Posted on 05/09/2014 5:44:27 PM PDT by mdittmar
Anyone who watches the Senate on CSPAN knows that the desks in the Senate chamber are split between Democrats and Republicans. But when I walk into the Senate chamber these days, I sometimes expect to see 3 sections of desks , for 3 separate parties: 55 Democrats, 6 or 7 Republicans on a good day, and close to 40 ‘Obstructionists.’”
“Over the past few months, I have spoken with Republicans who are fed up with the obstruction in this body. I have spoken with them in my office, on the Senate floor, in our cloakroom and on the phone.”
“It’s a shame that the Republican Leader has decided that being the ‘proud guardian of gridlock’ – his words, not mine – is more important than working with us to get things done for American families.”
Washington, DC – Nevada Senator Harry Reid spoke on the Senate floor regarding Senate Republicans’ continued obstruction and the “proud guardian of gridlock” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery:
Anyone who watches the Senate on CSPAN knows that the desks in the Senate chamber are split between Democrats and Republicans. But when I walk into the Senate chamber these days, I sometimes expect to see 3 sections of desks, for 3 separate parties: 55 Democrats, 6 or 7 Republicans on a good day, and close to 40 “Obstructionists.” I say that because there are currently 2 camps within the Senate Republican caucus: The legislators – Republicans who, like Senate Democrats, are tired of all the useless obstruction and want to get things done for Americans; and the Obstructionists – the “Guardians of Gridlock,” as the Republican Leader has proudly named himself – who are playing politics and constantly grinding the wheels of the Senate to a stop.
Over the past few months, I have spoken with Republicans who are fed up with the obstruction in this body. I have spoken with them in my office, on the Senate floor, in our cloakroom and on the phone. These Republicans always have this message for me: we came to the Senate to get things done, so let’s work together. And I am happy to work with them, as we did a few months ago with the Childcare and Development Block Grant. That is who I have always been in the chamber – even when I was Whip, my Republican colleagues knew I was someone they could work with to get things done.
It’s a shame that the Republican Leader has decided that being the “proud guardian of gridlock” – his words, not mine – is more important than working with us to get things done for American families. The Shaheen-Portman energy efficiency bill before the Senate is a perfect example. Senators Shaheen and Portman and their co-sponsors brought their bipartisan legislation to the Senate floor last September. Regrettably, a Republican Senator on a one-man crusade against health benefits for Senate staffers, filibustered the bill. But Senators Shaheen and Portman didn’t give up. Instead, they worked with Democrats and Republicans for 7 months to strengthen the bill, picking up more bipartisan support along the way. This legislation will give our country more energy independence, protect our environment, and save American families money on their energy bills. It also creates 200,000 American jobs.
With the legislation finalized, Senators Shaheen and Portman were ready to bring it back to the Senate floor. In anticipation of the bill’s consideration, Republicans who worked on Shaheen-Portman came to speak with me prior to the Easter recess. They told me that the bill, which now included 10 Republican-supported amendments, was ready for passage. They requested that I fill the legislative tree to ensure that the bill would pass. I repeat, Republican Senators, wanting to pass this bipartisan bill, asked me to bring the bill to a vote as soon as possible – as is. For those Republicans acting in good faith, passage of the energy efficiency legislation was the most important thing. Unfortunately, the obstructionist wing of the Republican caucus has decided once again to block the bill. But this time, it’s not the junior Senator from Louisiana bringing a bipartisan bill to a screeching halt – it’s the “guardian of gridlock” himself, the Republican Leader.
Senators Portman, Ayotte, Collins, Hoeven, Isakson, Murkowski and Wicker have done good work on this legislation. What a shame that they will see their efforts scrapped by the Republican Leader. But this isn’t the first time he’s steamrolled members of his own caucus. For example, the Senate considered a bipartisan transportation appropriations bill. Subcommittee Chairwoman Patty Murray and Ranking Member Susan Collins worked for months on that legislation. Notwithstanding the bipartisan support for the bill or Senator Collin’s hard work, the Republican Leader single-handedly dismantled the bill. And there are many, many other examples. After the legislation was blocked, the senior Senator from Maine was quoted as saying that she’d never seen the Republican Leader work so hard to defeat a member of his own caucus.
If my Republican counterpart wants to keep blocking his own Senators’ bipartisan efforts, go ahead – but it’s not good for the country. Eventually, members of his caucus will break from the gridlock to get their constituents the help they need – just as a handful of Republicans did with the recent extension of unemployment benefits. So I am appealing to the Republicans who want to get things done – help us. Work with us.
This is a good bill, and it deserves to pass. I invite my friend, the Republican Leader, to listen to the members of his caucus who have worked so hard on this legislation. I know back home in Kentucky, the Republican Leader recently said it wasn’t his job to create jobs, but most of us around here disagree with him and want to work to create jobs. And this bill creates 200,000 jobs. So I say to my friend from Kentucky, honor your members’ efforts, and the bipartisan compromise that created this legislation, and allow us to vote on Shaheen-Portman. Bring this unnecessary obstruction to an end today and pass this energy efficiency legislation. It’s what Democrats want. It’s what Republicans want. More importantly, it’s what the American people want and need.
Not to worry, Harry - come next January after the Republicans take control this fall, I’ve a hunch the Senate will get a lot done, starting with the appointment of a joint select committee to investigate the IRS scandal....
There is only three words I want to hear, “get the rope”
And just how many Repub bills has the degenerate reid allowed to be voted-on in the Senate? This moron is a moron.
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