i from iris on for 30 seconds and somebody said, when you drink rat poisoning and jump in a wood chipper. [laughter] >> that's what you do. it's kind of redundant. [laughter] and there is science behind this as well. a friend of mine is a professor of political science at uc san diego and he's done research on this for the more negative campaign, the higher the voter turnout. many years ago when edwards, edwin edwards was running against david duke recently and he had the greatest line that we are both lizards between the sheets. [laughter] and the bumper sticker that he had said over the crook, it's

important. >> i hear you can get pretty smart turnout. >> my opponent is so dumb that it takes them two hours watch 60 minutes is the woman i remember. [laughter] three so seriously this is why they do it because of work. and all the the political science suggests now. at the present turnout is when they run those issues and those ads, here's here is my lovely wife, louise, and her three beautiful children. i can procreate, what the heck, who cares. >> i think that @ >> i think that the political science estimates that up for another day. but we have? lauren, let's go over to the full half-hour. does anyone have a problem with

that? >> hello, i'm a second-year student and my question is what does it look like in the spring with the republican caucus in the senate that you have ted cruz running were starting to run and we are coming up against the debt ceiling. what happens and what does mitch mcconnell do and it do we start to see a large thing in the republican senate? >> is a big smile on her face. let's take that in the immigration question. because i have to agree with paul that the republicans have done this for so long and i don't see how they would reverse it anytime quickly. and mitch mcconnell has a hard job now, much harder than before because he has to keep his caucus in line with his presidential candidates.

so can you explain what is your party going to do about immigration. >> you know, i think that disqualifies. and i think that mitch mcconnell is one of the most undervalue politicians and he strategic and widely and frankly good. he's good at what he does, more so than i think that a lot of people give him credit for. and some of the senators may be running for president, but there's all sorts of stars coming over that i think are going to end up being pragmatic with the gap between where some

stand and others stand. i think that cory gardner, tony ernst, she is so unique, she was so supported and helped by everyone and that is what mccain tells ted cruz and what ted cruz tells mccain. and they have a lot of love for each other. so we have seen the early indication and the one press conference that has been given is that he basically says that there will be no government shutdown. and no debt ceiling drama. and i think that he plans to be tough. will he be able to implement

that edict? we don't know. but it's a lot more impressive and can be a lot more. this is what this guy has wanted to do his entire life and by goodness he's not going to let ted cruz mess with him. and i don't think he's going to run completely amok. and there's not a lot that one senator can do to get things done. and on immigration. i hate where this issue is right now. i hate everything about it. i support conference of immigration reform. i think that some of us think that there is a chance with a republican house and senate of

them together with a pragmatic agreement. it's not going to be what we saw come out of the senate a year and a half ago, it's going to be something that everybody likes, but i think it will be something that has sticks and stones. this issue about the action, i think that it will drive some people really crazy and really mad. i think it will be difficult to control that because i don't know any legislature that likes they like someone doing this thing. but the problem is that everyone is an adult and president obama have little if any inability because he has been making promises for seven years and he has been saying over and over again that he has other

priorities because of obamacare and for whatever reason he's been making promises since candidate obama. so the latino community is extremely frustrated. and so republicans have had negative numbers when it comes to immigration and the latino community. so you have a constituency so either you have how he has run out of time and excuses and if he doesn't do executive action, the white house is not going to send anyone out to turn him out. put him out. [laughter] in the situation that they might

send the dogs out. [laughter] >> i think that the thing for the white house to do would be to write down what they intend the action to be because nobody knows and we don't know how big or little it's going to be. write it down and show it to everybody. tell the latino community until the immigration advocates that this is what i intend to do if republicans don't ask and he should say to republicans, okay, you guys have until august to get it done. so if republicans don't get their act together, he wins and if they do get something passed, he does win. but now he does executive action, we are not going to do it just because [inaudible] we don't even have to try at it. right now if he delayed it and

buy himself some time in the which he would need to do and we'd have people like bob menendez, with the latino leadership, if he did that i think there would be such a burden and pressure on republicans to act. and if he doesn't act, there's no pressure. >> the point about the debt ceiling, and she's totally right. and you could see more of this and less on the debt ceiling. and there are two people were very pragmatic who have been trying to appeal to the donors into big money donors. the fact that the government shutdown was such a mess and had the donor community up in arms and it drove a lot of them towards trying to stamp out

primary challengers, i think it's actually going to temper things. immigration is another issue. but i think on the debt ceiling it's part of asp. >> this just came up in every republican debate. one of my good friends is a debate coach and he was working on 10 campaigns in this cycle. and at every turn and in every debate, the issue of the shutdown came out and they had to defend against it. and i think a lot of these newly elected senators understands that it wasn't a good thing. >> on the executive action, i think he's going to do it and it has a trigger. but it doesn't i'll take effect right away. but i just don't see how he has any choice but to do it now for

the reasons the pulse that about losing on gun control and business out there and it's a redline now. and i think that he can't pull back. in the budget will take effect instantly and that will be the situation. >> he has a piece with net neutrality where he's leaning forward for this and you can accuse brock a bomb about a lot of things, but no one has accused him of being done area strength already with seven days of the election and i'm quite certain before new year's eve that you will have a strong executive order on this. >> both of you so that we can get a few more people and.

>> thank you very much for coming. you have talked about the republicans to the right of the talked about democrats going to the left. and what will that mean for that large chunk of people who don't want to be identified or who really won a candidate for president. >> i have a question for paul. i'm richard and i have a question about citizens united that just came out. i know from the numbers that this has doubled in the last two years and most have been negative. and so i want to know how that affects the political campaign in the future. are you going to be more and more negative for the race to the bottom or not? >> another question over their. >> this is directed over here.

a self identified blue dog democrat, this election actually saw that the victory for the republicans was a victory for america and this is coming from me being a democrat because it eliminates this other extra layer of gridlock and notes republicans versus obama in terms of negotiation and they are having this third party. so what is your view on that? >> that is a great western. all three of them are great western. >> let's do a lightning round. start over here and then we'll go over to maggie. >> he may do a few little things and the people who won campaigning against obama, ted cruz in my state of texas won a couple of years ago in the houston chronicle said can still be an individual just like kay bailey hutchison.

>> he was on a landslide. >> he tried running against john cornyn and he never even endorse him and he won by xt two points. and he wasn't out there when george one. and i just think that that is wrong. >> let me go through it. senator ted cruz did not lie to the people of texas. he said i will lay down in front of a train to stop obamacare and then he shut the government down. houston article said oh, we had no idea. and this is what will happen when this comes in. joni earnst, a senator elect from iowa, she called for the impeachment of the and said that he has become a dictator.

>> tom condon, senator elect from arkansas voted to shut down the government and he said i don't regret it. and then he voted for the government shutdown and said i will never suck or any budget and he voted to sue barack obama. and then there is a senator elect from north carolina speaker raleigh, north carolina, he calls our president george, and he can't even get the name right. all these people are impressive, corey berner voted for the government shutdown in these people did not lie. and maybe they did, but i don't believe that they did. i think that they are talented

and sensible people. but one of the principles is not compromise and i don't think that they said that it was. so dislike as we say in texas, don't he on my leg and tell me that it's raining. >> they are not. let me tell you, when your congressman, you're behave like a congressman. when your senator, you behave like a senator. i think cory gardner and tom can't understand that it's very different to represent one district and it is to represent a purple state like colorado. [inaudible] >> no, you don't. >> we've talked about a sensitive candidate and i think you're going to have to wait to the journal.

and how we will have a lesser challenge. >> one of the reasons that i want to. >> thinking that if you have this campaign you will get your wish. >> even if they have a policy. >> it's not that they are more negative, but that there are just so many and again, the first contacted the election was john adams. and in the election jefferson called atom a hermaphrodite who lacks the manly virtues of strength and the womanly virtues of kindness. and he responded that jefferson

was half black. and that was the first election that we ever had and it was way more negative than anything before. this is america. it's the patriotic thing to do. >> i think that there will be a lot of populism because i think the working class vote is going to be key to both of these parties. some of it will be real populism and some will be to the last question and 152nd answers. >> hello, i would like to talk about that. >> paul come you mentioned that the president will be talking about this and he was more or

less encouraging people to put pressure on congress and really push the agenda. he often talks about this strategy where he heads of the crisis and i don't think that anything has changed with this calculation. and i'm not sure that it has changed it and change the notion that we have the outcome that we see. and there is nothing in terms of policy in that direction. and the president continues to act, that is the narrative and i don't know if it's correct or not, to the extent that the impression is driven by events,

i think that there is more going on in 2016. >> that is a good point. i think that he is showing this in the election. second, i spent a lot of time in the ukraine, i work there and it happens in america where we get so narcissistic. and obama was weak, that's why he moved into crimea. oh really? one where the country was not even any threat. and yet that didn't stop him from going into georgia and by the way, before there was ever the soviet union, they rolled in and when the five-star general was our president and the russians are saying what they are doing for the russian national interests and i think what he has done has caused real pain to vladimir putin and his

folks. and that is correct. as it was with eisenhower and bush and others. he wanted crimea that badly. and it is still going up. so my point about all of that is i think he's come to the right place. but that the objects and the style has been a typical no drama obama and i think a lot of voters misread that for hesitancy and the bible says who will answer an uncertain trumpet. and that's part of why so many folks stayed home and others are energized. >> i just want to close by saying two things, this panel was so good that no one in the room needs either therapy or liquor,. [laughter] >> in the second is i as i would like to say that this might be the most civic time to talk about this.

if politics were more entertaining, turnout would be higher. and so i salute all three and i invite you back here in november of 2016. we thank you all so much. [applause] ♪ ♪ >> tomorrow on c-span3, the secretary chuck hagel and the joint chiefs of staff with general martin dempsey will testify about u.s. strategy and military action in combating isis. live coverage starts at 10:00 a.m. eastern on c-span3. >> on thursday, the

longest-serving republican speaker on "washington journal" discusses the 2014 election results and how republicans should govern in the 114th congress. this will take place at 8:30 a.m. eastern on c-span. >> c-span, every weekend, booktv, now for 15 years, the only television network devoted to nonfiction books and authors. c-span2 is created by the cable tv industry and brought to you as a public service by your local cable satellite provider. like us on facebook and follow his on twitter. >> coming up next, judicial nominations and discussing low

income childcare help. also tomorrow, the senate republicans and democrats in a closed-door meeting talking about leaders who the next congress. today mitch mcconnell welcomed his new gop colleagues to the senate before a return to session. he took a few questions from reporters. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]

[inaudible conversations] >> let me just say this is a lot happier occasion then the 2006 election when the president secretary and treasurer [inaudible] [laughter] >> we are excited and we hope the this will be joined by dan sullivan shortly.

>> you say that you're ready to work towards the bell. does that mean that you're trying to move towards the middle? >> the problem is the president continues to send signals that he has no intention of moving towards the middle. and i was particularly distressed by this deal which the agreement will her attorneys to do nothing at all 16 years. while a carbon mission regulations take place in other states around the country. i have said before that i hope that we can do business on trade and tax reform [inaudible] >> there is nothing wrong with that, we can talk about that

with our colleagues in the next two days before we get ready to handle this. [inaudible question] >> thank you. >> thank you. >> thank you, everyone. [inaudible] [inaudible conversations] >> after reconvening, the senate leaders made remarks on the floor about midterm elections and the agenda for the rest of the year. this is 20 minutes. >> mr. president, i have always

believed it is wise to not let yesterday use up too much of today. we have a lot of work to do and no time to labor on the past. just a few weeks left in this congress of the 115, and there are a number of important legislative matters before this body that must be finished. i congratulate the republican leaders who will soon become a new majority leader. the senator and i have known each other for a long time and we have done a great deal together and back and forth, and we understand these jobs. this includes the devotion to the state of kentucky and to our country and the united states senate. and he knows that we hold him in the highest regard. we are working with him in good faith to make this institution function again for the american

people and i have no desire to engage in that matter. as i mentioned before, i mentioned again. i've been able to strike a compromise with my republican colleagues and i'm ready to do it again. regardless of next week's election results, the american people want us to join together to get things done for the middle class and all americans. and we should be able to do that. after all, helping working families is not a partisan issue. just last week we saw for red states, vote to increase minimum wages. girly republicans outside of this building don't object to it giving american workers a livable wage. it's just one example with

another number of others that need to be addressed as well and there's absolutely no reason why we can't work together on these issues and all issues. including democrats and republicans joined americans are helping hand that they so desperately need. we move around and it's our duty to help working american families never give up. senate democrats have voted work in good faith, whether today, tomorrow, january, no matter when it is much of the middle class. when we do that, we help all of our citizens. >> the republican leader. last week the american people, sent a strong message to washington. we voted for a new direction and

we call for change in the way in which we do things here in the senate. in the senate came to washington to carry their wishes forward. we plan to do just that. but several items remain for the outgoing congress to consider and that is our immediate focus. in in the week serving in the congress we should work to accomplish the central task of funding the government in preventing the corrective tax increases. we must address the authority for the department of defense to train and equip and moderate the syrian opposition. we must continue to support the efforts to address the ebola crisis. all this will require cooperation from both sides of the aisle and both sides of the rotunda and from both ends of pennsylvania avenue. the actions of the next few weeks can help to set a positive tone for the work of the next congress and it is a tone that will depend largely on the administration's willingness to

respect the message sent. it's one of the things that we discussed at the white house on friday at there were a lot of parties that can be a conflict over the next couple of years, and i hope that that happens in fact, i'm optimistic. but working together requires trust and i think the president obama has the duty to help build the trust that we all need to move forward together. and we can double down on old ways of doing business. that is why i think moving forward with unilateral action would be a big mistake. as was last night's announcement to give china a free pass while herding middle class families and struggling minors in our country. the presidents of the american people would like to see more cooperation in washington. he said he thinks all of us have the responsibility and himself

in particular to try to make that happen. that is the kind of tone that the american people are looking for and now it is on folks here in washington to calibrate their actions accordingly. so let's not do things to hurt the possibility of a cooperative partnership, let's step back and focus on what can be accomplished together. let's listen to the american people. >> mr. president, what happened on november 4, was the beginning of an opportunity that we have working together to restore faith in our democratic institutions and to restore strong growth for our economy is

in a just finished his old the u.s. foreign policy. starting with the incoming majority leader, the senator from kentucky, republicans have been entrusted my fellow citizens to leave this chamber next year and we understand that the american people sent a strong message that they were enormously frustrated by what they saw as dysfunction in the state of affairs here in washington dc. and we understand why they aren't eager for new leadership and a new direction. my party, the republican party, opposes this opportunity with humility and with all to address the top priorities of the american people. and of course, those priorities start with jobs and the economy.

i know the unemployment rate has continued to tick down little by little. but it's really fairly misleading when you consider the fact that we are stuck with a 36 year low and the labor participation rate. the people that are actually looking for work and there's more than 7 million people looking for full-time work and working currently and part-time jobs and we know that many people have just simply become so discouraged that they have given up and quit looking and that is a tragedy. and then there is this problem that america's median household income is no higher in 2013 and it was nearly a quarter century ago in 1989. and that has been a silent tragedy and one that has been sustained by the middle class in

america see no growth in their median household income for a quarter century. in the median income was lower last ravenna was the year that president reagan left the white house and that is simply astonishing. and it has crushed the middle class. addressing that should be one of our highest priorities in the new congress starting in january. and since 2011 our colleagues in the united states house of representatives have been passing legislation that they feel would boost the job creation and increase the wages. the 113th congress alone, they passed dozens of jobs bills and unfortunately as we know, those have not been taken up by the majority leader in the senate, and they have been effectively declared dead on arrival. and we also know that the

strategy of walking amendments on pending legislation leaves borbon comments has backfired because many of our colleagues in the majority have not been able to point to a legislative record because of this flawed strategy of blocking the senate are considering amendments and voting on them. it's one thing to be in the minority and not have the amendments were suggestions that i'm offering, but it's harder to explain your own constituency you are being blocked out as well. so i hope that we are done with that. i know senator mcconnell believes strongly in returning the senate to its traditions is the world's greatest body where anyone, regardless of who they are and which political party they are affiliated, can come to the senate floor and offer constructive suggestions and get

a vote. that is what we do. the least, that is what we used to do, and that's what we can do again. that doesn't mean just the majority party getting votes on their amendment of the minority party will get votes on your amendments. and hopefully, slowly but surely, we can begin to rebuild not only trust and confidence within ourselves and the institution but the lost trust of the american people by showing that we can effectively solve problems on a bipartisan basis to the challenges that they face of members of the hard-working middle class. and then there is the basic job of governing. we will pass a budget baxter. something that our friends across the aisle have failed to do since 2009. and here's something that i don't think anybody will excuse or defend. how can it be that every small

and large business that america has to pass the budget and when families have to have a budget so that they can become a priority and how they can most effectively utilize their income. but they have to that the united states congress does not. maybe that is not practiced practice in my view and it has to end and it will end next year. now, i know that republicans and democrats continue to have policy disagreements and no one is suggesting that is not going to happen, but this is the place where those are getting voted on and the majority will actually pass the legislation and those will be largely if not almost entirely bipartisan majorities of course by definition and we know that the democrats by and large continue to support the affordable care act and the republicans continue to believe

that it was a mistake and should be replaced with patient centered alternatives. so we don't have to choose between complete paralysis and death. this dysfunction is not the only choice that we have and now that that has been rejected by the voters resoundingly, we know that it changes where american people have demanded it and they deserve it and they will get it. the last weeks election we will change the fundamental difference between obamacare and this is the social security and medicare and the like, and it will not change people's points of view on other hot button issues. but it can be part of issues in which we do agree. they came to the senate and

teddy kennedy, the liberal lion from massachusetts, he had been here about 40 years and he was working on the health and education labor pension committee with mike and become a conservative republican from wyoming. and one day i went out up to him and said, how is it that you and senator kennedy have such opposing views of what congress should do and how to solve these problems and work more productively together. and he said that it's easy. it is the tran-ones rule. the 80% we can agree on, we do, the 20% of that we can't, we don't and we put off for another day. and it strikes me as imminently practical and a way for us to be be able to get back to work again. when i talk about the easy stuff that we can do, i'm referring to the bipartisan majority to

support things like the keystone pipeline authorization in things like increasing our natural gas exports only to the job creation and economic boost that gives us in america i'm a but also because it changes the geopolitics of the world where people like vladimir putin cannot put a boot heel on the gas supply and use it for his own purposes. and i'm confident that we can find common sense safeguards from an overreaching federal bureaucracy. we can agree on things like improving workforce training programs. and to do things that make it easier to launch new infrastructure and construction projects and we can do things like we should have done by performing the broken patent system to discourage costly litigation and we actually had a bipartisan bill but it didn't

come to the floor because the majority leader when it printed up because one of his constituents simply objected to it and no one should have a trump card when it comes to good bipartisan legislation, and they won't. next year we will vote on patent reform. and then there's things like litigating. some of the burdens of obamacare like restoring the 40 hour work week and repealing the device tax. because strong bipartisan support for repealing that in their jobs overseas, i have constituents in dallas in that business and they say that they are building the business and coaster rica because of the impacts of this medical device tax and the negative impact on medical innovation and job creation here. and then i do know that there is bipartisan support for abolishing the independent payment advisory board under

medicare and mrs. 15 bureaucrats are basically get to decide who gets critical care and who does not with no real appeal or recourse. in the judiciary committee that i serve upon, we have had various digestive bipartisan work for things like prison and even other reforms. those are important issues of substance that the senate ought to be the pressing and debating and voting upon and trying to find ways together to achieve solutions area and so each of the things that i mentioned how bipartisan support and if we can pass these measures with strong support on both sides of the aisle and send them to the president for his signature, it will be much easier to establish the trust and cooperation necessary to do the harder stuff. so starting with the easy stuff

we can demonstrate we can actually do that and i think that we will have the confidence in the american people will have the confidence in us and their government to be able to tackle some of the more challenging issues. >> senator mcconnell, the republican leader mentioned this and it bears repeating that the president is still threatening to go around congress and use an executive order to implement a new radical change in our federal government immigration policy and i think it is a terrible mistake. at the same lunch and that the senator from kentucky mention, a number of us went down a lot of sense, mr. president, please don't do that. because if you do, it will make it even harder for us to take a step-by-step approach to immigration reform that enjoys bipartisan support. it will poison the well. not to mention the fact that what the president is proposing to do is unlawful and it will

also make it harder for us to do the other things that i have mentioned already that have bipartisan support. so why in the world would the president want to do that start of the new congress in the last two years of his term in office? don't you think that he would want to have some legacy that he could point to those last two years? thing that i might as been built a tough political hand with republican majorities in the house and senate and we were actually able to be productive and that's why most senators have come your, to be productive. so i would urge the president as others have done in the strongest of terms, to abandon his plan for this executive mst, and to heed the message, the clear message that the voters sent last tuesday.

and after a six-year experiment in unfettered liberalism and big government policies, the american people are asking for new directions. i'm not under any illusion that all of a sudden they have one and love my side of the aisle, that's not true, but what they are willing to do this put us on television and give us all a chance to demonstrate that we can change the course and we can listen to the american people and we can do things together that they want to see us do. my constituents are sick and tired of watching the federal government waste their money and try to micromanage their lives as if the federal government knows better than they did what is good for them and their families. it's not true and they know it and that hasn't stopped the efforts of the last six years. my constituents, what they want,

i believe, and i believe it because they told me this, they want leaders who will respond to their will say to these concerns. leaders who will address. leaders will uphold the timely principles of the constitution. and i believe that there is a bipartisan emerging consensus here that we can actually do this, that this is not to hard pressed to do. some of the opponents have said that it's going to be even worse with republicans in charge at an event or not he or there will be a heavy price to pay. and most of that will be paid by the american people will not be well served if we simply refuse to change and if we refuse to listen and macros to the president and republicans and that goes for democrats well. and so from my part, and i

believe for our part on the side of the aisle, we are eager to work together to solve our country's problems and to help unleash this great american job creating engine, known as our economy, and to restore the rule of law and constitutional government. and as for president obama we can only hope that he decides to work with us rather than against us and against the best intentions and desires of the american people. mr. president, i yield the floor. >> the senate has reached an agreement that they can build on the mary landrieu keystone bill on tuesday. the house votes on the matching vote tomorrow sponsored by bill cassidy. the senator came to the floor to call for a vote and she was joined by her democratic

senators though mention and others including heidi of north dakota. >> i was hoping to catch a senator before he left because i wanted to ask him, and i'm not sure that he's going to come back in here, but i wanted to ask him if he thought maybe the about new approach to bipartisanship could start today. and i don't think that we necessarily have to wait until january because some of us have been ready and have worked in a bipartisan rate literally for years and that's really important and i'm sorry that the senator looked away. i'm sure he's attending to other business. because i wanted to ask him about the priorities that he just laid out. he said the american people wanted us to ask and ask

together in their interest and i think i heard him say it in the top of his list, that he was particularly interest work on the keystone pipeline and the expedited export of natural gas and he said it is important for jobs in america to help strengthen the middle class, sending a positive signal to them that we have heard them in this election and that includes doing something to raise it. and that includes that he was concerned about how something will push vladimir putin back on his heels and that includes functioning about vladimir putin there are a few others around that list.

and i think that he also said it referred to ted kennedy and mentored many of them, not just democrats but republicans as well with straightforwardness, honesty, the capacity for it extraordinary work and his willingness to work across party lines is the senator from texas pointed out, it grows partnership with senator kennedy and senator hatch and talking about agreeing on 80%. let's move forward but i think what his role is on the 80% that we do agree upon. so i want to come to the floor today to ask senator cornyn from texas and senator mcconnell and senator reid and others if they will join me in moving forward on the keystone xl pipeline. this has been a project that has

waited far too long and it is clearly supported by 60 or more members of this body and it is a piece of legislation that has been endorsed by the new majority leader including a leading cosponsor of the legislation and there are a significant number of democrats on this legislation and i believe with a push, a significant push in the next few hours, that we can actually get the votes that we need to pass the keystone pipeline. and in an hour or so at the request of the minorities, i'm going to wait for that and then i'm going to propose a unanimous consent to do exactly that and

that includes two hours of debate tonight after bowden and have a vote on the keystone pipeline tomorrow. i believe that it is time to act and i believe that we should take the new majority leader at his word and stop walking legislation that is broadly supported by the american public and has been for quite some time. i want to say yes to the majority leader mitch mcconnell and the time to start is now. the public has clearly spoken. and i believe that we can move forward on several important pieces of legislation and the senator mentioned the marketplace fairness act and that is another very important piece of legislation that i believe needs to be moved through a tent with to little

push right now it could have done and it would be a significant boost to business and retail that is being hurt every day by our inaction. but my comments today are going to be about the keystone pipeline. as i am chair of the energy committee of the united states senate and i will do everything i can do at home and on the campaign trail to get this project moving forward. one of the extraordinary things and fax is not what it is and am going to talk about that in a minute and what it does, but it is the extraordinary pieces of argument as to why we should pass it and that includes the unprecedented coalition that

supports it. there are other bills that have a long list of supporters and bills i have pages and pages of lists. this particular so has a relatively short list of organizations, but they are extremely powerful and at extremely diverse, which makes it compelling, and i think it makes us were should make us want to stand up and respond to this coalition and i have some time to do this before i call for unanimous consent to pass the original keystone bill, which is a standalone keystone bill originally introduced with 45 republican cosponsors and

every member of the republican caucus is already a cosponsor of the skills. and he has on that fill a valid 12 democratic cosponsors and i am confident that we have the additional votes necessary to pass it. the american chemistry council in concrete pipe association, the american exploration and production counsel the americans highway a lion and the american petroleum institute and the american road and transportation builders, american truckers association, associated general contractors of america and association of oil pipelines, concrete reinforcing institutes, distribution contractor association, independent petroleum association of

america, industrial minerals association of america, 21st century energy, international brotherhood of electrical workers and let me just stop there and make a point. they either have a list of all business organizations or all labor organizations or all environmental organizations were all highway contractors. and this bill has such an extraordinary and diverse group of some of the strongest business leaders in the country and i want to underscore to my colleagues that i business these legislation that tremendous record from labor unions, because labor unions, like business leaders how much they

want jobs and they on profit and they want access, they want more investments in creating good middle-class jobs, the difference is i have has ceased to be a strong advocate for in many different facets is that this industry does produce the kinds of jobs that americans really want. not minimum-wage jobs and not just slightly above minimum wage but jobs that it might save you at the, 70, $85,000 for young men were young women coming out of high school or trade school, let alone college, these are very important jobs and that is why labor unions are represented here along with the plastic industry, the united association

of plumbing and pipefitters industria and american concrete and the business roundtable and american supply association and american iron and steel institute and national association of manufacturers and national electric contractors association, national roofing contractors. .. pipeline all along the route of this pipeline. there will be increases of populations of housing, industrial sites, retail, residential supporting over 40,000 workers to build this pipeline. the north american dye casting association, the national utility contractors. again,, yo, you know, associate businesses. the u.s. gas and association

business. and finally, steel manufacturers and western alliance. now, this is an extraordinary coalition that has come together coalition that has come together now this is an extraordinary coalition that has come together to support the home and landrieu bill. the bill that i'm going to call up in a few minutes for unanimous consent to pass because i believe what the new majority leader has said and i believe what senator cornyn has just said the senator from texas and i believe with the current majority leader has said soon-to-be minority leader in the next congress that we need to work together, and that we can work together and we need to begin to do that today, not tomorrow, not in january, not in february, not in march, not around the corner, not next week but today. that would send the most positive signal and i'm not

asking to have unanimous consent on 10 bills that are controversial. i'm not asking us to do the impossible. i'm not asking us to do something that just came up last week. i'm asking us to move forward on a bill that has labor support, business support, general contractor support and the american people most importantly. the latest poll in the keystone pipeline not just in my state and i see my colleague from west virginia, and not just from west virginia but polls in this country from california to new york to michigan to pennsylvania to ohio to florida and to texas overwhelmingly democrats republicans not everyone but overwhelming support tube built the keystone pipeline because

americans want jobs. and american families deserve good-paying jobs. americans are tired in addition to bowing to mideast towers or two russian dictators about what their future is going to be. americans are proud. we want to stand proud and we believe the keystone pipeline is an important first step. it's a signal. it's a symbol that represents american energy power. it's a symbol moving past gridlock. it is a deliverable on promises that we have all made. guess we will work together. yes but that will start later. yes we will work together but it will be next year. yes we will work together but it will be in the spring.

yes we work together but we can't pass keystone unless we passed these 10 other things. there is always going to be 10 other things. let's act today, tomorrow. we can do this. we can do this. we can pass the keystone pipeline and answer the frustrations of the american people so they can rest in next week and say oh my gosh the senators of the united states of america have the ears and they have brains and they have hearts and they have heard what we said and we can do this. and we have a bill that is on the calendar. i have also passed a similar bill through my committee but i'm not even asking to pass the bill i pastor my committee which

i think is slightly better than the one on the calendar but we can all compromise here. i'm also a co-sponsor of the bill, the lead sponsor of the bill that's on the senate calendar. it doesn't have to go through a committee. it gets technically already has. it is ready for a vote and we have the 60 votes to pass it. so i am going to recognize in just a minute the senator from west virginia but i will ask the senator a question because only the chair can recognize. i would like to ask the senator from west virginia does any of this make sense to him? i don't know if he was down here and i'm sure he was in his office listening to the comments of the majority leader soon-to-be majority leader and the good senator from texas saying now is the time to work together. i don't know if you heard that

but do you think that maybe this bill would be the bill to start moving us from gridlock to doing the job for the american people? >> mr. president. >> with that from west virginia. >> my good friend from louisiana has been working on this for many years i think even before i came here. i've been here for four years. when i first came i talked to senator landrieu my friend from louisiana and asked her about this and basically i think you explain to me at the time first of all the sovereign nation of canada was going to produce it so we had no say in the production of this product. it was going to be produced in xl is going to go somewhere because there's a demand of the marketplace. there's a demand for it but all that being said it didn't take long to reply as you recall four years ago that in west virginia we have a little bit of common sense and good people like in louisiana and we felt that this product is going to be sold and

we are buying this type of product around the world why would you buy from your friends verses the enemies that we have supplied resources to to be used against us? i was the one that resonates with west virginians and i know it resonates with louisiana and sprayed the other thing is i'm understanding 1000 american companies already 1000 american companies senator in west virginia not to say what you have been able to do to help the people in louisiana and the jobs they have gotten from this it would be a tremendous windfall for all of us at that something we can count on. i can't for the life of me understand why we haven't today been able to move this piece of legislation forward. i did hear minority leaders and the majority leader and the minority minority whip and a majority clip talk about it was time for us to start working together. there is no better piece of legislation that we heard in the results of tuesday's election.

we heard it and if you heard nothing more from that roar of americans whether they voted or didn't but they basically told us to do something. start doing what you are supposed to do. do something. we might not agree with you but we would like to see this open dialogue this transparency this beautiful body in the senate, the whole world watches. when they see as doing nothing it's not something we have our good at doing. that day is gone so i would ask my senate colleagues that they would be so kind as to give us a chance to show them we are starting anew. their first day back from our recess and we are going to have a piece of legislation that's going to help us be more secure as a nation. i would like to hear maybe you can comment on that the securi security. you have been seeing what's going on and the demand. areas of the world this has

taken us to, the amount of resources that we have spent fighting for those resources if people believe it or not. this is a chance for us to secure that so a few can talk about it. >> the senator from west virginia so right in focusing this debate at this moment on the subject of national security because veterans day was just celebrated by all of us yesterday i believe or monday. we all participated in veterans day events and so it pains me to say this but i'm going to give you all the facts and the senator knows this. this country exports 340 barrels a day. iraq exports 340,000 barrels of oil per day. keystone, that's a lot that

blood and treasure we have left men and women on the battlefield and they guide their and we have many soldiers here at home. canada which is a friendly country and ally of ours with the keystone pipeline would bring an 875 thousand barrels to the u.s.. the american people sit here and think okay what is wrong with this picture lacks we could be taking oil from our friends canada creating jobs in north america. good-paying jobs. not only building the pipeline, maintaining the pipeline. this pipeline doesn't come to louisiana. i have fought for like a tiger in the pipeline doesn't even come to my state. it goes to texas. the pipeline -- we have refineries in louisiana and louisiana and the companies of

louisiana will benefit. this pipeline doesn't connect canada and louisiana. it connects canada and texas. the majority leader the senator from texas had to stamp off the floor and i'm sure you do meeting to go to that this is really about refineries in texas that are waiting for the oil and moving this oil is the senator knows through the most safe means possible to these refineries off of the highways, off of the railroads and supporting a relationship with canada as opposed to countries in other parts of the world that don't share our values and that we have to spend defense money protecting. this makes real sense and that is why i think this pipeline has such overwhelming bipartisan

support across the country. >> i think basically you touched on something important i want to go back to that. transportation of the oil today, the oil is coming into the refineries anyway and we have had some explosions by a rail carriers. it's coming by truck and it's coming in so many different forms. we have been told this is the safest way to transport it and when people talk about transport in this is not the first pipeline we have had in america. i think if we ever have a map and i think you have had to map out here before senator we have pipelines all over america and i think that is the perfect map to see. the bottom line is the harshest environment the alaska pipeline that mean so much to us in america has been done in the harshest of them are mentioned unsafely. so i'm concerned about that. also when you set directly going to texas but you said everybody benefits.

everybody benefits and the other thing i wanted to say yesterday you were here for veterans day and i can only imagine your schedule. it's just got to be unbelievable luck with that being said people still want jobs. all they want is jobs and opportunity to work. this gives america a lot of certainty about jobs in the future economic growth market. >> absolutely and just this morning to prepare for offering this unanimous consent which i will do in a very short period of time and ask for a couple of hours of debate tonight and invoke sometime tomorrow, i spoke to the leader of the building trades council for the united states of america. and he was very strong in his words to me about how disappointed he has been in some members here who have not stood up for the building and trade. these are men and women that

work in every state. all they want to do is go to work and have jobs. he was extremely disappointed in the gridlock over this piece of legislation and that senator is exactly what he said to me. he said senator, we are about set up with elections and politics because what my members want our jobs. that is what their families want and they are tired of fooling around with such common sense projects that bring so much wealth to middle-class families. i know that the majority leader on our side is concerned about the flatline of middle-class income in this country and i know that his heart is working toward increasing income for all families. this is the first step. not only is the project itself going to generate huge amounts

of jobs and economic activity and i'm going to put that amount in the record, it is 20 billion estimated. it is almost the size, it's slightly less than the state of fairmont's entire gdp. i mean this one project is like an output of one of our states. all the other -- it's a small state but vermont is an important state. i've never in my life seen a project with so much economic benefit. i've never seen in infrastructures products supported by a broader base from the left to the center to the right. i have never seen labor and business come together in my life like they have on this issue. i have never seen so many senators co-sponsor a bill and yet because of something i can't quite put my finger on we haven't yet passed it and i think we can do that now, today

and that would send, or tomorrow a very positive signal that we heard the voters, we do understand this cry for breaking the gridlock, moving forward together, getting the job done and i could not think of a better bill that symbolizes what we are trying to do in terms of jobs, economic security, energy security and looking to the future in our country than this bill that would build this pipeline, get this oil which is going to be produced anyway off of the rails, off of our highways into refineries and may i say the senator from west virginia knows this, and the senator from north dakota who is my right hand on this would the senator from west virginia, we have additional pipelines to build because we have got to

build these east-west. the real need for the supply is the west coast and east coast as the senator knows. you can produce all the oil and gas you want and all the energy and you can produce and generate the power but if you can't move it to the places that it needs to be it says if you haven't produced it. now i know something about this as chair of the energy committee. so after we do keystone which we are going to do tomorrow we have got to build some other pipelines to go east and west. this is only going to take 10% of north dakota supplied. north dakota has become the leading supplier of oil and gas in the country. let me just talk about north dakota for one minute. i can't do it justice like the senator heitkamp can do it that i've given the speech enough to be able to repeat this and it's worth repeating. the senator from texas just came here and lamented oh my gosh what can we do to lift the

middle-class? how can we lift their economic outlook? the senators all three of them came there and asked that question. i want to give them an answer. build the keystone pipeline. it might be a sparsely populated state that it has now surpassed every state in the production of oil. and do you know what else they did? they took their economic number which was 36 in income on a scale of one to 50. there was a 36 -- the 36 poor state. the senator from west virginia would know. do you know where they are in four years? they have moved from 3626. now think about that. i just want to let that sink in for just a minute. north dakota moved their number from 36 out of 5026 out of 50 in

four years. now i challenge any senator from any part of this country for any political leaning to come down to this board in the next 24 hours and show me one piece of legislation, one tax cut, one jobs bill that could move a state in four years or a group of states from 36 to six. that is the power of this industry and we are standing in its way. it is shameful. it is wrong and it must stop today. now if people want to hide they are going to have a hard time. so i want everybody to hear clearly, this is not a time to hide, not a time to sit down, not a time to play games. it is a time to stand up. we already have enough votes to

pass this. we have 45. every single republican, none of them are on the floor right now but every single republican in this chamber is a co-sponsor of the bill and i'm going to ask unanimous consent. so think very carefully before any one of you object because you are all co-sponsors of the bill. so just think hard on it before you do it. >> i want to say one thing because you have touched on so many things that i agree with wholeheartedly. our good friend senator tester for montana does a good deal about energy from an energy producing state but on the environment you touch on that and a lot of people believe people that come from energy states caution on the site -- accompli there's anyone that is

not the best and cleanest environment for themselves and their families and future generations. with that being said i think this pipeline has passed every hurdle that the environmental community web site -- rightly so put out so they want to make sure it's protecting the environment trying to find a balance between the environment and economics if you will. the economy is so vitally important. i don't know if there's any environmental impact study standing in a way to prevent this. >> i agree would the senator and i think he's correct and the senator from montana knows this as well. the senator from montana also has an issue that i will ask him to explain in just a moment. he knows it better than i do about private property rights because he negotiated the language in the bill. responding to your question senator from west virginia about the environment, that is what is so exciting about this project, so compelling for us to move

forward because not only does the international study that was done which says it was in her international interest to trade with their best and most friendly trading partner the closest to us that enjoys the same high-quality standard of life that we do an even higher environmental standards that but the environmental study that came in conducted by the president's own administration. this wasn't done by a previous environment. this was president obama's own administration came back and said, concluded this is the safest way to move this and it's the most environmentally friendly way to move it and that is the record. so you are right, not only does it at compelling economic argument, it has compelling environmental argument from that perspective. and i would like to ask the senator if i could from montana, if you would explained the very

important language that is in the hope in landrieu bill that is cosponsored by every single republican in this chamber about the language he negotiated on private property rights because this is a very important principle for many republicans but also for many democrats particularly in louisiana where we have a lot of poverty and west virginia have a lot of private property and in montana you all have a lot of private property that is still public land. would the senator answer that question for us if he would? >> i would love to. >> the senator for montana. >> thank you senator and thank you too senator mention. i have a few things i would like to say we'll get to that very quickly but mr. president census is the first time i have been on the force since the election i think the american people told us they are frustrated with the way things work in the congress.

they want a stronger economy of good-paying jobs. it should not take an election to get this message there but it did so nationwide including my state of montana it's fair to say unemployment is down but it's also fair to say that wages aren't where they need to be. too many americans and montanans are struggling to make ends meet. the keystone xl pipeline can help address some of those issues. now we have another attempt to block consideration of this bipartisan bill written here by senator landrieu and senators hope and. the votes are there, we know that and if there is one way that we can create good-paying jobs right away it's by approving of building of this keystone xl pipeline. building a pipeline will tell the american public that washington is ready to turn the page and we will tell them we have heard them that they are voices matter in washington is

racking way. building the pipeline will strengthen our economy and our infrastructure. according to the state department building the pipeline will create 16,000 jobs support another 26,000 jobs for working-class americans to provide for their families. secondly the pipeline will include oil and the bakken area of montana going to the marketplace which is ready to go. the production in the bakken continues to them we need more options to get that american oil where it needs to be in the xl pipeline is that option. third shipping oil by pipeline is the safest way of shipping and that's a fact. the safety of american families and communities as much calm -- must come first. building the pipeline means more business from canada and -- from middle east folks who don't like us. our country continues to be involved with the volatile middle east but continuing to do

business with neighbors from the north as opposed to countries that are share a worldview can cut off the funds to those who work against us. i think the keystone pipeline is a big step towards creating that energy security. the pipeline must be built right. i'm going to get to the point that senator landrieu talked about could and must be constructed with respect to private property rights. we cannot have foreign corporations using eminent domain to run roughshod over the fields of a form in montana the business owner nebraska or over sacred tribal lands. so the respect for private property rights is in the landrieu hoeven bill and it's not in the house bill. it's a critical component and it has to be in it otherwise we are making a huge mistake. it almost must be built to the highest safety standards. leaks and spills don't make anybody any money and they are unacceptable so to the most modern safety systems must be employed including -- if

necessary. that's a fundamental difference between the senator landrieu and hoeven bill versus what we have done the good work we have done in the senate. the house bill continues -- contains no protections for landowners none, zip. the hospital says good luck lando durst you are subject to eminent domain by a foreign corporation. you have no spill prevention protections. the landrieu hoeven bill protects rural american property rights. senator landrieu has been working on a separate for years. this bill will give the pipeline the senate seal of approval and will send a signal to the americans that congress is working together for creating good jobs and supporting our economy and we are able to make responsible decisions. as this debate moves forward i will continue to push to make sure that oil should do this pipeline stays in america. i've heard the arguments on all sides.

north americans oil should stay in north america. it will make our country energy secure and lead to cheaper energy that will be more affordable for homes and businesses and working families. that will lead to more good manufacturing jobs in this country because we will be able to recruit because of her energy costs and be able to recruit manufacturing base that for a country that we gave up 20 or 30 years ago. mr. president there are a lot of reasons approve the bill of the keystone pipeline. it will create good paying manufacturing jobs. it will support or middle class and we need to support or middle class. it will make us more energy secure and strengthen our transportation infrastructure systems. america needs a sign. it needs a reason to trust the congress in washington as a whole are listening. approving the pipeline with data protection to respect private property rights is that sign. i like the american people are tired of the gridlock and kicking the can down the road. i didn't come here to delay and

push her problems to the future. i came here to work for common sense solution so we can inactivate to move this country forward today. the keystone xl pipeline is one of those solutions. passing this bill in building this pipeline is one of those very important things we need to do for a structure for energy security and for the country as a whole. i encourage my colleagues to support us and build the trust of the american people and with that i turned back to the good senator from west virginia senator manchin. >> let me just say the senator from montana there are quite a few of us on this bill for a reason. it's about the opportunities and jobs we have and it doesn't have an environmental detriment to our country. that assertive and proven so why can't we get this boat? we are hoping to get it by tomorrow at the latest. i can only tell you the jobs

come the thousand american companies that are providing the goods that it takes to build this thing, this pipeline i have a chance in west virginia. we are doing an awful lot of work right now because we come from an energy state that does an awful lot of the support work for any type of energy throughout the country and around the world. the bottom line is again if you are going to have a secure nation you have got to have control of your own destiny. this gives us the control that we don't have. it gives us the ability to say listen we don't have to go around the world and engage in different complex that we see going on right now and that's what we are talking about. the security of the nation i think is the most important thing. the keystone helps us be more secure with the greatest trading partner we have. canada is the best and largest trading partner for 35 states out of the 50, number one. people take jobs all over the

world to develop the market here and there but when it comes down to its 35 states the number one trading partners canada. canada's working with us. i know they have pressures from around the world so they just go somewhere else. we have the best partner in the best ally we have had and can imagine working with us to develop this product the whole world seems to need them on and we needed in america why not have control? i have heard also and the senator from louisiana talk about this the differences when you have, it's supply and demand. when you have control of supply when you have the supply in your own backyard and there might be a demand that you have and need also within our country? that gives you pretty good hand to play and that is what we are saying. why would we let any of these advantages be turned into a disadvantage? the only thing i can do is hope

that we can get this vote. i would take my good friends on the other side of the eye of my colleagues on the republican side. this would be the best gesture we have to move the ball forward the best gesture we can make coming off of the changes of the shift we had in tuesday's election. people are speaking they want us to work. the senator from montana here's the same in montana and mr. president you hear the same in new mexico. we want it to do something. we wanted to work. we are not going to agree all the time of people but we wanted to just try it. we have a football game we played the other day. we played tcu. we were ahead and should've won the game going into last half of the fourth quarter. for some reason the playcalling wasn't so good. we sat on the ball and got beaten 31-30. people don't want us to sell the ball in the senate. they wanted to do something so it's time for singapore. this is the first time to show coming off a two state elections we can work together.

we have heard you loud and clear we are willing to take a bow. we know our environment will be protected and we can find a -- create thousands of jobs and millions of dollars into the economy. that is what we do now. there are people that don't support this piece of legislation and they have all the reasons to speak about that. they give us a reason to vote for something that will help american and help our states individually. that is what the good senator from louisiana has been fighting force and today i got here and her being on the energy committee being chairman of the energy committee it's made a difference from my standpoint looking at energy policy. the most important thing she has done how do we keep the united states of america secure and so i appreciate her efforts on this printer look forward to working with her on this. she knows i support it and i'm a co-sponsor and i definitely will probably vote for this piece of legislation as soon as we can get on the floor.

>> mr. president. >> the senator from louisiana. >> thank you. i see the senator from north dakota as of right and of course she wants to speak into this beautifully because this pipeline comes through her state as i said. but i do want to respond to a few things and think the senator from west virginia. i have heard colleagues, particularly my colleague from california say this often and she said it in committee. she says that on the floor and even though she and i are opposite sides of this particular debate we have worked together in some several important legislation for our country. i have such respect for her leadership on the restore act which was an amazing piece of environmental legislation for our gulf coast states. without her leadership they would not have happened. i have heard her say over and over again elections have consequences. and this one does just like they

all do. one of the consequences of this election is that a clear path for keystone has been opened up. the reporters following this legislation which they have followed very carefully know exactly what i'm talking about. a path for passage has been cleared. in my view that path will never ever be clearer than it is today. now in order for the past to stay clear and it is crystal clear today, politics has to be set aside. gamesmanship has to be set aside and we must come together to do what is right for the country, for the american people and to vote.

there are strong feelings i know against this bill. there have been for many years but the overwhelming majority of this body, 60-plus members, have indicated support for this legislation. and, the senate bill from the perspective that you just heard for private property rights, for clarity, for simplicity is far superior to the hospital that has been passed. the house is very agile, very agile. they can do lots of things quickly that the senate can do. so the house may decide to take the language of this bill, pass it, call it something else. i understand that. i don't know if that is what they will do but there is a clear path for victory on keystone. whoever's name is on the bill does not matter to me.

as long as it gets done. i want to say that again. the name on the bill does not matter to me as long as this gets done and it needs to get done right now. not in january, not in february, not in march. it doesn't need to be combined with anything else. it needs to get done on its own because standing alone it will go to the president's desk, stand-alone and then i believe the president will have to make an important decision. i'm hoping that he will sign it. but if he doesn't step the process. i hope that he will and i will be urging him to do so because his administration, his state department, his epa and his transportation department have urged him to support this piece of legislation for the strength

of our economy, a signal to our allies to strengthen america here and abroad. and i will strongly urge him to sign it but you know we have a job to do in the senate. he has a job to do and the house has a job to do but if everybody would stop playing games with this bill and think about what the american people said that on election day and stop trying to push one philosophy or one person ahead of the other, we can get this done. now my name is not even first on this bill. senator hoeven's name is first. it is the hope and bill. i'm the lead sponsor democratic sponsor because i'm the chair the energy committee and i will be until january 2 and if my vote or send me back i will be here for six more years. that is why net my name is on

the bill because i chair the committee. but if they want to take my name off and put somebody else's name on it and pass it, so be it. i didn't come here to see my name in lights. i came here to create jobs for my state and for this country and i believe i've done an excellent job in the 18 years that i done here and are difficult circumstances and will continue should the voters want me to. but today we need to talk about the keystone pipeline and nobody can speak better about this than the senator from north dakota because her state and i want to line us up for before she's speaks because she was traveling and she might not have heard -- she just landed in might not have heard what all three leaders said when they came to the floor is that all three of them said senator reid, senator cornyn and senator mcconnell said their number one goal was to break the gridlock and they

wanted to start now. in their second goal was to expand middle-class job opportunities and create wealth in america. i'm hoping the senator from the state that has created the most wealth in the shortest period of time of any state in the union might express to the rest of us actually all that happens and why she thinks this keystone pipeline and other pipelines because she and i agree this is just the first of several we are going to have to lay down to make america a super energy power. you don't become a super energy power fudges wishing it. you become a super energy power by putting in the infrastructure that makes it possible. even kids in second grade understand that you have to put up the windows. you have to put up the solar

panels. you have to put in the pipeline. you have to put in the highways so the senator from north dakota who is a very smart weight -- sparsely populated state understands the issue of infrastructure and think better than any senator in this body. so i'm going to ask her if she would just respond to that and maybe elaborate on the question how did your state gets a wealthy in the last few years? may be because the rest of us -- back in my state is doing well. i'm not here complaining. my state is doing beautifully. our our unemployment is south louisiana's 3% so we are blessed because we are an energy state. we are proud of it and we are creating jobs hand over fist but there are places like detroit. there are places in ohio. there are places in pennsylvania and new york and in new mexico and other places where people are unemployed begging for work willing to work and three

leaders came to the floor and said it's time to break the gridlock. he is a project they can do it so i would like to save them time before close of business tonight. with the senator expound on that? >> the senator from north dakota. >> mr. president i stand with my great colleague and a great champion of this energy renaissance here in the senate senator mary landrieu of louisiana. i want to talk first about the election. i think that all of us have taken time to reflect and i think the clearest message that this entire body as well as the entire united states congress the clearest message we have perceived this to stop fighting and get your work done. i don't think it could've been any clearer. we have an opportunity today to demonstrate that we got that

message. not in a partisan way but in a bipartisan way, in a nonpartisan way to say we heard you loud and clear. it is time to do the job that we were sent here to do and that is to move legislation that moves this country forward. senator landrieu has responded on the great opportunity at this energy renaissance not just for this country but for the entire world. let's start with what's happening in north dakota. we have had an explosion of oil and gas production. in fact we have rapidly move to the second place in this country and gas and oil production, actually oil production. we have produce oil from oil shale. what does that mean? that means nothing if you can't move the oil. it means nothing if you can't get this product to the refinery and the products to market. you can produce all the oil you

want and part of what we need to address as we look at an energy infrastructure is how we improve energy. today in america annexing canada how we are moving this product is by rail and that has created tremendous threats on her agricultural infrastructure. it has created tremendous stress on manufactures when we use the rails to haul their product. it is created tremendous stress for the rovers. are they glad for the business? you bet and as that created and opened up new markets for oil production? do you that but the bottom line is the best way we know how to move oil and that this product is in a pipe. that is essential to building off this energy infrastructure. why is it important? let's start with the fact that we now are moving towards north american energy self-sufficiency.

a lot of people talk about america and that's a great goal but if we include our friends to the north the people that i grew up with the people that i know, i've been up to the oil sands and i've been all over alberta and saskatchewan. i know that these, this is a very friendly country that continues to have the longest contiguous border and there's never been a conflict. we celebrate that in north dakota with a lovely park on both sides of the border where you can't easily -- because we celebrate that. these are our friends and if we are going to continue to build on this energy renaissance in north america we had better be prepared to move this bill. we all know that some of the opposition has very little to do with the pipeline. it has to do with a concern about the increased availability of fossil fuel.

i am telling you this is still an economy that runs on fossil fuels. we have done tremendous work with fuel efficiency. we have done tremendous work with energy efficiency but we are going to continue to use gasoline and our cars and diesel and are heavy equipment. we are going to continue to use this product and who do you want to buy this product from? the american people if you ask any american person would you rather buy this product from venezuela or would you rather buy this product from our friends to the north in canada i have pretty sure whether it is going to be. let's talk a little bit about why the united states at a time when we are seeing a global slowdown in economic progress from many of the other countries throughout the world why is the united states seeming to go further? why are we producing and generating more wealth and our country than other places? i would tell you it's because of this energy renaissance because

we are doing something no one else is doing. we are producing our gas in developing the techniques that get the oil and gas out of the ground and taking that as a raw material providing a renaissance not just in the oil area but also natural gas as a feedstock for many of our manufacturing products. so we have a real opportunity here. all of that goes away if we don't move the product. if we don't figure out a way to make sure our product gets to market. i want to talk a little but also about what this development in our country means to the world when we are confronting a great challenge in dealing with russ russia. we are confronting great challenges looking at what's happening in the mideast. we are confronting all of these challenges throughout the world and we know that we cannot only deploy our efforts, humanitarian

efforts, our efforts by supporting airstrikes, some of the work being done on the ground perhaps the single most important thing we can do is help provide oil and gas to europe and to those countries that are dependent on countries that are not our friends. so we look at what our opportunities are today and we know those opportunities are in the energy renaissance. so how do we move this product? how do we send a signal that we are ready to take advantage globally and domestically to take advantage of this production take advantage of this renaissance in north america? will we approve the keystone pipeline. a lot of people talk about what the keystone pipeline means to my state. that's exactly going to my state that the governor of montana made sure when he was providing the permit that there was a

place where we can access the keystone pipeline. we anticipate about 100,000 barrels a day of north dakota crude to be placed in the keystone pipeline sent to refineries into louisiana. that may sound like a lot. it's about 10%, less than 10% of our current production but to me the keystone is so much more than this particular pipeline. it is a national discussion about her failing energy transportation infrastructure. that is what this is and if we do not move this project forward, if we say no what is the next thing? what is the next project is essential? a 22-mile pipeline in massachusetts that would provide huge stability for the northeast in terms of their heat production? do you 182 miles could be a huge

benefit to our friends in maine in terms of stabilizing their whole heating costs this winter but yet we fight the pipeline. the keystone is a huge bandage we have in this country because we are oil and gas producer and could potentially be an oil exporter providing that power across the world. what do we do? we turn our back on the infrastructure that moves this product. we have got to do everything we can to get this approved. i want to turn just briefly to the politics and you know a lot of people come here and talk politics. i believe this is the place to talk policy and that is what i try and do but just for a moment i want to talk about the respect that we should have for voters. i want to talk about elections and elections have consequences. one of the things that we can do

to begin to restore the public faith in our democracy and institution of united states congress is to do something bold to begin with. actually move legislation that the people have been waiting for for a long time and respond to concerns. maybe we get the votes and maybe we don't but take a vote. take a vote. show the american public where were willing to come to this body to debate the issues of the time and bring things to a vote so they actually see us doing something. they actually get results. we came here to vote, we came here to work and we came here to do something for the american public. we don't all agree, there's no doubt about that we don't all agree but i will tell you this. the thing we should all agree on is that it is essential in terms

of providing certainty to the american public, confidence the american public has in this body that they see us on this floor not two months from now, not three months from now, not four months from now but today, the first day we are back in session after an election. a hard-fought election was pretty dire consequences for her side of the aisle but it's essential we send a message that we got the message and we take a vote. i am so proud of my colleague from louisiana for coming back when she should be doing a little campaigning in her state that she's back you're fighting for what she believes and fighting for what she's always believed in which is and energy infrastructure that makes a difference for millions americans not just for states like mine but all consumers of energy and i want to thank the senator from louisiana for your

tremendous leadership on this and your willingness to basically come here and say i don't care who gets the credit. i don't care if my name is on it or not. let's get the keystone pipeline approved. i want to make one final point and then i will close. if you have sure been the route of the keystone pipeline what you will see stockpiled every so many miles is thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars of pipes waiting, six years waiting, infrastructure and so when people say we can wait to take this boat they are wrong. the sooner the better. the sooner that we take this vote and get it approved the sooner we will see those resources deployed and we will not miss another construction season in the north country. with that mr. president i yield the floor and express my

gratitude for the opportunity to be here. >> the senator from louisiana. >> i know the senator from tennessee is on the floor and if i can say -- take two or three minutes in and we have agreed to go back and forth but i would like to conclude a little bit in this debate that we have had. first of all i want to submit for the record that i remain on the floor and speak after the senator from tennessee but i want to put into the record a list of republican co-sponsors of s. 2280 and tell them that every single member including the senator from tennessee is a co-sponsor of the hoeven landrieu bill pending on the senate calendar at -- s. 2280. >> without objection. >> i also want to put into the record to 35 plus, well

organizations that range from business to labor to manufacturers that have been a strong and powerful and vocal coalition for over five years in their efforts to bring us together. the question is whether the members of congress can come together. these groups have come together. it's not often that you see the labors pipefitters boilermakers and building trades all together sitting down with the chamber of congress at the american petroleum institute that they manage to find common ground on a common table and america will be best served when the members of this body and the house to the same. i also want to put into the record to short statements and this is directed to those on the other side who are wavering or are not sure on the other side of this issue are wavering. i want to put into the record

that dan berman to review process has been conducted over five and a half years. the review process has been thorough. five studies has been conducted as required by law and are complete. i want to repeat that. the five environmental studies that are required by law have been conducted. they are completed and this goes into the record. in addition. >> without objection. >> and addition the only other requirement was from the state department and i want to put this into the record. the bottom line is the last study from the state department finds there will be no significant impact on the environment from the keystone xl project. i want to put that into the record.

>> without objection. >> the path today is crystal clear. today is crystal clear. there is no guarantee that next week or next month or whether republicans take the majority, the path will be as clear as it is today. let us not miss this opportunity. let's get our work done on the keystone xl pipeline, an important project for this country. send a message, send a message that we have heard the voters and show that trust begins today with us on their behalf and i yield the floor. >> coming up on c-span2 the supreme court hearings or argument in a separation of powers case in zivotofsky v.

kerry.

>> it is a glorious service. this service for the country. the call comes to every citizen. it is an unending struggle to make and keep government representative. >> bob lafollett is probably the most important political figure in wisconsin history and one of the most important in the history of the 20th century in the united states. he was a reforming governor.

he defined what progressivism is. he was one of the first to use the word progressive to self-identify. he was united states senator who is recognized by his peers in the 1950s as one of the five greatest senators in american history. he was an opponent of world war i. he stood his ground advocating for free speech. above all bob lafollett was about the people. after the civil war america changed radically from a nation of small farmers and small producers and small manufacturers and by the late 1870s, 1880s, 1890s we have concentrations of wealth. we had growing inequality and we had concern about the influence of money in government. he spent the later part of the 1890s giving speeches all over on