock options instead of regular paychecks. This bill would also stop multinational corporations from shifting profits into tax havens such as Bermuda and the Cayman Islands to avoid paying their fair share.

There is bipartisan support for closing those loopholes. Both Democrats and House Ways and Means chairman Dave Camp have proposed eliminating each of them. Updating our Tax Code to give tax breaks to our struggling workers instead of big corporations is the right thing to do.

As we continue this important debate about how to expand opportunity to those who are struggling today, we need to make sure we are giving today's workforce the best shot in today's economy. We should increase our outdated minimum wage to give millions of workers a raise, and then Democrats and Republicans need to come together to update our Tax Code and give today's struggling workers the tax relief they deserve. The 21st Century Worker Tax Cut would be a strong, fiscally responsible step toward that bipartisan goal, and I am hopeful we can get this done for our workers as quickly as possible.

Madam President, I ask to speak as in morning business.

Madam President, I wish to take a moment to address an issue that has really been on the hearts and minds of those back home in my home State of Washington.

On Saturday, as I am sure many of my colleagues heard, the town of Oso, WA--a small, tightly knit town alongside the Stillaguamish River-- was directly hit by a massive landslide. That landslide cut off the town of Darrington, which is just a few miles down State Road 530. Houses over a square mile were simply swept away. We already know we have lost several people, and yesterday we learned there could be well more than 100 who are still missing. So right now in Washington State there are dozens of families who simply don't know if their loved ones are even still alive.

Even though Oso and Darrington are 2,300 miles away from the Nation's Capital, our hearts and prayers are with them and their families. I want them to know that in the coming days and weeks and months--and even years, if that is what it takes--all of us will stand with the people of Oso and

Darrington and provide any resources they need to recover and rebuild and that they have the thoughts and prayers of everyone in this country, from their Washington to this one.

Affordable Care Act

Let me change gears a bit and address one of the most significant pieces of legislation for women in my lifetime--the Affordable Care Act.

On Sunday this law celebrated its fourth anniversary, serving as a very stark reminder of where our Nation's health care system was just 4 years ago. Four years ago our health insurance companies could deny women care due to so-called preexisting conditions such as pregnancy or being a victim of domestic violence. Four years ago women were permitted to be legally discriminated against when it came to insurance premiums and often were paying more for coverage than men. Four years ago women did not have access to the full range of recommended preventive care, such as mammograms or prenatal screenings and much more. Four years ago insurance companies had all the leverage and all the power, and too often it was women who paid the price.

Now, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, for the first time women--not their insurance companies or their employers--are fully in charge of their own health care. In fact, women make up over half of the 5 million people who have already signed up for coverage in the new marketplace, and over 47 million women have already gained guaranteed access to preventive health services thanks to the Affordable Care Act.

That is why I feel so strongly that we cannot go back to the way things were. While we can never stop working to make improvements, we owe it to the women of America to make progress and to move forward and not allow the clock to be rolled back on their health care needs.

Unfortunately, there are efforts underway all across the country-- including here today in our Nation's Capital--to severely undermine a woman's access to some of those most critical and lifesaving services that are provided under the Affordable Care Act. No provision of this law has faced quite as many attacks as the idea of providing affordable, quality reproductive health services to the women of America.

For this reason I was very proud to lead Members of my caucus in filing an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in the two cases being considered there today. Those cases were brought by CEOs who want to take away their employees' right to insurance coverage for birth control, which is guaranteed under the Affordable Care Act.

As was the case in the many attempts before this case, there are those out there who would like the American public to believe this conversation is anything but an attack on women's health care. To them, it is a debate about freedom--except, of course, freedom for women's access to care. It is no different than when we are told that attacks on abortion rights somehow are not an infringement on a woman's right to choose but it is somehow about religion or States rights; or when we are told that restricting emergency contraception isn't about limiting women's ability to make their own family planning decisions, it is somehow about protecting pharmacists; or just like last week when an Alaska State senator proposed placing State-funded pregnancy tests in bars but ruled out providing contraception because ``birth control is for people who don't necessarily want to act responsibly.''

The truth is that this is about contraception. This is an attempt to limit a woman's ability to access care. This is about women. Allowing a woman's boss to call the shots about her access to birth control should be inconceivable to all Americans in this day and age. It takes us back to a place in history when women had no voice and no choice.

In fact, contraception was included as a required preventive service in the Affordable Care Act on the recommendation of the independent, nonprofit Institute of Medicine and other medical experts because it is essential to the health of women and families. After many years of research, we know that ensuring access to effective birth control has a direct impact on improving the lives of women and families in America. We have been able to directly link it to declines in maternal and infant mortality, reduced risk of ovarian cancer, better overall health care outcomes for women, and far fewer unintended pregnancies and abortions, which is a goal we all share.

What is at stake in this case before the Supreme Court is whether a CEO's personal beliefs can trump a woman's right to access free or low- cost contraception under the Affordable Care Act.

I strongly believe every American deserves to have access to high- quality health care coverage regardless of where they work or where they live, and each of us should have the right to make our own medical and religious decisions without being dictated to or limited by our employers. Contraceptive coverage is supported by the vast majority of Americans, who understand how important it is for women and families.

In weighing this case, my hope is the Court realizes that women working for private companies should be afforded the same access to medical care regardless of who signs their paycheck. We can't allow for-profit, secular corporations or their shareholders to deny female employees access to comprehensive women's health care under the guise of a religious exemption. It is as if we are saying that because someone is a CEO or a shareholder in a corporation, their rights are more important than the employees who happen to be women.

As I sat inside that Supreme Court chamber this morning listening to the arguments being made on both sides, I couldn't help but think: If these CEOs are allowed to evade this law, what would happen to the other legal protections for employees? Could a boss decide not to cover HIV treatment? Could an employer opt out of having to comply with antidiscrimination laws? Corporations should not be able to use religion as a license to discriminate.

I am proud to be joined in filing the brief by 18 other Senators who were in office when Congress enacted the religious protections through the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in 1993 and again when we made access to women's health care available through the Affordable Care Act in 2010. We are Senators who know that Congress did not intend for a corporation or its shareholders to restrict a woman's access to preventive health care. We all know that improving access to birth control is good health policy and good economic policy. We know it will mean healthier women, healthier children, healthier families, and a healthier America. And we all know it will save money for businesses and consumers.

I know many of our colleagues believe that repealing the Affordable Care Act and access to reproductive health services is somehow a political winner for them. But the truth is that this law and these provisions are winners for women, for men, for children, and for our health care system overall. So I am very proud to stand with my colleagues who are committed to making sure the benefits of this law do not get taken away from the women of America, because politicians and ideology should not matter when it comes to making sure women get the care they need at a cost they can afford.

Madam President, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I am sure all our colleagues have seen the news over the past few days from my home State of Washington where we are suffering from a devastating natural disaster.

For those who haven't seen the coverage, on Saturday the town of Oso, WA--a very small, tightly knit community on the Stillaguamish River-- was hit by a massive landslide. It has cut off the town of Darrington just a few miles up State Road 530, and houses over a square mile have been swept away.

We know already we have lost eight people. This morning we learned there are more than 100 people still missing, and right now in my home State of Washington there are dozens of families who do not know if their loved ones are still alive. These are moms and dads, they are sons and daughters, they are neighbors and friends who in the blink of an eye saw water and earth

wipe away their homes and their entire community, and now many of them don't know if their loved ones survived.

I was in Arlington, WA, yesterday, where the search and rescue operations are being coordinated. It is just down the road from where the slide hit, and I want to talk for a few minutes this evening on the Senate floor about this tragedy.

Oso and Darrington are very small towns like a lot of others in this country. The population of Oso is 180 people. These are the types of places where everyone knows everyone, where they stop to say hello, and where everyone lends a helping hand. It is impossible to describe the scope of this devastation. There isn't a single person who hasn't been impacted in some way by this tragedy. There also isn't a single person anywhere who isn't doing everything they can to help. I saw neighbors who were there providing food, providing shelter, offers of all kinds of hope, help, hugs, and prayers. First responders are risking their lives every minute, braving very dangerous conditions to look for survivors. People across my State are offering help and donations, anything they can to assist these communities that are experiencing the unthinkable. We have grocery stores offering food to the families who need it and to the rescue workers. The Red Cross is there on the ground. Tribal leaders from the local community are coming to offer what they can.

I wanted my colleagues to know that this weekend I saw some of the worst devastation I have ever witnessed in my home State. At the same time I also saw firefighters who hadn't slept. They refused to stop as they searched for survivors. I saw families refusing to give up hope, and I saw communities that need our entire State and our entire country to stand with them now.

Even though Oso and Darrington are 2,300 miles away from the Nation's Capital, our hearts and prayers are with the families in those communities tonight. In the coming weeks and months--and even years if that is what it takes--all of us need to stand with the people of Oso and Darrington and Arlington and provide the Federal resources they are going to desperately need in this recovery and rebuilding operation. I want them to know they will have the thoughts and prayers of everyone in this country going out to the real Washington as they see this through.

I yield the floor.

I come to the floor today to thank the bipartisan leadership that has brought us to the place where we are considering reauthorizing this important child care and development block grant bill.

In my home State of Washington there is a young woman named Janelle who is a single mom. She lives in southeast Seattle and was looking for opportunities to support her family. But before she could go back to school or participate in a job-training program so she could advance her career, she had to find affordable childcare for two of her children.

Thankfully, with the assistance of this Child Care and Development Block Grant Program, she was able to get some subsidies to help cover the costs. She now works. She works part-time, and she is attending school and becoming a surgical tech.

This Federal grant program expands opportunities to parents such as Janelle and so many families across our country by helping them with the cost of childcare. That is why I support this effort to reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant Program.

We all know the cost of childcare has soared in recent decades. The Census Bureau found that childcare costs have nearly doubled since the 1980s, and that high cost hits low-income families especially hard. For working families who live below the poverty line, the cost of childcare can eat up more than 30 percent of their monthly income. For single parents, if they only have one income, it is an even bigger burden. When low-income parents don't have access to reliable and affordable childcare, they can't work. They can't go back to school. They can't advance their skills with job training. They are stuck.

That, as we know, is particularly problematic for women. Women are more likely than men to cut back their hours at work or quit their jobs all together so they can take care of their children.

In the long run, that puts women on an uneven playing field with their male counterparts, both in terms of earnings and of opportunities to advance in the workplace.

We have to break down those barriers. We need to make sure that working doesn't become cost prohibitive for parents, and we have to strengthen access for low-income families so they can get affordable, quality childcare.

This bipartisan Child Care and Development Block Grant Act is part of the solution. These grants expand opportunities for parents with low income. It allows them to work, to go to school or to get job training--all with the peace of mind that their kids are taken care of in a safe childcare center.

In 1990 President George H. W. Bush signed this grant program, as we know it, into law. Today it helps 1.6 million kids get childcare.

To participate a parent has to have a job or be enrolled in school or in a job training program. That has helped countless parents across our country.

I want to mention a woman who has contacted us. She is a single mom whose name is Star. She lives in Skagit County, a rural part of my State. She wants to advance her skills to support her family, as so many people do today.

With this assistance she is able to go to a community college 1 hour away from home, knowing that her kids are OK in a reliable childcare program. There is nothing more important to a parent than the safety and well-being of their child. I have said many times: You do a better job at work if you know your kids are safe. If you are worried about whether your kids are OK, you can't do a good job at work. Reauthorizing this program is a critical part of this, and it helps parents such as Star feel comfortable when they are away from their kids.

In this reauthorization bill we are looking at ways to improve these grants. We know that stability is critically important for a young child's development. But before kids could lose their spot in childcare, if their parents didn't meet the eligibility requirements, even temporarily, that disruption in care is exactly what we need to work to avoid.

I have seen this a lot in my work on behalf of foster kids, military students, and homeless children. These are highly mobile populations. Now with this legislation and the work that has been done, we have ensured that these kids have a mandatory 12 months to access that care so they don't have that disruption of stability in their lives. That is critically important.

This bill also reduces barriers for homeless families to access childcare and will train more childcare providers in identifying and serving homeless kids and families so they can get the support they need. I truly appreciate the inclusion of those provisions.

For many families it can be very difficult, as we know, to find quality childcare. This legislation authorizes a toll-free hotline and a Web site so parents can get and find good-quality care in their own community. Those provisions are why I am such a strong supporter and so delighted we are at the point where we are able to pass this critical piece of legislation.

Let me end by saying in Washington State there is a young couple named Edward and Constance. They are struggling to make ends meet on a very low income. They are working, and they are studying to ensure that times won't always be as tough as they are today. Because of childcare assistance with this grant money, Edward now works full time. When Constance is not working at her part-time job, she is training to become a dental assistant. Supporting parents such as this couple, giving them these opportunities to make sure their kids are in a safe, quality childcare program is what the grants are about in this program.

I urge our colleagues to support this legislation, and again, I thank the Senators who have participated in making this a strong bipartisan proposal.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, the issue of climate change is a pressing issue and so I wish to commend the work of my colleagues, and to reiterate my concerns.

Climate change is real. Unfortunately, while so many of my colleagues across the aisle talk about the need to address our debt to avoid burdening future generations, too many of these same Senators refuse to take action to address the climate debt we are passing on. Most frustrating of all, we know what can be done to fix this problem.

We know the solutions to reduce pollution and emissions that cause climate change create good-paying jobs. Jobs that put money back in families' pockets through low-cost energy sources and increased efficiencies in homes. These solutions make our Nation more energy independent, and our businesses more globally competitive. They give us cleaner air and water, and protect the health of our children and grandchildren.

I know that we can take these steps because I have seen it in my home State of Washington. In Washington, our biodiesel producers are replacing imported oil with clean, renewable, home-grown fuels. Companies like McKinstry, who have made a home in the Northwest, are leaders in helping cities, hospitals, and others create energy efficient, sustainable buildings.

In the past, the United States has led the world in innovative ways to create energy, but recently we have ceded our clean energy leadership to countries like China and Germany because too many have stood in the way of making necessary investments. When we passed the Bipartisan Budget Act this past December, we proved that Democrats and Republicans can put ideology aside and work together to make progress on our Nation's challenges.

Climate change is no less a challenge than any of the other issues we face, and we have a moral obligation to address it. As I have said, addressing this challenge will create good-paying jobs here at home in fields like pollution management, energy efficiency, and renewable energy goods. And best of all, we can pass a healthier planet on to our children.

I'm hopeful that Republicans and Democrats can find common ground and come together to move us forward.