mr. durbin: madam president? the presiding officer: the assistant democratic -- the assistant majority leader. mr. durbin: i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be success speaned. the presiding officer: without objection. dur i have seven unanimous consent requests for committees to meet during today's session of the senate which have been approved by the majority and minority leaders. i ask unanimous consent these requests be agreed to and printed in the record. the presiding officer: without objection. all sometime expired. the question occurs on the nomination. is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will call the roll. vote: vote: the presiding officer: are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or change their votes? if not, on this vote the ayes are 52, the nays are 41, and the nomination is confirmed. a senator: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from michigan. mr. levin: madam president, is senator paul on the floor? i

mr. durbin: would the senator yield for a further question? mr. cornyn: sure. mr. durbin: does the senator know the origin of the law which requires that an unaccompanied child be turned over within 72 hours by the department of homeland security to the department of human -- health and human services, specifically the office of refugee resettlement? does the senator from texas know who introduced that law -- who introduced that bill and who signed it into law? mr. cornyn: i would say to the distinguished senator, i don't know who -- who introduced the bill but i do know who signed it into ball, president george w. bush. mr. durbin: i might say through the presiding officer, the bill was introduced by your former colleague from texas, richard armey, and was signed into law by president george w. bush, which required what is currently taking place, that after -- within 72 hours, unaccompanied children needed to be taken out of the department of homeland security, a law enforcement agency, and placed through the departmendepartment of health an services into some prot

mr. durbin: would the senator yield for a further question? mr. cornyn: sure. mr. durbin: does the senator know the origin of the law which requires that an unaccompanied child be turned over within 72 hours by the department of homeland security to the department of human -- health and human services, specifically the office of refugee resettlement? does the senator from texas know who introduced that law -- who introduced that bill and who signed it into law? mr. cornyn: i would say to the distinguished senator, i don't know who -- who introduced the bill but i do know who signed it into ball, president george w. bush. mr. durbin: i might say through the presiding officer, the bill was introduced by your former colleague from texas, richard armey, and was signed into law by president george w. bush, which required what is currently taking place, that after -- within 72 hours, unaccompanied children needed to be taken out of the department of homeland security, a law enforcement agency, and placed through the departmendepartment of health an services into some prot

mr. durbin: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from illinois. mr. durbin: i thank my colleague from connecticut for referencing a measure that we both share an interest in. he's rievment a student loan isn't like another loan. it isn't like the mortgage on your home. it isn't like the money you borrowed to buy a car or a boat or a line of credit that you might have needed. a student loan is a debt that cannot be discharged in bankruptcy. no matter how bad things get, you're going to carry that debt with you to the grave. and, believe me, they'll pursue you all the way. just had a report in the "wall street journal there was a grandmother receiving social security benefits. they levied on her benefits because grandma decided to befriend her granddaughter by cosigning her student loan, which her granddaughter defaulted on. so now grandma finds her social security check being levied on to pay off her granddaughter's student loan. it never, ever ends. so i support my colleague from connecticut. he and i both believe this ought to change. this is awful. f

mr. durbin: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from illinois. mr. durbin: i ask consent the quorum call be suspended. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. durbin: just a few minutes ago when my friend from texas, senator john cornyn came to the floor and spoke about immigration and the situation on our border and it was a very moving statement that he's made before and needs to make again. he did it today and identified a serious issue that we are facing, not just one but several serious issues. and they're dramatized by the fact that we are seeing hundreds, hundreds of children who are being turned loose on america's border with mexico, crossing the border, being apprehended and being placed in a humane situation in america. children. some as early in age as 5, 6, and 7 years of age. not accompanied by adults. and you think to yourself, what is going on here? senator cornyn, of course, representing the state of texas knows this better than most because they're watching these children. 80% of these children come from three countries, mr. pre

mr. durbin: mr.president, reserving the right to object -- the presiding officer: the senator from illinois. mr. durbin: mr. president, a year ago today on the floor of the senate we passed the comprehensive immigration reform bill. 68 senators, 14 republicans and all of the democrats, voted for it. we extent over to the house of representatives, including -- included in that bill was a requirement that all employers use a mandatory electronic employment verification system to verify that all their employees were legal, job applicants were required to show identifying documents like a passport, driver's license, biometric work authorization card including a photo i.d. any employer that continued to employ undocumented immigrants faced serious penalties. that would end the hiring of undocumented workers, which the senator from alabama has spoken to. e-verify, though, has to be part of comprehensive immigration reform. otherwise it would devastate the economy and hurt innocent workers. this was include

mr. durbin: would the senator yield for a question? mr. reid: yes. mr. durbin: i would like to ask the senator a question through the chair. is it my understanding you just filed a procedural motion which would allow us to take up and debate a bill which would give an opportunity to some of the 44 million americans currently paying college student loans? this bill, authored by senator elizabeth warren of massachusetts, would allow students to refinance their college debt down to today's interest levels, 3.8%, if i'm not mistaken, for undergraduate loans, which would make paying back their loans easier and sooner. and that we have to go through a procedure of waiting two days in the senate to even start talking and debating on the bill? is that what the senator is telling us? mr. reid: mr. president, through the chair to my dear friend, that's what i'm saying. what's happened around the country is not just in nevada, it's all over the country, with the rare, rare exception. state legislatures don't support higher education. so you take someone like the boa

mr. durbin: mr. president, thank you. for a number of years -- years -- i have come to this floor to talk about an issue that i want to bring up again this morning. and the issue is for-profit colleges and universities. many people, when they hear me describe this, don't understand which schools i'm talking about. it's not the public universities that you would think of automatically -- the university of illinois, northwestern university and others, private universities like northwestern. it is the for-profit world of higher education. the leaders in that for-profit world -- mr. president, i see that the minority leader is on the floor here, senator mcconnell. i'll proceed. the for-profit colleges and universities are led by the apollo group which owns the university of phoenix, the largest; devry university, based out of chicago, kaplan and corinthian and many others. they bring about 10% to 12% of all the high school graduates into their for-profit colleges. they receive from the federal government 20% of all the federa

mr. durbin: would the majority leader yield for a question through the chair? mr.reid: i would be happy to. mr. durbin: i would ask the majority leader through the chair, yesterday afternoon, the subcommittee of the senate judiciary on the constitution held a hearing and a vote on senate joint resolution 19, which the majority leader has referenced. this was offered by senator udall of new mexico, senator bennet of colorado. it would basically restore us back to that moment in time before the citizens united decision, before the mccutcheon supreme court decision which would allow the federal government and the states to regulate campaign spending. it is content neutral in terms of the efforts to be made by the government, but it establishes -- tries to re-establish new standards in terms of contributions and spending across america. i would ask the senate majority leader, who has followed this closely, as he has followed the amount of money being spent on elections in this country, what you can foresee as the ultimate result if we fail to undo the citizens united d

mr. durbin: mr. president, life is about choices. we make them all the time. a choice about where you're going to school, what you're going to study, what you're going to do with the rest of your life, what kind of job you want, your car, a lot of other choices we make. tomorrow the senate gets to make a choice and it's going to affect some people. here's the choice. we have in this country a serious problem with college loan debt. it has grown dramatically over the last several decades. and now we estimate that the total amount of college loan debt in america is over $1.2 trillion. what does that mean? how big is that? more college loan debt than the sum total of all credit card debt in america, more college debt than the sum total of all automobile debt in america. the only other debt larger, mortgage debt, and this is growing, the college student loan debt. 44 million families are affected by student loan debt out of a nation of 300 million so we're dealing with somewhere in the range of 14%, 15% of america making payments on college student loans. and the

mr. durbin: mr. president, i rise in morning business to respooned to the -- respond to the republican senate leader. i preface my remarks by making a claim that i have made on the floor three different times. i'm still waiting for the first member of the other party to come in this chamber and to dispute what i am about to saivmensay.the republican partye united states of america is the only major political party in the world today that denies global warming. i've said it. i'm waiting for them to come forward and say, no, there's another one somewhere. one said, well, we think there's one in australia. really? so the entire world understands that global warming is a challenge except for one political party: the republican party of the united states of america. and when have we seen with global warming? we've seen a change in the world we live in. weather is more extreme. things are changing. we have from time to time young people who come and visit this senate chamber and sit in the galleries. they'

mr. durbin. i don't know if mr. durbin has run a business or not but mr. price does work his wife. ladies and gentlemen, this should be about commonsense. nobody is pure here. we all added to the deficit. i would argue the deficit was much higher when the other side was in control. those are numbers, less today. less last year. lot more in 2009. i think we'd all agree. the deficit, the yearly deficit, the debt certainly is higher. -- m.t.r. won't create debt will create debt. my bill will as well. but this is about job creators, allowing them to invest, invest to grow their businesses, to hire more employees. the american dream that my mom and dad came here to believe and live in, ladies and gentlemen. my house that my daughter, daughter in sixth grade, understands that we had a right as the house to pass a bill and have a position that might be different than the senate's. god forgive us for having a different position than the senate. but just because the senate wants to do two years, doesn't mean we have to do two years. i don't understand that narrative. even some of my colleag

mr. durbin: the senator from texas just spoke on the floor here about the number of children coming across the border into the united states, and the numbers are frightening, they are so large, and we had a hearing today with jay johnson who is the secretary of the department of homeland security, and a lot of questions were asked if actions by our government or statements by our president are luring these children into the united states. let me make the record clear -- there is nothing, nothing about the president's executive order involving those we call dreamers, children brought to the united states which would leave any of these families with children to believe that they could qualify to be treated as qualified for dacha, that is deferred deportation because they would be eligible dreamers. none, none of these children would be eligible, period. so the suggestion that this executive order has anything to do with luring these children to the united states is wrong. second, there is turmoil in mexico and central america. that is a fact. i'm sure that that is a factor in decisions being

. >> senator durbin? >> mr. chairman, thank you very much. as chairman of the subcommittee of the senate judiciary on constitutional amendments, i've had a personal point of view on this for a long time when it comes to the nature of amendments being offered. i think the constitution is written with the amendments that have been adopted constitute a sacred document that has guided this country well for decades and centuries. too often i have seen proposals for constitutional amendments which, in my view, take a roller to a rembrandt. i resisted many efforts to entice me into co-sponsoring constitutional amendments with rare exceptions. this is one of those exceptions. i am co-sponsoring this amendment offered by senators tom udall and michael bennett. the time has come for us to do something to save this democracy and president clinton process that supports it. secondly, let me say at the outset that there is hardly a politician elected official alive who has not changed his or her position on an issue. that happens. i can recall when abraham

mr. chairman. i see my time has expired. >> thank you, senator durbin? >> thank you senator blumenthal. thank you, mr. secretary, for being here. i want to address as issue that i don't know if it's come up during the course of this hearing. there is undoubtedly many reasons they children are crossing the border, sonia nazario, "los angeles times" writer, won a pulitzer prize for "enrique's journey" that book she believe 75% of children were coming across the border. she was referring to some 48,000 children, as young as 7 years of age crossing our border, over half of them by themselves. the reason they were crossing the border was not on its face obvious. nfc note something said by the president or by congress or politicians or maybe the things that might first come to mind. they were looking for their mothers. looking for their mothers that, i believe has led them to do things that are unimaginable to those of us with children or grandchildren, to think that a child as young as 7 would hop a freight train, and what they found as a result of looking at this at the university of houston

mr. chairman. i see my time has expired. >> thank you. senator durbin. >> thank you.secretary johnson thanks for being here. i would like to address an aspect of the unaccompanied children's issue. i don't know if it has come up during the course of this hearing. i think it should. there are undoubtedly many reasons these children are crossing the border. an l.a. times writer won a pulitzer prize for her book enrique's journey. that book explained what she believed to be the reason why 75% of the children were coming across the border. she was referring to some 48,000 children as young as seven years of age crossing our border over half of them by themselves and the reason they were crossing the border was not on its face obvious. it was not something said by the president or congress or politicians are the things that might first come to mind. they were looking for their mothers, looking for their mothers. and that i believe has led them to do things that are unimaginable to those of us with children or grandchildren. to think that he child as young as seven would ho

reid of nevada, coons, blumenthal, merkley, durbin, gillibrand, cardin, nelson, feinstein, warren, harkin, hirono. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent the mandatory quorum under rule 22 be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i move to proceed to legislative session. the presiding officer: the question is on the measure. all those in favor say aye. all those opposed say no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. mr. reid: i move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 736. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. all those in favor say aye. all those opposed -- all those opposed say no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: leo t. sorokin of massachusetts to be united states district judge for the district of massachusetts. mr. reid: there is a cloture motion at the desk. i would ask it be reported. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: cloture motion. we the undersigned senators in in accordance with the provi

mr. secretary. general dempsey. >> thank you, chairman durbin. members of the committee, he appreciate the opportunity to come before you today and speak about our defense budget for 2015. i want to add my appreciation to undersecretary hale for his many years of service to the department. and to the nation. let me begin by commenting on iraq. the men and women who served in iraq did exactly what we asked them to do. al qaeda inspired extremists raising flags over iraq's embattled cities trigs are in me the minds of any veteran who served there which is bitter disappointment that the iraq's leaders failed to unite for the good of their people. i share alarm about the future of iraq and we are developing a full rake of options to help stabilize the region. let me also speak to afghanistan. our men and women remain fully engaged on the mission at hand. they continue to build the institution of the afghan national security forces who secured the recent elections that will allow the first democratic transition of power in afghanistan's history. the d

migration, i'm not a sociologist and not an expert, is the situations that senator durbin and others laid out in that's countries. >> mr. secretary, my time has expired. with all respect, in my view, that argument is a red herring. that explains why there is an increase in central america because of the problems and challenges those nations are experiencing. in 2011, 15% of the otms of the mexicans april helpeded were unaccompanied minors. 2014 that number has grown to 37%. there is nothing about the violence in central america that would cause people to be handing over their children, little girls, little boys, separately, may have caused more people from central america to come here but not the kids. i will say this in closing. because my time has expired. it has been widely reported that president obama, the administration is contemplating yet another amnesty like two years ago, just a couple of months before the upcoming election. i will say to you and i will urge you to pass on to the president that i think that would be a great mistake. i think it would be contrary to rule of law. i think that granltding yet anot

durbin, senator boxer, senator hirono, senator murphy and senator schatzment. the presiding officer: without schatz -- senator schatz. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. boomer: ow amendment woulerd enhance rules that reduce driver fatigue. this bill rolls back enforcement of these rules, rules that are based on years of scientific evidence. it's doing so without further study. it's rolling back these safety rules without public input. it's rolling back these safety rules without even a hearing. at a time when truck crashes are actually on a rise in the united states of america, it is paramount that congress do more to improve transportation safety, to improve the protection of lives, not remove an evidence-based element of reform. keep in mind that the rule the bill is currently considering suspends enforcement of what was the result of feedback from more than 20,000 formal comments submitted by industry and stakeholders. it was a result of six public sessions and incorporated 80 sources of scientific data and research as well as a regulatory impact analysis. over the past week alone, new jersey has been impacted by at least four major separate acci

joined democratic senator dick durbin on the floor today to talk about immigration and unaccompanied migrant children crossing over the u.s. border. this is about an hour. mrcornyn: thank you, madam president. madam president. >> thank you, madam president. i want to spend a few moments this morning talking about realistic solutions to the ongoing crisis along americans southern border. obviously, i come from a border state where we have 1200 miles of common border with the nation of mexico which, of course, has been the gateway now to this humanitarian wave of children, unaccompanied children coming from central america into the united states. i will talk more about that in detail, but i first want to comment on something that the majority leader said this morning in his opening remarks. with what has now become a trademark hyperbole and frequently his disregard for the facts, the majority leader suggested the republican platform was deport first, find solutions later were never. i find that offensive and it is certainly not true. and i can just assume that the majority leader has had other things that have taken his attention and he has ignored completel

senator durbin said that more than 90% of all the income that institution got came from federal loans, and the default rate is extremely high, mrsident. why don't we do something about student debt? the fact is that the senate-passed immigration bill reduces the deficit and spurs the economy more than all the house bills currently waiting senate action combined. so i urge my republican friends and the republican leadership in the house to stop doing nothing and bring immigration reform to a vote. as the comedian said, "doing nothing is very hard to do. you never know when you're finished." maybe that is the problem with them. perhaps now is the time for newly appointed majority leader kevin mccarthy who comes from a state -- california -- he comes from an area -- bakers field -- where certainly comprehensive immigration reform is necessary. he should take a position on immigration foreman. will he bring the senate-passed bill to a vote? if not, what does he propose? republicans in the house have a choice. allow a vote on commonsense immigration reform in july or certainly be the ones to blame for not doing it. and there's a lot

mr. durbin: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from illinois. mr. durbin: mr. president, this morning there was a scene on television i'd never seen before. in fact, the commentator said they'd never seen it either. i might preface this by saying i grew up in the midwest. tornadoes are part of our lives. swrarl how many times -- i can't recall how many times i was rousted out of eye bed as the sirens were going off and mom and dad were taking me to the basement. that's what we did growing up in the midwest. tornadoes were part of our lives. this morning showed what happened in nebraska yesterday to be a virtually unique concurrence. -- occurrence. twin tornadoes came ripping through the state of nebraska killing people and destroying lives and businesses and homes and farms. and there was a reflection on this about is the weather getting more extreme in this country, are we getting more and more extreme weather events, many of which are very destructive? i think the clear answer is yes, and don't trust a politician or even an environmentalist for that answer. g

mr. durbin: i ask consent to yield back all time on the pending nomination. the presiding officer: without objection. question is on the nomination. a senator: i ask for the yeas and nays. the presiding officer: the yeas and nays have been called for. is there a second? there appears to be a second. the clerk will call the roll. vote: vote: vote: the presiding officer: the senior senator from michigan. mr. levin: on this vote, i have a pair with the senator from new jersey, mr. booker. if he were voting, he would vote aye. i would vote nay. i therefore withhold my vote. vote: the presiding officer: are there any senators wishing to vote or change their vote? if not, on this confirmation, the vote is 48 ayes, 46 nays. the nomination is confirmed. the clerk will report the motion to invoke cloture. the clerk: we, the asinine undersigned, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, hereby move to bring to a close the debate on the nomination of mark g.mastroianni of massachusetts to be united states district judge for the di

mr. durbin: i ask consent the quorum call be suspended. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. durbin: during this last break i went back to illinois and visited a lot of college campuses. wint to awgana college in the quad cities and illinois state university in normal, illinois and then down to the university of illinois and each one of those had a press conference about student debt. student debt today has reached a point where we've got to pay close attention to it and we should. the vast majority of americans ask a very basic question. senator, is there anything you're doing today that really is going to help my family? it turns out for 44 million americans, currently paying on student loans in america, legislation that's going to be introduced tomorrow can make a big difference. i'm cosponsoring a bill with elizabeth warren. she's a senator from the state of massachusetts, a very bright lady who was on the faculty of the harvard law school who understands these issues better than almost anyone i've ever met with and she is leading the way on a college student loan refinanc