the senate is about to convene to begin its work week. members will be able to make speeches until 5 p.m. eastern. after that they will turn to the measure extending unemployment benefits for another five months retroactive to january 1. final passage is scheduled for 5:30. coverage of the senate here on c-span2. lord of life, hear our prayers. fill us with your spirit so that we may please you. today empower our law mixer. help them not to have an excessive focus on temporary things while ignoring the eternal.

may their lives bring glory and honor to your name, as they receive your approbation for their faithfulness. lord, create in them humble and contrite hearts that are willing to serve you and humanity. shelter them in their coming in and going out so that you can use them to advance the work of your kingdom. we pray in your great name. amen. the presiding officer: please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to our flag. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for

all. the presiding officer: the clerk will read a communication to the senate. the clerk: washington d.c., april 7, 2014. to the senate: under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable christopher murphy, a senator from the state of connecticut, to perform the duties of the chair. signed: patrick j. leahy, president pro tempore. mr. reid: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. reid: following leader remarks and those of the republican leader if there are any, the senate will be in morning business until 5:00 p.m. at 5:00 p.m. the senate will resume consideration of h.r. 3979, the unemployment insurance extension. at 5:30 there will be a roll call vote on passage of that legislation. mr. president, nascar fans can easily find their favorite drivers by simply looking at the cars as they fly by because there are corporate emblems on

the hood of the car. in fact, they're all over the car. for our clothing here in the senate we don't bear commercial logos. many republican senators might as well koch insignias, but as members of the united states senate there should never be any doubt as to our sponsors, the american people. we're here in the senate for one reason, to give americans a fair shot at providing for their families and having their voices heard. but republicans seem more willing to identify themselves with their billionaire sponsors. while they don't wear koch industries ties and jackets, they display their sponsors proudly through their actions here in the united states senate. so it comes as no surprise that republican senators stood here on the senate floor and voiced their support for charles and david koch. senate republicans depend on the koch brothers to make their job

easier. i appreciate the forthrightness of those that support the koch brothers. some came to the floor praising the richest brothers in the world. if charles and david koch helped republican members here in this chamber, they should not be ashamed to defend the kochs power powers. if they bankrolled efforts to kaoepl -- keep them in their seats they should publicly acknowledge the providers. if some find my comments unjust they should take their case to the american people. senators should come to the floor and take up the cause of the billionaires but senators shouldn't expect americans to be fooled into ignoring the fact that the koch brothers are trying to sweep middle-class families under the rug. regardless of the words charles koch espouses, for example, in his "wall street journal" op-ed last week, he and his brother

don't have the interest of average americans in mind. they have in mind increasing their wealth and hiding their efforts behind words like dignity, respect, equality, and freedom. that ran throughout the column that they wrote. dignity. what about the dignity of struggling long-term unemployed families? the koch brothers continue closing plants and laying off employees in alaska, arkansas, north carolina, and other places, devastating the economies in those communities. americans need a fair shot at getting back on their feet and finding work, but -- koch groups are opposing benefits for the long-term unemployed. what about the dignity of a single mother from las vegas, christina, stuck living in her grandmother's living room because she and her son were evicted when christina's benefits were cut off? perhaps charles and david koch should spend their night sharing

one air mattress like christina and her son and see what dignity there is in living like that. the koch brothers want americans to be dignified as they lose their homes, cars and their security. the koch brothers hide behind words like respect. what about treating the american vote with with respect? instead the koch brothers dumped hundreds of millions of dollars in dishonest ads about health care reform trying to fool american families into thinking affordable care is bad for them. it's good for them, mr. president. if the affordable care act is so awful, why did koch industries use it to their advantage? koch industries applied for and participated in a temporary program called the early retiree reinsurance program, part of the affordable care act. this program helped the company, koch industries, pay health insurance costs for its retirees who are not covered by medicare. or, in other words, the

government helped subsidize health care which koch industries promised to its retiring employees. so it's okay for koch industries to save money through obamacare but if an american family wants a fair shot at better health care coverage they risk being labeled as collectivists. that was all throughout that article, the op-ed piece. collectivists. mr. president, is that a new right-wing buzzword for community? it doesn't sound like respect to me. the kochs throw around phrases like equality under the law. what about equality for hardworking american women? yet the republicans in congress who carry waut -- water for the kochs are campaigning against legislation that ensure women are paid equally as their e-mail e-mail -- as their male counters for doing the same work. i have a daughter and four sons. my daughter, if she does the same work as any of my boys, should be paid the same as they are.

but that isn't how it is in america. she's paid only 76 cents or 77 cents a dollar for what a man doing the same work gets. one of the kochs' organizations ironically called independent women's forum, they do this all the time. they funnel money through the chamber of commerce, many other organizations. but one of their organizations called independent women's forum is making the argument that the disparity between men's and women's salaries is a myth. but this tactic shouldn't surprise anyone given republicans utter disregard for women that's on display here in washington. we're going to vote on wednesday on fair pay piece of legislation, simply saying women should get the same amount of money that a man does doing the same work. not too absurd, not too radical.

but that's what we're trying to do. i repeat, this tactic shouldn't surprise anyone given republicans' disregard for women as displayed here in washington. for example, mr. president, on one of the sunday shows yesterday comments were made by former director of the c.i.a., michael hayden, who was there for a long time. in responding to the senate intelligence committee's attempts to shed light on the c.i.a.'s questionable interrogation methods, general hayden condescendingly accused senator dianne feinstein of being too emotional. how about that, mr. president? dianne feinstein being too emotional. this woman has been an outstanding leader of that intelligence committee. sheep has -- she has been fearl, she has been thorough and fair. and for this man to say that because she criticizes tactics

led by general hayden, that was torture, she's being too emotional. i don't think so. does this sound like a person or a party that respects women? so, mr. president, so much for equality under the law as seen by the kochs. finally the koch brothers claim they're fighting to restore a free society, also some buzzwords. free society. free in what way? they have single-handedly turned the american electoral process into a pay to play scheme. their end game is to affect eofficials to, elect people who will help them overall in the system of government and replace it with someone to increase their wealth. even though they are the richest people in the world they want to be richer. i again extend the invitation to my brothers if you bear the logo of the koch brothers come down and announce your affiliation openly.

the koch brothers' agenda is an agenda that is not my agenda. it is not our agenda. but is it your agenda, i say to my republican friends? if it is, come and tell your constituents that's the case. let this nation know where you stand. as for we, we democrats, we'll continue to defend american families from these oil baron bullies who want nothing more than to enrich themselves. we will continue to oppose their efforts to buy our democracy because we represent america, not just rich americans. would the chair announce the business of the day? the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. under the previous order, the senate will be in a period of morning business until 5:00 p.m. with senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. mr. reid: mr. president, i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll.

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