quorum call: mrs. shaheen: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from new hampshire. mrs. shaheen: madam president, is the senate in a quorum call? the presiding officer: it is. mrs. shaheen: i ask that the quorum call be lifted. the presiding officer: without objection. mrs. shaheen: thank you.

madam president, more than 50 years ago, president kennedy signed the equal pay act making equal pay for equal work the law of the land. and yet today, wage discrimination still persists. today women i continue to be pad just over three-quarters of what their male counterparts receive for performing the same work. more women than he have before are graduating from college, but over the course of their careers, they will each make an average of $1.2 million less than a man with the same level of education. unfortunately, that's not unique. across a wide array of industries and within all different occupations, well-qualified women continue to earn an average of 77 cents for each dollar that our male counterparts earn, regardless of performance or educational background. pay discrimination hurts women,

it hurts families, and it hurts our economy. back in the early 190's, i80's,i served on new hampshire's commission on the status of women. during that period, i chaired a task force on women's employment in new hampshire and we wrote a report about what we found. sadly, we found a lot of discrimination against women in employment. at that time, w women were only making 59 cents for every dollar that a man earned. but the conclusion of our report was that this was an issue not just for the women but it was an issue for their spouses, for their families, and for the economy of new hampshire. the same is true today. in 2011, women were the sole or primary breadwinner in more than 40% of households with children. equal pay for these women is not just about a fair paycheck, it's

also about paying for that visit to their pediatrician, it's about being able to afford the prescription that their children need, it's about paying the heating bills during a long winter or providing internet access to their kids can do their homework. there's a lot the average woman could do with the extra $10,000 she would earn each year if it were not for pay discrimination. as governor, i signed a law to prohibit gender-based pay discrimination in new hampshire and to require equal pay for equal work. in the year before that law was signed, women in new hampshire made 69% of their male colleagues' wages. today in new hampshire, they make 78% so we make about a penny more in new hampshire than the national average. but at this rate, my granddaughters, some of whom are still in gradeschool, will enter

and leave the work force before we achieve equal pay for equal work. the estimate is that if we continue at the rate we're on, it will be 2056 before we achieve equal pay for equal work. today on equal pay day, i call on congress to pass the paycheck fairness act so that all of our daughters and granddaughters and their husbands and families, their children can get a fair paycheck. this commonsense legislation would update the equal pay act to require that pay differences be based on legitimate business reasons and it would protect women so that they can't be penalized by their employers for discussing their salaries. pay discrimination is not fair, it's not right and it needs to end. so i urge all of our colleagues to support the paycheck fairness

act. thank you, madam president. i yield the floor. mr. cardin: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from marylandment mr. cardin: first let me thank senator shaheen for her leadership on these issues and so many other issues in the united states senate. she's listened -- i listened to your comments and i fully concur in the information that you have brought forward, that paycheck fairness is not just a matter of fairness for women, it's a matter of fairness for our country. and not only will women benefit, our economy will benefit and our country will benefit by making sure that equal pay for equal work is what happens in our country. so i just really wanted to thank you. i'd be glad to yield. mrs. shaheen: will my colleague yield the floor for a minute? i thank you very much, senator cardin from maryland, and point out that i know this is an area where you also have worked very hard over many years. and it's the kind of issue that men and women should be able to

agree on. this is something that is not fair for women but it's also not fair for their husbands, their sons and i know you feel that way because when your wife isn't getting what she deserves, then you and your family also hurt as a result. mr. cardin: madam president, let me just -- it's not just my wife, i also have two beautiful grandchildren, granddaughters, and they're going to do just fine but i want to make sure that they are treated fairly in the workplace and i want all people treated fairly in the workplace. so i thank senator shaheen, as i said, equal pay for equal work, paycheck fairness, is truly an american value. and i thank all our leaders here, i particular want to acknowledge senator mikulski, our colleague from maryland, for her extraordinary issue on pay equity issue, on this particular issue, on paycheck fairness, and for the work she's done throughout her whole career as a real leader on gender issues.

as senator shaheen pointed out, today we call equal payday. the reason for that is that women on average earn about 77% of what a man earns for doing the same work. we're not talking about different work. the exact same work. women are discriminated against in the amount of compensation they receive. so on average, women have to work three additional months every year to earn the same amount of money that a man earns for doing the same work. that's just not right and needs to change. today i was at the white house with the president and some of our colleagues. lilly ledbetter was there. as i know the presiding officer recalls, lilly ledbetter has been one of the leaders on pay equity. she worked at goodyear for over 20 years. after being there for two decades, she found out from one of her co-workers who

anonymously passed on information about what people were making that for 20 years she was receiving less compensation for doing the exact same work that her male counterparts were doing. she had no idea about this. there was no justification for the difference. so she decided that she would do something about it, not just for herself but for those who are in the workplace should be treated fairly, so she brought action. she took this case all the way to the supreme court of the united states, and guess what the supreme court did. they said you know, lilly ledbetter, you're right, you were discriminated against, you were paid less because of your gender, but guess what? because it's been going on for so long, you don't have any remedy. now, that's absolutely ridiculous. a 5-4 decision of the supreme court. now, it cost lilly ledbetter hundreds of thousands of dollars that she lost in compensation as

a result of that discriminatory action. congress took action and changed it. i was proud to be part of the congress that cast our vote. it was the first bill signed by president obama shortly after he took office, and i remember the pride that we all had that we were able to make a minge step forward on behalf of an enforceable right for women to be able to be paid equal pay for equal work, but the job wasn't done. tomorrow we can take another giant step forward by advancing and i hope enacting the paycheck fairness, and i hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will support this legislation so we can continue to make progress along that road of equal pay for equal work. in the white house today, president obama took action on his own. as he has said, he will use the executive power to do what he can to advance the cause of equality in this country. so he signed two executive

orders. the first is what we call the sunshine executive order that will require federal contractors to allow their employees to share information about their salaries. they can no longer take retaliatory action because co-workers share their salary information. and the second executive order will require contractors to provide information to the department of labor as to what their salary and compensation amounts are based on gender so that there can at least be a record to make sure that employers that are doing work for the federal government, that are benefiting from the u.s. taxpayers are doing the right thing as far as equal pay for equal work. these are two very, very important changes that the president has instituted through the use of the power of the white house. we can do something permanent about it by the passage of paycheck fairness, and that is our responsibility and i hope we will get that done.

it will make a better america. as was pointed out, yes, it is about women being treated fairly in the workplace. it is about my two granddaughters being treated fairly in the workplace, but it's about our economy, it's about our values. all the above. it also, i might tell you, affects retirement security because women aren't paid as much, they don't have as much money when they retire. they are more strapped for how they spend their money. they have less money available for retirement security. and women over the age of 50 receive only about 56% of what men of similar age receive in pension benefits because they just haven't earned as much. a good part of that is that they are not being paid fairly in the workplace. paycheck fairness will certainly help. we want to give a fair shot to every woman in this country. many are the sole support for their families. eliminating the wage gap will

provide $450 billion of additional income into our economy. you know what that goes for? it goes to buy a new car. it goes to help pay for their children's education. it provides the wherewithal that women can go out and pay their rents and their mortgage payments and take care of their families, and they can even put money away for retirement so that they have the security that they need after they retire. it helps to grow a middle class in this country, and that's what we all should be about. so paycheck fairness helps give women a fair shot with equal pay for equal work. it requires employers to demonstrate that wage disparities between men and women holding the same position and doing the same work are not related to their gender. it seems simple enough. doing different work, obviously, the pay is different.

it ensures the remedies available to victims of gender discrimination are similar to the remedies available to those who are discriminated against based upon their race or national origin. we have in place aaway we can -- a way we can correct this. let's use it for those who have been discriminated against because of their gender on their pay. it updates the equal pay act to make it more in line with class action procedures available under title 7 of the civil rights act of 1964. this gives us an effective remedy to take care of a class of workers who have been discriminated against in the workplace, and it prohibits employers -- this is very, very important. it prohibits employers from punishing or retaliating against workers who share salary information. that's what the president did today by the stroke of his pen for those companies that do business with the federal government. we can make it universal in the workplace that we shine light on

what is happening. as former supreme court justice louis brandeis observed, sunlight is said to be the best disinfectant. we strive for greater transparency in our government because we know that will help provide a better government, allow our workers to share information without fear that they will be discriminated against or action taken by their employer. our mission as united states senators is to clearly -- is clearly written in just a few short words contained in the preamble of the constitution. our mission is to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity. paycheck fairness is essential for us carrying out that mission. i urge my colleagues to support this very important legislation.

with that, madam president, i would suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

a senator: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from utah. mr. lee: i ask unanimous consent to suspend the quorum call. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. lee: madam president, this week, the salt lake chamber of commerce will honor my friend, former utah governor michael leavitt with our giant in the city award. i'd like to take this opportunity to honor my fell utahan whose example as a public servant is instructive for all

those who wish to make a difference. mike leavitt, who is a native of cedar city, was the 14th governor of the great state of utah. he was handily elected to three terms as governor, a feat that only one other utahan has ever accomplished. in 2003, during his third term, he was nominated by president george w. bush and confirmed by the senate as administrator of the environmental protection agency. after just over a year after e.p.a., governor leavitt was nominated and confirmed as the secretary of health and human services where he served through the end of the bush administration. he is the co-author and author of several books, and he's most recently served on mitt romney's campaign as the head of governor romney's transition team. these accomplishments are a-- alone are enough to warrant

praise and admiration for governor leavitt, but i'd like to underscore the way in which he served in these positions to explain the virtues of leadership and service. it's been said that those who lead lead best by example, and mike leavitt is one of those best leaders. he has continuously focused on efficiency, relationships, professionalism and improvement. these qualities are not only cultivated in mike leavitt personally, but they are also fostered in all those with whom he works. governor leavitt's efforts to make government work for the people, as government always should work, will always stand as one of his greatest accomplishments. such accomplishments often require innovation and entrepreneurship, which mike

leavitt learned prior to his governorship as the president and c.e.o. of the leavitt group. an example of this innovation is the emergence of a new kind of education in the mid 199 1990's. when many in the -- in the mid 199 1990's. when many in the education sector were skeptical of the possibility of online learning, governor leavitt proposed a new idea for a competency-based online university. he worked to gain the support of other governors, and after many months of preparation, western governors university was established. this institution was part of governor leavitt's mission to expand access to and reduce the cost of higher education. today w.g.u. is recognized as one of the most innovative and affordable universities in the country. governor leavitt encouraged his fellow utahans to avoid focusing

on what's wrong with america, a lesson that we as senators would do well to follow. he reminded utahans to focus on what's right with america, as he believes wholeheartedly in the greatness of our nation. he once said in the history of mankind, there has never been a nation as admired, as willing and as capable of inspiring and fulfilling hope. the dignified confidence of that statement is needed in these halls and needed around the world today. utah was an example of such dignified competence in 2002 when the state hosted the winter olympics. governor leavitt's precision in preparing the states for the games was a tremendous success, not only for utah but also for our country. working on the issues that are constitutionally reserved to the states and to the people, governor leavitt oversaw the expansion of utah's transportation network and

managed facilities and lands with great care. he sought out skilled leaders to help in this grand effort, and thousands upon thousands of utahans volunteered countless hours to make the 2002 olympics one of the most successful olympic games in history. madam president, multiple volumes of the congressional record could be filled with examples of service and leadership exemplified by this great utahan, especially from his years leading the e.p.a. and h.h.s. however, in the interest of breakfastity, i -- brevity i will simply say this country needs more citizens like mike leavitt. we need men and women who are able to focus on the details and simultaneously think on a macro scale. we need leaders who believe in our founding principles and who make important decisions with those very same principles in mind. we need leaders who will make

government more efficient, more responsive, more deliberate and more meaningful. such meaningfulness may often require less from the federal government. when action is required from us in this body, let prudence, love for country, love for our fellow, and dedication to principles displayed so admirably by governor mike leavitt be our guide. thank you, madam president. i yield the floor. a senator: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from illinois. mr. durbin: mr. president, it's with a heavy heart i rise to speak about the tragic shooting last week at fort hood. it claimed the cliefs lives of three innocent people, one the son of illinois, 16 others wounded. i often begin subcommittee hearings by quoting chairman of the joint chiefs of staff general martin dempsey in a speech to the national press club two years ago, general dempsey spoke about the number

of challenges facing the military from afghanistan to sequestration, and the need to take care of our troops when they transition to civilian status. general dempsey said no matter how well we address the other challenges, and i quote him, "if we don't get the people right, the rest of it doesn't matter." his words reflect a basic truth. more than weapons system or stockpiles of ammunition, the strength of our military and the security of america depends on the men and women who volunteer to risk their lives for us. investigators are still trying to understand what happened as an army specialist went on a shooting rampage at fort hood. press reports speculate on mental health difficulties following a recent deployment, grief over the death of his mother, even financial pressure. as we wait for the answers about this tragedy, we are grateful for the discipline and bravery of the military policewoman who confronted the shooter and cut

short what could have been an even worse tragedy. and we're grateful for the military chaplain who shielded bystanders and helped them reach safety. in my state of illinois weiner mourning army sergeant timothy owens. he's from downstate, my neck of the woods, born in effingham, illinois, dreamed of being a soldier since he was a little boy. he used to wear cam camouflage sunglasses to look like a soldier. went to high school in missouri, where he went billie, the young woman who would later become his wife. they were married just last august. after high school, tim and his family moved to effingham where tim worked and taught i could occoquan dough at a local gym. in 2003 tim owens decided to pursue his lifelong dream. he enlisted in the united states army. sergeant owens served proudly in iraq and afghanistan and he'd recently signed up for six more years. his tours in iraq and

afghanistan gave him a special understanding and empathy for other soldiers who face difficulties when they come home. he used his skill and compassion in his work as a counselor at fort hood, helping veterans to deal with posttraumatic stress disorders and other mental health challenges. it was an irony sergeant yoarns was killed as he tried to pervade the shooter to lay cowan his weapons. he was 37 years old. i offer my deepest condolences to sergeant owens' friend and family, especially his wife and parents. i know they're proud of him. we also pray for the families of the other soldiers who lost their lives last week at fort hood and all those who were injured. losing soldiers on friendly soil seems almost incomprehensible. yet this is not the first time we've seen this sort of senseless death at a u.s. military facility. it's not even the first time we've seen it at fort hood.

tomorrow at fort hood, president obama will lead a memorial service to on those who died last week. as we remembered the soldiers we lost and play prey for those wounded we need to ask ourselves if there is more we can do to protect the members of our military and their families. in that speech two years ago general dempsey said the vast majority of our service members end up stronger for the service they served. they have a sense of purpose. they are men and women we should be very proud of. and we are. they're also a few who for some reason or another need help. some may bear invisible wounds from war. as we wind down our involvement in afghanistan, our task as a nation is to get all of the people right as general dempsey reminded us. service members and veterans struggling with health issues including mental health issues need to get the care necessary

to bring them back to a normal, full participation in life. military families shouldn't have to struggle to put food on the table or a roof over their heads. a grateful nation can do a lot better than that. and no member of our military who has risked his or her life overseas should have to worry about losing his or her life on a military base in america. in the midst of tragedy last week many people at fort hood acted nobly and courageously but something went wrong, terribly wrong. we owe it to our service members and their families to understand how this terrible loss happened so that we can work to make sure it does not happen again. madam president, i yield the floor. and suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

a senator: madam president? the presiding officer: the

senator from rhode island. mr. whitehouse: are we presently in a quorum call? the presiding officer: we are. mr. whitehouse: i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be lifted. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. whitehouse: thank you very much. i'm now here for the 64th time to ask my colleagues to wake up to the threat of climate change. it was actually, madam president, almost exactly two years ago, april of 2012, that i began speaking here every week on the floor that the senate is in session. i have tried to make a compelling case for my colleagues. first and foremost i have relied on the overwhelming scientific evidence and the near unanimity of the scientific community. 97% of climate scientists agree that the increase of carbon dioxide in our sphere due to human activities is driving unprecedented changes.

and, of course, they are changes that americans see all about them in their lives now. now, if 97 doctors told you that you needed surgery, who among us in our right minds would heed the advice of the three doctors who said they were unsure that we can delay the treatment? i've talked about global warming, about the weirding of the weather, heat waves, extreme downpours, droughts, shifting seasons. i've talked at length about the devastating toll taken on our oceans which hold such peril for my home state, rhode island, the ocean state. our oceans are warming, they are rising and they are becoming more acidic and all of that is undeniable, it is measurable. it threatens our coastal communities and marine species alike. i've described the potential for deep economic disruption in industries like fishing and farming or from inundation or wildfire and i've looked at the

threat to human health. i've conveyed the deep concerns of corporate leaders who understand that climate change is bad for business. and of faith leaders who appeal to our moral duty to conserve god's creation. and to spare those who are most vulnerable to catastrophe. i have answered the claims of those in this chamber who deny the reality of climate change and the need for action. i have called out the network of fossil fuel propaganda that seeks to mire this congress in phony, manufactured doubt. i've even been joined by colleagues who share my commitment to rousing this congress from its oil and coal-induced slumber. including the historic all-night stand here on the floor that reached hundreds of thousands of americans. but, unfortunately, madam president, it seems we still have some ways to go.

i could stand here till i am blue in the face supplying this chamber with reasoned arguments and scientific facts on climate change and some here in congress would ignore it. because they reject information from scientists and they ignore empirical evidence. so maybe it's time to bring in some muscle, the american military. climate change threatens our strategic interests, our military readiness and our domestic security in many ways. it is a serious national security issue. don't take my word for it. our top military commanders and strategic planners at the department of defense say so. four years ago, the department of defense released the quadrennial defense review clearly linking for the first time climate change and national

security. the between review concluded that the effects of climate change could contribute to increases in regional instability driven by demand for food, water, and natural resources, and to extreme weather events which will increase the need for humanitarian aid and disaster relief both within the u.s. and abroad. then-chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, admiral michael mullen, put it this way -- i'll quote him -- "the scarcity of and potential competition for resources like water, food, and space, compounded by the influx of refugees if coastal loons lands are lost does not only create a humanitarian crisis but it creates conditions of hopelessness that could lead to failed states and make populations vulnerable to radicalization." that's the united states chairman of the joint chiefs of

staff. last year nine retired generals and admirals joined 17 former members of the house and senate and several former cabinet-level officials and issued this warning -- quote -- "the potential consequences to climate change are undeniable" they said" and the cost of inaction paid for in lives and valuable u.s. resources will be staggering." the 2014 quadrennial defense review was released last month in tandem with the department of defense's budget request and it is just as straightforward in its warnings on climate change. i'll quote. "climate change poses another significant challenge for the united states and the world at large. climate change may exacerbate water scarcity and lead to sharp increases in food costs. the pressures caused by climate

change will influence resource competition while placing additional burdens on economies, societies, and governance institutions around the world." the second installment of the current intergovernmental panel on climate change assessment report released just last week echos what our own military leaders are already telling us. according to the report, climate change can directly increase risks of violent conflicts in the form of civil war and intergroup violence by amplifying well-documented drivers of these conflicts, such as poverty and economic shocks. in response to our changing climate, the department of defense is conducting a comprehensive assessment of the risks to u.s. military installations. this is not a trivial effort, and it is not being undertaken without cause. the pentagon is also working with other nations to strengthen

the network of humanitarian assistance for disaster response. the reach of our military stretches to every corner of the globe and so do the effects of climate change. our commanders recognize the need to dap dapt to adapt in ev. much has been made about the pacific region. the commander of the u.s. pacific command has called climate change the biggest long-term security threat in the pacific because it -- and i quote him here -- "is probably the most likely thing that is going to happen that will cripple the security environment. probably more likely than the other scenarios we all ofn often talk about." the head of our pacific command is describing this as the most likely thing to happen to cripple the security environment. and the threat extends from poll

to poll. -- pole to pole. the allied commander in europe james stefritis is worried about the ongoing reduction in arctic sea ice. "this will create potential problems from oil spills, dangers to wildlife, search and rescue and open zones of maneuver for the navies of a arctic nations to interact." our american military leaders are clear in sounding this ala alarm. here in congress some of us are taking these warnings seriously. the bicameral task force on climate change which i lead with congressman waxman invited national security experts to share their perspective on climate change. retired marine corps brigadier general cheney is c.e.o. e. coe of the american security project founded in 2005 by former

senators. they stress the climate change is not a new issue within national security circles and that the u.s. must engage the world on this issue, which of course we cannot do while we're paralyzed by false denial. retired army brigadier general gerald galloway spoke of the risk that extreme weather events pose to military installations. "when communities and instllations are unaware of their vulnerability to these events, the results can be disastrous. a fai failure to be prepared shs the focus from maintainin maintg readiness to dealing with each of these climate change impacts as they occur. both floods and increased temperatures can bring training to a halt or rea restrict critil movements." this message was echoed by john gensler who described the difficulty of maintaining our readiness particular any responding to ever-increased

requests for disaster-related humanitarian assistance. the consensus is clear from the people to whom we have entrusted our national security. climate change is a serious threat. the national security and to global security for which we need to plan and prepare. that's the message secretary of state john kerry brought to an audience in jakarta, indonesia earlier this year. in a sense, he said, "climate change can now be considered another weapon of mass destruction, perhaps the world's most fearsome weapon of mass destruction." the fact, he continued, request is that climate change, if left unchecked, will wipe out many more communities from the face of the earth and that is unacceptable under any circumstances, but is even more unacceptable because we know

what we can do and need to do in order to deal with this challenge." end quote. and yet congress sleepwalks, refusing to listen, refusing to speak of it refusing to act when duty calls us to act, when history calls us to act, when decency calls us to act. madam president, i have in my office a book written by jeffrey regan. it is titled "great navy blunders clunes history's worst sea battle decisions from ancient times to the present day." it is an interesting book to read. it is a long history of episodes of folly and error that have ended in disaster. it contains the account of a

fleet of british naval ships docked at a harbor as a great typhoon bore down on them. the ship' ship's captain knew te typhoon was so strong that it would fair tear the ships loose from their anchors and wreck them. they knew that they are only safe strategy was to up-anchor, head out of the harbor and try to weather the storm at sea. but none of the captains wanted to be the first ship to leave the port. so they all stayed and the typhoon swept down and they were destroyed. regan calls this -- i'll quote him -- "an error of judgment that will forever remain a paradox in human psychology."

we can make those kinds of errors of judgment, and for those captains and their crews, the error was fatal. facing certain destruction, those sea captains refused to take the action that they knew was necessary to ca save their ships, to save themselves, to save their crews. i think of that story as we stand here in the senate unable to respond to what is looming down on us from climate change. the science couldn't be clearer. it is grown-up time around here, and we need to take it seriously. and the fact that one side of the aisle can't even use the word "climate change" is a terrible sign. john wayne, a great american actor who we all know, had a

number of wonderful roles in his life. one of john wayne's role was to play sergeant striker in the move "sands of iwo jima." sergeant striker in that movie had a memorable phrase: life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid. well, we have all the information in front of us that we need to avoid being stupid. collectively, that is what we are being. like those captains, knowing of what is bearing down on us, we somehow are unable to take the action that will protect us, that will protect our country, that will protect our children and future generations.

there is really no better way to describe it than through the words of sergeant striker. "life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." it's time to wake up. i yield the floor. i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

mr. reid: is the senate in a quorum call? the presiding officer: it is. mr. reid: ask unanimous consent it be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 574. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion to proceed. all those in favor say aye. all those opposed, no. the ayes appear to have it. yiet do's have it. -- the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. mr. reid: i send a cloture motion to the desk. madam president, you must report the nomination. i'm sorry. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: nomination, michelle t. freedland of california to be united states circuit judge for

the ninth circuit. mr. reid: i send a cloture motion to the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the cloture motion. the clerk: cloture motion. 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 nomination of m. shell t. freedland to be circuit judge. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent reading of the names be waived. 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 now move to proceed to legislative session. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion to proceed. all in favor say aye. all opposed, say nay. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. mr. reid: i now move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 613. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion to proceed. all those in favor say aye.

all opposed say nay. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. the clerk which report the nomination. the clerk: department of labor, david while of massachusetts to be administrator of the wage and hour division department of labor. mr. reid: i send a cloture motion to the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the cloture motion. the clerk: cloture motion. 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 nomination of david wile of massachusetts to be administrator of the wage and hour division, department of labor. signed by 17 senators as follows. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent the reading of the names be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i now move to proceed to legislative session.

madam president, i ask unanimous consent that the man to her quorum under -- mandatory quorum under rule 22 be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i now move to proceed to legislative session. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion to proceed. all in favor say aye. all opposed? the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. mr. reid: mr. president, i now ask unanimous consent that at a time to be determined by me in consultation with senator mcconnell, this week the senate proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 649, there be an hour of debate with 15 minutes under the control of the democratic leader or designee, 45 minutes under control of the republican leader or his designee. that upon the use or yielding back of that time, the senate proceed to vote on the nomination, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid on the table with no intervening action or debate, that no further motions be in order, that any related statements be printed in the record and that the president be immediately notified of the senate's action and the senate then resume legislative session.

the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent that at a time to be determined by me in consultation with the -- senator mcconnell, on wednesday, april 9, the senate proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 507, that there be two minutes for debate equally divided in the usual form, that upon the use or yielding back of that time, the senate proceed to vote on the nomination, that the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, that no further motions be in order, any related statements be printed in the record and president obama be immediately notified of the senate's action and the senate then resume legislative session. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent we 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 the senate proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 713, the nomination be confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid on the

table, there be no intervening action or debate, no further motions be in order to the nomination -- in order regarding the nomination, that the president be immediately notified of the senate's action and the senate then resume legislative session. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent that the snea proceed to calendar -- senate proceed to calendar number 32. the presiding officernumber -- . the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. res. 361, recognizing the threats to freedom of the press and expression in the people's republic of china and so forth. the presiding officer: there objection to proceeding to the measure? without objection. mr. reid: i ask the cardin amendment which is at the desk be agreed torque th, the preambe agreed to and the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: hawn i ask unanimous mr. reid: reid i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to h. con. res. 90. the clerk: authorizing the use of emancipation hall and the

capitol visitor's center for a ceremony and so forth. the presiding officer: is there objection to proceeding to the measure? without objection. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent the concurrent resolution be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, there be no intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i'm told that s. 2223 is due for its first reading. the presiding officer: the clerk will read the title of the bill for the first time. the clerk: s. 2223, a bill to provide for an increase in the federal minimum wage and so amend the internal revenue code of 1986 to extend increased expensing limitations and the treatment of certain real property as section 179 property. mr. reid: mr. president, this legislation is sponsored by senators harkin and merkley. i ask for its second reading and object to my own request.

the presiding officer: objection having been heard, the bill will be read for a second time on the next legislative dayment. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent the appointment at the desk appear separately in the record as if made by the chair. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i ask consent that when the senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the journal of proceedings be approved to date and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day. following any leader remarks, the senate resume consideration of the motion to proceed to s. 2199, the equal pay bill, with the time until 11:00 a.m. equally divide and controlled between the two leaders or their designees prior to the cloture vote on the motion to proceed to 2199. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: the first roll call votes will be at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. additional roll call votes are expected during tomorrow's session. if there's no further business to come before the senate, i ask that it adjourn under the previous order following the remarks of, first, senator bennet and following his remarks, those of senator casey. the presiding officer: without objection.

mr. bennet: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from colorado. mr. bennet: thank you, mr. president. i want to return today to the subject of immigration. today marks the 285th day since the immigration bill passed right here in the united states senate with almost 70 votes and 285 days later we're still waiting for the house of representatives to act on that bipartisan piece of legislation. every single day the house drags its feet on immigration, mr. president, our borders remain less secure, our visa system keeps us less competitive, our economy suffers, millions of families remain in the shadows, hardworking immigrants who came here to live the american dream and who are part of the fabric of our communities all over the state of colorado and all over

the united states of america are suffering because congress hospital passed a bill. families like dual se sign's family from hudson, colorado, when sign's father was deported, she and one of her sisters stayed in colorado to start college while her mom and younger sister moved to mexico to be with their dad. it was a heartbreaking decision for the family to separate but that's what they needed to do. now all three sisters have gone to the university of denver in colorado. they've started careers in public service but they rarely see their parents and they worry about their safety. it's clear to everybody that i talk to here and at home that our current immigration system is broken. it's also clear to me and i think to many people that separating families doesn't reflect our history, it doesn't do honor to the values that shape that history.

so while the house stalls, the secretary of homeland security is reviewing our deportation policy and exploring other ways we can help keep families together. it's a good step in the absence of a bill. we should prioritize deportations in a way that reflect our values as a country, uphold the rule of law, and keeps families together. but in the end -- in the end, the only way to come to a full and permanent solution is to pass this immigration reform bill. what's so frustrating about this, mr. president, of course, this isn't unusual in washington these days, when we've become so used to getting the bare minimum accomplished, keeping the lights on for another week or for another month. but what's so frustrating on this situation is that we have bipartisan agreement that the current immigration system is broken and that it's doing no favors to this country.

the coalition that we built in favor of reform is unprecedent unprecedented. and i wasn't surprised when we started this in colorado at first and i'd travel around the state and i'd hear the peach growers in palisades say one thing about what they hoped for in an immigration bill. i'd hear the cattle ranchers say something else, the ski resorts say something else. our high-tech community, our immigrant rights community, everybody coming together to say, you know what? it's long past time to get this fixed. and when we brought this to the national level, working together with the so-called group or gang of eight on immigration, we were able to build a coalition that really is unprecedented. in the five years that i've been here, i haven't seen universal agreement on anything like we've seen on the immigration bill. and in june of last year, right here in the senate, we passed a strong bipartisan bill, a bill that strengthens our economy and reduces our debt. a bill that keeps families

together, protects our borders and our communities, gives families who came to this country for a better life a chance to earn citizenship and contribute to our economy and to our society. as i mentioned, i was part of that gang of eight that negotiated the bill. for those who despair about lack of leadership in congress -- and i hear about this all the time, as i know all of my colleagues do -- i tell them that for my part, as one american, the greatest sign or signal of legislative leadership that i've seen in the past five years was the leadership provided by john mccain, by lindsey graham, by marco rubio and by jeff flake, the four republicans that sat at that table for seven months or eight months and negotiated the immigration bill. it was a lot harder for them to stay there than it was for the democrats. but the republicans, those four

republicans sat at the table for eight months to negotiate a bill because they knew it was the right thing to do for the country. and parenthetically, the right thing to do for their party in that order. yet here we are, after all that bipartisan agreement, after all that bipartisan work, after a great bipartisanship -- bipartisan vote on the floor of the senate on one of the most immediate issues facing this country, nine months after our bill passed the senate, we still don't have a bill at the president's desk. the house of representatives is privileged, is privileged to have the opportunity to rise above politics as usual and to do something about big, something real, something consequential that will last for this country. the house of representatives has the privilege to show that stalemate doesn't have to be

standard operating procedure in washington, d.c. this issue is completely bipartisan at home. i hear about this as much from republicans, maybe even more from republicans, in farm country than i do from democrats. it's a chance to do something important for our nation and for our future. but until the house acts, families, farmers and businesses all across my state and all across the united states will continue to suffer. farmers like eric hannigan and mike at hiracotta outside of rocky ford who can't get the seasonal workers they need and are forced to watch crops, in their case melons, die in the fields. colorado's high-tech companies on the front range, ranging from bioscience, engineering, and aerospace can't always find the employees that they need. in fact, they often can't find the employees that they need,

which introduces an entirely different subject that relates to our k-12 education system. but that's not the topic of the speech today. but we know that almost a quarter of stem graduates from colorado's stem, math and science, graduates from colorado's leading universities are immigrants. that are graduating in the united states, many of whose educations have been subsidized by us. and instead of saying to them please stay here, build your business here, go work for one of our high-tech companies here, we're saying to go home, we would much rather have you compete with us from india, go home. we would much rather have you compete with us from china. it's ridiculous. it makes no sense. and the senate bill, the bill we passed changes that. the bill we passed says if you are a stem graduate from another country and you graduate from an american university and you have a job offer in the united states

of america, we will staple a green card to your diploma. that's what we need in this country. that's what the high-tech industry in colorado needs out of the united states house of representatives. i mentioned tourism at our ski resorts. they will continue to suffer. this is colorado's second largest industry. there are a lot of reasons to act here. there are a lot of economic reasons to act, but i think they are also fundamental reasons that have to do with who we are as a country. we often say it's often said that america is a nation of immigrants, and of course that's true. there is literally no other country in the world, mr. president, for which immigration is so central to its history and to its identity, and i have heard enough speeches in this chamber to know that for a lot of us, for a lot of the 100 of us, it's very personal as

well. i'm a first generation american. i'm sure there are -- i know there are many others that are here. there isn't a person in this chamber that doesn't have immigration as part of their family's history, but this isn't just a theoretical idea that we're a nation of immigrants, and i want to take a moment, mr. president, to reflect on what this really means. this is a photo i'm proud to say i actually managed to take with my cell phone. my daughters would be shocked to know that i was able not only to get the picture taken, but it's almost -- it's not even blurry, mr. president. i had an occasion, i hope you have had had or you have the opportunity to do it, to do something i never would have imagined i would ever have the chance to do. i attended a naturalization ceremony held for active duty service members at -- on fort

carson, colorado. so let's be clear. these are men and women that are serving the united states of america in uniform, and they are -- on that day, they became citizens of the united states, but until that day, they were not citizens, but still they were serving and are serving in our armed forces. the 13 soldiers and spouses who became u.s. citizens that day represented 12 different countries. you can see there is a picture of them, 12 different countries among the 13. and i would like -- i'm going to read the list, but, mr. president, i have -- i was so blown away by the list that i asked one of the people from the i.n.s. who was there to give me what's called the oath ceremony nationality report from which they read the names of the countries, and i would ask, mr. president, for that to be included in the record.

the presiding officer: without objeciton. mr. bennet: thank you, mr. president. it's an astonishing list. here are the countries that these folks are from. china, the people's republic of china, colombia, haiti, jamaica, malaysia, mexico, nicaragua, the philippines, south korea, togo, ukraine and the united kingdom. 12 different countries, mr. president, and every single one of them came here in pursuit of the american dream, just as generations of people from around the world have sought out the united states to build their future. and these are the people and people just like them all across the united states of america are going to determine our future, just as every generation of immigrants has helped us to

determine our future. whether it's refugees fleeing persecution, whether it's parents seeking opportunity for their children. it's no stepping forward to sacrifice for our shared values as all of these young men and women are who make america the country that we love. but there is no way to argue that our current immigration policies reflect that history or our values. so let me paint a picture of what our country would look like if this immigration bill were passed. and just to be clear again, it's not imaginary. we passed the bill here in the united states senate. and if people on the other side have issues with the bill, what

i say is we have no monopoly on wisdom. bring your ideas. improve the bill. i can think of some things that i would do to improve the bill, but you can't just do nothing. you can't do nothing because if we pass the bill in the house, those who come to this country for a better life, including young people whose parents brought them here as children, they're here through no fault of their own, would have the opportunity to enter a tough but fair path to citizenship. with a path in place, we then see higher wages, more consumption of goods and increased taxes. it would reduce our debt, this bill -- and this isn't me talking. it's not michael bennet from colorado talking. this is the congressional budget office has said it would reduce our debt by nearly a trillion dollars over 20 years. i am unaware of any other piece of legislation that has passed

with a bipartisan majority in the united states congress that reduces our debt by a trillion dollars, but this would. and it wouldn't do it in across-the-board cuts. it would do it because of the growth that it would create in our economy, the incremental economic growth. in fact, the congressional budget office has said that if we pass this bill, we would see an increase of almost 6% of incremental g.d.p. growth over this 20-year period. 3% in the first ten years and 5% in the second ten years. second, our bill would put into place an efficient and flexible visa system that would catapult our competitiveness in a changing 21st century economy. canada, our neighbor to the north, is figuring out how to attract the world's talents to its shores. that's what they are spending their time doing. we, a historic nation of immigrants, is saying please go

home and compete with us from someplace else or maybe go to canada and compete with us there from there. talented entrepreneurs and innovators from around the world would have the opportunity to stay here if we pass this bill and create jobs to fuel our economy. it's well documented how many fortune 500 companies were started by immigrants, but millions of small businesses across the united states have been started by immigrants as well. high-skilled workers in science, technology, engineering and math and lower skilled workers in industries like hospitality and tourism would come into the country to fill jobs where there are no available u.s. workers. this was a bill that labor and the chamber endorsed. that's the first time that's happened. it was a difficult and painful negotiation, but we were able to get it done, and they agreed that we ought to get it done.

really important for colorado and for a lot of other states, we would stabilize the labor challenges facing our agriculture industry with a new streamlined program for agricultural guest workers that is more usable for employees and protects our workers. again, first bill ever. we call this portion the ag jobs bill. first one, first one to be endorsed by the growers and the farm workers. that's never happened before, but working with senator rubio and senator hatch and senator feinstein, we were able to get that done. finally and importantly, our borders would be more secure with new fencing, double the number of border agents, increased spending on new technology. we would have what they call full situational awareness on the border to allow us to interdict threats rapidly and successfully. and very importantly, with a mandatory employment verification system and more effective entry-exit system, we

would prevent future waves of illegal immigration so we don't end up back in the problem that we're facing today. and so that our small businesses all across the country can stop being the i.n.s. and can concentrate on building their businesses. these are all changes that our nation urgently needs. and there is more in this. i'm not here to argue for some partisan piece of legislation that didn't attract votes on both sides. this bill was entirely bipartisan from beginning to end. now, i have heard a laundry list of excuses out of people in the house why they haven't addressed immigration reform, mr. president, but it's time at some point for those excuses to stop and for the stalling to stop, and if they want to show the country that they are serious about growing our economy and keeping families together, then they need to show us they're serious about immigration reform.

i actually think the speaker wants to pass a bill. in fact, i think he could pass a bill if he put it on the floor tomorrow and just let the house work its will, but it's not my job, obviously, to tell him how to do his job. it's no one's job over here to tell him how to do his job, but i suppose it's our job to give him encouragement to say we'll be there to support you if you can find a way to get this bill passed. if they want to show the country that they're serious about growing our economy and keeping families together, then they need to show us that they're serious about immigration reform. it doesn't have to be a carbon copy of what we passed, although i think if they look at it, what they'll find is the elements that are in there hang pretty well together. look at this picture, mr. president, again. this is what america looks like. this is what colorado looks

like. this is what america looks like. it's what it's all about. these are faces of people who want to contribute. this diversity is how we thrive as a country and it's how we're going to thrive in the future. it's always been our strength, and it's what sets us apart in many ways from all -- from countries all over the world. these new citizens want to contribute to our economy and to our communities. they want to serve our country, mr. president. they want to pay taxes and abide by the law, and they want to build a better life here for themselves and their families. this picture is exactly why we need reform. these brave men and women say it all. they say it much better than i do. i see that my colleague from pennsylvania is here, so i will wrap up, mr. president, but let me just say that two of the things that set us apart from

countries all over the world, two of the essential components that make us the united states of america are our commitment to the rule of law and our understanding of ourselves as being a nation of immigrants. almost no other country in the world can say what we can say about that. i can tell you no other country in the world was having that naturalization ceremony the day we were having it at fort carson. and this bill gives us a chance to reaffirm those two ideas that we're a nation committed to the rule of law and that we -- we are a nation of immigrants. i had the chance this weekend to spend some time in my wife's hometown in the mississippi delta, one of the poorer parts of the country. it has been for a very long time. a tough place in a lot of ways. we've -- we have a lot of great family that are there. after we finished visiting

there, we went over to memphis to visit the civil rights museum which has just reopened. if anybody has the chance to go, they should go to visit it, because what you see is the history of a struggle from the 1600's forward, generation upon generation trying to perfect this country and keep it true to the idea that in this case we're all created equal, and for -- for a long time, we weren't able to perfect that. we still haven't perfected it. we're making progress, and that's what we're meant to do. today we have that chance. the house has that chance tomorrow or next week or next month to make sure that we honor our commitment, this generation's commitment to a generation of immigrants and to the generations that are coming after them, and i hope that they'll take up that challenge. mr. president, with that, i thank my colleague from pennsylvania and you as well, mr. president, for your patience, and i yield the floor.

the presiding officer: the senator from pennsylvania. mr. casey: thank you, mr. president. i would ask to speak as if in morning business. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. casey: i would ask that my remarks be divided in two portions, one on the fair pay act and one on the elections recently held in afghanistan. i ask that they appear in separate places in the record. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. casey: mr. president, let me just say a word of commendation for the remarks that the senator from colorado just made about a very important issue and that photograph that he took is indeed an inspiration i think to all americans and i think each of us can be inspired by that photograph, what it represents, and by the sacrifice that undergirds that photograph and also for his reminding us about those sacrifices and those

commitments. so we want to thank him for that. this legislation on equal pay is about justice, in a word. we could almost say that equal pay equals justice. there's probably no simpler way to say it. it's really when you consider what this means, a very simple concept, that if a woman doing the same job, the same work does all of that in the same way that a man does and is hired by a company, she should be paid the same wage. it seems so simple. so elementary. but, unfortunately, we've had more than one generation now where that has not been the case. depending on what study or what year you're talking about, women make on average 76 cents for every dollar a man makes or 77 cents. it's always been in that -- in

that -- in that band of similar numbers. and i think for a lot of -- a lot of families it's disturbing. how do we tell, how do i tell in my case, having four daughters, how do i tell them just do well in school and work hard as they have and get good grades and once you're on a career path you're going to be fairly compensated for your work because of all that work that did you and the good work that you do for an employer. and then for them to come to me, i hope this never happens, but for them to come to me ten years from now or 20 years from now and say you know what? what you told me isn't true. i did well in school, i worked hard, i got hired and worked hard on the job that i had and i'm getting paid 76 cents for the one dollar that a man makes doing the same work at the same place at the same time. it makes no sense. so really in essence it's about whether or not we're going to be

true to our words and true to the values of this country. and it's about giving people a fair shot on something as fundamental as the wages they're paid for their labor. to use an expression from the bible, laboring in the vineyards, laboring at a job and being paid in a fair manner. there was a report not too long ago -- not this year but a few years ago -- which looked at kind of a state-by-state, weekly pay comparison. in that report, pennsylvania women made on average 694 bucks a week. men in pennsylvania were paid $849 a week. an 18.3% differential. that's not the end of the story. it gets worse for women 50 years and older, if you just do that age category. for women 50 years and older,

in pennsylvania, at that time, just a few years ago, the differential was $732 for women workers and $984 for -- for men. almost $250 a week above that age category and for all women at that time, about $150 of difference. each and every week. can you just imagine what that does to someone's sense of achievement or sense of dignity when they know they're doing the same work every day and they're being paid -- they're being underpaid over and over again, every week, every month, every year and in some case, decade after decade after decade. so when we say this is a matter of justice, in some ways that might be an understatement. some we have a chance to remedy

that, and it's very simple. using -- take steps -- you're going to take steps to remedy that or reject the steps that will take to bring a measure of justice, a fair shot for women. they're not asking for anything that a man wouldn't ask for or demand. they're just asking for basic fairness, to be treated the same for the same work. i won't go into all the elements of the legislation, but some of them involve what happens in the event of a conflict, where if a woman is discriminated against based upon her pay and she brings an action in a court, what will be -- what will be the rules that govern that case. i think we should do everything possible to make sure that if an employer has a defense that they've got to earn that defense. especially in this kind of

litigation. one part of the legislation prohibits retaliation for employee complaints. in other words, if a woman is inquiring about or discussing or disclosing the wages of her -- her wages or some other employee, she's not retaliated against. it's hard to believe we have to legislate and make that the subject of debate. you would think if a woman is working in a company for years and she's aggrieved and has a claim to make, and is asking in what is the foundation of her claim, is her questions, her inquiries, her comparisons between and among different sets of data, what she makes, what a man that does the same work, what he's been doing, what he's been paid. those basic questions should never, ever be the subject of retaliation by an employer.

but too often they are. so we have to legislate, we have to specifically prohibit that kind of conduct by an employer. as maddening as that is, as frustrating as that is, you would think that employers would want to make it right, that they'd want to make sure if a man is paid a buck for his work, that a woman doing the same work is paid the same amount. she shouldn't have to ask. she shouldn't have to be worried about any kind of reprisal or retaliation or punishment, but the state of the law today is such that that retaliation goes without sanction in the united states of america. really, really insulting to women and insulting to families. so there's lots that we can do, but the most important thing we can do is to get a favorable

vote on the paycheck fairness bill which is before us. and i hope we get a bipartisan vote. this shouldn't be the subject of support of just one party. this should be bipartisan. the people that are asking for this help, that have been asking for it for decades aren't one party. they happen to represent half or more of the american people when women have asked for that. and if you don't think it's the -- for whatever reason if someone doesn't think it's the right thing to do for today, do it for future generations. do it for your own daughters, your own granddaughters, maybe your great granddaughters. but to forgo the opportunity to do something about this at long last -- president kennedy signed the original legislation. a lot of people in the united states weren't even born then and here we are still debating, still striving to get a basic measure of justice in place.

so i do believe that equal pay equals justice. mr. president, i'll turn to another subject this evening, i know we have to wrap up and i'm the last speaker of the evening, but this is a topic i think that doesn't get enough attention even though it was the subject of a lot -- a lot of coverage in attention the last couple of weeks and especially the last couple of days. and that's the elections in afghanistan. many people know that some of the reporting indicated that the results were good in terms of turnout. there are a lot of questions to review but we don't know the results of the elections but it is remarkable how the afghan people turned out to choose their second democratically elected president. about 60% of the 1 million eligible voters defied taliban threats to cast their votes.

i'm hopeful that these elections are a step towards a smoother transfer of power later this year. by the way, that voter turnout number in terms of eligible voters is a little bit higher than we in had in the united states of america in 2012. secretary kerry said last week that this election has been -- quote -- "afghan owned from the start unquote. the afghan government forces and civil society worked together to make these elections happen, despite concerted efforts by the taliban, the taliban to sow fear and dmoi descroi democratic progress. the service of our men and women in uniform set the stage for this progress. u.s. training and mentoring helped the afghan national security forces get to the point where it could secure polling centers and allow these elections to happen. we know that in 2009, the

international security forces bore the brunt of the election security efforts, including, of course, american fighting men and women as our soldiers at that time. the state department, the united states agency for international development, usaid and international nongovernmental organizations, so-called n.g.o.'s also put a tremendous amount of work in supporting afghan institutions in this process of carrying out an election. the role that afghan women played in these elections is particularly remarkable. in the national defense authorization act amendment last year i urged the administration to focus especially on ensuring there were enough female poll workers and security personnel to ensure all afghan women who wanted to vote could do so safely and without fear of intimidation. female voters turned out in

numbers not seen before ever in afghanistan. and that speaks to their tremendous bravery and their unwavering commitment to fighting for their rights as afghan citizens. about one-third -- this is an incredible number -- about one-third of the seven million voters were according to the reports, women. many women were voting for the first time. just to give you a sense of this -- and i don't have it enlarged so you can't see it but this is a photograph that appeared about -- i think the day after the election. this is a photograph that depiction a line of it must be 50 or more women under a tarp like a plastic tarp standing in the rain waiting and waiting and waiting to vote. i'll talk about one of those in a moment. i did want to highlight,

though, the contribution the american people have made to this effort. american service men and women, and of course taxpayers, have made a tremendous investment in afghanistan to make it the nay sent domestic -- nascent democracy that it is today. from taliban rule afghanistan is emerging as a fledgling democracy with tremendous gains in education and health care. just imagine this -- girls who were literally at zero in their representation in schools a little more than a decade ago, girls now constitute 42% -- 42% -- of afghan children enrolled in school. now, that didn't happen because there was just some policy in effect. you had to have a lot of bravery, a lot of valor demonstrated by families and by young girls going to school under terrible, terrible threats, threats of death and intimidation, we all know the terrible stories about young

girls walking to school or riding to school and having acid thrown in their face. wand even despite specific attacks on specific girls or young women, they keep going to school. it also happened because of the great sacrifice of our fighting men and women. thousands, when you add up those who were killed in action or wounded in action, tens of thousands of americans. in pennsylvania, to date we've lost 91 soldiers killed in action and more than 700, almost 740, wounded in action. so all of these results whether it's about democracy or whether it's about girls in school, or women being able to vote or a whole range of other metrics, health care and otherwise, all of that came with tremendous sacrifice, the kind of sacrifice that most of us don't really have a sense of, at least i don't.

we know the results will be returned later this month on the election in afghanistan. if a runoff is necessary, i hope all parties will work together to ensure that the process is credible, transparent and free from violence. once president karzai's successor is in place, the afghan government and the afghan people should move quickly to sign the bilateral security agreement and affirm the commitments the afghan government has made to the international community. and by doing that, recognizing that tremendous sacrifice -- the tremendous sacrifice of our fighting men and women and those of the coalition forces as well. mr. president, i'll conclude with just two -- two quotations from one of the articles about the election. there was an article that i'll ask to be put in the record, it's from "the new york times," dated april the 5th, 2014,

entitled, "afghan turnout is high as voters defy the taliban." i'd ask that that be made part of the record. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. casey: mr. president, i obviously won't read the entire article but i did want to -- to highlight two -- two quotations. one is from a 21-year-old woman who's voting the first time in this election. she said that she was voting for her children and for women's rights and she was -- and then speaking in a whisper she said -- and i quote -- "i believe in the right of women to take part just as men do to get themselves educated and to wor work." remarkable inspiration from a 21-year-old woman voting for the first time in afghanistan. and the second quotation is from a 60 yerl farmer -- a 60-year-old farmer who was asked by a reporter, what was it like to -- to vote under the

threats that were either proximate -- meaning something happened right in almost realtime or in the recent past, or just the overall threat posed by the taliban and other extremists. but here's what this 60-year-old farmer said -- quote -- "i left everything behind, my fears and my work, and came to use my vo vote. i wanted change in a good government." and he goes on there to describe what he hopes will happen. but just imagine that, he said, "i left everything behind, my fears and my work, and came to use my vote." when i read that, mr. president, i was thinking about something i remember reading years ago. thomas jefferson, when he was an old man, was writing a letter to john adams and he was describing the fear of old age, not the fear of reprisal if you were

voting, not that kind of fear, but the fear of growing old, and he talked about how he -- how he deals with the fear of growing old. and he talked about it in nautical terms, that he's steering a boat. and he said, "i steer my boat" -- he said, "i steer my boat with hope in the head, leaving fear astern." and that's all i can think about when i heard what that 60-year-old farmer said, that even though he had fears, the fear of death, the fear of reprisal against him or his family or some people in his neighborhood, he was willing to say that this vote, this right to vote is so important that i'm willing to leave those fears behind and even -- even for that time period to vote, my work behind so that -- so that he could vote. a tremendous inspiration, mr. president, on a subject, the conflict in afghanistan and all that's come from it, that often is not the subject of positive

commentary or inspiration. i think for -- for once and all too infrequently, this is one of those occasions where we can be positive about a result and we want -- we've got more work to do to make sure that the bilateral security agreement is signed but we should -- we should draw some measure of inspiration from what happened in afghanistan and the progress that's been made there. mr. president, i would yield the floor. the presiding officer: the senate stands adjourned until senate stands adjourned until

so that's the first time that pat has happened. >> what the's the house leadership have to do particularly with conservative members to get them on board to vote for this budget? >> well they needed to make sure that it talents in 10 years and they also had to do that, they had to increase some of the spending cuts over the years. they reduced basically the government spending for domestic agencies starting in 2016 and the dynamic scoring probably will help as well because that's something a lot of republicans believe in. hosts of the republican study committee version is one of the

five alternatives the house will consider. how different is their plan from the paul ryan budget? >> guest: well it actually cuts revenues a little bit, not a lot but it spending a lot more than the ryan budget. and so it would actually balance in four years as compared to the ryan plan which balances in 10 years. >> you read also about the democrats planned the headline in your piece in "cq roll call" says the democrat alternative budget would add one would add one point he joined dollars in taxes. aside from that what does the democratic budget show about where the priorities are? >> guest: it increases spending a lot compared to the ryan budget. the democratic budget does not really make any changes to medicare or medicaid or a lot of other mandatory spending programs and it increases discretionary spending.

it gets rid of the sequester over 10 years. hosts in terms of specifics for the democratic alternative where's the biggest increase if they are proposing for the 2015 budget? >> guest: in terms of the biggest increase in spending it's really sped -- spread throughout the budget. they assumed that the unemployment insurance will be extended and they asem immigration reform overhaul which would bring in more money and as i said the discretionary spending has increased and they increased spending on other social program so it has really spread throughout. >> host: the congressional black caucus in the progress of caucus will also have their shot at a budget alternative. what should viewers know about those budgets? >> guest: well both of those budgets would have more spending with the democratic alternative.

and the progressive caucus budget would have the most additional spending and also the progressive budget would actually increase revenue by almost $7 trillion over 10 years by compares and the democratic alternative would increase it by under 2 trillion over 10 years. >> host: the president's budget also getting a hearing on the house floor. what's the likely result there are? >> guest: the likely result is every republican in every democrat will vote against it and that's because democrats consider it a gimmick. representative mulvaney from south carolina put the obama budget together. it's basically, well he says

they request the democratic budget but it's his depiction of obama's budget and democrats say it's a gimmick, that it's not really obama's budget so they will vote against it and of course all the republicans will vote against it and say they are voting against it because it is the obama budget. >> host: lastly in terms of what the senate might do in the 2015 budget. we have seen lots of alternatives in the house. what's going to happen is a process in the senate? >> guest: little to nothing. the senate budget chairwoman patty murray is not writing a budget resolution this year. it's possible that some alternative budget resolutions could be considered in the senate that there really is not a lot of appetite even among republicans in the senate to have a big debate on a budget this year. >> host: "cq roll call" budget reporter paul krawzak you can read his reporting as "cq roll

call".com. thank you for being with us. >> guest: thank you.

now irs officials and professional tax prepares discuss the tax preparation industry. in february the federal court ruled that the irs did not have the authority to license tax repairs. witnesses at the senate finance committee hearing discussed national licensing for the industry and how a simplified tax code could help tax filers. senator ron wyden chairs this hearing. [inaudible conversations]

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>> finance committee will come to order. there is just a week to go before the april 15 deadline for filing taxes, and millions of americans are spending a good portion of the spring struggling to fill out tax forms and digging through piles of receipts in a painful annual ritual. the complexity of the tax code creates an environment where confusion and errors flourish. and the congress is not lameness on this issue. and that's one reason in my view why it is time to rewrite the tax code and make filing your taxes easier in america.

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