mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent the call of the quorum be terminated. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent notwithstanding the adjournment of the senate, the committee on public works be authorized to report legislation on friday, february 3, from 12:00 noon until 2:00 p.m. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i ask that at 3:00 p.m. monday, february 6, the chair lay before the senate the conference report on the f.a.a. reauthorization reform act. there be up to two hours of debate on the conference report equally divided between the two leaders or their designees. prior to a vote on adoption of the conference report, the vote on adoption be subject to a 60-vote threshold. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i ask consent that we now proceed to s. res. 367. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: senate resolution 367, designating january, 2012, as national mentoring month. mr. reid: i now ask consent -- the presiding officer: without objection, t

mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent the call of the quorum be terminated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i move we move to calendar 311. the presiding officer: the clerk will report motion. the clerk: s. 1813, a bill to reauthorize the federal-aid highway and highway construction programs and for other purposes. mr. reid: i have a cloture motion at the desk, mr. president. the presiding officer: the clerk will report motion. the clerk: cloture motion, we the undersigned senators in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate hereby move to bring to a close the debate on the motion to proceed to calendar number 311, s. 1813, a bill to reauthorize federal-aid highway and highway safety construction programs and for other purposes, signed by 17 senators. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent the reading of the names be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i ask consent the mandatory quorum under rule 22 be waived and further

mr. reid: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. reid reid: reid: madam presd i through the chair ask my friend to yield for a unanimous consent request regarding the schedule here in the senate. mr. grassley: i guess if i want to get along with the majority leader, i better yield. so i will yield. mr. reid: i would say, madam president, my friend from iowa would get along even if he didn't agree mr. grassley: will i have the floor when you get done? mr. reid: yes. and i would ask his statement not appear interrupted. you know that today, february, at 1:30, the senate proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 407, that there be 30 minutes divided in the usual form, that upon the use or yielding back of the time, the senate proceed to vote with no intervening action or debate on calendar number 407. the motion to reconsider be considered laid and made on the table, there be no intervening action or debate and no further motions be in order. that any statem

mr. reid: i ask consent the call of the quorum be terminated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i now ask that we proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 437. the presiding officer: without objection. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: nomination, the judiciary, adalberto jordan to be united states circuit judge for the 11th circuit. mr. reid: i send a cloture motion to the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the motion. the clerk: cloture motion, we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, hereby move to bring to a close the debate on the nomination of adalberto jose jordan of florida to be united states circuit judge for the 11th circuit, signed by 18 senators as -- mr. reid: i would ask that the names not be read. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent that on february 13, 2012, at 4:30 p.m., the senate proceed to executive

mr. reid: mr. president, before i start the -- what we refer to as the closing script here, i want the record to be spread, we have tried all day to come up with an agreement to move forward on this legislation. and we've been unsuccessful. this is a piece of legislation that is as bipartisan as is humanly possible. we have one of the most progressive members of the senate, senator boxer, and one of the most conservative members of the senate, jim inhofe, who are cosponsoring this legislation. it's a piece of legislation to continue our highway program, our surface transportation program. it's so needed. i had yesterday the director of the department of transportation from the state of nevada, susan martinovic. i'm confident most senators here have had someone from their state because there's a conference back here for these people. it will -- it will bring construction in nevada to a standstill on our highways, our bridges, some of our mass transit programs. but we can't even get on the bill. i've

the reason we do, is we verify the signature that was put online and like mr. reid said, we always have to -- you don't have a problem with the photo i.d. issue and what have you. we'veno problems with it whatsoever. and not on the same subject but while i have the mike. i know a lot of you are having issues with pick can cher i.d. at the point of voting. the secret to our success from a challenger is that we do not turn you away if you do not have a picture i.d. we allow you to sign an affidavit at the point of voting. the commissioner verifies certain pertinent information. date of birth, mother's maiden name and the like to verify who you are. you sign an affidavit and we allow you to vote and we don't turn you away. i think that may be the secret to getting around some of the court challenges that you have. >> thank you. i want to remind folks that nass.org, our association ebb site, la a tremendous amount of information and online tools and gadgets and widgets and all of that. so that's something to always use as background reference, but, also, the nass direct

mr. reid. >> thank you, chairman. i just wanted to respond to the comment about what has changed in regards to paying for tax policy, paying for things that we do in this conference. and what i would like to say is that as a member of the freshman class and i think as a member of all of us here, we are now operating in a different time. there is a fiscal crisis looming on the horizon. i don't think anyone in this room disagrees with the threat of the national debt to our nation and what is coming down the pipeline. so i'm proud to be part of a class, to be part of a new group of members of congress and as members who used to be there now are talking the language that we talk and that we got to pay for our decisions in washington, it is refreshing to have to answer the question as to why did the policy shift from yesterday to today. and that is because i think there's a new mentality in the house in particular that we have to pay for our decisions out of washington. and i think that's what the american people, hard wor

speaker, mr. reid, mr. mcconnell, miss pelosi, members, distinguished guests. we gather in this remarkable monument to american history.es of congress, this room where ideological differences fade in the presence of the overpowering force of pride and what we do achieved. it's a privilege to be in this rotunda. high above us, just below the h 19 panels depicting important events in american history. the most recent of them, number 19, just above me here. depicts the first successful flight of a man in a powered aircraft brothers wright, 108 years ago. the depiction in addition bald eagle carrying an e olive branch. wilbur and orville wright were the recipients of the 45th congressional gold medal and the first in the achievements in the world of flight. subsequently, congressional gold medals have been awarded nine times for aviation and rocketry achievements. today, for the first time, they are being given for achievements in spaceflight. in an appropriate coincidence, apollo 11's mission and crew patch featured an american bald eagle branch. the apollo 11 cre

speaker, mr. reid, mr. mcconnell, miss pelosi, members of congress and honored guests, as we embark upon a next chapter of human space exploration, we stand on the shoulders of the extraordinary men we recognize here today. those that had the privilege to fly in space follow the trail they forge. the confidence we can go further into the unknown and achieve great things as a people rests on the achievements of these men. when 50 years ago this year president kennedy challenged the nation to reach the moon, to take longer strides toward a great new american enterprise, these men were the human face of these words. from mercury and gemini, their actions unfolded that the will of a nation for the greater achievement of human kind. we are challenged to reach for new heights and plan an ambitious mission to mars. as we called on the four individuals we honor today to carry out our early achievements in space, we now call on a new generation of explorers to go where we have never gone before. i want to honor thos

mr. reid: mr.ent, i would say the mere fact that we now have rights to vote doesn't mean people have to have recorded votes. there are other ways of either rejecting or approving the votes, so i would hope that people would talk to senators lieberman and collins to find out if there needs to be a recorded vote on these matters, and i appreciate very much both sides' cooperation on this. mr. lieberman: mr. president. the presiding officer: morning business is closed. under the previous order, the senate will resume consideration of s. 2038, which the clerk will report. mr. lieberman: mr. president. the clerk: a bill to prohibit members of congress and employees of congress from using nonpublic information derived from their official positions for personal benefit, and for other purposes. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the time until 2:00 p.m. is equally divided. the senior senator from connecticut is recognized. mr. lieberman: i thank the chair. you can see i'm eager to get going o

mr. reid, mr. speaker, all i can ask is that this body continues to put pressure upon the senate, and particularly the senate majority leader, mr. reid, to do the right thing. it doesn't matter if you pass the bills we send over to you, mr. reid. it's about bringing them up on the senate floor, debate them, let the american people see where you stand on the issues. and at the end of the day, whether you vote for it or against it, at least the american people have seen you in action. the other thing the senate can do is they can always amend any measure that we send over there. and send it back to us. not to say we always have the best idea, but i believe that the senate, brothers and sisters in the senate, could have some good ideas. attach them back. amend our bills. send it back to us for us to consider. even go to conversation if necessary. all we are asking is the united states senate to take action on things that we, in the house, have passed. many in a very bipartisan way. many in a very bipa

mr. reid: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. reid: following leader remarks the senate will be in a period of morning business until 11:00 a.m. the majority will control the first half. republicans will control the final half. following that morning business the senate will resume consideration of s. 1813. at 2:00 there will be a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to tproed that legislation. -- proceed to that legislation. we've been in consultation with the republican leader and his staff and we may have another vote this afternoon. so we may have more than one vote this afternoon. s. 2079 is due for its second reading, mr. president. the presiding officer: the clerk will read the title of the bill for the second time. the clerk: s. 2079, a bill to extend the pay limitation for members of congress and federal employees. mr. reid: mr. president, i would object to any further proceedings. the presiding officer: objection is heard. the bill will be placed on the calendar. mr. reid: mr. president? the presi

mr. reid: mr., would you state the pending business. the presiding officer: the pending business is s. 1813 which the clerk will report. the clerk: s. 1813 a bill to reauthorize federal-aid highway construction programs and for other purposes. mr. reid: mr. president, at the beginning of this month, in fact, february 7, i moved to proceed to the surface transportation bill that's before us today. an extremely important bill, a bipartisan bill led by two fine senators, one quite progressive, the other very conservative. senators boxer and inhofe, the be chairman and ranking member of that important committee, environment and public works. this is a vital job-creating measure. the bill would create or maintain up to 2.8 million jobs. on february 9, two days after i moved to this bill, the senate voted 85-11 to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed. the bill has brought bipartisan support. but immediately after the senate moved to the bill on february 9, senator blunt asked unanimous consent that it

mr. reid: i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: mr. reid: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. reid: i ask consent that the call of the quorum be terminated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: the senate will be in a period of morning business until 12:30. the majority will control the first 30 minute, the republicans will control the second 30 minutes. the senate will recess from 12:30 to 2:15 for our weekly walks meetings. i'm told that h.r. 1173 is due for a second reading. the presiding officer: the clerk will read the title of the bill for the second time. the clerk: h.r. 1173 an act to repeal the class program. mr. reid: i would object to any further proceedings at this time to this piece of legislation. the presiding officer: objection is heard. the bill will be placed on the calendar. mr. reid: mr. president, last evening in an hour set aside at the request of senators pryor and alexa

mr. reid: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. reid: following leader remarks, the senate will be in a period of morning business until 3:00 p.m. today. following that morning business, the senate will begin consideration of the conference report on the f.a.a. reauthorization act. at 5:30 there will be a roll call vote on adoption of that conference report. mr. president, s. 2064 is at the desk and due for a second reading. the presiding officer: the clerk will read the title of the bill for the second time. the clerk: s. 2064, a bill to amend the internal revenue code of 1986 to terminate certain energy tax subsidies and lower the corporate income tax rate. mr. reid: mr. president, i would object to further proceedings with this bill. at this time. the presiding officer: the objection having been heard, the matter will be placed on the calendar. mr. reid: mr. president, today i'm pleased that the senate will pass the aviation jobs conference report. this measure is the fi

mr. reid: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. reid:, mr. the senate will be in a period of morning business until 12:30 today. republicans control the first 30 minutes, the majority the final 30 minutes. the senate will recess from 12:30 until 2:15 p.m. for our weekly caucus meetings. we'll begin consideration of a number of matters including the surface transportation bill during today's session. in this country, owning a home means more than a roof over your head. it's the centerpiece of the american dream. for many responsible americans, the dream of homeownership has become a nightmare. when wall street collapsed in 2008, the housing market also collapsed. that meant free-falling home prices and foreclosures. california was hit extremely hard, michigan, arizona, florida. for five consecutive years nevada led the nation in foreclosures. the foreclosure rate in nevada is 400% the national average. behind those statistics are people, whether it's nevada, arizona, florida, michigan, or anyplace else in the country. statistics are people. fa

mr. reid: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. reid: the presiding officer and all senators should understand we have a new sheriff in the senate now, and we wish elizabeth mcdonough well. she's certainly well-qualified thor this job and she's proven in the decade she's been here her fairness and astuteness of the senate rules. following morning business, the senate will be in a period of morning business for an hour. the republics will control the first half. the majority will control the final half. following that morning business, we'll resume consideration of the stock act. mr. president, it is my understanding the republicans are going to have a luncheon today. i hope they discuss what they want to do here on the senate floor. last night we had a situation where two of our fine senators, senator lieberman and senator collins, they have a reputation of being fair and bipartisan, and they did their best to work through some amendments, to set up votes on them. and they couldn't do it because we had senators who offered amendment

mr. reid: madam president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent we now proceed to a period of morning business with senators yoid to -- allowed to speak for up to ten minutes each. there will be no more votes tonight. the presiding officer: are there any objections? without objection, so ordered. a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from ohio. mr. portman: thank you, madam president. i would like to take this evening to recognize the remarkable achievements of a former senator from ohio. the state of ohio, as you know, is known as the birthplace of aviation. it's the home of the wright brothers, after all. but it's also the home to 24 astronauts. i have had the privilege of calling two of those most famous astronauts, neil armstrong and john glenn, my friends. today i'd like to take a few minutes to commemorate the tremendous achievements of one of those heroes by celebrating the 50th anniversary of the historic 1962 flight of nasa's mercury spacecraft, nicknamed friendship seven. 50 years ago,

mr. reidg leader remarks, senator shaheen will be recognized to deliver washington's farewell address. this is the 150th anniversary of that tradition. and we are very pleased that senator shaheen is going to do this. no one could be more exemplary of his service than her. following the address, the senate will be in morning business until 4:30 p.m. today. at 4:30 p.m. the senate will proceed to executive session to consider the nomination of margo brodie to be united states district judge for the eastern district of new york. at 5:30 the senate will vote on confirmation of the brodie nomination. i ask consent following the vote and resumption of legislative session the senate be in morning business for up to an hour with the time equally divided and controlled by pryor and alexander or their designees. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: mr. president, last week nevada lost a great statesman, and i lost a friend and a mentor. william raggio was the longest serving state senato

mr. reid: mr. president, we all know the inconvenience of a few potholes as we drive down the street. it's an inconvenience. for companies that ship $10 trillion worth of goods across the country every year, these disintegrating roads are more than an inconvenience, are more than a nuisance. a crowded train ride to an office or broken escalator at a station where you're trying to pick up a subway or what we call here metro may be a hassle, but for 51 million americans who have disabilities, most of whom rely on some type of public transportation to get around, outdated stations, overcrowded trains are more than a minor inconvenience. mr. president, this country's deteriorating infrastructure is something we should be very concerned about. this great nation of ours has an infrastructure that is falling apart. our highways, our roadways, our bridges, our dams, our railways, they are more than an inconvenience. they are a drain on our economy. 20% of america's roads don't meet safety standards. as the

mr. zients. senator reid has said we don't need to bring our budget to the floor this year. do you agree with that? >> i think that the most important thing is that -- >> just a yes or no. >> -- that congress act and that we pass the president's policy. >> so yes? yes or no? do you think we should take a budget to the senate floor, yes or no? >> i think the mechanics and the process are not my area of expertise. what i do -- >> that's -- i'll take that as a no. which is consistent with what the white house has said. i find it pretty amazing. >> i will note that the bca as the chairman said -- >> second question, what do you think is the most significant policy issue facing the country in terms of our fiscal policy? what's the single most important thing in terms of our fiscal posture? >> i think it's -- i think it's actually two things. the short term and the long term. short term is continuing this recovery. and we need to make sure that payroll taxes i talked about and other initiatives like transportation, schools, rebuilding -- >> what's your longest -- >> and driving do

mr. reid: following leader remarks the senate will be in morning business for an hour, the republicans control the first half and the majority the second half. following that morning business, senate will resume consideration of the highway bill. we continue to work on a process to complete action on this bill. we're going to have to do that. if we can't get an agreement to move forward on this bill, i have no alternative but to try to stop the filibuster that is taking place. i hope we don't have to do that. we've agreed to work on amendments that aren't relevant or jer main, senator durbin, the whip, has worked on side by sides and other amendments, so we're ready to move forward but we can't do it unless we get some basic cooperation and it's a shame if we can't move forward on this bipartisan bill. i ask consent floor privileges be permitted to andy reamo and jesse holiday during today's session of the senate. the presiding officer: without objection. under the previous order, the leadersh

speaker, i yield such time as he may consume to mr. reid. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. reed: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank my good friend from oregon for yielding me this time. mr. speaker, i have sat on this conference committee now for a bunch of months and there's been a lot of money spent in washington, d.c. and elsewhere around this nation saying that the republican party is the party of no. well, let me tell you, as i sat in this conference committee, what i have heard, and yesterday was the best example of it. i heard commonsense proposals in the house bill brought to the conference committee, brought to the senate democrats and said, look, we have all supported this. 90% of these pay-fors for the policies we are trying to enact, the president, the democratic president supports. and what i heard repeatedly yesterday was, no, no, no. we are not going to accept these pay-fors even though our president said he'd accept them, even though we supported them in the past. what i heard for yesterday

mr. reidlowing leader remarks, the senate will be in a period of morning business until 4:30 today. following that morning business, the senate will be in a period of -- we will go to executive session to consider the nomination of adalberto jordan to be circuit judge for the 11th circuit. at 5:30, there will be a cloture vote on the jordan nomination. we hope to be able to yield back postcloture time and confirm this nomination this evening. mr. president, the -- in the 1950's, america embarked on the largest public works project in its history, a new web of interstate highways. this came about as a result of then-president eisenhower reflecting upon a time when he was given an assignment as a young major to bring a caravan of vehicles across the country as part of his duties in the army. it was a terrible experience. roads why dilapidated, rutted. it was something that he never forgot. when he was president of the united states, he decided something should be done about it. and this was real

mr. president, we've done wourk. call harry reid and see if the senate will do any of their work. this is some areas of common ground. the president said he'll sign these. i don't know what the senate democrats are waiting for. the president wants to show leadership he should call on democrats in the senate to move these bills. i think american small businesses are counting on us to provide some relief even in an election year. house republicans have done our work and we'll continue to but we need to have a willing partner. the president's job council supports the republican approach to job creation. the american people prefer our approach to job creation and now the president himself says he support as number of our bills. we have an opportunity to get something done for the american people but it takes two to tango. question? [ inaudible ] >> in the article says -- [ inaudible ] >> is that true? >> eric and decided about three years ago that we would sit down, just he and i together just so we could have a chat about where we're going and do so between the two of us. now, listen

reid. our first presenter today is mr. jane coup who i would say is a relatively new director of the nonprofit organization created by former u.s. supreme court justice sandra day o'connor. prior to his current role, he was a fellow at the berkman center at the illinois society at harvard, where he investigated the issue of technology on legal education and studied the intersection of video games and moral development. he holds a ba in social studies. a number of teachers and others are using this curriculum in their government andive -- and our judicial system and others to advance the use of justice o'connor's initiatives. >> young people with the knowledge, skills and dispositions for intelligent citizenship and it's so important for us as we're talking today about voter engagement to think about how do we prepare young people tomorrow's voters to be not just capable of voting, but being able to do so intelligently and in an engaged way where they're participating in democracy and they're working toward -- i don't think

. >> i yield to senator reid for two minutes. >> mr. chairman, one of the issues here i think is what rule are we talking about, the original rule that was proposed or the rule that has now been revised extensively with collaboration from industry and is much more focused. as the subcommittee chairman for the appropriations committee that responds to the epa, i had the occasion to listen to lots of pro potiposals with respect a jurisdictions the last year. with respect to issue we concluded, these are the both republicans and democrats, house and snats, the conferees are encouraged by the outcomes of epa's reconsideration of the boiler mack rule and offer no redirection regarding boiler mack standards. it includes additional flexibility with respect to biocourse and the last time we bicamerally took up the issue, epa was making progress. i think we should let them continue to make that progress and deploy a rule that's effective. with that i would yield my time back. >> i yield. we have about three minutes left. i'll give it to senator

mr. scott. thank you. i will call several more names. [ reid' reads names] >> hello. i wanted to say that hardly strictly is an event that i look forward to every year, amongst the community of musicians that i know from around the country. these festivals are something that everyone inspired -- aspires to be a part of. i think that the city and festival organizers do a commendable job of neighborhood outreach and

mr. scott. thank you. i will call several more names. [ reid' reads names] >> hello. i wanted to say that hardly strictly is an event that i look forward to every year, amongst the community of musicians that i know from around the country. these festivals are something that everyone inspired -- aspires to be a part of. i think that the city and festival organizers do a commendable job of neighborhood outreach and mitigating inconveniences that the festival's macaws. thank you. supervisor mar: thank you. alex rosenthal? >> thank you, represent festival producers, event promoters, entertainers, and fans. i am here to emphasize the importance of the outdoor festival to the san francisco music festival. as the supervisor noted, they are an essential part of the local economy. i believe the referenced the study that came out, which we also support. today you will be hearing from san franciscans from all over the city that love these outdoor festivals because of their importance. many of these folks are from the richmond and sunset neighborhoods. you will hear from san fra

mr. president, get harry reid, the majority leader in the senate to vote on your budget.et's let the democrats pass it? you know they haven't had a budget now pass the senate for over 1,000 days? and the democrat leader, the democrat-controlled senate said we're not even going to vote on president's budget. what kind of leadership is that for this party? jenna: take it in a different direction then. do you see any possibility here within what we do know of the budget proposal, i know you're just getting a look at it, sir, do you see any opportunity within the parameters as they have been suggested for compromise? parts that you see you can get behind as a republican? >> i want to get behind what is real budgeting. what the president has done here is use a lot of accounting gimmicks and budget tricks. i think we have to be honest with the american people. the president ignores the two tidal waves coming at us of medicare and social security and the impact those things are going it do. the president has to be honest with those students when he talks to them about the impact

mr. president, senator reid, we're standing on our principles so that we can lead the next generation -- leave the next generation as good or better country as we inherited but we're going to have so tart moving and we're going to have to start standing on principle very quickly. easy to do. some say, oh, it will be so hard making all these cuts. no it won't. we can go back to the 2008 budget that the most liberal congress in history had passed, didn't hear a lot of complaints about not enough spending that year, go to that budget. that knocked out $1 trillion right there. enough of the games. it's time to stand up for america, stand up for a responsible budget, cut the wasteful spending, stop the crony capitalism for groups like solyndra and let's get this economy going back again. strong, stronger, strongest ever. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the house stands in recess subject to the call of the chair. >> the legislation includes provisions that will expand oil and ga

though it would be irresponsible for senate president reid to not take this budget up and have a vote on this. would you agree with that? >> as mr. sherman said, the president and obviously the legislative bodies put into effect the balance that the bca last summer, that serves as a budget. and that's a real accomplishment. >> we don't need this budget? >> what we need is this budget, we need this -- the policies embedded in this 2013 budget the president has put forward -- >> that will only be done -- trillion dollars of deficit. >> it only will be done if it passed into law if senator reid takes this up as -- in a budget, in the senate, so we -- we are both on the same page. encouraging -- >> i hope the senate and the housework together to make sure that the president's policies are enacted into law as soon as possible. we achieve the deficit reduction. >> if we do that. another quick question and give me one answer. if we pass this budget tomorrow, when does the budget balance in this country, under your proposal? >> we achieve significant progress -- >> i'm looking for a year. >> achieve significant progress -- just a year.

harry reid said, mr. president, the senate will be coming in for pro forma session during the thanksgiving holiday to prevent recess appointments. that's how he opened his speech that day. he closed his speech that day by saying, as a result i am keeping the senate in pro forma session to prevent recess appointments until we get this process back on track. harry reid knew, madam speaker, that the president could not, could not under the law that govern our land, under the rulebook that is the united states constitution, he could not make appointments if harry reid kept the senate in pro forma session. 2007. then majority leader harry reid talking to then president bush. fast forward, madam speaker, to the holiday season, 2011-2012, same majority leader sitting in the united states senate, harry reid, same pro forma session, continually through thanksgiving and christmas, the same pro forma session that harry reid said clearly would prevent constitutionally the president from making any appointments. and w

reid and thank him for the work on this issue. jack, why don't you take it. >> thank you, senator baucus. mr. chairman, thank you. as many of my colleagues pointed out, we have seen over the last 22 months, the private sector job growth with 3 million jobs. it is insufficient to meet the demands of families throughout the country. indeed, i think we have to begin with the notion of the benefits that were available to american working families over the last several years should be continued. i would make the point that we have historically met emergency spending. in 1982, there was an offset or a tax on employers or those receiving the benefits. at the time, we just agreed to reducing payroll taxes and adding to the taxes seems to be counterintuitive. we are at a point where history suggests that we have to provide continuous benefits in the last few years. we have to do it and i would urge to do it under the emergency basis that we also adopt it. one aspect of extending the benefits to the 99 weeks is the logic of this program. it is counter cyclical. if we trunkate the number of weeks, we may have 10% unemployme

mr. flores? >> thank you, secretary guider in for joining us today. i want to continue the line of discussion that my colleague reid ribl started. the reason i'm here, also, is i came from a perfectly good job in the private sector, and things were happening here that i thought were going to damage the future of my family. my granddaughter's picture is on the back of my voting card. that reminds me why i'm here and that every decision i make, not only affects next year, the next five years, the next ten years, but affects her when she's 75. so let's put figure 12 up for a minute if we can. now, it's 2065. figure 12. the next one. there we go. i know you think that these projections are no good. if you wanted to, we could go to figure three, either one directionally both say the same thing. do you think the direction is wrong? >> as i said, even if we stabilize it for the next ten years, it starts to grow against, absolutely. >> even what omb says is after 2022 we've got a problem. >> absolutely. >> i'm not saying -- i want to make it clear. i'm in violent agreement with you. that does not mean -- just the fact that

mr. speaker, on the highway bill, leader reid suggested you all had given up on your bill. i'm not even sure if i heard him right. he suggested you all have given up, is that the case, or are you still working on it >>, -- the house has gaveled back in for votes. so we'll take you there live here on c-span. the chair: the committee is in the state of the whole house for the further consideration of h.r. 2117 which the clerk will report by title. the clerk: a bill to prohibit the department of education from overreaching into academic affairs and program eligibility under title 4 of the higher education act of 1965. the chair: when the committee of the whole rose earlier today a request for a recorded vote on amendment number 5 printed in house report 112-404 by the gentleman from colorado, mr. poe less, had been post -- polis, had been postponed. pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18 proceedings will now resume on those amendments printed in house report 112-404 on which further proceedings were postponed in the following order. amendment number 1 by mr. grijalva of ares. amendme

. >> reporter: which means that senator reid will have to rely on republicans to get enough votes to pass the president's signature proposal, whose delay mr. obama had been blaming on republicans. jenna: on capitol hill, we just got this breaking news, apparently confirmed from a gop aide, that senator reid is only going to need 51 votes to pass the payroll bill, not the majority, not the 60 that republicans are actually agreeing to this, to go ahead and get this bill through, so do you have any thoughts on that? >> he is going to lose several democratic votes, harkin, warner, manchin, others worried about the future of social security if this isn't paid for. they are going to need republican votes. republicans have been willing to support this, even though many of them also had the same doubts about running up the decifit to give a payroll tax cut. jen and parnl not wanting to fight over the payroll tax cut this time around. we'll continue to follow this today. jim, thank you as always. general jon: you know who is not generally fond of running up decifits? the tea party. we'll be talking to one of them, the protests that the tea party l

mr. speaker. on the highway bill. leader reid in his own words suggested you had given up on your bill. i'm not sure if i heard him right. he suggested you had given up. is that the case? are you still workingen to? >> when you figure out what your question is, we'll let you ask it. [laughter] >> have you given up on the highway bill? >> no. we need to pass a highway bill. clearly the bill that came out of committee has had its share of difficulties. and the leadership's working with the chairman to try to bring a bill to the floor that can pass. >> i was just with steve case at a panel discussion. he is back on a plane, he has to speak at a dinner in california tonight. thank you very much. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] >> most of the polls closing in michigan in under five minutes. 8:00 eastern, some staying open until 9:00. arizona closing a bit later. we have will complete coverage of the two primary races, with victory had and concession speeches. we will have your comments and phone calls, of course