ms. mikulski: i ask that the quorum be vacated. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. mikulski: and what is now the pending business on the floor? the presiding officer: the motion to proceed to senate 1992 -- 2119. ms. mikulski: i believe the number of that bill refers to the paycheck fairness bill; is that correct? the presiding officer: the senator is correct. ms. mikulski: what a bloodless way to talk about such a important public policy issue, to use the motion to proceed -- and very few people to realize -- to simply get a bill on the senate floor, we have to vote on a motion to proceed on whether we're going to take it up. and because this is now going to require a 60-vote majority because of the invoking of this fog of filibuster, we can't even get to a majority vote on how to make sure women get equal pay for equal work. no wonder people are fed up with us. they wonder about us why, when all is said and done, why more gets said than gets done. i travel the state of maryland and the united states of america. people want us to do our job, to work on a bipartisan

ms. mikulski: senator heitkamp. the presiding officer: the senator from north dakota. ms. heitkamp: thank you so much. i want to thank our great friend and leader from the state of maryland for continuing her hard work. i wonder if she ever wakes up in the morning and wonders when it's ever going to be done, when we'll see justice and i think she's learned over the years that until you stand up, every day, and lived that life and live a life where you're trying to make positive change in america, it doesn't doesn't get done. she is somebody who has never given up. i think it's interesting because north dakota like west virginia is one of those states where actually women earn less than men and below the national average less than men. but when you look at the national average, 77%, that is a horrible, horrible statistic. but you know what's really horrible? it's really horrible if you live that statistic. not one person in this body lives that statistic. we're all treated equally. it doesn't matter, you know, what gender we are, if we are members of congress, we're treated

ms. mikulski: senator heitkamp. the presiding officer: the senator from north dakota. ms. heitkamp: thank you so much. i want to thank our great friend and leader from the state of maryland for continuing her hard work. i wonder if she ever wakes up in the morning and wonders when it's ever going to be done, when we'll see justice and i think she's learned over the years that until you stand up, every day, and lived that life and live a life where you're trying to make positive change in america, it doesn't doesn't get done. she is somebody who has never given up. i think it's interesting because north dakota like west virginia is one of those states where actually women earn less than men and below the national average less than men. but when you look at the national average, 77%, that is a horrible, horrible statistic. but you know what's really horrible? it's really horrible if you live that statistic. not one person in this body lives that statistic. we're all treated equally. it doesn't matter, you know, what gender we are, if we are members of congress, we're treated

ms. baldwin: i'd like to start by thanking senator mikulski for organizing us all today but much more importantly for your leadership over the years on this issue. we are so proud to have you as our dean. i've come to the floor today on equal pay day to stand up and speak out about an issue that impacts women and families in every state across this country. today i rise to give voice to the belief that we need to be working together across party aisles to build an america where hard work is rewarded and where there is a fair shot for everyone to realize their pursuits and dreams. in america today the growing gap between rich and everyone else is at its largest point in 100 years. the absence of upward mobility for hardworking families demands action because if we can't close this gap we might someday talk about the middle class as something we used to have not something that each generation can aspire to. as i've traveled my home state wisconsinites have told me that the powerful and well-connected seem to get to write all their own rules while concerns and struggles of middle-class families ofte

ms. mikulski: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from maryland. ms. mikulski: madam president, i rise today to speak on paycheck fairness, the bill that we will be voting on tomorrow in the united states senate. during the next hour, 11 women -- 11 democratic women will be coming to the floor to speak. i ask -- but i'm not going to introduce each one. we want to get right to the issue rather than flowerily talk about each other; we want to talk about the need for paycheck fairness. so i ask unanimous consent that each woman speak up to five minutes each. the presidinthe presiding offict objection. ms. mikulski: but i'm the lead-off speaker, and, madam president, i want to be very clear. why are we on the senate floor? we believe that women need a fair shot to get equal pay for equal work. we want the same pay for the same job, and we want it in our law books and we want it in our checkbooks. we want to finish the job that we began with lilly ledbetter five years ago. five years ago one of the first bills passed during the obama administration was that

ms. mikulski: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from maryland. ms. mikulski: i ask that the call of the quorum be vacated. the presiding officer: without objection. morning business is closed. under the previous order, the senate will proceed to executive session to consider the following fogs which the clerk will report. the clerk: nomination, the judiciary, michelle t. friedland of california to be united states circuit judge for the ninth circuit. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the question occurs on the nomination. ms. mikulski: mr. president, i ask for the yeas and nays. the presiding officer: is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the clerk will call the roll. vote: vote: vote: the presiding officer: are there any senators wishing to vote or wishing to change their vote? if not, the ayes are 51. the nays are 40. the nomination is confirmed. the majority leader. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent that -- the presiding officer: the senate will be in order. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent that the rest of the votes to