[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 100 (Wednesday, June 25, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3949-S3950]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         BIPARTISAN SPORTSMEN'S ACT OF 2014--MOTION TO PROCEED

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 384, S. 
2363, the Hagan sportsmen's legislation.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the motion.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       Motion to proceed to Calendar No. 384, 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 noon, with the time equally divided and controlled between the 
two leaders or their designees. The Republicans will control the first 
30 minutes and the majority will control the next 30 minutes.
  At noon the Senate will proceed to the consideration of H.R. 803, the 
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. At 2:30 p.m. there will be 
three rollcall votes on amendments and passage of the bill.


                Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

  Mr. President, this afternoon the Senate will consider and pass the 
bipartisan Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. While the 
unemployment rate has steadily declined since the recession and more 
than 9 million private sector jobs have been created, too many 
Americans are still unemployed or lack the tools necessary to compete 
for today's jobs. That is why this legislation, which updates and 
streamlines our Nation's job training and local workforce development 
programs, is so vital.
  This legislation is very complicated, very complex, and it is vital. 
It proves the mere fact that even though this legislation is 
complicated, complex, and vital, we can pass it. This act will help 
improve training and educational opportunities for those Americans 
looking for a job or to advance their careers. It will also help 
businesses grow and strengthen local economies across the whole 
country. In Nevada tens of thousands have benefited from the job 
training placement and educational programs funded by the Workforce 
Innovation and Opportunity Act. Many found their first job while others 
were able to reenter the workforce, and still others took advantage of 
the programs to improve their skills. For all of them it meant a 
paycheck, and for some of them it meant a raise to support their 
families. This legislation is also an example of how the Senate can and 
should function.
  I repeat, this legislation is not a walk in the park. It is extremely 
complicated. It shows how Congress can operate when both sides are 
willing to compromise and work in good faith to craft legislation that 
will help improve the lives of Americans.
  It has not been easy. This program was last authorized in 1998. Think 
of how much the world has changed over the last 16 years. Look at the 
Internet. It has transformed training and education programs and even 
the way most Americans look for work.
  Over the past 16 years there have been several attempts to 
reauthorize this legislation, and they have all fallen short. After 16 
years of attempts, it is even more impressive that Chairman Harkin, 
Senators Murray, Alexander,

[[Page S3950]]

and Isakson, along with their counterparts in the House, were able to 
forge a bicameral, bipartisan agreement. Congratulations to each of 
these Senators and the House Members who worked with them. They worked 
in a bipartisan, bicameral way, which resulted in successful 
legislation.
  In basketball they say if you are not doing well, you just have a lot 
of off days and that the best way for a shooter to get his rhythm back 
is to sink a couple of baskets. I hope this theory proves true in the 
Senate. It is time we sank a couple of baskets. It is time for us to 
start working together so we can get things done. Hopefully, by 
witnessing the success of a good bipartisan bill such as this, the 
Senate will get its rhythm back.


            Unanimous Consent Agreement--Executive Calendar

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that following the 
disposition of H.R. 803, which is the Workforce Innovation and 
Opportunity Act, the Senate proceed to executive session to consider 
Calendar Nos. 499, 501, and 787; and that the Senate proceed to vote on 
the confirmation of the nominations in the order listed; further, if 
any nomination is confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered 
made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and 
that no further motions be in order to the nominations; that any 
statements related to the nominations be printed in the Record and that 
President Obama be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the 
Senate resume legislative session.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection? Without 
objection, it is so ordered.


                   Recognition of the Minority Leader

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Republican leader is 
recognized.


                           Keystone Pipeline

  Mr. McCONNELL. Influence--it is a word we hear a lot these days, 
especially from our friends on the other side who suddenly feel the 
need to convince their constituents that they are ``moderate'' 
Democrats, despite the voting records that say just the opposite. These 
Senate Democrats can't stop boasting about how much supposed influence 
they have on energy issues, but it is a baffling claim to the rest of 
us because it is so hard to point to what they have actually 
accomplished.
  Take the Keystone Pipeline. The Senate Democrats I am referring to 
claim to have so much influence within their party to get it approved, 
but the evidence actually leads to the opposite conclusion; that they 
have almost none at all. When it comes right down to it, they have not 
even been able to secure a serious, gimmick-free floor vote from the 
majority leader to approve the Keystone Pipeline. That should be the 
bare minimum.
  The events that transpired yesterday only underscore the point. 
Yesterday afternoon several of my Republican colleagues again tried to 
pass the Keystone Pipeline. Once again, the Democratic leadership 
blocked the bill, and the so-called moderate Democrats simply stood by 
while their own party blocked this important job-creation legislation. 
They didn't even put up a credible fight.
  It is disappointing, but it is no surprise because Washington 
Democrats have blocked approval of this shovel-ready, job-creation 
project for years now, even though it would create thousands of well-
paying American jobs, even though it would help our struggling economy, 
even though it would increase North American energy independence, and 
even though the Obama administration has admitted that constructing the 
pipeline would have almost zero significant impact on the environment.
  In other words, the Senate Democratic leadership is obstructing 
construction of the Keystone Pipeline for one main reason--to please 
their patrons on the far left. Let's be clear about something. The only 
reason they are able to get away with it is because so-called moderate 
Democrats let them, the same so-called moderates who claim to have so 
much influence around here.
  The bottom line is these so-called moderates can't have it both ways. 
They can't credibly claim to have influence on issues such as these, 
even as they let their party leaders shoot down almost every effort to 
achieve the things they claim to want, such as Keystone.
  Frankly, it is hard to see how we could ever hope to get a Keystone 
bill over to the President's desk and signed into law while Democrats 
run the Senate, especially when the so-called moderates stand idly by 
as the President has yet another meeting with the anti-Keystone jobs 
lobby tonight. The President is meeting with an anti-Keystone 
fundraiser today and will be hearing from an organization with a 
mission to stop these important jobs. He needs to hear from Americans 
across the country who are desperate for work in the Obama economy. 
Preaching to the choir is not going to get that done.
  Ironically enough, the President will be meeting with these same 
anti-Keystone interests right after holding a pep rally with Senate 
Democrats--his reliable anti-Keystone backstop in Congress.
  I think it is time to put aside the charade. The American people have 
already had to suffer through more than 5 years of delay and 
obfuscation on this pipeline. The bureaucrats and the experts have 
studied it to death over and over and over, and every time we learn 
basically the very same thing: There is a ton of upside to building 
Keystone and minimal substantive downside.
  It is time to end all the politically motivated delays and get 
serious around here. It is time for Democrats who claim to support 
these important jobs to stand up to the party bosses and stand with 
their constituents and not just talk about doing it. We owe it to the 
American people to get these Keystone Pipeline jobs approved as soon as 
possible.
  Unfortunately, it seems increasingly clear that will never happen 
under the current Democratic-run Senate, but one way or another, we 
need to get this done.
  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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