Floor Speeches

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Wednesday that “the rich are willing” to pay more in taxes in order to replace the automatic spending cuts, known as sequestration.

Reid was urging his colleagues to come together to replace the sequestration cuts.

“We can repair the damage done, and put Americans back to work,” Reid said. “We must replace the sequester with a balanced approach to deficit reduction. Such a balanced approach – one that asks the richest among us to contribute their fair share to deficit reduction – would avert cuts that hurt American families, harm military readiness and hinder our economic recovery. … The rich are willing to do this.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) filed a cloture motion Tuesday night in order to advance gun-control reform legislation.

Reid said that unless an agreement is reached sooner, that Senate would proceed to a vote on the motion to proceed to S. 649, the Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act, on Thursday morning.

“This evening, cloture was filed on the motion to proceed to the gun safety bill,” Reid said on the Senate floor Tuesday night. “Unless agreement is reached sooner, we will vote on this motion at some time Thursday morning.”

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) urged his Senate GOP colleagues Tuesday to meet with the families of victims of the Newtown, Conn., shooting.

Grassley said he met with some of the family members of the 20 first-graders and six school employees that were killed by a gunman in December.

Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said that he would be looking for three things in President Obama’s budget, which will be released Wednesday.

“It strikes me at least, that as the president releases his budget the fundamental question that ought to be asked is what does his budget do to increase jobs, grow the economy, and increase take home pay?” Thune said on the Senate floor Tuesday.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said Tuesday he was introducing a border security bill to compliment the bipartisan immigration reform package being negotiated by the Gang of Eight.

Cornyn said the Border Security Results Act would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to use new technology to metrically gauge border security.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday that President Obama’s 2014 budget sounds like a “warmed-over version of last year.”

“It sounds like the White House just tossed last year’s budget into the microwave,” McConnell said on the Senate floor Tuesday. “I sincerely hope it’s not just a warmed-over version of last year's [budget]. Because if it is — what a colossal waste of time.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) accused Republicans Tuesday of “speaking out of both sides of their mouth” when it comes to debating gun-control reforms.

Reid was referring to the 13 GOP senators who sent him a letter during the two-week recess. The GOP senators, lead by Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), said they would filibuster any attempt to change gun-control laws, but Reid said these are the same senators who also complain that the Senate doesn't operate under regular order, allowing debate and amendments.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said Monday evening that there are 31,000 reasons to pass gun-control reforms.

“There are 31,000 reasons to pass sensible gun legislation,” Boxer said. “That’s how many people die a year at the hands of a gun.”

Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) said Monday that he hoped newly confirmed Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) head, Mary Jo White, would change how credit rating agencies are compensated.

“Every senator here saw it in their state,” Franken said. “The [financial] crisis profoundly affected the everyday lives of millions of people around the country in so many ways. … People lost their homes, they lost their jobs and they lost their health insurance."

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) warned Marilyn Tavenner Monday that she would have to answer tough questions at a Senate Finance Committee hearing later this week.

Travenner is President Obama’s nominee to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Senate Finance Committee will hear testimony from her on Tuesday. She is currently the Acting CMS Administrator.