Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. WICKER. Madam President, I understand we are on the bill, but there are no speakers presently here, so I would like to address the Chair and my colleagues for a few moments about the matter my colleague from Wyoming was discussing just now, and that is the very serious matter of how we will fill the vacancy of Justice Scalia.

I want to read to my colleagues a message I got from one of my constituents in Columbus, MS. As you can imagine, we have all received quite a bit of opinion from the people who put us in office, but I think this constituent really hits it on the head when she says: ``The next appointment is probably the most crucial in our history and will have ramifications on future generations.''

I really agree with that, and I think it is such a profound decision that we ought to feel comfortable, as the Senator from Wyoming just said, in letting the people decide. We are in the midst of a great debate about the direction our country will take, the executive branch will take, over the next 4 and possibly 8 years.

The Court has been relatively balanced, with a slight 5-4 tilt toward the conservative side. Clearly there is an effort in this city and on the part of some of my friends on the other side of the aisle to shift that balance. I think it is reasonable to conclude, with so much involved and with the ramifications on future generations, as my constituent has said, that it is very appropriate that this be a matter of debate in this Presidential election and, frankly, in the Senate elections also. And I realize there is a lot of heat and light on this issue, but I would simply suggest that we are on the right track in letting the American people speak to this.

There is another matter in this regard that I have been reluctant to bring to the attention of my colleagues until today, but I think it has gotten to the point where we need to be reminded that there are rules of decorum that apply to this debate and to all debates we have on the Senate floor. I would direct the Chair's attention and the attention of my colleagues to rule XIX of the Standing Rules of the Senate. Paragraph 2 of that rule states: ``No Senator in debate shall, directly or indirectly, by any form of words impute to another Senator or to other Senators any conduct or motive unworthy or unbecoming a Senator.''

I read that paragraph in its entirety because it is quite obvious to me, to my colleagues on this side of the aisle, and I think to objective observers, that what has ensued over the last week or two has been a concerted effort to impugn the reputation and honor of the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, the distinguished Senator from Iowa, Mr. Grassley.

I would just suggest to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and particularly to my friend the distinguished minority leader that in reviewing some of the statements that have been made on this floor--and I have them in my hand, although I will not read them again to the Chair because they are in the Record--particularly those statements coming from the very top leadership of the other side of the aisle, there has been statement after statement that crosses the line, that is prohibited under the rules. It is a breach of our rules to suggest about any other Senator motives unworthy or unbecoming of a Senator.

I hope we can continue this debate, and certainly we will, but I hope we will confine it to the merits of the issue, and there are merits on both sides. This is not the place to conduct an election or reelection campaign--the floor of the Senate is not that place--and it seems to me that in recent days that line has been crossed and crossed repeatedly.

I will get back to my original point. We are prepared to let the American people speak on this issue, and it is of vital importance not just for the next 4 years but perhaps for the next decade, two decades, or three decades. And I would ask us to dial the rhetoric back, dial the heat back, and stay on the issues. We are comfortable making the case that this is a decision that should be left to the American people.

I thank the Chair for giving me the time.
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