S6006 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 2, 2012 

Superior Court of the District of Columbia 

for the term of fifteen years. 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Foreign Relations Committee be discharged from 

further consideration of PN 1826, James 

B. Cunningham, of New York, to be 

Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of 

Afghanistan; that the nomination be 

confirmed, the motion to reconsider be 

considered made and laid upon the 

table, there be no intervening action or 

debate; that no further motions be in 

order to the nomination; 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. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

The nomination considered and confirmed is as follows: 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

James B. Cunningham, of New York, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, 

Class of Career-Minister, to be Ambassador 

Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the 

United States of America to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. 

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LEGISLATIVE SESSION 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under 

the previous order, the Senate will now 

resume legislative session. 

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NOMINATIONS IN STATUS QUO 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, as in executive session, if the Senate adjourns 

under S. Con. Res. 59, I ask unanimous 

consent that all the nominations received by the Senate during the 112th 

Congress, second session, remain in 

status quo, notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXXI, paragraph 6, of the 

Standing Rules of the Senate, with the 

following exception: PN 1727. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

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AMBASSADOR JAMES R. LILLEY 

AND CONGRESSMAN STEPHEN J. 

SOLARZ NORTH KOREA HUMAN 

RIGHTS REAUTHORIZATION ACT 

OF 2012 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to 

Calendar No. 458. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will report the bill by title. 

The assistant legislative clerk read 

as follows: 

A bill, (H.R. 4240) to reauthorize the North 

Korean Human Rights Act of 2004, and for 

other purposes. 

There being no objection, the Senate 

proceeded to consider the bill. 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask that 

the bill be read a third time and the 

Senate proceed to vote on passage of 

this bill. 

The bill was read the third time. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

question is on passage of the bill. 

The bill (H.R. 4240) was passed. 

CORRECTING THE ENROLLMENT 

OF H.R. 4240 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed 

to S. Con. Res. 58, a concurrent resolution to correct the enrollment of H.R. 

4240, submitted earlier today by Senator KERRY; that the concurrent resolution be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be made and laid upon the 

table with no intervening action or debate, and any statements be printed in 

the RECORD. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

The resolution (S. Con. Res. 58) was 

agreed to, as follows: 

S. CON. RES. 58 

Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That, in the enrollment of the bill (H.R. 4240) an Act to reauthorize the North Korean Human Rights Act 

of 2004, and for other purposes, the Clerk of 

the House of Representatives shall make the 

following correction: in section 7, insert ‘‘is 

amended’’ before ‘‘by striking’’. 

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REAUTHORIZING CERTAIN VISA 

PROGRAMS 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 3245 and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will report the bill by title. 

The assistant legislative read as follows: 

A bill (S. 3245) to permanently reauthorize 

the EB–5 Regional Center Program, the EVerify Program, the Special Immigrant Nonminister Religious Worker Program, and the 

Conrad State 30 J–1 Visa Waiver Program. 

Without objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill. 

Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today, 

the Senate worked together to advance 

bipartisan legislation that Senator 

GRASSLEY and I introduced, and I 

thank all Senators for their support. I 

am very pleased that the Senate has 

agreed to pass this important legislation as it has been amended. I especially commend Senator GRASSLEY, 

Senator HATCH, Senator CONRAD, and 

Senator SCHUMER for their collaboration. And I thank Senator MENENDEZ

for working with us to get this done in 

the Senate. 

This legislation contains extensions 

for four long-standing immigration 

programs for another 3 years. These 

programs, last authorized in the fiscal 

year 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations law, are set to expire on September 30, 2012. Today’s actions are a 

step toward avoiding that result, and 

maintaining the progress and benefits 

that these programs provide to many 

American communities and constituencies. 

A program that I have long supported 

with Senators on both sides of aisle, 

the EB–5 Regional Center Program, has 

brought tens of thousands of jobs and 

billions in capital investment to communities across the United States at 

no cost to the taxpayer. This program 

represents one small corner of our 

overall immigration system, yet it results in enormous benefits for so many 

communities, including Vermont, 

where our Governors across administrations and business leaders have put 

it to use to make Vermont a better 

place for its citizens. The economic 

transformation we have seen in some 

Vermont communities as the direct result of this program is profound. Over 

the last several years, Vermonters who 

might have been out of work in a 

struggling economy found themselves 

working to build up Vermont companies, building Vermont products, and 

supporting economic activity in their 

communities. And so today, business 

leaders and entrepreneurs in Vermont, 

along with Vermont’s Governor Peter 

Shumlin and his economic development team will continue to have this 

tool to help raise the capital Vermont 

needs to continue its innovation and 

economic growth. 

Job creation and capital investment 

in America is something I know we can 

all support, and today I am proud to 

say we have done just that. I want to 

give my thanks to the Association to 

Invest in the U.S.A., the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and all 

of the entrepreneurs and businesses 

large and small across the United 

States that have realized the economic 

benefits of this program and that have 

so strongly supported my efforts. 

The bill we pass today also continues 

programs important to Senator HATCH

and Senator CONRAD. Today we take a 

step toward carrying on Senator CONRAD’s program to encourage foreign 

doctors trained in the United States to 

practice medicine in medically underserved rural areas. And today we move 

to continue Senator HATCH’s program 

to give United States religious institutions the ability to invite foreign citizens of shared faith to their communities to carry out good works and to 

help others. 

And this legislation reauthorizes the 

E-Verify work authorization program, 

which I know is very important to the 

Judiciary Committee’s ranking member and other Senators. This program 

gives American employers a tool to ensure that those they hire are legally 

authorized to work in the United 

States. Yet it maintains its status as a 

voluntary program for employers, and 

maintains that choice for our businesses large and small to participate if 

they choose. 

I regret that it has been such a long 

road for us to get to this point today. 

These measures should be the easy 

ones. The politics of immigration continue to make our progress difficult 

not only on the broader measures that 

America needs, but on the smaller ones 

that Congress has supported for many 

years. So I am pleased the Senate has 


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