When Climate Change is ravaging this planet, leading to massive fires on the west coast. Drought and unprecedented levels of extreme weather disturbances across the globe. We are the only major country on earth not to guarantee health care to all people as a human right. Over 90 million americans are uninsured or underinsured and we pay by far the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. All of these issues and others are enormously important and should be the issues that are being debated in this campaign. But today, i am not going to talk about any of them. What i am going to talk about is something that in my wildest dreams i never thought i would be discussing. And that is the need to make certain that the president of the United States, if he loses this election, will abide by the will of the voters and leave office peacefully. What i will be discussing today is the danger that this country faces from a president who is a pa pathological liar, who has strong authorityion tendencies, who doesnt understand our constitution and prepared to undermine american democracy in order to stay in power. With less than six weeks left to go in this campaign, it is my fervent hope that all americans, democrats, republicans, independents, progressives, moderates, conservatives, come together to defend american democracy, our constitution, and the rule of law. We must ensure in this unprecedented moment in American History that this is an election that is free and fair, an election in which voters are not intimidated, an election in which all votes are counted, and an election in which the loser accepts the results. This is not just an election between donald trump and joe biden. This is an election between donald trump and democracy, and democracy must win. The United States is the oldest continuous democracy in the modern world. We held elections in the middle of a civil war in 1864. We held free and Fair Elections during world war i, during the Great Depression and during world war ii. After all of those elections held in extremely difficult circumstances, the loser acknowledged defeat and the winner was inaugurated and took office. That is what the United States of america is all about. That is what democracy is all about. But today, under donald trump, we have a president who has little respect for our constitution or the rule of law. Today that peaceful transition of power, the bedrock of american democracy is being threatened like never before. I am not in the habit of quoting former president ronald reagan, but i think something that he said in his first inaugural address makes the point about how important, how precious is this part of our heritage and i quote, ronald reagan, the orderly transfer of authority as called for in the constitution routinely takes place as it has for almost two centuries and few of us stop to think how unique we really are. In the eyes of many of the world, this every four year ceremony we accept as normal is nothing less than a miracle, end of quote. Protecting this orderly transfer of authority, as president reagan characterized it, this miracle is absolutely essential if we together, all of us, republicans, democrats, independents, want to keep faith with the american ideals we hold so dearly and with the sacrifices that so many made in order to protect our democracy. And in that regard, i think it is terribly important that we actually listen to and take seriously what donald trump is saying. Several weeks ago, speaking at the Republican National convention, trump said, and i quote, the only way they can take this election away from us is that this is a rigged election, end of quote. What is remarkable about that statement is that he made it at a time when almost every National Poll had him behind and when he was trailing in polls in most Battle Ground states. Think about what that statement means. Think hard about what that statement means. What he is saying is that if he wins the election, thats great. But if he loses, its rigged because the only way, the only way he can lose is if its rigged. And if its rigged, then he is not leaving office. Heads i win, tails you lose. In other words, in trumps mind, there is no conceivable way that he should leave office. And just last night, just last night, donald trump went even further down the path of authoritarianism, refusing to a peaceful transition if he loses the election. When asked in the White House Briefing room, win, lose or draw in this election, will you commit here today for a peaceful transfer of power after the election, end quote. Trump responded and i quote, we are going to have to see what happens. You know that i have been complaining very strongly about the ballots and the ballots are a disaster. We want to get rid of the ballots and youll have a very peaceful there wasnt be a transfer, frankly. There will be a continuation, end of quote from donald trump. That is not his choice. Thats for the American People to determine. Let us be very clear. There is nothing in our constitution or in our laws that gives donald trump the privilege of deciding whether or not he will step aside if he loses. In the United States the president does not determine who can or cannot vote and what ballots will be counted. That may be what his friend putin does in russia, it may be what is done in other authoritarian countries, but it is not and it will not be done in america. This is a democracy. Now, i do understand that donald trump is a billionaire or so he tells us. I do understand that he was born to a very wealthy family and from his earliest days was able to get anything he wanted because his family was rich and his family was powerful. I do understand that when youre rich and youre powerful, you dont have to pay taxes like ordinary people. And that its easy for you to avoid the military draft. I do understand that when youre rich and youre powerful, you can buy politicians and get hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate welfare for your real estate empire, but this i also understand, no matter how rich or powerful you may be, no matter how arrogant and narcissistic you may be, no matter how much you think you can get anything you want. Let me make this clear to donald trump, too many people have fought and died to defend american democracy and you are not going to destroy it. The American People will not allow that to happen. Despite all of the evidence, trump continues to be obsessed with the belief that there is massive voter fraud in this country. In 2017 after he won the presidency, trump insisted that he would have won the popular vote, which he lost by three million votes, if, quote, millions of legal votes had not been cast, end quote. There is absolutely no evidence of that being true. In fact, its totally preposterous to believe that millions of votes or any vot votes this is not supported by democrat officials, republican officials, no one. Thats what trump said after he won. There have been numerous studies done on the issue of voter fraud in our country. They have all concluded essentially in the same way, voter fraud in the United States of america is extremely rare. A study by Dartmouth University found no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2016 election. An article in the New York Times from december of 2016 stated and i quote, in an election in which more than 137 million americans cast ballots, election and Law Enforcement officials in 26 states and the district of columbia, democratic leaning, republican leaning and in between said that so far, they knew of no credible allegations of fraudulent voting. Officials in another eight states said they knew of only one allegation. In georgia, where more than four Million People cast ballots, officials said they had open inquiries in 25 cases into, quote, suspicious voting or electionrelated activity. But end of quote. But inquiries to all 50 states, every one, but kansas responded, found no states that reported indications of widespread fraud. End of quote, New York Times. A report by the Brennan Center for justice reviewed elections that had been meticulously studied for voter fraud and found incident rates between 0. 0003 and 0. 0025 , the report concluded that its more likely that an american, quote, will be struck by lightning than that he will impersonate another voter at the polls, end quote. Even the conservative heritage foundation, which maintains a data base on election fraud, could only find 143 criminal convictions of mail and voter fraud out of 250 million mailin votes cast over the past 20 years, a rate of 0. 00006 . But you dont have to trust me on this issue. Benjamin ginsburg, one of the leading republican experts on elections, a man who served as National Counsel to the bushcheney president ial campaign, a man who played a major role for the Republican Party in the 2000 florida recount and who cochaired the bipartisan 2013 president ial commission on Election Administration recently wrote in the washington post, and i quote, the truth is that after decades of looking for illegal voting, there is no proof of widespread fraud. At most, there are isolated incidents by both democrats and republicans, elections are not rigged, end of quote. Let me repeat from one of the Republican Partys leading experts on elections. Quote, the truth is that after decades of looking for illegal voting, theres no proof of widespread fraud. At most there are isolated incidents by both democrats and republica republicans. Elections are not rigged. And even if the statement of mr. Ginsburg is not good enough for you, here is what the trump administrations own Voting Integrity Commission reported. According to an analysis of administration documents by the associated press, trumps commission uncovered, quote, no evidence to support claims of widespread voter fraud, end quote. And they disbanded in 2018 ch. Even Republican SenateMajority Leader Mitch Mcconnell tamped in current concerns about mailin ballots, many vote by mail, washington, oregon, colorado have voted by mail for years, end quote and yet, we have a president today to calls mailin ballots a hoax and a scam. Trumps strategy to delegitimize this election and to stay in office if he loses is not complicated. Finding himself behind in many polls hes attempting massive Voter Suppression. He and his republican colleagues are doing everything they can to make it harder and harder for people to vote. In addition, he is sewing the seeds of chaos, confusion and conspiracy theories on casting doubt on the integrity of this election and if he loses, justifying why he should remain in office. In an interview with Chris Wallace on fox news, trump refused to say that he would leave office if he lost. Asked to give a direct answer whether he would accept the Election Results, trump refused he said, quote, i have to see. No, im not going to just say yes. Im not going to say no. And i didnt last time either, end of quote. Thats pretty much what he said yesterday. In the middle of a pandemic, donald trump made clear that he wants to defund the Postal Service in order to limit the use of mailin ballots. In an interview on august 13th discussing a possible deal for relief package that would have funded the United StatesPostal Service, trump let the cat out of the bag by admitting that, quote, if we dont make a deal, that means they dont get the money. That means they cant have universal mailin voting, they just cant have it, end of quote. In other words, what donald trump is saying to tens of millions of americans is that at a time when over 200,000 of our people have already died from the coronavirus, you have a choice. You can either risk your health or even your life by walking into a voting booth, or you cant vote. How outrageous, how disgraceful is that . Amazingly at the very same time trump is making completely baseless allegations about voter fraud, last month, he urged the supporters in North Carolina to try voting twice, which among other things is a felony. In order to advance his plan for mass Voter Suppression, the Trump Campaign filed a lawsuit in nevada which fortunately was dismissed, challenging the states mailin voting laws. In july, trump used false claims of voter fraud to propose delaying this years election which he obviously does not have the power to do. This was so outrageous, that steven calabresy, the cofounder of the conservative Federalist Society wrote that it was quote, grounds for the president s immediate impeachment again by the house of representatives and his removal from office by the senate, end of quote. Last week trump told his supporters at a rally in nevada that he quote, was entitled, end quote, to serve a third term, which is obviously a violation of the constitution 22nd amendment. On saturday, trump suggested to his supporters in North Carolina that he might sign an executive order to prevent joe biden from becoming president. Trump has also urged his supporters to become, quote, poll watchers. But what he is really saying is that he wants his supporters, some of whom are members of armed militias, to intimidate voters and were already seeing this in virginia where early voters were confronted by Trump Supporters and Election Officials in Fairfax County said that some voters and polling staff felt intimidated. On and on and on it goes, every day over and over again. Trump is making it harder for the American People to participate in the political process, and is attempting to delegitimize the outcome of this election. So that if he loses, he can remain in office. The concerns that i am raising today are not just mine alone and are not just concerns shared by progressive or democrats. Miles taylor, the life long republican who previously served as chief of staff inside the trump Administrations Department of Homeland Security warned that there is nothing that trump will not do or say to defeat biden and this is what he said, and i quote, put nothing past donald trump, taylor told. Hell do anything to win, climbing over other people, climbing over his own people or climbing over u. S. Law, he will do it. People are right to be concerned, end of quote. Well, i agree with mr. Taylor, i am concerned and i am very concerned. Last week my former Senate Colleague don coates, trumps own former director of National Intelligence published a piece in the New York Times for a high level, bipartisan, commission to oversee the elections to assure that all elections are carried out fairly and coates wrote, the most urgent task american leaders tasface is that the Election Results are accepted as legitimate, the linchpin of our entire culture, we should see the challenge clearly in advance and take immediate action to respond, end of quote. Thats dan coates, former intelligence director of donald trump. I couldnt agree more. I second dan coates call. And last week, senator schumer and i urged senator mcconnell, we had would like to hear from the most knowledgeable people in the country to how we can do Everything Possible to assure that the election and the period afterward is secure and peaceful, end of quote. Majority leader mcconnell, please respond to that letter. Please establish that bipartisan committee. And today, i call on every elected official in america, whether they be republican, democrat, or independent, to vigorously oppose Voter Suppression and voter intimidation, to make sure that every vote is counted and that no one is declared the winner until those votes are counted. To my republican colleagues in the congress, please do not continue to tell the American People how much you love america if at this critical moment you are not prepared to stand up to defend american democracy and our way of life. Stop the hypocrisy. Now, with or without donald trump, this election is unique in American History because its taking place during a pandemic and a Public Health crisis. As a result, states all over america are taking the appropriate steps to ensure more americans can safely vote by mail in their own homes, instead of risking their health or their lives, to vote in person. The result is that this election will see by far the largest number of mailin ballots ever. Lets be clear, despite what donald trump says, mailin is not a new idea. Hawaii, and others states, california, nevada, district of columbia, my state of vermont have pledged to mail ballots to all registered voters for the upcoming election and many other states are making it easier for obvious reasons to vote by mail. Trump himself, as well as members of his administration, have repeatedly voted by mail. Members of the United States military have regularly voted by mail since the 18