[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 53 (Wednesday, April 2, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2043-S2044]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MINIMUM WAGE FAIRNESS ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 250.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the motion.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
Motion to proceed to Calendar No. 250, S. 1737, a bill to
provide for an increase in the Federal minimum wage and to
amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend increased
expensing limitations and the treatment of certain real
property as section 179 property.
Schedule
Mr. REID. Mr. President, following my remarks and those of the
Republican leader, the Senate will resume consideration of H.R. 3979,
which is the legislative vehicle for the Unemployment Insurance
Extension bill, with the time until 10 a.m. equally divided and
controlled. The filing deadline is 9:30 a.m. today.
At 10 a.m. there will be a cloture vote on the Reed amendment.
Additional votes are expected throughout the day. Senators will be
notified when they are scheduled.
Measures Placed on the Calendar--S. 2198 and S. 2199
Mr. REID. Mr. President, there are two bills at the desk due for a
second reading.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will read the bills by
title for the second time.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 2198) to direct the Secretary of the Interior,
the Secretary of Commerce, and the Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency to take actions to provide
additional water supplies and disaster assistance to the
State of California and other Western States due to drought,
and for other purposes.
A bill (S. 2199) to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of
1938 to provide more effective remedies to victims of
discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex,
and for other purposes.
Mr. REID. I would object to any further proceedings to both of these
matters at this time.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection having been heard, the
measures will be placed on the calendar.
House Budget
Mr. REID. Mr. President, in what has become an annual frustration for
the American people, the tea party-controlled House Budget Committee
released its budget proposal yesterday. This budget is frustrating for
Americans because it doesn't reflect what they envision for this
Nation. In fact, the Ryan budget more closely resembles the wants of
the multibillionaire Koch brothers than it does a pattern for helping
America.
For those who haven't seen the prequels; that is, the newest budget
proposal, it is the same old story, and it is a story of broken
promises--of broken promises to our children, to our seniors, and to
our families.
To our children we have promised we will protect and provide for
them, safeguarding them during the vulnerable years of childhood and
adolescence--at least try to do everything we can to help them. Yet by
repealing the expansion of health care to millions of Americans by
cutting Medicaid by $1.5 trillion, the Ryan-Koch budget tells our
Nation's children they are on their own.
[[Page S2044]]
We must provide for our children by supplying the tools they need to
succeed--most importantly, a quality education. But evidently House
Republicans don't see the need for us to invest in education because
their budget slashes tens of billions of dollars in funding for schools
and rolls back Federal financial aid to college students.
The Koch-Ryan budget breaks the promise to seniors we have had in
existence since the Great Depression. It would be the end of Medicare
as we know it. Health insurance premiums for seniors would skyrocket as
would their prescription costs.
Finally, a Ryan-Koch budget breaks a promise to every American family
that we in the Federal Government have given them; that by working hard
and playing by the rules, they can get ahead. That isn't what the Ryan-
Koch budget would allow.
What do the Republicans propose to do with this money they cut from
Medicare, Medicaid, and education? They will create more tax breaks for
corporations and the wealthy, but it is more than that. It is some of
the things not written--these holes in the budget that we have heard
before. We know they want to whack Social Security. They are just
afraid to put it in writing. The Koch budget would cut the corporate
tax rate to 25 percent and lower the top individual tax rate for
America's highest earners.
I guess what I would say to the House Budget Committee and all the
House Members--Democrats and Republicans--isn't $80 billion personal
wealth of the Koch brothers enough? I think most everyone would say,
yes, it is enough, but not the Koch brothers. They want more. They are
the richest people in the world. Individually they are only fifth, but
put them together and they are the richest in the world.
Under this budget I have talked about, middle-class families would
pay about $2,000 a year more in taxes, but the rich would pay less.
Democrats believe in growing the economy from the middle out, but the
Republicans are still trapped in the trickle-down economics based on
handouts to the superwealthy and special interests.
Perhaps the Ryan-Koch budget is summarized best by the Center on
Budget and Policy Priorities' Robert Greenstein: ``More poverty and
less opportunity.'' That is what their budget is all about: more
poverty, less opportunity.
So whether it is current law such as the Affordable Care Act or much
needed legislation such as comprehensive immigration reform or an
overhaul of the tax system, I ask my Republican colleagues to work with
us for a better America.
Recognition of the Republican Leader
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Republican leader is
recognized.
Delivering Real Prosperity
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, the Democratic majority led us to
believe the Senate would be discussing jobs this week, but it seemed to
be a pretty one-sided discussion.
Republican Senators came to the floor to talk about our innovative
ideas to create jobs and grow opportunity for all Americans. As for
Senate Democrats though--well, they wouldn't even stand to call for
votes on the jobs proposals.
I think this reflects a growing divide in the Senate between a
Republican Party focused on the middle class and a Democratic Party
that is obsessed with November 4.
That is very disappointing for America. The American people need two
serious political parties in this country. But at least our
constituents can be assured of one thing: Republicans are laser-focused
on delivering real prosperity to the families who have struggled so
much in this economy. It is the impetus behind basically everything we
do, and it is the impetus behind the numerous jobs proposals Republican
Senators are rolling out this week.
For instance, several Republican Senators will take to the floor
again today to talk about energy's potential for driving growth and
American job creation and why the government needs to stop holding
Americans back from sharing in the energy boom. I also plan to join and
discuss my own amendment that would fight back against the President's
war on coal jobs. I am looking forward to that colloquy.
But right now I wish to talk about another jobs proposal Senator Paul
and I have again introduced: national right-to-work legislation. It
would allow American workers to choose whether they would like to join
a union, and it would protect the worker from getting fired if she
would rather not subsidize a union boss who fails to represent her
concerns and priorities. It is such a commonsense proworker proposal.
According to one survey, about 80 percent of union workers agree that
employees should be able to decide whether joining a union is right for
them. One obvious benefit is increased take-home pay for workers who
choose to keep the hundreds of dollars that would otherwise be taken
from their paychecks by union bosses. There is a huge opportunity
component here as well, because most unions operate on a seniority
system with pay raises often based off the amount of time the worker
has spent at a company rather than on her performance. Well, I think an
American worker deserves an opportunity to earn more money if she works
hard. I think she deserves the opportunity to rise through the ranks
and put more money in her pocket if she is determined to do it. That is
real paycheck fairness.
These are bedrock American values--core workers rights that should
never be denied to our constituents, especially in a terrible economy
such as this one. Many of Kentucky's neighboring States have gone
right-to-work with great success, and I hope Kentucky will join them
soon. I recently read an op-ed that laid out how much we could have
gained over the last decade if we had. It noted that private sector
jobs have grown about 15.3 percent in right-to-work States compared to
just 6.9 percent in Kentucky; manufacturing had expanded three times
faster in right-to-work States and compensation had grown about 14.2
percent compared to just 4.3 percent in Kentucky.
So I am encouraged by the members of Kentucky's legislature who
continue to fight for right-to-work legislation. Kentuckians shouldn't
be subjected to that kind of prosperity gap any longer, and neither
should millions of other Americans struggling across our country. I
believe they should have a more equal chance of finding work in every
State, and they should no longer see their communities failing to
secure new investment because their State hasn't passed right-to-work.
That is just one more reason why I believe in our national legislation
too.
So I am asking our Democratic friends to join Senator Paul and me in
standing up for workers rights and a stronger middle class to join us
in passing right-to-work legislation.
Let's be honest. After more than 5 years of economic misery under
their watch, that is the least Washington Democrats can do for the
American people. Unfortunately, I suspect we will hear a lot of excuses
instead about why Washington Democrats cannot or won't stand with us in
this fight. No matter what they say, though, the American people will
know the truth: It is because big labor bosses have such sway over
today's Democratic Party and because big labor bosses aren't about to
give up their perks or their vise grip over American workers.
Well, big labor bosses should know that Republicans are determined to
fight for American workers, American jobs, and a stronger middle class,
even if the bosses work against us every step of the way. Right-to-work
is a smart way to get America on the path to real recovery, and it is
critical to empowering workers and giving them more freedom.
I commend Senator Paul for his leadership on this legislation and for
his long-time advocacy on this issue. I hope our colleagues on the
other side of the aisle will prove me wrong by working together to pass
important job initiatives such as right-to-work for the American
people.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
Reservation of Leader Time
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the
leadership time is reserved.
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