Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 113 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 113 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 159 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013 No. 47 Senate The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was Senator from the Commonwealth of Massa- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- called to order by the Honorable WIL- chusetts, to perform the duties of the Chair. pore. Objection having been heard, the LIAM M. COWAN, a Senator from the PATRICK J. LEAHY, bills will be placed on the calendar. President pro tempore. Commonwealth of Massachusetts. f Mr. COWAN thereupon assumed the PRAYER chair as Acting President pro tempore. IMPACTS OF SEQUESTER The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- f Mr. REID. Mr. President, for many fered the following prayer: RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY months now my Republican friends Let us pray. LEADER have promised the impacts of the se- quester’s arbitrary cuts would be mini- Almighty God, take from us any- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- mal—don’t worry about them. When thing that doesn’t honor You. Remove pore. The majority leader is recog- they voiced any concern at all about covetousness, pride, anger, or anything nized. that is unlike You. Replace our nega- the sequester cuts, it was over the po- f tives with positives, making us lowly, tential impact on the U.S. military. peaceable, patient, and kind. SCHEDULE The impact on middle-class families Lord, fill our lawmakers with faith, a Mr. REID. Mr. President, following and the national economy wouldn’t be firm hope, and a charity, that they leader remarks the Senate will resume that drastic, they promised in Feb- love nothing that displeases You. Raise consideration of the motion to proceed ruary and in March. them up to be seated with You in heav- to the gun safety legislation. The first Well, now it is April and contrary to enly realms, as they strive to be in- hour will be equally divided with the Republican promises, Americans in struments of Your purposes. Republicans. They will control the first communities from Massachusetts to Thank You for being rich in mercy half, and we will control the final half. Nevada, from coast to coast, in red and for Your grace that never gives up Last evening I filed cloture on a mo- States and in blue States, are begin- on us. tion to proceed to that legislation. ning to feel the pinch of those across- We pray in Your merciful Name. Hopefully, today we can reach an the-board cuts. Amen. agreement to begin debate on this In the District of Columbia, tourists bill—even today. traveling from home to here for the f We also hope to formalize an agree- National Cherry Blossom Festival ex- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ment for the confirmation of Sarah perienced long lines to go through air- Jewell to be Interior Secretary. port security because of these fur- The Honorable WILLIAM M. COWAN led loughs. Coming home from Nevada on the Pledge of Allegiance as follows: f Sunday there were mobs of people. I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the MEASURES PLACED ON THE When anyone sits down to talk to any United States of America, and to the Repub- CALENDAR—S. 680 AND S. 691 of them, they will speak about how lic for which it stands, one nation under God, Mr. REID. Mr. President, I am told— indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. miserable it is getting through secu- and I believe this is right—there are rity checks at airports all over the f two bills at the desk due for a second country. APPOINTMENT OF ACTING reading. In Murray, UT, a food pantry that The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE feeds more than 1,000 people every pore. The Senator is correct. month has closed because of these cuts. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The The clerk will read the bills by title In Durham, NC, scores of employees at clerk will please read a communication for a second time. a medical research facility will get The assistant legislative clerk read to the Senate from the President pro pink slips. In central Maine fewer sen- as follows: tempore (Mr. LEAHY). ior citizens will be able to participate The assistant legislative clerk read A bill (S. 680) to rescind amounts appro- with Meals on Wheels. In Bethlehem, the following letter: priated for fiscal year 2013 for the Depart- ment of Defense for the Medium Extended PA, more than 100 children are going to U.S. SENATE, Air Defense System, and for other purposes. be kicked off Head Start. PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, A bill (S. 691) to regulate large capacity Now, maybe my Republican friends Washington, DC, April 10, 2013. ammunition feeding devices. To the Senate: don’t feel this, but I guarantee my col- Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, Mr. REID. Mr. President, I object to leagues the parents of these little chil- of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby any further proceedings with respect to dren in Bethlehem, PA, feel it. People appoint the Honorable WILLIAM M. COWAN, a these two bills. waiting in these airport lines feel it. ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S2511 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 00:04 Apr 11, 2013 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A10AP6.000 S10APPT1 jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with SENATE S2512 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE April 10, 2013 Why, at this medical research facility, The overwhelming majority of Amer- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- should these people get pink slips? Are icans wanted us to compromise before pore. Without objection, it is so or- they unnecessary? Of course not. If the their friends and family members got dered. food pantry in Utah closes, are the peo- pink slips or furloughed or were told THE PRESIDENT’S BUDGET ple still hungry? Of course they are— there is no more treatment for them Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, in about more of them than before this cut took even though they have cancer. For an hour the President of the United place. some it is already too late. But we can States will release his budget—65 days In central Nebraska emergency re- repair that damage, perhaps, and we after the statutory deadline of Feb- sponse times have increased signifi- should do it immediately, to put Amer- ruary 4, the first Monday in February. cantly since the local airport control icans back to work—no more fur- Since taking office, President Obama tower closed. In southern Ohio the di- loughs. has raised taxes roughly $1.7 trillion— rector of the local public defender’s of- To give our economy a foundation for a number that I know none of us can fice—a man by the name of Steve growth, we must replace the sequester actually comprehend. But now he Nolder—fired himself. He did that rath- with a balanced approach to deficit re- wants to raise taxes once again. er than lay off other members of his duction. A balanced approach is one I heard the majority leader on the staff. He figured: I am one; I can save that asks the richest among us to con- floor this morning advocating for an- the jobs of three people. And that is tribute a little bit more—their fair other tax increase. The President’s pro- what he did. That is quite unbelievable, share—to deficit reduction. The rich posed budget will ask for another $800 but it is true. He has worked there for are willing to do this. If we did this, we billion, and that is on top of $600 bil- 18 years in the public defender’s office. would avert cuts that hurt American lion that was the subject of the fiscal I repeat, he gave up his job so three families, harm our military readiness, cliff negotiations at the end of last could keep theirs. and hinder our economic recovery. year. Perhaps most concerning of all, com- I want everyone within the sound of The President’s budget, which will be munity cancer centers around the my voice to doublecheck my statistics, released in an hour but which we have country are facing difficult choices. but I heard on the radio on the way to heard a lot about already, will never, For the people who have experienced work the Pentagon has decided that ever actually balance. Every household cancer or experienced cancer in their one-third of all of our aircraft simply in America, 49 States, every munici- families, this is something that is will not be used because they don’t pality, county government, everyone noted. Community cancer centers have enough resources to fuel them. So else in America has to live within their around the country are facing a very that training just will not go forward. means but not the Federal Govern- difficult choice: send Medicare patients That is what I heard on the radio, and ment. away or just close their doors. The someone can doublecheck what I heard, The President’s budget, as I said, Washington Post reports that because does not purport to live within our fis- of the sequester cuts to Medicare reim- but I am confident that is right. In the House and in the Senate, both cal means, and it does not balance, but bursements, cancer centers around the Republicans and Democrats voted to the President says this is a com- country can no longer afford to admin- impose these cuts quite a long time promise.