Today, at the University of Texas at San Antonio, the First Lady announced the Reach Higher initiative — an effort to inspire more young people to take control of their future through higher education.
The initiative will focus on things like financial aid, summer learning opportunities, and college visits, to help more students get into college and go all the way.
Learn more about the Reach Higher initiative, and find out how you can get involved.
The Senate stands adjourned until 2:00pm on Monday, May 5, 2014.
Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 5:30pm with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.
At 5:30pm, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session and there will be up to 2 roll call votes:
– Confirmation of Executive Calendar #575, Nancy L. Moritz, of Kansas, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit and
– Confirmation of Executive Calendar #703 Peter A. Selfridge, of Minnesota, to be Chief of Protocol, and to have the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service.
During Thursday’s session of the Senate, cloture was filed on the motion to proceed to S.2262, the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act.
5:33pm The Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on confirmation of Executive Calendar #575, Nancy L. Moritz, of Kansas, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit;
Confirmed: 90-3
Executive Calendar #703 Peter A. Selfridge, of Minnesota, to be Chief of Protocol, and to have the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service, was confirmed by voice vote
There will be no further roll call votes during Monday’s session of the Senate.
Senator Klobuchar asked unanimous consent the Senate take up and pass Calendar #316, S.149, Stopping Tax Offenders and Prosecuting Identity Theft Act of 2013.
Senator Cruz reserved his right to object and asked consent to take up S.2066 and S.2067, en bloc. Senator Klobuchar objected. Senator Cruz objected to the original request.
S.2066 is a bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the intentional discrimination of a person or organization by an employee of the Internal Revenue Service.
S.2067 is a bill to prohibit the Department of the Treasury from assigning tax statuses to organizations based on their political beliefs and activities.
WRAP UP
Roll Call Votes
1) Confirmation of Executive Calendar #575, Nancy L. Moritz, of Kansas, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit; Confirmed: 90-3
Legislative items
Passed H.R.4120, a bill to amend the National Law Enforcement Museum Act to extend the termination date.
Adopted S.Res.434, a resolution electing Andrew B. Willison as the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate.
Adopted S.Res.435, a resolution notifying the President of the United States of the election of Andrew B. Willison as the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate.
Adopted S.Res.436, a resolution notifying the House of Representatives of the United States of the election of Andrew B. Willison as the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate.
Adopted S.Res.437, recognizing the historic significance of the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo.
Discharged the HELP committee and adopted S.Res.102, expressing support for the designation of Saint Louis, Missouri, as the “National Chess Capital” of the United States to enhance awareness of the educational benefits of chess and to encourage schools and community centers to engage in chess programs to promote problem-solving, critical thinking, special awareness, and goal setting.
Completed the Rule 14 process of S.2280, the Keystone XL Pipeline Approval bill (Hoeven-Landrieu-others) in order to place the bill on the Legislative Calendar.
Additional Executive items
Confirmed Executive Calendar #703 Peter A. Selfridge, of Minnesota, to be Chief of Protocol, and to have the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service by voice vote.
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Last Floor Action:5/2
12:03:47 P.M. – The Speaker announced that the House do now adjourn pursuant to a previous special order.
The next meeting is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. on May 6, 2014.
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A minority of 41 Senators, all Republicans, voted today to block a bill that would raise the minimum wage to $10.10. Once again, the GOP followed the orders of the Koch brothers to keep our economy working for only the wealthiest.
Earnings for the top 1 percent have gone up 177 percent (PDF) since 1980. Meanwhile, minimum wage workers are actually making 16 percent less. But Republican Senators are still refusing to give them a raise:
What’s more, instead of voting to give 28 million people as much as a $4,000 raise each, these GOP Senators instead took checks from leading lobbyists from big corporations opposed to raising it. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, for instance, has taken $118,000 since 2008:
Let’s go over just a few of the groups that these 41 Senate Republicans — whose average net worth is $6.26 million — were voting against in deciding to not even allow debate on the minimum wage bill:
But despite today’s vote, this issue isn’t going away no matter how hard Republicans wish it would. The 42nd ‘no’ vote came from Majority Leader Harry Reid, a procedural move in order to preserve the option of bringing the bill up again. And just before the vote took place, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) issued a clear indication on the Senate floor that this fight is long from over: “If we don’t succeed this time…we will bring this bill to the floor again and again and again. Sooner or later we will get it done.”
BOTTOM LINE: Instead of raising the minimum wage and giving Americans who work hard a better opportunity to get ahead, Senate Republicans have shown once again that they’re against the 99%. But this fight is far from over. Those who vote against everyday Americans — many of whom have voted for similar minimum wage increases in the past — are on the wrong side of history.
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