quorum call:

quorum call:

mr. casey: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from pennsylvania. mr. casey: thank you, mr. president. i would ask the quorum call be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. casey: thank you very much. i rise tonight to speak about emergency unemployment compensation, we know by the acronyms around here, people refer to unemployment insurance as u.i., but what we're talking about here in the real world are literally millions of americans affected in one way or another because they've been out of -- out of work, unemployed for long periods of time. by one estimate, the number of americans who have been out of work for six months or longer -- and many of them -- many of these individuals have been out

of work for a lot more than six months. but when you put that -- you draw that line of six months or longer, it's more than 4 million americans. so it's a big number and i'll talk a little bit more about the pennsylvania impact, the -- and walk through some of those numbers. but this legislation that is finally, finally coming together after many weeks is going to be and i think must be a bipartisan compromise. that's the only way to move forward. and it's an effort to provide an essential lifeline -- and that's not an understatement -- or not an overstatement. that might be an understatement. an essential lifeline to middle-class families who rely upon the program to stay afloat as they're actively seeking work. i think that's sometimes lost in the discussion. these are folks who are trying to work, trying to find a job again.

i would have preeved a much longer sentence than the one that's been discussed on the ond on. and i also would have hoped that people -- that people relying upon this type of compensation, emergency unemployment compensation, would not have to see their benefits lapse. extending this program has always been bipartisan. we need to make sure we keep it in that vein. while our economy has made substantial improvements, we've got a long way to go. families are still hurting, and they need help. unfortunately, when families read the business page of their local newspaper, there are a lot of numbers there that look pretty good. but if you're out of work for any period of time, but especially six months or longer, it doesn't really matter what's on the business page. it doesn't really matter what the overall national assessment is. for that individual, for his or

her family, the economy is in very difficult shape. because they're not working, they're not able to help their family. we know that in addition to being that lifeline for families, an essential connection to any kind of economic security, the other reason that it's important to have unemployment compensation -- emergency unemployment compensation passed is because of the economic boost it provides, the economic jump-starting impact of this program. just by way of example, in 2012 a, mark zandi, one of our more respected economists on both sides of the aisle, found that for every dollar of emergency unemployment compensation, there was a $1.52 economic impact or new economic activity results. so that's the old spend-a-buck and what do you get for spending

the buck? you spend a buck on this, you get $1.52 in return, a substantial return on that investment. recent analyses specifically focusing on extension of benefits ibenefits in 2014 haved a large economic boost. the economic policy institute has estimated that extending unemployment benefits in 2014 would generate $37.8 billion in economic activity, $37.8 billion. we know that this is an issue -- unemployment or emergency unemployment or long-term -- the issue of long-term unemployment varies depending on the state. but we know every state has been affected and almost every community has been affected in a very substantial way. here are some of the numbers for pennsylvania. a big state, a diverse state,

more than 12 million people, and in some ways tends to reflect broadly what's happening in various parts of the country. 73,300 people immediately stopped receiving unemployment benefits when emergency unemployment compensation expired on december 28, 2013. that's kind of the beginning of the current crisis for these families. they've been living through very difficult economy for years now. they've been out of work for many, many months and sometimes, in some cases, more than a year or two. but the current crisis started for them on december 28. just can't even imagine what it's like, you're in the middle of the holiday season or kind of the end of the holiday season, you're out of work, you've been robbed of your dignity, yo you'e been robbed of your ability to contribute to your family's

well-being, and on top of all that in the middle of the holiday season, when it's supposed to be a time of hope and optimism and gift-giving and all kinds of family time, these families had a member of their family or more than one member lose their unemployment -- emergency unemployment compensation. so that's where it started. but because the congress didn't have a bipartisan consensus until recently, the days and the weeks started to add up. so when you go from december 28 to march 1, we can take another look at the numbers. and, unfortunately -- and not surprisingly -- those numbers went up. as of march 1, 105,000 pennsylvania's havpennsylvanianr benefits. but it gets worse than that. if it continuation and there's not some relief provided, through may -- and this is a period that would be covered by the bill -- it's estimated that

158,400 pennsylvanians and some 2,795,300 americans would have -- or will have, i should say, lost their unemployment compensation and could benefit from this bill. so it's very simple in terms of the choice we have to make here. we either decide in the very near future -- we hope starting this week and beginning the process to finally get this done, we're going to be deciding whether or not we help 2.-- almost 2.8 million americans and almost 160,000 pennsylvanians or not. it's a very simple choice. and we're going it take either one path or the other. i believe and i hope and i pray that we take the path that helps those almost 3 million americans

and almost 160,000 pennsylvanians. i mentioned before that the economic impact of passing this kind of legislation. we know that in pennsylvania, for example, by one estimate, extending the benefits would provide a boost to consumption and economic activity that would save an estimated 15,000 jobs in pennsylvania. so that's another way to measure the impact of this. so it's my hope that the senate can swiftly pass this bipartisan legislation to extend emergency unemployment compensation and that the house will take it up and pass it without delay. we can't allow politics to stand in the way of helping families in need. this is basic and fundamental. these families, these individuals have waited far, far too long, and, mr. president, i'll conclude with just one

example. a couple of sundays ago, about maybe three weeks ago now, in church on sunday, i was walking out of the church in our neighborhood, and a woman came up to me, a woman i don't know, but i recognized her from the neighborhood. i just didn't know her name. she came up to me and she asked me about this issue. she said, i'm out of work, and when do you think it will pass? and she had asked me a couple of weeks before that, and i said, i think we're -- we're getting to the point where there is a consensus. on that particular sunday, just a couple of weeks ago, she asked me again. and when she started to ask the question, she asked it with a seriousness and an earnestness and a kind of worry in her voice that caught my attention. i said to her something like, well, i think we're starting to get there, but i can't say for sure when. and then when i gave that answer, she looked at me and she

started to become very emotional, and she said -- she said, well, i hope you're reaching the point where you can pass something because i -- it's going to be very difficult me to hang on any longer. this is very, very tough. and i felt at that moment, as a elected official -- as an elected official, who was given power by the voters to vote and to help them, i felt at that moment, if not powerless, i felt that i wasn't nearly doing enough for her. and that i was part of an institution that had not come together yet here in the senate and in the other body as well, that we haven't come together to answer her question with full confidence and to say, yes, we understand this; we understand what you're up against, to the extent we can, not having lived through this ourselves, but we're going it act this week, we're going to act tomorrow or the next day, and not having a specific answer for her gave me

a sense of not just frustration but a sense of failure. so, because of that sense of urgency that she brought to my attention but also i think every member here could probably tell a similar story, we have to act. we have to get this done, and we've got to make sure that we undertake every effort to make sure that in the next few days -- and i hope we're talking days now -- this will get done and we can finally provide a measure of relief which is short-term but it will have the effect of providing a measure of relief to families that have suffered in ways i can't even imagine. so, mr. president, with that, i would yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

quorum call:

the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent the call of the quorum be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 573. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion to proceed. all in favor say aye. all opposed say no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes have it. the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: nomination, john b. owens of california to be united states circuit judge for the ninth circuit. mr. reid: i have a cloture that

is at the desk, mr. president. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the cloture. the clerk: cloture we the undersigned senators in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of john b. owens of california to be united states circuit judge for the ninth circuit. signed by 17 senators as follows --. mr. reid: mr. president, i would ask consent the names not be read. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i ask consent the mandatory quorum under rule 22 be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i move to to proceed to legislative session. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion to proceed. all those in favor say aye. all those opposed say no. the ayes have it. the ayes appear to have it. the motion is agreed to. mr. reid: mr. president, is the motion to proceed to h.r. 3979 now pending? the presiding officer: the motion to proceed is now pending.

mr. reid: that being the case i have a cloture that has been filed. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the cloture. the clerk: cloture we the undersigned senators in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate hereby move to bring to a close the debate on the motion to proceed to calendar number 333, h.r. 3979, an act to amend the internal revenue code of 1986 and so forth signed by 17 senators as f -- as followed. mr. reid: mri ask unanimous consent the reading of the names be waived and the mandatory quorum under rule 22 be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. reid i ask unanimous consent that following disposition of h.r. 4152, the senate proceed to calendar number 689, there be two minutes for debate equally wide toed in the usual form prior to the vote on the nomination, that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid on the table with no spur veeng action and debate and

any related statements be printed in the record, that the president be immediately notified of the senate' senate'n and the senate resume legislative session. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to a period of morning business with senators allowed to speak for up to ten minutes each. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent that the banking, housing, urban affairs committee be discharged from further activities on s. 1827. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. 1827, a bill to award a congressional gold medal to american fighter aces collectively in recognition of their heroic military service in defense of our country's freedom throughout the history of aviation warfare. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection, the committee is discharged and the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent the bill be read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid on the table, there be no spur veeng action or debate.

the presiding officer: -- intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent the commerce committee be discharged from further work on s. res. 87. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. res. 387, celebrating the 2014 arctic winter games in fairbanks, alaska. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection, the committee is discharged and the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid on the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m. tomorrow morning. following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day. following any leader remarks, the senate be in a period of morning business until 10:30

with time equally divided between the two leaders or their designees, with the republicans controlling the first half; the majority the second half. and following morning business, the senate proceed to consideration of h.r. 4152, the ukraine bill. that notwithstanding the previous order, the time until 12:00 noon be equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees and all other provisions of the previous order remain in effect. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: mr. president, there will be a series of roll call votes at 12:00 tomorrow and daschle votes could occur later in the day. -- tomorrow and additional votes could occur later in the day. we'll notify senators when those occur. if there's no further business if there's no further business

>> told reporters that he was, indeed, dropping the language and basically said that agassi had spoken with the secretary of state about it and that he basically said they want the imf language, but they want the aid more. >> in addition to the imf language, what about senate republicans? they had wanted some amendments in their dealing with energy and other issues. did they get that? >> they wanted those amendments, and it looks like that's not going to happen. this seems like that is the deal that was struck. democrats that the imf language.

that is what will happen to mob. >> what about the house cat before they went on their recess a week ago pass legislation that would provide loan guarantees. what else to they have to work? >> fasted pass the loan guarantee which. of the senate has kind of put both sanctions and aid to ukraine in the same bill which is the bill of the senate will vote on tomorrow. the help desk -- house is considering their own sanctions measure doing a before the break. they're basically arguing that is a better approach because the sanctions there will consider in the legislation that's coming up this week, they say, is basically more up-to-date and takes into account what president obama has already done through the a executive and goes a little bit further. so what the senate will do is actually take that language from the house, add in the eight and pass it all tomorrow.

>> will something finally get worked out by this week's end or early into next week that the president will sign? >> it could your early into next week. it looks like rebeling the train is leaving the station and the legislation is pretty much greece. it will get done. is just a matter of the house and senate approving the same legislation. there is support in both houses for the elements of what will get down. >> read more of the reporting a bloomberg. also on twitter. thank you for joining us. >> thank you. >> senate majority leader harry reid and other senate democratic leaders today outlined their economic agenda for the year. they will focus on legislation to increase the minimum wage, create manufacturing jobs, invest more in infrastructure and seek equal pay for women. this is a half-hour.

>> like everyone else the first day -- after the first day no one qualified. >> i am with the present. >> i spoke at a funeral. i called that day. i ask him i'm going to mention your name.

they didn't give any losers. [laughter] >> all the way. final game. >> are we waiting? we will wait for one more minute . >> thirty-five seconds. >> i ask senator shimmer and

senators have been up to work with others including the political the sc to come up with the agenda first. they did a wonderful job. we had a meeting yesterday to outline before the full caucus with their ideas or. and rudy was received extremely well. why? our priorities reflect the perris of the middle-class. we believe in fairness and opportunity for all. that's why we focus on the minimum wage. over 16 million people, over a million people out of poverty. we want to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work it is so unfair to look at my grandchildren 11 of whom are

girls and think that they can do the same work as a man and be paid 25 percent less. that is what we're going to have a vote on. equal pay for equal work. so basic, so fair. especially when you consider more than half the people going to college now are women. we want to ensure tax fairness and close loopholes that benefit the wealthiest 1 percent. we want to make sure that families can still afford to send there kids to college without going bankrupt. you want to protect medicare and social security so every american works hard all their lives and as a chance to enjoy a secure retirement. meanwhile, the republics are skeptical. the same old battles the continually fight complaining about obamacare. listen to this. chris murphy will come to the floor later this afternoon to respond to the diatribe earlier

today on obamacare. the listen to this. he is complaining because we have such a demand for health care now in the final days before march 31st. the light has decided to extend that time for people who say we tried to sign up but we could not. so they're going to have another couple of weeks. the same reason they try to make so it is hard to vote. they want to shorten the time for early voting, make it harder for people to register, not easier. you can't make stuff like this up, but that's what they're all about. we are looking to the future and they are stuck in the past. i hope that sometime -- and i really do feel there is -- we were talking on the way up here. there is really some movement. that is why we have an unemployment compensation bilbo,

a bipartisan bill. that is why we're able to work done something on the ukraine thing. was it everything we want? of course not. we were so interested in the reform of the imf. we did not get that done. we get something done because we got the cooperation of the republicans. in nevada and around the country we have people sitting at the kitchen tables or in their living rooms expecting us to do something to help them. and that's what we're going to do together. for going to have an allied today, all wide range of things that we believe to be extremely helpful to the middle class. and these have not just a democratic agenda items. this is an agenda for the middle-class to help ensure a fair shot for everyone. senator durbin, are you here yet ? >> come on back.

>> i was right behind you. >> thanks a lot, senator reid. i just want to thank senator schumer, stamina for putting together this effort that we consider to be the message for this campaign. the money to go to college, how many of us in this room borrow money at some point in our lives to go to college believing then as we believe now that this was the ticket to opportunities and success. we have been told that since we were kids. things have changed a lot since i went to college. now it turns out students are getting deeper and deeper into debt. the debt is a collection agency-type debt where they are being harassed for payments. many of them are finding their lives compromised and dramatically changed because of college debt, college loan debt. this is an issue we cannot and should not ignore.

we are worried about working families and giving their kids a chance. you have to look at some of the awful things that are happening out there, scandals and the for-profit schools, 11 percent of the students, 25 percent of the federal aid to education, 47 percent of all the student loan defaults. beyond that other colleges and universities have to be held accountable as well. the amount of debt that students are piling up has become unconscionable. many of them have seen there lives change. they're living in their parents' basement, can't get married, cat by car, can't go back to school because they've used up all their borrowing power. many of them all are married to say we can't have kids. i have heard that said, and it is just heartbreaking to think about. is this an issue that affects families? you bet. 60 million of them. 60 million are affected by this college debt. it changes lives. he will speak to this issue.

working families and their kids have a fair shot. >> thank you. first, i want to thank all of my colleagues here for their help, encouragement, participation in putting the fair shot agenda together to not particularly want to think the senators to we worked closely with to get this done. now every major issue that we are going to take up this year has some things in common. every one of these issues. first and foremost, these are issues that are designed to improve the lot of the middle-class. the number one issue affecting america right now is that middle-class incomes are declining and they're is a shortage of good paying jobs. that is the problem. a shortage of good paying jobs that people could fail. middle-class families are worried about finding and keeping good paying jobs. they're worried about getting

their incomes rising again. those are the concerns more than anything else that are going to dominate political landscapes in the months ahead. 85 percent of all americans are not affected by the affordable care act. they either have insurance from their employer or from the government. they are discontent -- people are discontent because of the overall state of the middle-class and the entire middle class squeeze is coming from the fact that there are not enough good paying jobs and that even when you have a job here in come and buying power is going down. so will we doing is focusing like a laser on the concerns of the middle-class, concerns of the middle class can trump the republican attacks on the affordable care act because what americans really care about is making there lives better and lifting a sop. as i mentioned, 85 percent of

all of those in the country are not affected by obamacare if they have medicare, medicaid or employer insurance. so we're going answer those concerns. we believe those will prevail in november. second on each of these issues we will be drawing a contrast to the republican colleagues. recently expect to pass a number of bipartisan bills to boost manufacturing, improved energy efficiency and to a whole lot of other things. we want to work with our colleagues, but we are also going to make crystal clear whose side each party is on. democrats are fighting for a fair shot from everyone while republicans are doing the bidding of the wealthy and huge corporations. those people already have a fair shot. middle-class people need a fair shot. that's the distinction we will john in november.

finally each of these issues, every one of these hot will motivate our base but it is also i great issue in red state's leading up to the november election. so this is an agenda that is good for all time zones both across the country and across the democratic caucus. we democrats would prefer these items pass and become law. subsequently and politically for us that would be the best for the country in the party. but if republicans continue to oppose these issues that enjoyed broad support across party lines and across the country they will do so at their own political risk. we are going on the offense in the months ahead. in addition to defending the affordable care act and correcting republican falsehoods , at the top of our list will be focusing like a laser on pushing legislation that will provide every american with a fair shot. each one of these issues, if you

work 40 hours a week you should have a fair shot at getting out of poverty. if you're a woman you do people were to a man, you should have a fair shot at getting equal pay. if you are a family that as a kid he deserves to go to college, you should have a fair shot at being able to pay for. we want a fair shot for everybody, and that's what we stand for. >> at the heart of this agenda is the simple idea of fairness. one of the first phase series a tent in a middle-class family is the idea of a fair shot, whether seattle, illinois, colorado, middle-class families want to know if and what of. why they're subject to determine what keeps them struggling to make ends meet. they're want to know why it's okay for a single mom working at the home health aide to make barely $7 an hour with no

minimum increase in sight for her while as ceo has to pay skyrocket. it wants to know why a plan that has employed a neighbor for the last 20 years just closed while businesses still employed tax loopholes to the send their jobs overseas. they want to know why they have to drive over potholes and outdated bridges to get to work every morning while republicans in congress continued to block basic investments in infrastructure improvements. it wants to know why we lay behind much of the world in investing in training and for the jobs that actually are hiring in their own communities, and they want to know why their medicare and their social security payments are target practice for republicans each year while the wealthiest americans tax benefits are protected like fort knox. well, the agenda we are presenting today and that we have already been pursuing addresses these actual concerns

in the lives of actual middle-class families. the republican agenda on the other hand for anyone who has not seen their tv ads or is not familiar with their tv actors work in those ads is a lot different, focused on fear, misinformation, and fueled by the deep pockets of those who play by a different set of rules . today there is no shortage of london's that our saying that these tactics may work in the months ahead. i have seen firsthand how those prognosticators and pundits can be proven wrong. when the american people are presented with a choice about whether all americans should play by one set of rules or whether we should continue down the road with those who can afford to play a different game altogether when to my am confident that americans are going to choose the agenda focused on no class security, opportunity, and basic fairness. >> it is my pleasure to be here today with colleagues who all

agree that we are on the side of folks who are working hard every day trying to get ahead. that is what this is about. i spent some time in west michigan last week, a small-town, greenville, mich. sitting around the table in a local restaurant. a man came up. he was trying to find another job and he said, you know, senator, i work really hard for my family, and all i want is a fair shot. that's -- i think we have something. and that's what this is really all about, making sure that somebody has to find somebody -- >> that tape recorder -- >> the tape recorder once more than a fair shot. was to get ahead of everybody else. of the one of my constituents had a good job for 33 years until her company shipped her job overseas. cheryl and everyone like her paid for their taxes to help

close the plan and pay for the costs of moving in overseas. sherrill said, when a minute. just give us a fair shot here to be able to have jobs for our family. well, we talk about the fact that women today on average earned $0.77 on every dollar and linda from southland michigan said that not only was she paid less than they're male counterparts but a senior executive even brag to to heard that he hires 11 because he can pay them less. the last time she looked she did not pay less for brush trees, did not pay less for gas, did not pay less for her rent. we believe that every woman should have a fair shot at being successful which is what the fairness act is all about. a single woman with two kids who earns the minimum wage by scrubbing floors are standing on your feet all day only makes about $15,000 a year, 4,000 below the poverty level working full-time.

meanwhile, the average ceo makes the same amount of money as 9303 minimum wage workers. imagine that. 933 people all connected working 40 hours a week every day working hard to get in making as much as the average ceo in this country. we don't believe that is fair. minimum-wage workers deserve a fair shot and deserve not to be in poverty. by the way, that ceo rights is corporate jet off as taxes. people in my state and all of our state in the current gas to go to work and child care to be able to have a job can't write that off. that's not right, and it's not fair. everybody deserves a fair shot to make it in america. democrats will fight to restore the promise to millions of americans who feel trapped in a

rigged game where the wealthy and well-connected win. we hope our friends on the other side of the aisle will join us. one way or the other we intend to move forward. >> senator bennett. [laughter] >> i am going last, and we need to vote. let me just say that when you do town halls at home in colorado, when i do this central economic questions is that they used to be able to count on economic growth, driving job growth and wage growth. that is not happen in this recovery in it did not happen and last recovery. the last recovery middle-class families actually earned 800 less at the and then it did the beginning. will we play the political games where playing the field earlier detached from their priorities. this set of priorities is very much in line with what people in

colorado are talking to me about, frankly whether they're democrats and republicans, or independent voters. i hope that all republican colleagues will join us to pass these initiatives in the united states senate said that we can demonstrate to the american people that our priorities are aligned with theirs. how is that for short. >> exemplary. >> very critical of the obama administration rollout. why is this not the same thing? >> if you can't figure that one out on your own i will try to help you. the rollout was really bad. they don't stand alone. in nevada, for a example, courageous republican governor hired xerox to do it. i will say it was bad.

this is hard to do. let's look at what has happened since. millions of people have signed up, millions. 3 million people on their parents' insurance. we don't know how many because of medicaid. millions and millions of people. i don't know how they will sign up for obamacare, but it is -- we think it will be a high number. yesterday someone to omitted thought it would be six nap million soaker to extend the time as i indicated when i made this opening statement, somebody criticize the possibility of people getting health care. i guess they would have criticized them. i just think the criticism not

extending the time is just so -- they should be trying to help people get health care, not delaying it. another thing, he criticized because we did not have enough primary-care doctors. we did not have enough specialists. i have worked with senators year , new york, florida, michigan, people want more gradual medical's bonds. and they stop us from doing it. they're talking out of both sides of the mouth with the bunch of durable. >> public opinion to keep turning around on health care. >> as i indicated last week and we got here, he said that race was not lost because of obamacare. that was a district that was very, very white in quite old. a district that had been a republican for 60 years.

so obamacare, if you do a poll of anyone has dropped way down the significance. [inaudible question] >> the law of the land. [inaudible question] >> the republicans say one constructive word about as many as 15 million people having insurance they're would not have before, not one constructive board, not one. the joke and say to my dear friend is him having more than 60 votes over there to terminate obamacare. this is -- and i just think that we are at a point now where it really does appear to be extremely disingenuous. they oppose anything that is

good about obamacare, anything good about anything this administration tries to do. let's go back. this is their game. three days after obama was elected the first came growth and the boys had a meeting here and said we will stop him from being reelected. we can do this by opposing everything that they have done. that is what they have done. ..

listening to a piece reminds me of why we have to extend the time. there are some people at my grandchildren who can handle everything so easily on the internet and these people need a little extra time. the example they gave issa 63-year-old woman came in and said i almost got it and every time i just got -- just about got their cut me off. we have a lot of people like this through no fault of the internet but because people are not educated on how to use the internet. this is not anything other than the right thing to do for heavens sakes. i don't know how many thousands and thousands of people will be able to have health care as a result of extending this. this is the right thing to do. >> do you agree to the pay-fors? >> the that's still a work in progress.

we posted a bill last night and we are working through the things they are. i've been in conversation with the speaker and the staff. our goal is the goal senator wyden has the chairman of finance committee to get rid of this once and for all. we may have to do another patch and we are trying really hard and seeing if we can get set up so that chairman wyden can have a vote on his or whether we just go with the patch so we are working on that. >> the ui extension basically learned this week the czechs getting through the house are basically small basically a zero at this point in the message today for people might be that doctors are -- and people aren't. >> you no i hear this so often. doctors. focus on the poor patients. it's for the patients treat

medicare patients need doctors. this is for the patients. it's not for the doctors and i would say don't look at us. we have a bipartisan bill thanks to very very courageous republicans to does a good job of extending unemployment benefits for people who are desperately in need of help so don't compare what we have done over here which is very forward-thinking and it does some good things. is the employment thing we have done perfect? is far from perfect. we agreed to do that and we will pass that in the next few days of people out there who are saying you are trying to help doctors, remember everyone of those doctors has hundreds and hundreds of patients. they are the ones we should be focused on. >> your decision yesterday. >> say that again. >> your decision to reverse the

$7000, was it wrong. [inaudible] >> no, no. in fact it wasn't. i just wanted to avoid and i'm very fortunate that i can write that check so it's all done but everything was complied with beforehand. read my statement. >> as democratic leader you face big challenges winning the democratic -- in 200016 and passing health care reform 2009 winning re-election in 2012. where do you rank 2014 in terms of fiscal challenges? >> senator schumer is i am -- [inaudible] the reason i say that when i

first became later everybody made fun of the head of the dscc and me for saying we were going to hold our own. well, we did. we took the majority. the next cycle although the prognosticators said there was a small percentage that we would keep the majority. we kept the majority. the next time we are gone. we are dead ducks. we picked up two seats. we feel very comfortable where we are in spite of the koch brothers with their outrageous spending, two men who by the way last week were fined $200,000 when one of their chemical plants were spewing out chemicals and had to prepare the plant if they wanted to keep it in business. we are doing fine. we are very confident and one reason we had our caucus yesterday was to talk about this agenda which i think a fair shot

agenda is a good one and also we had michael bennett there to talk to us about what's happening with our races around the country and believe me my senators walked out of there were smiles on their faces. >> i just want to remind you the 2012 election. 2012 where patty was head of dscc. what did republicans make the number one issue obamacare. we picked up seats in the senate and weep carry the president by a large amount. this agenda is what the american people want to hear. you folks all want to about obamacare but the american people most of them are not directly affected by obamacare. they want to hear what we are going to do for them. just go back and look at the 2012 election. >> thank you everybody.

>> i do recognize that islamaphobia exists. a rational fear of islam and therefore negative attitude towards the community i am absolutely against it. if it's part of sino phobia islamaphobia's nothing but sina phobia versus one group or any other foreign phobia is part of it. but what happened is the islamist lobby the brotherhood lobby in the iranian lobby have hijacked that notion and made it into a weapon. anybody who is criticizing the policy has nothing to do with religion, nothing to do with the five pillars. they have been accused of islamaphobia and i think this is very close to what the national socialists in germany would have accuse anybody who was criticizing their policy being against the german race and even at the international level this has become very dangerous.

>> one thing that didn't become known until the late 1980s when theo harris a leading fbi scholar founded through some files that he applied for through the freedom of information act, and that was something that had taken place from 1940 to 1966 when the fbi for that. backup time had a formal relationship with the american legion in which members, 100,880 members of the american legion acted as informers for the fbi

in their communities and regularly filed reports with the fbi. americans had no idea that kind of informant was taking place and they were untrained informants. >> the u.s. senate today approved for u.s. district court judges and the president's nominee to be ambassador to saudi arabia. the chamber also continued work on an aid package for ukraine. it would provide the country with loan guarantees and $150 million in economic assistance. and the bill would sanction russian officials involved in russia's annexation of crimea create those officials would be hit with asset freezes and visa bans.

we are expecting a final passage vote on the bill tomorrow. >> kate hunter covers the senate for "bloomberg news" in this friday the house and senate is set to take up legislation that would require a two ukrainian sanctions against russia. for the senate kate hunter what did leader reid finally agreed to take up? >> leader reid basically capitulated to do republican demand that he dropped a plan to boost funding for the imf system of funding. this is something democrats have wanted to see down for a while and something the treasury department and obama administration have been pushing for and the democrats included it in their original legislation. republicans balked in a bit of a showdown and house speaker john boehner said basically there's no way this is getting to the president's desk with that provision in there. mr. mcconnell in the senate said the same thing and they said okay fine we will take it out. >> you tweeted about this earlier in the week saying the

majority leader reid cited secretary kerry is the reason he is okay in dropping the imf language. what did he referred to? >> he did. yesterday after he came out of party lunch with his caucus leader reid told reporters he would be dropping the language and basically said he had spoken with the secretary of state about it and john kerry said they want the imf language but they want a more. >> in addition to the imf language being out of there what about senate republicans? they wanted some amendments in their dealing with energy to the ukraine and other issues. did they get back? >> they had those amendments have that looks like it's not going to happen. as you know the democrats got the imf language and they said let's just move this thing forward and that is what will happen tomorrow. >> what about the house? didn't before they went on their recess a week ago or so passed legislation that would provide loan guarantees to ukraine so what else do they have to work on and what will they take up as we? >> the house to pass the loan guarantee measured as a

stand-alone bill before the last recess. the senate has had to put both sanctions and aid to ukraine on the same bill and that's the bill the senate will vote on tomorrow. the house is considering their own sentience measure basically doing a before the breakdown coming back to sanctions and basically arguing the proposed sanctions that they are going to consider the legislation coming up this week, they say it's basically more up-to-date and takes into account what president obama has already done through the executive on his own thing going a little further. so at the senate will do is the senate will take the language of the house at the aid and pass it off tomorrow. >> so it's still something we will have two pieces of legislation by the end of the week. will something to make it worked out by this weeks and are early into next week that the president will sign? >> it could go really into next week in terms of getting something onto obama's does but it looks like really the train is leaving the station as the

legislation is going to get done way or another. it's a matter of the house and senate both approving the same legislation. but there is support in both houses for the elements of what's going to get done at this point. >> you can read more of kate planters reporting a bloomberg.com and she's also on twitter at kate underscore hunter. thanks for joining our bash us. >> have you ever heard of wrecking? >> hydraulic fracturing? fracturing. >> a why? >> in 2010 the congress ordered the environmental protection agency to look into dangers posed to drinking water sources due to hydraulic fracture. it's expected to be completed in 2014. >> bep a announcer was a link studies until 2016. >> can we really wait that long, congress? we have announced the winners of

this year c-span studentcam video competition on what's the most important issue congress should address this year. watch the top 21 winning video starting tuesday april 1 and every weekday throughout the month at 6:50 a.m. on c-span and watch all the documentaries on line at studentcam.org. >> in a few moments a hearing on the fbi's budget request for the next fiscal year. >> one thing that didn't become known until the late 1980s when nathan theo harris a leading fbi scholar founded through some files that he applied for