[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 78 (Thursday, May 22, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3245-S3246]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




TO PROTECT AND ENHANCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR RECREATIONAL HUNTING, FISHING, 
                    AND SHOOTING--MOTION TO PROCEED

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I now move to proceed to Calendar No. 384, 
S. 2363, which is the Hagan sportsmen's legislation.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       Motion to proceed to S. 2363, a bill to protect and enhance 
     opportunities for recreational hunting, fishing, and 
     shooting, and for other purposes.


                                Schedule

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, following my remarks and those of the 
Republican leader, the Senate will be in a period of morning business 
until 1:45 today, with the time until then equally divided and 
controlled between the two leaders or our designees, with the majority 
controlling the first 30 minutes and the Republicans the second 30 
minutes. Additionally, Senator Leahy will control the final 5 minutes 
and Senator Paul will control the 5 minutes prior to that.
  At 1:45 p.m. there will be two rollcall votes. The first vote will be 
on confirmation of the nomination of David Barron to be U.S. circuit 
judge for the First Circuit, and the second vote will be on the 
adoption of the conference report to accompany H.R. 3060, the WRRDA 
bill.


                             Tax Extenders

  This week Senate Republicans voted against tax cuts that most of them 
have said they like. The legislation is widely applauded around the 
country. I have a letter from 152 different entities that say they love 
this legislation, and they said it should pass, two of which are the 
Chamber of Commerce, which is certainly no leftwing group, and the 
National Association of Manufacturers--the same--and there are scores 
of others. It seems the only Republicans who do not want this tax cut 
are the Republicans in Congress. Republicans around the country want 
these tax cuts, Democrats want these tax cuts, and so do Independents.
  This legislation is very important because it would bolster nearly 
every segment of our society. It helps students and teachers, workers 
and employers, American families and businesses, all while saving money 
and growing our economy.
  These 152 organizations that signed this letter to me are pleading 
with the Senate to extend these tax provisions because not doing so 
would ``inject instability and uncertainty into our economy.''
  Republicans say the reason they voted against the bill is because 
they want to vote on amendments. Yet the only amendment they have 
identified was a poison pill amendment. Of course, what was the subject 
matter? Their favorite subject--ObamaCare. It has nothing to do with 
the extenders.
  But we have seen this game play out before. The Senate is not going 
to vote on ``gotcha'' amendments designed to score political points. 
This legislation is too important. I have said all along that I am 
willing to undertake reasonable, germane amendments. That is certainly 
appropriate. That is what they did in the Finance Committee. They had 
an extended markup of this bill in the Finance Committee. The rule they 
have there is that amendments have to be germane. That rule applied to 
this bill, as it should, and that is what should be applied here on the 
floor.
  So if Republican Senators can come up with a list of reasonable, 
germane amendments, I am more than happy to return to the tax extenders 
bill. Those are amendments I would not pick. They always say: Well, 
Reid is picking our amendments.
  Those are their amendments. They can file reasonable, germane 
amendments. There are a multitude of amendments they could offer.
  So let's see if Republicans want to get something done on this 
legislation. We can debate back and forth on the finer points of Senate 
procedure endlessly, as has happened around here in the last 5\1/2\ 
years. But at the end of the day it comes down to a simple question: Do 
you want to get something done for the middle class? Do you want

[[Page S3246]]

to get something done for business? Or do you want to impose more 
gridlock and obstruction and delay for the sake of delay?
  We are here because we want to get something done for the middle 
class. That is how we feel on this side of the aisle. It is a shame my 
Republican colleagues cannot say the same.


                       Reservation of Leader Time

  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Walsh). Under the previous order, the 
leadership time is reserved.

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