[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 14600-14601]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




NOMINATION OF STEPHEN G. BURNS TO BE A MEMBER OF THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY 
                               COMMISSION

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the nomination.
  The legislative clerk read the nomination of Stephen G. Burns, of 
Maryland, to be a Member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the 
term of five years expiring June 30, 2019.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. May I ask a question? Has the Senate returned to 
legislative session?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. We are in executive session postcloture on the 
Burns nomination.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning 
business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                           Paycheck Fairness

  Ms. MIKULSKI. Well, there is the Senate. There they go again. 
Whenever we women fight for fair pay, we are either sidelined, 
redlined, or pushed aside.
  We, moving for paycheck fairness, feel the way women feel every 
single day in the workplace. When they are trying to get equal pay for 
equal work, they are either not listened to or there is some kind of 
reason to make sure the discussion never comes up. Once again, because 
of eight votes separating, we could not debate paycheck fairness.
  The Paycheck Fairness Act is a bill that would finish the job we 
started with Lilly Ledbetter.
  This is not right. When women are out there trying to earn equal pay 
for equal work, they should have the opportunity to do so. Now they 
feel stymied. In Lilly Ledbetter, we took the first step to right this 
wrong, but it was not the only step.
  Paycheck fairness closes the innumerable loopholes that prevent women 
from being able to get equal pay for equal work. All we wanted to do 
was bring up the bill to debate it, to amend it, and then vote on final 
passage. We could not get cloture on the filibuster. Those are wonky 
parliamentary words that said we could have unlimited debate.
  If we had gotten cloture under our rules, that would have been 30 
hours of debate. I think that is enough time. There could have been 
amendments but, guess what, they had to be germane; that is, pertinent 
to the bill, or they had to be relevant or pertinent to the bill. What 
is wrong with that? That is not a gag rule. That is not muzzling 
anybody.
  No, no, it wasn't good enough. Do you know why we didn't get cloture? 
They didn't want to bring up this bill for a final vote or amendments. 
They are hiding behind parliamentary procedure.
  Do you know what. Our paycheck fairness bill was so simple and stayed 
straightforward. Do you know what it would have done? It would have 
prevented retaliation against workers for sharing information about 
their wages. Right now, the most secret thing in our country is not 
only our national security, but what you make. You can't discuss your 
wages with the person next to you. So if a woman was trying to figure 
out what the guy next to her was making, and he wanted to tell her--men 
of quality always support us women as we seek equality. If he wanted to 
tell her, both could have been fired--her for asking and him for 
telling. We wanted to close that loophole.
  The other thing the bill would do, it would prevent employers from 
being able to use almost any reason to justify paying a woman less. For 
years, employers have exploited loopholes in the Equal Pay Act, 
inventing any number of reasons why a woman should be paid less. It 
would also prevent women from being limited to just back pay when they 
are discriminated against. Those are the three major issues.
  In the United States of America, when we said all men and women were 
created equal, we have to be able to be equal, and one of the most 
important places you are equal is in the workplace. So if women are 
doing the same

[[Page 14601]]

job, we ought to get the same pay. That is the American way. But once 
again we were stymied. Once again they tried to push us back.
  I am going to say this today on behalf of myself, the majority of the 
women in the Senate, and many of the great guys in the Senate: They 
want to make sure that today's vote doesn't say we are stopping this 
fight. Once again, we are going to reach out to the grassroots, 
particularly to the women of America, to join in the fight to change 
the Federal law books so women can get change in the family checkbooks. 
They can try to stop us on the floor, but they cannot stop our 
movement.
  Once again, as I have said before, when we have had a setback, we are 
going to fight. We are going to fight on the Senate floor, we are going 
to take this to the people in the country, we are going to fight it 
through the elections, and we are going to fight it through the 
community. I am going to say to every single person in the United 
States of America: Be part of this movement.
  A special message to the women: Let's suit up. Let's square our 
shoulders. Let's put our lipstick on and fight for equal pay that won't 
be stopped. We are going to do it. We are going to fight today, and we 
are going to fight tomorrow, and I am combat ready.
  I yield the floor and I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Donnelly). The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                                 TESLA

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, a week ago last Thursday, Tesla, a major 
company in America, announced that Nevada would be the new home to its 
gigafactory, which would produce lithium batteries for Tesla's electric 
cars. Just a few days later, Nevada's State legislature unanimously 
approved the incentive package to finalize a new economic boost for 
Nevada.
  Tesla's gigafactory will spur economic development in Nevada. All 
told, the state-of-the-art manufacturing center is expected to pump 
$100 billion into Nevada's economy and create up to 22,000 jobs.
  This development is good news for Nevada, but it didn't happen by 
accident. It is the direct result of public-private partnerships and 
smart Federal and State policies. It is the result of Nevada being seen 
as a hub for renewable energy and innovative technologies. This 
project, as big as it is, will be powered with solar and geothermal. 
Nothing else will power this big project.
  I have worked here in the Senate to promote legislation that 
encourages investment in clean energy and transportation innovation at 
all levels. In 2007, we passed the Energy Independence and Security 
Act, which created the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing 
Program. Under this program, the Department of Energy awarded a $465 
million loan guarantee to Tesla for the construction of a manufacturing 
facility in California. The question everyone has is: Was that loan a 
successful investment in Tesla?
  The facts speak for themselves. Tesla repaid the loan in full 9 years 
early. Tesla is the company it is today because of this loan.
  The availability of lithium, which ultimately helped attract Tesla to 
Nevada, also has its roots in Federal legislation. In 2009, with the 
economy in a deep recession and thousands of Nevadans losing their 
jobs, we passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act--better 
known as the stimulus. There were many good things for Nevada and the 
country in that stimulus legislation. For example, millions for 
education, millions for renewable energy development, and tax breaks 
for the middle class.
  Also in the stimulus was a program to incentivize advanced battery 
manufacturing. Through this program, a $28.4 million grant was awarded 
to Rockwood Lithium of Nevada, which would help to expand and improve 
the only operating domestic lithium facility in the country. It is 
located near the historic mining town of Goldfield, a place called 
Silver Peak. Nevada only has 17 counties. Esmeralda County, where this 
is located, has less than 1,000 people. So this mine is really 
important for our country. We are the only lithium mining facility in 
America.
  Because of the stimulus, Tesla will have access to lithium mined in 
Nevada, as I indicated, for production of these batteries. But in order 
to truly promote innovation, we must as a Congress create opportunities 
for consumers to invest in new, advanced technologies, and we haven't 
done that. We need more tax incentives for that.
  In 2008, we encouraged Americans to invest in the growth of the 
electric car industry through a tax credit of up to $7,500 for the 
purchase of qualified electric vehicles. We expanded that credit in the 
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009 to ensure that while 
Americans recovered from the recession, we did so by investing in new 
technology that would produce lasting economic growth.
  Tesla's investment in Nevada shows what is possible when public-
private partnerships and smart Federal and State policies are 
encouraged. In the 21st century, this is how public-private 
partnerships should work, and it is so important to realize that 
through these grants, loans, and the private sector, working with 
States such as Nevada and California and the Federal Government, we 
were able to accomplish this.
  This is a blueprint for success. Federal, State, and local leaders 
must clear obstacles that stymie innovation and incentivize cleaner 
technologies. We must make it easier for industry to invest in our 
communities, not just in Nevada but all across America.
  As Elon Musk, the genius who has done SpaceX, PayPal, Tesla, and so 
many other things, said just the other day:

       What the people of Nevada created is a state where you can; 
     where you are very agile, where you can do things quickly and 
     get things done. It's a real get-things-done state.

  I want the Record to be spread with my public appreciation on behalf 
of all Nevadans to Governor Sandoval. His patience and diligence made 
this possible. I congratulate him because the work he did here was 
terrific.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor and I suggest the absence of a 
quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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