Making Continuing Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2014 - Motion to Proceed

Floor Speech

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Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have no objection whatsoever to the Senator speaking, but it was my understanding he was going to ask some consent requests. I understand he has great persuasive talents in speaking, but I am not going to be able to do that. I interrupted my schedule today, which I was happy to do, at the convenience of the Senator from Texas. So I will be back in 20 minutes, and the Senator can ask his unanimous consent requests at that time. Is that OK?

Mr. CRUZ. Mr. President, I would be happy to ask the unanimous consent requests at the outset if that would be preferable to the majority leader.

Mr. REID. OK. And if the Senator would do that, I would really appreciate it. And he has my word that I will watch what I can, and if I cannot, I will read every word of it tonight.

Mr. CRUZ. And I am hopeful my remarks will be persuasive when the Senator watches them.

Mr. REID. My friend is always persuasive.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. CRUZ. The first unanimous consent request that I would put forward: Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate agree to the motion to proceed to H.J. Res. 59; that no debate, amendments, or motions to the resolution be in order; that any and all points of order be waived; that the resolution be read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, without any intervening action or debate.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?

Mr. REID. Yes. Reserving the right to object, Mr. President, my friend went right to the point, and I appreciate that. I understand that the junior Senator from Texas asks consent to pass the House-passed continuing resolution by consent without any amendments. I understand that. As I said, he came right to the point.

The House-passed resolution, as we know now, would defund ObamaCare. It would block not only the administration of the program but all related benefits as well, and that is untoward.

Second, it includes so-called debt prioritization language, or what has been called the ``pay China first'' policy. This would leave us vulnerable to default on our obligations to everyone else besides bondholders and Social Security--everyone from veterans, to small businesses, to Federal employees and contractors, to doctors and hospitals and Medicare patients generally.

Mr. President, the President would veto this continuing resolution, so it is not going to become law anyway, and I object.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.

Mr. CRUZ. Mr. President, the second unanimous consent request that I would put forward: Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate agree to the motion to proceed to H.J. Res. 59; that any and all points of order be waived; that during consideration of H.J. Res. 59, adoption of any amendments be subject to a 60-affirmative-vote threshold; and that upon disposition of all amendments, the resolution be read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, without any intervening action or debate.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?

Mr. REID. Mr. President, reserving the right to object I again understand the Senator from Texas in his request, which would create a new 60-vote hurdle where the Senate rules do not require one at the present time. I really try to follow the Senate rules. Sometimes they are obnoxious and I wish they were different, but I try my best, in leading us in this difficult Senate sometimes, to live up to all the rules as they exist. The Senate rules set up a lot of hurdles. That is the way the precedents have been developed over the years, and I understand that. Sometimes Senators like these, sometimes they do not. I would guess that most would say the Senate has enough--enough--60-vote hurdles, that the Senate has enough of these really arbitrary hurdles as it is, that we do not need to add even more barriers to getting things done.

We should be careful about adding new barriers. The American people are really fed up. I travel the country, and it is rare that I go someplace where they do not say: What are you going to do to change the rules? They know what the rules are and how difficult they are. I would bet the vast majority of Senators--Democrats and Republicans--would like them changed. The problem is that we have tried that recently. We were able to make a little headway but not a lot. So I think most Americans would rather we work in ways to agree to work together rather than disagree. I almost would bet, although I am not a betting man, that most Americans would rather we avoid shutting down the government.

Mr. President, I know the sincerity of the Senator from Texas. I understand that. I disagree with him I hope as sincerely as he disagrees with me, but I do not take away from his sincerity. But having said that, I am in a position now to object, and I must do that.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.

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