“It is critical that Republicans and Democrats come together to find a balanced way to avert these drastic [sequester] cuts.”

“Democrats want to work with Republicans to find a balanced, responsible way to reduce the deficit. Unfortunately… they would sacrifice 750,000 American jobs rather than ask multi-millionaires to pay a penny more.”

Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid spoke on the Senate floor today about the sequester and Republicans’ unprecedented filibuster of Secretary of Defense nominee Chuck Hagel. Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery.

Today the Senate will vote for a second time to move forward with the nomination of Senator Chuck Hagel – a Republican – to serve as Secretary of Defense. Twelve days ago, Republicans mounted a first-of-its-kind filibuster of Senator Hagel’s confirmation. Senator Hagel is the first nominee for Secretary of Defense to be filibustered in the history of the United States.

And what has their filibuster gained my Republican colleagues? Twelve days later, nothing has changed. Twelve days later, Senator Hagel’s exemplary record of service to his country remains untarnished. Twelve days later, President Obama’s support for this qualified nominee is still strong. Twelve days later, the majority of Senators still support his confirmation.

Senate Republicans have delayed for the better part of two weeks for one reason and one reason only: partisanship. At a time when our nation faces threats abroad, the President’s nominee for Secretary of Defense deserves a fair and constructive confirmation process.

Politically-motivated delays send a terrible signal to our allies and to the world. And they send a terrible signal to tens of thousands of Americans serving in Afghanistan. For the sake of national security, it’s time to set aside this partisanship.

In three days, across-the-board cuts to defense spending are scheduled to take effect. The Pentagon needs a seasoned leader to implement those cuts.

Democrats are working hard to avert the worst of these arbitrary cuts – cuts for which an overwhelming majority of Republicans in Congress voted.

We have a balanced proposal to replace those across-the-board cuts for this year with smart spending reductions, measures that close corporate tax loopholes and end wasteful subsidies and revenue from the very wealthiest among us – Americans making millions of dollars each year.

It is critical that Republicans and Democrats come together to find a balanced way to avert these drastic cuts. The consequences of the so-called sequester are real – not only for our national defense, but for millions of American families and businesses. More than 750,000 American jobs are at stake.

Across the country, tens of thousands of teachers, including thousands who work with disabled children, could be laid off. Seventy thousand children would be dropped from Head Start. And 373,000 adults living with serious mental illnesses and children dealing with severe emotional problems will go untreated.

Airports will close, due to a shortage of air traffic controllers. And lines at the airports that do stay open will stretch out the door, as TSA workers are furloughed. At the airport in Las Vegas, through which 40 million tourists from around the world travel each year, security lines will take an hour longer than they do today.

And from coast to coast, hundreds of thousands of civilian employees of the Department of Defense will face furloughs that will devastate their families and devastate our economy.

These effects won’t be felt all at once. They will be cumulative, and they will be painful.

Democrats want to work with Republicans to find a balanced, responsible way to reduce the deficit. Unfortunately, Republicans are standing in the way of a solution. They would sacrifice 750,000 American jobs rather than ask multi-millionaires to pay a penny more.

But three-quarters of Americans – including 56 percent of Republicans – are crying out for a balanced approach. With only three days left to protect American families and our economic recovery from this latest crisis, it’s time for Republicans to work toward a solution instead of being part of the problem.

“In a time of war and threats to Americans at home and abroad, Senate Republicans are waging the first-ever filibuster of a Defense Secretary nominee. Despite unprecedented responsiveness and transparency from the White House, Republicans have constantly invented new pretexts for opposing Senator Hagel’s nomination, and Republicans continued their embarrassing display of disregard for our national security by blocking Senator Hagel’s nomination today.

“Watching Republicans with otherwise distinguished records on national security place their desire to please the Tea Party ahead of doing the right thing for our troops is one of the saddest spectacles I have witnessed in my twenty-seven years in the Senate.

“Senator Hagel is a decorated war veteran, an expert on national security issues and the right man to lead the Pentagon in these troubling times. Democrats will continue to fight for Senator Hagel, and we will reconsider his nomination in the coming days. Some Republican senators have said that they will change their votes, and allow his nomination to proceed at some point in the future. I will take them at their word, and I will hold them to their pledge.”

Washington, D.C. – Nevada Senator Harry Reid released the following statement after being informed by Republican leadership that they would mount a full-scale filibuster and block Senator Hagel’s nomination for Defense Secretary from receiving an final passage vote on the Senate floor:

“My Republican colleagues had led us to believe they would not filibuster Senator Chuck Hagel’s confirmation of as Secretary of Defense. But that has changed. Now, Senate Republicans have made it clear they intend to mount a full-scale filibuster, and block the Senate from holding a final passage vote on Senator Hagel’s nomination. Make no mistake: Republicans are trying to defeat Senator Hagel’s nomination by filibustering while submitting extraneous requests that will never be satisfied.

“The pattern has been clear for months: as soon as President Obama’s administration responds to one request, Republicans devise another, more outlandish request. Senior Administration officials have participated in twenty member and staff briefings, ten congressional hearings, six witness interviews and responded to over forty Benghazi-related inquiries from Congress, producing 10,000 pages of documents. Several of my Republican colleagues sent a letter to the Administration yesterday requesting additional information on the September 11th attack on an American facility in Benghazi. These Republican colleagues said they would not allow a vote on Senator Hagel’s nomination to proceed unless the Administration honored their request. The Administration responded to that letter yesterday. I, along with several of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, received a copy of the letter at 4 p.m. But now Republicans say this is not enough, and are moving the goal posts at the last minute. This is no way to operate.

“The Senate has received extensive information on the Benghazi attacks, including testimony from Administration officials before multiple committees and an independent review board. Senator Hagel has answered exhaustive questions about his record. He has the support of the President. And he has the support in this body to be confirmed, if Republicans would lift their filibuster. There are serious consequences to this delay, and I hope Republicans will drop their filibuster to give our troops the leader they deserve in this time of danger.”

“I applaud President Obama for his thoughtful choices to head the Pentagon and the CIA. I’ve worked extensively with these two nominees and have always found them to be men of integrity and dedication. Both will be effective leaders in the positions to which they have been nominated.

“Senator Hagel has a deep understanding of the national security establishment, which grew out of his experiences as a decorated war veteran, a former member of the Senate’s Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committees, and a member of the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board. Few nominees have such a combination of strategic and personal knowledge of our national defense needs.

“John Brennan’s current role as a top national security adviser to the President, and his 25 years of service at the CIA, make him a very qualified candidate for a job vital to our national security. He has been part of a team that in recent years successfully rolled back terrorist threats to America and its allies, such as the operation that eliminated Osama bin Laden.

“I trust that all Senators will give these two men a fair and constructive confirmation process. The Senate takes seriously its role in advice and consent and I expect that this body will live up to this tradition and responsibility.”

“I am pleased that my friend Leon Panetta will bring his long record of service, first in Congress and then in both the Clinton and Obama Administrations, to the job of Secretary of Defense. His work at the CIA has helped strengthen and rebuild trust in the agency and we all have benefited from his leadership. Director Panetta is taking the helm at a crucial time for the Pentagon, in the midst of two wars and as we close in on our July deadline to begin the drawdown of troops from Afghanistan. We need the kind of experienced leadership he can provide.

“When I met with General Petraeus recently, I expressed my appreciation for his willingness to serve in Afghanistan when the President and our country needed him. I am grateful for his three and a half decades of admirable service to this country. His command of American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan during key transitional periods and his extensive experience working with the intelligence community will be invaluable at the CIA.

“I am glad that both of these distinguished leaders will continue to serve the Administration and provide continuity on our national security agenda. General Petraeus and Director Panetta will ensure smooth transitions during a critical point for American foreign policy – in the midst of two wars, with continued unrest in the Middle East and as we face ongoing threats from international terrorism.”