[applause] live now to the floor of the u. S. Senate, lawmakers gaveling in for the day for an hour of general speeches and then more debate on extending longterm Unemployment Benefits this is live coverage of the senate. [ help them to draw near to you with true hearts and the full assurance. That their times are in your hands, thank you for the liberties you have given america. Help us to remember that eternal vigilance is the price for freedom. We pray in your merciful name. Amen. The president pro tempore please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to the flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mr. Reid mr. President . The president pro tempore the majority leader. Mr. Reid i move to proceed to calendar number 250. The president pro tempore respect mr. Reid . The clerk a bill to provide for increase in the federal minimum wage and so forth. Mr. Reid following my remarks and those of the republican leader the senate will be in a period of morning business for an hour. The majority will control the first half, republicans the final half. Following morning business the senate will resume consideration of the legislate vehicle for the Unemployment Insurance extension legislation. The senate will recess today as we do every he tuesday, from 12 30 to 2 15, for our caucus meetings. Mr. President , as i went about my business here in the senate yesterday, i was informed the Koch Brothers are at it again. We know theyre at it, but now theyre at it in nevada, among other places. One of their puppet organizations is, im told, going to run commercials against me in nevada. Thats quite interesting, mr. President. As i understand it, they have focused on places where there is an election. They may not know that, but im not running for anything this i have to wait a few years, until my sixyear term is up. What is the issue that they raise in those ads that they say theyre going to run in nevada . By my criticizing the Koch Brothers, ive attacked their freedom of speech. The gall of these two brothers is staggering, mr. President. Keep in mind they are the fifthrichest people not in whatever state they live in they have lots of different homes in america. They are the fifthrichest people in the world. In the world. These two mogul multibillionaires are so eager to force their will on the American People that theyll do it even in the face of their own hypocrisy, which we have already established some time ago. So, mr. President , i am beginning to think that april fools day arrived a day early. You see, mr. President , its a fools errand for the Koch Brothers to think they can use their money to frighten me or to brain wash nevadans or the rest of the country. They are spending lots of money to try to do that. The people of this nation trace their freedom of speech back to the constitution, not a bank account that has lots and lots of zeros at the end. The Koch Brothers are trying to use their immense wealth to buy their way around the laws and regulations of this nation to make themselves even richer. Everything they do is so selfish, so selfcentered in an effort to make them, i guess they want to be the sixthrichest is not good enough, fifthrichest is not good enough. Fourth. They want to be the richest because thats what they are into and making as much money as they can. And there is nothing wrong with that except for what theyre doing with their money. I know they say we gave money in, i think, new york city to cancer research. Mr. President , what they have done to damage the National Institutes of health is, its not possible to measure that. Heres the rules the multibillionaire Koch Brothers want to play by. They should be allowed to say false and misleading things the Affordable Care act, but were not allowed to criticize them for it. Now, mr. President , yesterday i am told just listening from the news. I havent heard anything from the white house directly. I am told that yesterday in one day more people signed up for obamacare than the previous three months. People are anxious to have Health Insurance. They are anxious to have Health Insurance. And ive been very satisfied with me and members of my caucus and people around the country standing up to these moguls and their false, misleading fearmongering ways. So it should be no surprise that these multimillionaire, billionaire, really, really, really rich fifthrichest people in the world have decide what had well do is well try to frighten the raid. Mr. President , there have been times in my life ive been a little afraid, but im not afraid of them. They can run i understand they spent 30,000. Let them spend 300,000 in nevada. I dont care. And i really dont. These oil barons have commissioned a group of people, one of their many organizations. As ive said here on the floor, mr. President , mostly ads we see, we think come from americans for prosperity. Thats their name. But they funnel money through many, many organizations. The chamber of commerce. What does the chamber do with those ads . Run ads against Democratic Senators. Because the chamber of commerce is a republicanoriented organization. And its good to get money from the Koch Brothers because they can hide them under the chamber of commerce. Now, this organization now that they are floating around, that theyre going to run these ads, im told, against me is called american encore. It was previously called quote the center to protect patients rights. I guess that didnt work so well, with well more than ten Million People have now signed up for obamacare. People who didnt have the opportunity before. I guess they decided ads against me is more important than protecting patients rights so they have come up with another catchy name. Americans american encore. No matter what they call their organization or their myriad of organizations, they all have one stated purpose, to make these oil barons even richer. And if you need further proof and im not sure anyone does take a look at the legislation that has influenced how they made their money. In recent years a tea partydriven house of representatives never miss add chance to funnel more tax cuts to the wealthy by raising taxes on the middle class. Mr. President , the vast majority of wealthy people in America Today are willing to do more. Ive spoken to my friend, the presiding officer; there are a lot of rich people in the state of new jersey. And even though the presiding officer has worked with those people who are badly in need of help, people in new jersey have walked up to the presiding officer and said, im willing to pay more. The same in nevada, mr. President. But every time we try to do something here to get a few more resources to build roads, bridges, highways, dams, water systems, sewer systems, the republicans here in congress say no. The republicans in congress do not represent mainstream republicans in America Today. They dont even represent mainstream rich republicans around the country. Theyre driven, theyre afraid of the tea party. Now we have a Budget Proposal coming out today from the house of representatives. The person who ran for Vice President last goround on the republican ticket is the chairman of the Budget Committee. And hes coming out with a budget. Its a blueprint for a modern koch how would we say this . Koch topia. Yes, thats it. Kochtopia. Call it whatever you want. We might as well call it the koch budget because thats what theyre doing, protecting the Koch Brothers. These proposals are called, and im fascinated by this, mr. President , the path to prosperity. Well, it is a path to prosperity for some people, the really rich. Because that budget would end medicare as we know it. Its like the last budget that the chairman of the Budget Committee in the house came out with. It would slash Education Funding while expanding tax loopholes for the megarich. So whose prosperity was being plotted in these schemes . Today as we get closer to the new ryan budget, well have to see how much of the Koch Brothers agenda is reflected in this new budget and well have plenty of time to talk about that. You dont have to be a fortune teller to know the similarities are extensive. To any and all groups who wish to attack me on behalf of multibillionaires, fire away, mr. President. I am very happy im proud to be the target of those attacks. I will gladly endure them in order to call attention to the unscrupulous acts of these two barons. I dont expect americans to go along with their attempt to rig our democracy and hand it toefr a couple it over to a couple powerhungry tycoons, i guess in kansas. I know they have homes in new york. The country will be watching but not fooled by the Koch Brothers attempt to purchase influence. For whom . For the Koch Brothers. Mr. Mcconnell mr. President . The presiding officer the republican leader. Mr. Mcconnell washington democrats have controlled the white house and the senate for years now. Theyve tried just about every tool in the liberal toolbox to turn the economy around, and yet according to the latest gallup tracking poll, just 19 of americans think the economy is doing well. Millions, millions are out of work, and close to 60 of americans say things are getting even worse. So by basically any objective standard youd have to say that the Washington Democratic approach just hasnt worked. Youd have to say its time for a change to do something that can work. And thats just what republicans are proposing again this week. While Senate Democrats dust off the same old polltested ideas for papering over the symptoms of may malaise, republicans are proposing ideas to give people real hope for something more, Something Better than what weve been getting for the last five years, something that speaks to their hopes and their potential. In other words, the other side is doubling down on the status quo while republicans are offering change. Specifically, well be proposing numerous jobrelated amendments that have one unifying purpose, and thats to break through the stagnation of the obama economy and kick domestic job creation into high gear. Our approach is simple. Lets give Free Enterprise and private initiative a chance. Lets use the tools that we know can lead to the creation of stable, wellpaying 21st century jobs our constituents want and deserve. Too often to seems our friends on the other side are single mindedly focused on treating the symptoms of a down economy rather than actually providing struggling americans with positive, meaningful paths to a better life. They just cant seem to get their minds around any legislative proposal that puts ordinary americans and private initiative in the drivers seat instead of the government. To me, that largely sums up the difference between the parties. But it goes even further than that. Because washington democrats arent just reluctant to embrace any idea that doesnt emanate from washington. They dont even want to hear about them. But if were going to get this country back on track, that needs to change. And thats what republicans are arguing for this week. What were saying is if all you want is subsistencelevel relief, then thats what the party of government is going to give you. But if your goal is to truly help those who aspire to join the middle class, if you want to help people phabgz phaoeuz their potential maximize their potential and build a better life, then its time to start looking beyond washington. Deep down i think our democratic friends understand this too. I think they understand that pushing biggovernment legislation with words like jobs or affordable in the title isnt the same as actually creating jobs or actually making things more affordable. Its like handing somebody a men u instead of serving them a meal. The tragic effects of this approach are clear. From an Affordable Care act that turned out to be anything but to a stimulus bill that seemed better at stimulating late night pinch punch lines than stimulating jobs. If you need proof take a look at the polltested campaigncrafted agenda they rolled out this week, an agenda packed to the brim of basepleasing showboats and few, if any, Real Solutions for the middle class. The Nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office tells us that one of their proposals could cost up to a million jobs cost jobs, not create jobs. This prioritization of partypleasing show votes over actually helping grow the middle class is a tragedy for our country. The American People really deserve two National Parties that are serious, and its long past time for democrats to start engaging with us in a serious effort to help americans who struggle so much in the obamacare in the obama economy. The good news is theyll have their chance this week. Republicans are filing amendments on a whole range of job centered policies, that deserve not a vote but bipartisan support. An amendment would eliminate the 30 hour workweek rule which is hurting americans take home pay. One of our members from utah is putting forward an appeal to destroy the device tax. A good number of Democratic Senators have joined us in the path to get rid of this job killer and they deserve the opportunity to help us eliminate it once and for all. The senior senator from north dakota has an amendment that would speed approval of the keystone pipeline. This is a project that would create thousands, thousands of jobs right away, and its just a nobrainer. Senate democrats need to join democrats across the country who have already endorse this had commonsense initiative and help us to pass it. I personally plan to file an amendment that would give congress the ability to stop e. P. A. s Backdoor National Energy Tax and would also keep unelected bureaucrats from blocking desperately needed jobs in kentucky by sitting on surface minding permits. This administrations antikempt policies have helped bring about antikentucky policies have helped bring about a depression, that is a depression with a capital d, in many Kentucky Coal counties. Its about time they started having a little compassion for the coal families who just want to put food on the table. And thats exactly what my amendment aims to do. So these are just a few of the many proposals republican senators will be putting forward this week. They represent the kind of solutions our country needs right now to finally emerge from this awful economy. Real solutions that focus on creating wellpaying jobs, increasing takehome pay, training a worldclass workforce and breaking a seemingly endless cycle of chronic high unemployment. As ive indicated, we tried the washington democrat approach for years now. We know that it just hasnt worked. We also know their new agenda isnt serious, that its nothing more than an obamacare distraction strategy. And we know this because democrats actually told us it was created by their campaign committee, that it was designed to appeal to their base. Get some points for candor. So if the democratic majority is finally ready to get down to business and create jobs, this is the moment to prove it. This is the moment to drop the he happenedless, endless campaigning. This is the moment to work with us to actually create jobs and help the middle class. And this is the most for legislation that would do just that. Mr. President , i yield the floor. The presiding officer under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. Under the previous order, there will be a period of morning business for one hour with senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each, with the time equally divided between the two leaders or their designees, and with the majority controlling the first half of the time. There mr. Durbin mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from illinois. Mr. Durbin mr. President , i ask unanimoui askunanimous consent g deadline for firstdegree amendment to h. R. 3979, which is the legislative vehicle for Unemployment Insurance extension, be 30 p. M. Today april, 1. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Durbin mr. President , i rise to speak in morning business. I listened carefully to the statement just made by the republican senator leader, senator mcconnell of kentucky, in which he promised concrete ideas, real hope, change, jobrelated approaches, Free Enterprise giving Free Enterprise a chance, trying to deal with putting america back to work. And then he gave us three examples. And i might say to the senator that im familiar with all three because none of these are new. We have heard them over and over again from the republican side of the aisle. I wont go through each one of them. A couple of them relate to the Affordable Care act. It is interesting to me the house of representatives has voted i believe 45 times to repeal the Affordable Care act. The senator from kentucky said, weve got to get back to Free Enterprise ideas. Let me tell you a Free Enterprise idea when it came to health care. Before the passage of the Affordable Care act, the Free Enterprise idea this was if you wer