Family and Business Tax Cut Certainty Act of 2012--Motion to Proceed

Floor Speech

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Mr. REID. Mr. President, last night cloture was filed on the substitute amendment and the underlying bill, the veterans jobs bill. If we are unable to reach an agreement to move up the timing of the cloture vote, then we will have to have these votes as early as we can under rule XXII. Under such a scenario, the first rollcall vote on cloture on the substitute amendment would occur shortly after 1 a.m. Friday morning, and that is tonight. If there are 60 votes to cut off the filibuster on the substitute amendment, then there will be up to 30 hours postcloture on the substitute amendment prior to a vote on its adoption which would occur at 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning. Immediately following the vote on the adoption of the substitute amendment, the Senate will proceed to the cloture vote on the underlying bill as amended. If cloture is invoked on the bill as amended, then there will be up to 30 hours postcloture prior to a vote on passage of the bill as amended. The vote on passage would occur about 2:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon.

That is for the information of all Senators. Until we get this worked out, everybody better stay right where they are and not go places because we will have votes every day. We will then be able to finish this work on Sunday sometime late in the afternoon, and then, of course, with the Jewish holidays on Monday and Tuesday, we would come back and work on the CR and a couple of other things beginning Wednesday.

SCHEDULE

Mr. President, in the next hour, after I finish my remarks and Senator McConnell finishes his remarks, the majority will control the first half and the Republicans will control the final half. It will be 1 hour that will be equally divided.

VETERANS JOBS CORPS ACT

Mr. President, as we know, it is Thursday, which means Republicans have once again forced the Senate to waste the better part of a week jumping through procedural hoops that do not do have one positive outcome for our country. This week the Senate waited out yet another filibuster. It was the 380th filibuster in the 6 years I have been the leader in the Senate. This time the Republicans are not just obstructing a measure that would create jobs, which they have done many times, they are obstructing the measure that would create jobs for the men and women who risked their lives over the past 11 years to protect our freedom.

Each year 200,000 servicemembers reenter the workforce. The Veterans Jobs Corps Act, which is before this body, would invest in those returning veterans, easing the transition back to civilian life with job-training programs and priority hiring for first responder positions. If young veterans want to continue their service to country and community by becoming police officers, firefighters, or rescue workers, we should do everything we can to help them achieve that goal. This legislation would also create jobs for veterans restoring forests, parks, coasts, and public lands. The least we can do for those who have fought for this country abroad is to ensure they never have to fight for a job when they come home.

The legislation that is before this body should sail through the Senate with bipartisan support. Remember, the substitute amendment is a bipartisan measure worked on by Senator Burr and others on the Republican side, but this worthy legislation has met one Republican stall tactic after another. Not only has this bill faced a strong series of procedural hurdles, the Republicans have larded it up with unrelated ideological amendments. That is what they want to do anyway. While some of these amendments are certainly important, they don't belong in any jobs measure, let alone a jobs measure that would assist returning veterans.

Unfortunately, I am not surprised to see the Grand Old Party blocking a jobs bill. After all, that has been their tactic all this Congress. It has really been their tactic for 4 years. Republican leader Mitch McConnell said so himself. During the darkest days of the great recession, he said his No. 1 goal was to defeat President Obama--not to create jobs, not to do anything to boost the economy, but to defeat President Obama. Obviously, it is still true today. I am dismayed to see them blocking a jobs bill aimed at protecting those who protect this great Nation. This is really a new low for the Republicans. At a time when 175,000 post-9/11 veterans are out of work, and many of them are homeless, we can't afford to waste time with election-year politics.

Less than 3 weeks before his death, President John F. Kennedy wrote:

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

It is time that the Senate show its gratitude to a new generation of veterans with deeds. It is my hope that my Republican colleagues will find it in themselves to put American veterans first and political aspirations second.

This bill could pass today and we could send it to the House and have the President sign it within a matter of days. It is a shame if that doesn't happen. I have gone over the schedule with everyone within the sound of my voice, and I hope we can move forward.

Mr. President, will you announce the schedule of the day.

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