[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5019]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   PROTECTING VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS AND EMERGENCY RESPONDERS ACT OF 
                   2014--MOTION TO PROCEED--Continued

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader is recognized.


                           Order of Procedure

  Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that at 1:45 p.m. 
today the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration 
of the Owens nomination--Calendar No. 573; that notwithstanding rule 
XXII, the Senate proceed to vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the 
nomination; that immediately following the cloture vote and 
notwithstanding rule XXII, the Senate resume legislative session and 
proceed to vote on the motion to invoke cloture on H.R. 3979; further, 
if cloture is invoked on the Owens nomination, all postcloture time be 
considered expired at 5:30 p.m., Monday, March 31, and the Senate 
proceed to vote on confirmation of the Owens nomination; that upon 
disposition of the Owens nomination, the Senate resume legislative 
session and, if cloture is invoked on the motion to proceed to H.R. 
3979, then all postcloture time be considered expired and the Senate 
proceed to consideration of the bill.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that following the cloture vote on 
the motion to proceed to H.R. 3979, the Senate proceed to executive 
session to consider Calendar No. 700; that there be 2 minutes for 
debate, equally divided in the usual form prior to a vote on the 
nomination; that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid 
upon the table, with no intervening action or debate; that no further 
motions be in order; that any related statements be printed in the 
Record; that President Obama be immediately notified of the Senate's 
action and the Senate then resume legislative session.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.


                                  SGR

  Mr. REID. Madam President, for the knowledge of all Members, 20 
minutes ago or so the House passed by voice vote the--
  Mrs. BOXER. Madam President, the Senate is not in order. No one can 
hear.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California is correct. The 
Senate is not in order. The Senate will be in order. Senators will 
bring their conversations to a close.
  The majority leader.
  Mr. REID. Twenty minutes ago the House passed by voice vote the 13-
month patch of the SGR.
  There was work done on a bipartisan basis by all Senators to get a 
permanent fix. We can only do what we can do. I have had a number of my 
Republican colleagues come to me and say: We will do this, but you have 
to get the assurance of the Speaker that he would accept this, and the 
Speaker would not accept what was being proposed. The original plan was 
my idea and I am very disappointed it didn't work out, but I have been 
trying to do it for 4 years, so I am not surprised. But it is no one's 
fault in the Senate.
  We have a new chair of the Finance Committee. He has worked very hard 
on a bipartisan basis to come up with a way to get rid of this SGR once 
and for all. We weren't able to do that.
  So the patch we have is imperfect, but it is something that will take 
care of things. I don't mean to be mean-spirited, but I am tired of 
people saying you are taking care of the doctors but no one else. We 
are taking care of patients for the next 13 months--patients--and I 
think that is extremely important. We have millions of people who have 
doctors who take Medicare patients. For us not to do this would have 
been truly unfortunate.
  I am disappointed we aren't able to get a permanent fix, but we have 
been able to do that. We should be very happy we have been able to do 
as well as we have done. I personally am not overjoyed about what is in 
the bill, but I am satisfied with what is in the bill. I hope we can 
expeditiously move and get this done today.
  I note the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. RUBIO. Madam 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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