[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 146 (Monday, October 3, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6013-S6014]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          A BUSY WORK SCHEDULE

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, we expect to quickly wrap up work on the 
China currency legislation this week. We have a lot to get done this 
month, so the Senate must move fast.
  One out of every nine Federal judgeships remains vacant, which puts 
at risk the right of every American to a fair and speedy hearing. While 
I have been frustrated at the slow pace in confirming judicial nominees 
this Congress, I am pleased we have been able to reach an agreement to 
confirm 10 judges this week and next. These nominations are 
noncontroversial, and they

[[Page S6014]]

have the unanimous support of the Judiciary Committee. Five of the six 
judges we will confirm today come from States with Republican Senators, 
and all five have the support of that Republican Senator.
  This month, the Senate will also take up three appropriations bills. 
Last month, we passed a continuing resolution to fund the government 
through November 18. Now we must finish our work on the annual 
appropriations bills.
  We will also take up three trade bills this work period. Last month, 
the Senate passed trade adjustment assistance legislation which helps 
U.S. workers who lose their jobs because of international trade learn 
new skills and reenter a changing workforce. A global economy means 
global competition, and a flexible, well-trained workforce is what will 
allow us to keep pace with our rivals. That is why Democrats insisted 
on passing trade adjustment assistance before we would take up those 
three trade bills we will soon consider--Panama, Korea, and Colombia.
  Republicans have said these trade agreements are important to them. 
Yet for months they have prevented them from moving forward by stalling 
trade adjustment assistance. I hope the House will not delay any longer 
on their taking up trade adjustment assistance. I am told they will 
not.
  The Senate will also take up President Obama's American Jobs Act this 
month. Members of both parties should rally behind the commonsense, 
bipartisan approach of this legislation. It will cut taxes for working 
families and small businesses to spur job creation and put Americans to 
work restoring this Nation's decaying roads, bridges, dams, and 
schools. I am happy to work with my colleagues on both sides of the 
aisle to improve this bill, but I hope the obstructionism Republicans 
have employed for the last 9 months will not continue.
  This year, Democrats have introduced jobs bill after jobs bill. 
Meanwhile, our Republican colleagues have put their own political 
agenda ahead of the Nation's jobs agenda. They claim they are willing 
to work in a bipartisan fashion to get our economy back on track, and 
this month they will get another chance to prove this. So I urge my 
Republican friends to remember that actions speak much louder than 
words. I hope they will take time out from rooting for our very 
difficult economy to fail for the sake of politics and help Democrats 
put this Nation back to work.
  Would the Chair announce morning business.

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