The Democratic Leader

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I very much appreciate the leadership on the other side of the aisle in letting this survivors' bill of rights pass. I do have some comments on the procedures that have held this bill and other bills up for too long a time. I usually don't feel the need to address the Democratic leader's remarks on the floor, but he has decided to put partisan politics above rape survivors for the last week at least, so I cannot stand on the sidelines and let those remarks go unrebutted.

The Democratic leader recently said right here on the floor of the Senate that ``Congress is floundering because of Republican inaction.'' This could not be further from the truth. If you want to know what is really going on, it is that the Democratic leader is using political gamesmanship to hold up noncontroversial as well as bipartisan legislation, mostly by Republican Members who are up for reelection this year.

Why isn't the so-called objective media reporting on this? One need look no further than earlier today when Senator Johnson offered a noncontroversial bill to fight ALS, a tragic disease, and the Democratic leader blocked it. Look no further than what happened last week to Senator Toomey's bill, a noncontroversial bill to prevent animals from cruelty and torture. The Democratic leader blocked it.

Look no further than what happened earlier this week to Senator Thune's bill, the noncontroversial MOBILE NOW Act. The Democratic leader blocked it. Look no further than what happened earlier this summer to another noncontroversial bill backed by Senator Johnson that would improve whistleblower protections. The Democratic leader blocked it.

Look no further than what happened a few months ago to Senator Ayotte's bill, a noncontroversial bill to make anthrax vaccines available to first responders. The Democratic leader blocked it. That same day, just a week after five police officers were killed in Dallas, I tried to pass my noncontroversial bill to assist families of fallen police officers. The Democratic leader blocked that bill as well.

Each time Republicans tried to pass noncontroversial, bipartisan legislation, the Democratic leader blocked it. He is the common denominator. I wish I could say that I am surprised by the obstruction that is being pushed by the Democratic leader. But how can I be? This is how the Senate operated under his control. Under his tenure, even Members of his own party weren't allowed to offer amendments to his legislation unless he allowed it. In fact, there was at least one Member on the other side who went a full 6-year term without ever being allowed to offer a single amendment on the Senate floor for a vote.

The Democratic leader's actions in recent weeks--blocking these other bipartisan and, let me emphasize, noncontroversial bills--is pure, unfiltered partisanship. It is election-year politics at its very worst. It is the same failed strategy American voters rejected in 2014 when they gave Republicans control of the Senate. Perhaps the Las Vegas Tribune had it right a few months ago when they wrote that for the Democratic leader, ``[it's] politics first, last and always.'' Today I had an opportunity to champion for Amanda Nguyen and all survivors of sexual assault across the country. I am delighted the Democratic leader relented on this very important piece of legislation and let this bill pass. I urge the Democratic leader to allow these other bipartisan initiatives to pass as well.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source