September 12, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6259 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a 

sufficient second? There appears to be 

a sufficient second. There is a sufficient second. 

The clerk will call the roll. 

The bill clerk called the roll. 

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the 

Senator from Hawaii (Mr. INOUYE), the 

Senator from South Dakota (Mr. JOHNSON), the Senator from Louisiana (Ms. 

LANDRIEU), and the Senator from Virginia (Mr. WEBB) are necessarily absent. 

Mr. KYL. The following Senators are 

necessarily absent: the Senator from 

Texas (Mr. CORNYN), the Senator from 

Nebraska (Mr. JOHANNS), the Senator 

from Illinois (Mr. KIRK), and the Senator from Florida (Mr. RUBIO). 

Further, if present and voting, the 

Senator from Texas (Mr. CORNYN) 

would have voted ‘‘yea.’’ 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there 

any other Senators in the Chamber desiring to vote? 

The result was announced—yeas 84, 

nays 8, as follows: 

[Rollcall Vote No. 192 Leg.] 

YEAS—84 

Akaka 

Alexander 

Ayotte 

Barrasso 

Baucus 

Begich 

Bennet 

Bingaman 

Blumenthal 

Boozman 

Boxer 

Brown (MA) 

Brown (OH) 

Burr 

Cantwell 

Cardin 

Carper 

Casey 

Chambliss 

Coats 

Cochran 

Collins 

Conrad 

Coons 

Corker 

Crapo 

Durbin 

Enzi 

Feinstein 

Franken 

Gillibrand 

Graham 

Grassley 

Hagan 

Harkin 

Hatch 

Heller 

Hoeven 

Hutchison 

Isakson 

Kerry 

Klobuchar 

Kohl 

Kyl 

Lautenberg 

Leahy 

Levin 

Lieberman 

Lugar 

Manchin 

McCain 

McCaskill 

McConnell 

Menendez 

Merkley 

Mikulski 

Moran 

Murkowski 

Murray 

Nelson (NE) 

Nelson (FL) 

Portman 

Pryor 

Reed 

Reid 

Risch 

Roberts 

Rockefeller 

Sanders 

Schumer 

Shaheen 

Shelby 

Snowe 

Stabenow 

Tester 

Thune 

Toomey 

Udall (CO) 

Udall (NM) 

Vitter 

Warner 

Whitehouse 

Wicker 

Wyden 

NAYS—8 

Blunt 

Coburn 

DeMint 

Inhofe 

Johnson (WI) 

Lee 

Paul 

Sessions 

NOT VOTING—8 

Cornyn 

Inouye 

Johanns 

Johnson (SD) 

Kirk 

Landrieu 

Rubio 

Webb 

The motion was agreed to. 

f 

VETERANS JOBS CORPS ACT OF 

2012 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will report the bill by title. 

The legislative clerk read as follows: 

A bill (S. 3457) to require the Secretary of 

Veterans Affairs to establish a veterans jobs 

corps, and for other purposes. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader. 

AMENDMENT NO. 2789

(Purpose: In the nature of a substitute.) 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, on behalf of 

Senator MURRAY, I call up the substitute amendment, No. 2789. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will report the amendment. 

The legislative clerk read as follows: 

The Senator from Nevada [Mr. REID], for 

Mrs. MURRAY, proposes an amendment numbered 2789. 

(The amendment is printed in the 

RECORD of Tuesday, September 11, 2012, 

under ‘‘Text of Amendments.’’) 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask for 

the yeas and nays. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a 

sufficient second? 

There is a sufficient second. 

The yeas and nays were ordered. 

AMENDMENT NO. 2808 TO AMENDMENT NO. 2789

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have a 

first-degree perfecting amendment 

which is at the desk. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will report. 

The legislative clerk read as follows: 

The Senator from Nevada [Mr. REID] proposes an amendment numbered 2808 to 

amendment No. 2789. 

The amendment is as follows: 

At the end, add the following new section: 

Sec. lll. 

This Act shall become effective 7 days 

after enactment. 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask for 

the yeas and nays on that amendment. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a 

sufficient second? 

There is a sufficient second. 

The yeas and nays were ordered. 

AMENDMENT NO. 2809 TO AMENDMENT NO. 2808

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have a 

second-degree amendment at the desk. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will report. 

The legislative clerk read as follows: 

The Senator from Nevada [Mr. REID] proposes an amendment numbered 2809 to 

amendment No. 2808. 

The amendment is as follows: 

In the amendment, strike ‘‘7 days’’ and insert ‘‘6 days’’. 

CLOTURE MOTION

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have a 

cloture motion on the substitute 

amendment which is at the desk. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The cloture motion having been presented 

under rule XXII, the Chair directs the 

clerk to read the motion. 

The legislative clerk read as follows: 

CLOTURE MOTION

We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 

XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, hereby move to bring to a close debate on the substitute amendment No. 

2789 to S. 3457, a bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish 

a veterans jobs corps, and for other 

purposes. 

Harry Reid, Bill Nelson, Carl Levin, Tom 

Harkin, Jeff Bingaman, Christopher A. 

Coons, Kirsten E. Gillibrand, Patrick 

J. Leahy, Bernard Sanders, Daniel K. 

Inouye, Benjamin L. Cardin, Al 

Franken, Barbara Boxer, Ron Wyden, 

Robert Menendez, Robert P. Casey, Jr., 

Barbara Mikulski. 

AMENDMENT NO. 2810

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have an 

amendment at the desk to the language proposed to be stricken. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will report. 

The legislative clerk read as follows: 

The Senator from Nevada [Mr. REID] proposes an amendment numbered 2810 to the 

language proposed to be stricken by amendment No. 2789. 

The amendment is as follows: 

At the end, add the following new section: 

Sec. lll. 

This Act shall become effective 5 days 

after enactment. 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask for 

the yeas and nays on that amendment. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a 

sufficient second? 

There is a sufficient second. 

The yeas and nays were ordered. 

AMENDMENT NO. 2811 TO AMENDMENT NO. 2810

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have a 

second-degree amendment at the desk. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will report. 

The legislative clerk read as follows: 

The Senator from Nevada [Mr. REID] proposes an amendment numbered 2811 to 

amendment No. 2810. 

The amendment is as follows: 

In the amendment, strike ‘‘5 days’’ and insert ‘‘4 days’’. 

MOTION TO COMMIT WITH AMENDMENT NO. 2812

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have a 

motion to commit the bill with instructions which is at the desk. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will report. 

The legislative clerk read as follows: 

The Senator from Nevada [Mr. REID] moves 

to commit the bill, S. 3457, to the Committee 

on Veterans’ Affairs with instructions to report back forthwith with an amendment 

numbered 2812. 

The amendment is as follows: 

At the end, add the following new section: 

Sec. lll. 

This Act shall become effective 3 days 

after enactment. 

Mr. REID. I ask for the yeas and nays 

on the motion. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a 

sufficient second? 

There is a sufficient second. 

The yeas and nays were ordered. 

AMENDMENT NO. 2813

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have an 

amendment to the instructions at the 

desk. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will report. 

The legislative clerk read as follows: 

The Senator from Nevada [Mr. REID] proposes an amendment numbered 2813 to the 

instructions (Amendment No. 2812) to commit S. 3457. 

The amendment is as follows: 

In the amendment, strike ‘‘3 days’’ and insert ‘‘2 days’’. 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask for 

the yeas and nays on that amendment. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a 

sufficient second? 

There is a sufficient second. 

The yeas and nays were ordered. 

AMENDMENT NO. 2814 TO AMENDMENT NO. 2813

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have a 

second-degree amendment at the desk. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will report. 

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S6260 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 12, 2012 

The legislative clerk read as follows: 

The Senator from Nevada [Mr. REID] proposes an amendment numbered 2814 to 

amendment No. 2813. 

The amendment is as follows: 

In the amendment, strike ‘‘2 days’’ and insert ‘‘1 day’’. 

CLOTURE MOTION

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have a 

cloture motion to the bill, which is at 

the desk. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The cloture motion having been presented 

under rule XXII, the Chair directs the 

clerk to read the motion. 

The legislative clerk read as follows: 

CLOTURE MOTION

We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule XXII of the 

Standing Rules of the Senate, hereby move 

to bring to a close debate on S. 3457, a bill to 

require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 

establish a veterans jobs corps, and for other 

purposes. 

Harry Reid, Bill Nelson, Carl Levin, Tom 

Harkin, Jeff Bingaman, Christopher A. 

Coons, Kirsten E. Gillibrand, Patrick 

J. Leahy, Bernard Sanders, Daniel K. 

Inouye, Benjamin L. Cardin, Al 

Franken, Barbara Boxer, Ron Wyden, 

Robert Menendez, Robert P. Casey, Jr., 

Barbara Mikulski. 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory 

quorum under rule XXII be waived on 

the cloture motion just filed. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

f 

FAMILY AND BUSINESS TAX CUT 

CERTAINTY ACT OF 2012—MOTION 

TO PROCEED 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I now move 

to proceed to Calendar No. 499, S. 3521. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will report the motion to proceed. 

The legislative clerk read as follows: 

Motion to proceed to Calendar No. 499, S. 

3521, a bill to amend the Internal Revenue 

Code of 1986 to extend certain expiring provisions. 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, now that 

the Senate has finally adopted the motion to proceed to the veterans jobs 

bill, we have brought to a close the 

380th filibuster during my time as majority leader—less than 6 years. And 

just now, to start to bring debate to 

close on the veterans jobs bill itself, I 

have had to file the 381st cloture motion during my 51⁄2 years as leader. 

That is 381 cloture motions filed in just 

6 years. Actually, it is less than that. 

For comparison, in the 6 years that 

Lyndon Johnson was majority leader, 

he had to file one cloture motion. This 

has become outrageous. The peoples’ 

time is being wasted. We just finished 

30 hours of nothing. We are now starting our next 30 hours of nothing, just 

standing around looking at each other. 

Filibusters have increased in recent 

years, but this is really unbelievable 

what has happened. The level of Republican obstruction has increased dramatically. It has increased dramatically just in the last few years. 

We do not have to fight over everything. A veterans jobs bill, does that 

deserve a fight? When we were in recess 

subject to the call of the Chair, an Afghan veteran was brought out here. He 

is missing one leg. He is 25 years old. 

He is an Army veteran. He is trying to 

hang on to his other leg. The pages who 

are in here, I called them up and introduced them to this young man. I wanted them to see what all of this talk is 

about, of people who sacrifice for our 

country. Hopefully this man will be 

well enough after some more rehabilitation time that he can go out and 

look for a job. He will have at least one 

artificial limb. 

This is a veterans jobs bill that is 

being held up for what reason? I do not 

know—or do I know? The Bureau of 

Labor Statistics reports there are 

about 200,000 unemployed post-9/11 veterans, approaching a quarter of a million. And as our Nation appropriately 

winds down our military commitments 

abroad, we can expect increased numbers of newly separated veterans to 

enter the workforce. 

The veterans jobs bill is a $1 billion 

investment in our veterans. This bill 

would increase training and hiring opportunities for veterans. It would help 

to create jobs for veterans. 

I commend Senator NELSON of Florida and the chairman of the Veterans’ 

Affairs Committee, Senator MURRAY, 

for their hard work on this bill. Unfortunately, I have already received word 

that the Republican Senators are simply unwilling to pass this measure. One 

Republican Senator, for example, is insisting on a vote on something related 

to Pakistan. 

Another Senator has filed a right-towork amendment. Yet another Republican Senator has filed the Department 

of Defense authorization bill as an 

amendment to this bill. As important 

as Pakistan and many other issues are, 

the Senate ought to be able to focus on 

this young man who was here in the 

well this evening. We ought to be focusing on creating jobs for veterans. 

Now, we all know what is happening 

over here. The Republican leader, you 

have to admire him, he stuck to it. His 

No. 1 goal is to defeat President 

Obama, and that is why we have not 

been able to legislate. Everything has 

been stopped. Everything. We have 

been able to push through a few things 

but not many. 

As always, I will do everything I can 

to work with Senators to get consent 

agreements to provide for consideration of this legislation. Hopefully we 

can reach such agreement. I do not 

have much hope, but I am always, I 

guess, hopeful. But in the meantime, I 

will do what I need to do to ensure that 

the Senate can vote on this important 

measure. I will do what I can to help 

create jobs for America’s veterans. We 

need to do it for everyone, but could we 

just not agree on veterans? 

I know we are now 30 hours 

postcloture. We all know the drill. 

Scores and scores of times—the Presiding Officer is a new Member of this 

Senate, relatively new. He has served 

going on two Congresses. But he is an 

expert at watching this. The Senator 

from Oregon has watched this, and he 

understands what is going on, and it is 

not very good. 

So the time will run out on this 30 

hours from whenever the vote was 

turned in. First of all, we just—it is 

easy to get—especially when I am used 

to the Ryan math mixed up on numbers a little bit. So let’s go back where 

we were. 

We just completed and wasted 30 

hours. I had to file cloture now on the 

underlying bill. I have done that. Now 

we have to wait 2 days for this to ripen. 

The 2 days is going to expire on Friday. 

Now, we are going to vote on Friday, 

but it is not going to be at a time convenient to everybody. We are going to 

come in shortly after midnight tomorrow night, and we are going to vote on 

this. Then the 30 hours can start running, and then we will vote Saturday 

generally. 

If people cannot work together to 

help veterans, then we are going to 

make sure the American public knows 

what is going on here. So we will not 

vote tomorrow night, but we will 

vote—it has to be anytime 2 days from 

now. We can do that tomorrow night or 

actually Friday morning early, a little 

after midnight. 

I am sorry I got a little mixed up on 

30 hours, 2 days for something to ripen. 

Then, as I said, I have been very confused because of the Ryan math. It has 

been difficult for me to accept all of 

that. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kentucky. 

UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST—S. 3457

Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, where to 

start? I mean, what a charade and what 

a farce. The majority filibusters their 

own bills. They fill up the amendment 

tree. They do not even pretend like 

they are going to work with the other 

side. How do they expect to pass legislation if they will not allow any input 

from the other party? A charade and a 

farce. 

As far as helping that young veteran, 

our soldiers went to war in Afghanistan to get bin Laden. We finally got 

bin Laden, and we got him with the 

help of Dr. Shakil Afridi. I do not hear 

one peep from the other side, I do not 

see one bit of concern for the man who 

helped get bin Laden. 

Our soldiers went to Afghanistan. 

That young man lost a limb. A young 

man in my town also lost three limbs. 

They did it to get this horrible mass 

murderer bin Laden. This happened, 

and this is why we went to war. We are 

going to do nothing to support the man 

who helped us get bin Laden? 

We send good money after bad. Billions of dollars have been squandered 

in Pakistan. Pakistan then tortures 

the man who helped America get bin 

Laden. And we do nothing. I have 

asked for 15 minutes to vote on this 

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