Transcripts For CSPAN2 U.S. Senate U.S. Senate 20240712 : vi

CSPAN2 U.S. Senate U.S. Senate July 12, 2024

This is an institution that rests on the trust and reverence of the American People. Losing that trust and reverence is dangerous is dangerous. Its dangerous for millions of people who will lose the Affordable Care act protections. Its dangerous for the women who could lose their right to choose and all of us who do not want to turn back a half a century of progress. Its dangerous for our economy at a time when American Workers and consumers find themselves at the mercy of corporations that have grown larger and more powerful than at any other time since the gilded age. Its dangerous for the future of our planet and safety of our climate, at a time when the west is burning, seas are rising, and the earth is warming faster than ever before. And, quite frankly, its dangerous for our democracy. We owe the American People a voice and a decision that will shape the course of history for generations. And we owe the memory of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her seat on the Supreme Court more than just another political power grab. With that, madam president , i yield the floor. Mr. Van hollen madam president . The presiding officer the senator from maryland. Mr. Van hollen thank you, madam president. Last friday, our country lost a trailblazer for equality, a moral giant, and a lover of justice, the great justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg affectionately known as r. B. G. While physically small, she had a towering impact on american jurisprudence. While the volume of her voice was not high, her words carried further and had a greater impact than the louder voices that were often around her. She famously observed that many of the laws on the books that pretended to put women on a pedestal actually put them in cages. And then she proceeded to bring cases to strike down those discriminatory laws. She transformed americas legal landscape, especially in the area of gender equality, and that was before she was even appointed and confirmed for the Supreme Court. On the Supreme Court, with intelligence and persuasion, she was often able to bring others to her point of view, and when she couldnt, she could write a stinging dissent, which she viewed as a conversation with the future. She had optimism in our nations pursuit of justice that her dissents would be vindicated in time, and i dare say that they already have in so many cases, including her dissent in the Voting Rights case with the reprehensible 2013 decision where the Supreme Court took a big bite out of the Voting Rights act. She predicted that many of the states that were subject to the preclearance decisions would begin to put up barriers to voting, and thats exactly what happened. And speaking of the future, her deathbed wish communicated to her granddaughter, her most fervent wish, was that she not be replaced until a new president is installed, whoever that president may be. She died last friday on rosh hashanah. It was a moment where the country needed to come together to celebrate her life and honor her legacy, and that is what so many people did around the country. We saw an outpouring of support from coast to coast north, south, east, west. We saw large crowds gathering at the Supreme Court. But here in the United States senate, the majority leader didnt have the decency to even provide a respectful pause a respectful timeout to honor that legacy. Just over one hour after her death was announced, he put out a statement announcing his powerplay, a statement saying that President Trumps nominee, whoever it may be, to replace her would get a vote. The majority leader rushed to do that, despite taking the opposite position in march of 2016, when Justice Scalia passed away and president obama nominated Merrick Garland. And the majority leader rushed to commit to that vote to President Trumps nominee even though in the middle of this covid19 pandemic we have not even had a chance to vote here in the senate on the heroes act, which passed the house of representatives over four months ago, providing emergency comprehensive relief to families and workers and small and mediumsized businesses that are hurting from this pandemic. We havent had a vote on that in four months, and yet within one hour of Justice Ginsburgs death, the republican leader announced we will have a vote on President Trumps Supreme Court nominee. Mr. President , our country just reached the grim toll of 200,000 americans dead from covid19. More americans have died from covid19 than in any other country on the planet, and a big share of those dead are the direct result of President Trumps calculated indifference, what he describes as, quote, downplaying the threat. Well, downplaying a known threat led to inaction, and inaction led to thousands more americans dying than would have been the case. And that inaction has led to far more economic pain and fallout from covid19 than had to be the case. We wouldnt have all these schools closed right now if the president had taken more rapid action, if we had comprehensive universal and rapid testing. But here we are because President Trump wanted to, quote, down play the threat. And the president has opposed the heroes act which passed the house of representatives, and still no vote here in the senate on that important legislation to help a country in need. So no vote on that. But my goodness, just couldnt wait to announce in one hour of justices passing away that believing that this senate would vote on President Trumps Supreme Court nomination. Thats what senator mcconnell said in 2016. When Justice Scalia passed away and president obama nominated Merrick Garland to fill the seat, you heard senator mcconnell and many other republicans say cant do it. Were in the middle of an Election Year. In fact, the majority leader went so far to instruct his members not to meet with Merrick Garland. Didnt even have a hearing for Merrick Garland. The majority leader and so Many Republican senators said we cant do that because primary voting has begun in this 2016 Election Year. Primary voting has begun. Its underway. And its important to let the American People weigh in on the president ial election, and then allow whoever wins that president ial election to make their nomination for the Supreme Court. Thats what we heard from senator mcconnell and so many of our Republican Senate colleagues back in 2016, that democracy required that the peoples will be heard in the president ial Election Year. Well, it turns out that all of that was just a pure political ploy that were going to see one set of rules for democratic president s like barack obama and another set of rules from the republican majority for republican president s like donald trump. The dishonesty and rank hypocrisy is obscene, and the American People, regardless of party, see it for what it is. But as bad as the hypocrisy and the dishonesty is, this is about even more than that. In fact, its about much more than that. Its about the future direction of our country and the direction of justice in our nation. Its about whether we have a Supreme Court that truly stands for equal justice under law as Justice Ginsburg did. Its about whether we will protect womens rights as Justice Ginsburg did throughout her career before and after being on the Supreme Court. We know where President Trump stands on that. We know he was asked during his president ial campaign on National Television about a womans right to reproductive freedom. He said women who choose to have an abortion should be punished. Should be punished. And he has said he will appoint a justice that will make sure that thats what happens. Thats what he said. Were going to see a justice that wants to strike down workers rights and protections. And we are going to see a justice that wants to destroy the Affordable Care act. Look, the Affordable Care act provides important protections to the American People during ordinary times. Its especially important now as we face this covid19 pandemic. And we know that its been the goal of President Trump and republicans for years to destroy and overturn the Affordable Care act. After all, i think many of us remember being right here on the senate floor in the summer of 2017. The speaker of the house paul ryan and the majority republicans in the house at that time had passed a law to overturn the Affordable Care act. President trump was itching to sign it. But here in the senate we defeated that effort by one vote. One vote in the United States senate. And why did that happen at the time . A lot of people thought it was a foregone conclusion that this Republican Majority Senate would vote to strike down the Affordable Care act. Its because the American People rose up and said hell no. People with diabetes and cancer and Heart Disease and other preexisting health conditions, and so many other americans said you know what . This isnt a partisan issue. Its not a partisan issue if i have cancer or diabetes or asthma or other preexisting conditions. Dont take it away. And guess what . Covid19 is not a partisan disease either. It will strike people, of course, regardless of political party. So the American People, they got to the phones, they got to social media, they occupied peoples offices. They said hell no, and by one vote we protected the Affordable Care act here in the United States senate. But that should have been the end of the story, but it wasnt, because what republicans could not do through the democratic process here in the United States senate, they decided to take to the courts. And president obama and his attorney general barr are in court right now trying to do there what they could not succeed in doing here in the United States senate, trying to destroy and overturn the Affordable Care act. And guess when the Supreme Court hearing on that Affordable Care act case is scheduled to take place . November 10. November 10, one week, one week after the november 3 election. So we see the power play here. Jam through a Supreme Court nominee, put them on the court in time for that hearing so they can hear the case and be part of overturning it. And make no mistake, President Trump has pledged to appoint a Supreme Court justice who will knock down the Affordable Care act. We dont know who its going to be, but we know its going to be somebody the president believes will strike down the Affordable Care act. How do we know that . Well, heres what candidate trump said. Quote, if i win the presidency, my judicial appointments will do the right thing, unlike bushs appointee john roberts on obamacare. Thats candidate trump in june of 2015. Heres candidate trump on another occasion. Im disappointed in Justice Roberts because he gave us obamacare. He had two chances to end obamacare. He could have ended it by every single measure, and he didnt do it. So it was disappointing. He says this on numerous occasions. Numerous occasions. He also he also tweeted out that he supported in 2012 this is 2012 when now senator romney was running for president , and President Trump tweeted im 100 supporting mitt romneys position that we need justices on the court to strike down obamacare. So nobody should be playing any games. The president has told us hes going to nominate somebody to strike down the Affordable Care act. That hearing is scheduled for one week after the november 3 election. So all of those issues are at stake right now. It appears that we have enough republican senators who have said that we will proceed to consider the nomination. Theyve abandoned the position that mitch mcconnell, the republican leader, and so many senators took in 2016, barack obama, president obama where they refused to even provide a hearing. So theyre going to proceed. But lets remember the president has pledged he will nominate somebody who will get rid of the Affordable Care act, who will strike down a womans right to choose. Thats what the president has said. So just as the American People began to get to the phones and social media and contact their senators in the summer of 2017 when health care was at risk, when the Affordable Care act was at risk, we need to make sure that the word gets out again. Because back in 2017, we stopped that from happening by one vote in the United States senate because the American People understood what was at stake. And here we are now in a Global Pandemic. And instead of focusing on the pain the American People are feeling at the moment, instead of allowing a vote on the heroes act, we have this republican majority trying to power through a Supreme Court nominee to strike down the Affordable Care act, to do through the courts what they were unsuccessful doing here on the senate floor in the summer of 2017. So lets recognize the consequences of this abuse of power and the impact and harm that it will do to the American People. Lets take the advice and dying wish of Justice Ginsburg, allow the American People to speak on november 3, and then allow whoever is sworn in on Inauguration Day in january, put forward a nominee to be considered by the United States senate. Thank you, mr. President. A senator mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from mississippi. Ms. Smith mr. President , in a few moments i will ask unanimous consent for the senate to take up and pass legislation ive introduced to help protect women from harm and to their health. This is such an important issue to me as a senator, as a woman, and as a mother. I am pleased several of my Senate Colleagues have joined me on the floor to discuss this important issue, and i look forward to hearing their remarks as well. 20 years ago this smongt the food and Drug Administration approved for the first time an Abortion Pill. It did so under immense pressure from the i Clinton Administration. The f. D. A. Recognized the seriousness and life threatening consequences that can be caused by this drug. Because of the risk of harm and even death is the fd put in place rules to protect the health of women. These are known as rims because they work to mitigate the risks posed by this drug to women. Mrs. Hydesmith these commonsense rules allow a woman to see a doctor, get the drug and see how she can get treatment for life threatening side effects. These simple commonsense rules have been in place to protect, to help women for over 20 years. Recognizing their importance, i introduced the save moms and babies act last year to codify these rules into law, to make sure they remain in place to protect women from the serious side effects. However, a proabortion forces oppose even these basic protections for Womens Health and have been working to undernienl, putting women undermine them putting women at serious risk. This summer a judge in maryland issued a nationwide ruling canceling these rims for the entire country. Back in april i led a 150 members of congress, including 38 members of this body, in warning the f. D. A. About this

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