Motion to Discharge

Floor Speech

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Mr. PAUL. We could pass this bill today, immediately. All we have been asking is that it not only protect Federal judges but protect Members of Congress as well. I haven't heard a cogent or even any argument for why it couldn't.

It is a very simple compromise. To pass things unanimously takes compromise. It takes people coming together and people agreeing. But there hasn't been any movement; there hasn't been any compromise; and I am still open. We can pass this today to include Members of Congress.

If recent years have taught us anything, it is that members of the legislative branch need protection as well as those in the judiciary. That was clear in 2011 when Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was tragically shot while she was doing the most important part of her job--meeting with constituents. Words cannot express how happy and inspired I was to see that Congresswoman Giffords was in the Chamber with her husband, Senator Kelly, when he was sworn in as a Member of this body. Well, words also cannot express the pain felt by the families of the people who were killed that day and wounded. That should have been a wake-up call to protect Members of Congress and, in doing so, to better protect the people around them.

Yet, just a few years later, a shooter nearly killed Congressman Steve Scalise during a practice for the charity baseball game. I was there. A young man was shot 10 feet from me. I said at the time that our lives were saved by the Capitol Police. Had they not been there, things could have been much worse.

Extending the provisions of this bill to Members of Congress would better protect us and our families and our constituents. I have been offering this for 2 years. My amendment, which I will offer through unanimous consent, simply extends the same protections that it would offer to the judicial branch to the legislative branch.

This is not a new request. In December of 2020, when we discussed this bill on the floor, I offered this compromise. I said I would work together with the other side to try to get a bill that we could pass. But we haven't gotten anywhere. If we want this to pass, let's compromise. Let's come together and figure out a way that we can get this to pass.

I know of no argument or no constituency that is coming to Washington, saying: We don't want Members of Congress to be protected. There is no such constituency. There is no such argument, and there is no reason we couldn't pass this today. It has been almost 2 years. Let's pass this bill today. As I have said over and over again, I support this bill and the provisions, and I don't believe it ought to be blocked merely because Members of Congress also need protection.

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Mr. PAUL. Our staff has offered to meet with the opposition's staffs. We have not had one meeting. They have not accepted a meeting much less a compromise--a year and a half.

This could pass today by simply accepting this. There is a promise to do it at a later date when we have waited a year and a half? A year and a half went by because no one would meet with us. We have not had one meeting. We have offered to meet with the staffs of both of the authors of this, and we have not been granted a meeting. There has been no discussion of this between staff and no discussion of a compromise.

We would take a compromise. I don't understand. There has been no argument made today as to why Congress couldn't be added to this bill. They could have added this to the bill or talked to us over a year and a half. No one has talked to us. Other than to come for the public theater, no one has tried to get this thing passed.

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