Working Together For America

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, at a press conference the day after the elections in November, President Obama said: ``I am eager to work with the new Congress to make the next 2 years as productive as possible.''

Well, Republicans couldn't have been happier to hear that. After years of dysfunction in the Democrat-led Senate, Republicans were eager to get Washington working again for Americans and working with the President to get things done for the American people. We are still eager to work with the President, but, unfortunately, despite his words, the President hasn't shown much of an inclination to work with Congress.

Between January 7 and February 10 of this year, President Obama issued a total of 13 veto threats. That is more than two veto threats per week during that period. He has announced his intention to veto everything from a bipartisan jobs bill to national security legislation to bills to protect the unborn. And, of course, he has threatened to veto the Keystone XL Pipeline bill--a threat he is likely to make good on this week.

One would think that if President Obama were at all serious about wanting to work with Congress, Keystone would be the first bill he would sign. The American people support Keystone by a wide margin. Unions support Keystone because they are eager for the jobs that it would create. Substantial numbers of Democrats support Keystone.

Here is what one Democrat had to say about the pipeline: ``We have everything to gain by building this pipeline, especially since it would help create thousands of jobs right here at home and limit our dependence on foreign oil.'' That is from a Democrat here in the Senate.

Approving Keystone is a no-brainer. It would support 42,000 jobs during construction, would contribute billions to our economy, and would bring in substantial revenue to State and local governments which would mean more money for local priorities such as schools and teachers, roads and bridges. It would do all of this without spending a dime--not a single dime of taxpayer money.

The President's refusal to approve this legislation is a signal of just how unserious he is about wanting to work with Congress to get things done. Unfortunately, after a promising start Democrats in the Senate are starting to imitate President Obama's obstruction. Yesterday Democrats again voted to filibuster the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill for the fourth time this month. What is their reason? They are desperate to protect the President's Executive action on immigration.

Before President Obama decided to implement his Executive amnesty, he said 22 times he did not have the authority to take this action. In fact, in March of 2011 he told an audience:

With respect to the notion that I can just suspend deportation through executive order, that is just not the case, because there are laws on the books that Congress has passed. ..... we've got three branches of government. Congress passes the law. The executive branch's job is to enforce and implement those laws.

That is from the President of the United States in March of 2011. At least eight Democrats have expressed similar concerns. This is from a Democrat here in the Senate: ``I have to be honest, how this is coming about makes me uncomfortable.''

An independent Senator from Maine stated: ``I also frankly am concerned about the constitutional separation of powers.''

This is an example of the reservations that have been expressed by Democrats right here in the Senate about the President's Executive amnesty.

Last week a Federal judge agreed with the legal concerns the President had raised and ordered the administration to halt amnesty proceedings. Despite this, Democrats continue to try to protect funding for the President's unconstitutional action by preventing consideration of the Homeland Security appropriations bill.

If Democrats object to parts of the bill, they need to vote to get on the bill so they can offer proposals to amend it. That is the way this place works. Republicans have made it very clear that we are ready and willing to vote on Democratic amendments. The leader on our side has said that when we get on the bill we will alternate amendments. It will be a free-flowing process, just as we committed to when we took the majority in the Senate.

The Democrats object to the bill's lack of funding for the President's amnesty. Then they should offer amendments to restore the funding. That is simply how it works in the Senate. All we have to do is get on the bill. That just takes six Democrats to get us onto that legislation to give us an opportunity to actually debate this.

When the Republicans took over the Senate in January, we made it our goal to get Washington working again. That is exactly what we have done. Our Democrat-controlled Senate was run on a strictly partisan line basis. The minority party was shut out of the debate and the amendment process, and the Senate spent much of its time on narrow, partisan legislation.

Under Republican control the Senate floor has become once again an open forum for debate and amendments by Members of both parties. Republicans have allowed almost three times as many amendments in January alone as Democrats allowed in the entire calendar year of 2014.

The Keystone XL Pipeline bill was passed with bipartisan support with amendments from Members of both parties. Republicans are eager to continue this bipartisan process going forward. That is why the obstruction of the President and the Democrats in this particular circumstance is so disappointing.

Nobody around here expects Democrats and Republicans to always agree. They certainly don't expect the President to never issue a veto threat. But the President's apparent determination to obstruct everything is pretty discouraging.

If the President continues to make veto threats at the same rate he has so far, we will be looking at almost 90 veto threats by the end of 2015. The American people deserve and expect better. Americans sent a clear message in the last election. They were tired of business as usual in Washington. They want Members of Congress and the President to work together to address the challenges facing our Nation. Clearly, the President still hasn't managed to process that message.

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