Heidi Alexander: “the Democratic leader and the Democratic assistant leader know my great respect for them. In fact, I spent a great deal…”

“the Democratic leader and the Democratic assistant leader know my great respect for them. In fact, I spent a great deal of time with the Democratic leader in 2013, reopening the government after the Republicans shut it down. I would like to say three things about where we are today. First, in my view, shutting down the Government of the United States of America should never, ever be a bargaining chip for any issue, period. Shutting down the Government of the United States of America should never, ever be used as a bargaining chip for any issue, period. It should be to governing as chemical warfare is to real warfare. It should be banned. It should be unthinkable. We should not even allow anybody on either side of the aisle to seriously consider it. Yet we are in the middle of it. I was sent here from Tennessee not to shut the government down but to make it work for taxpayers. I have worked hard to do that. I continue to do that, and I think my friends on the other side of the aisle know that I know how to work in the Senate. If you want a result, that means 60 votes. I respect the fact that the minority has prerogatives. I don't think the Senate is a place where a bulldozer runs over the minority. So we work together, and we get important results that are lasting on issues like fixing No Child Left Behind and on 21st Century Cures.…”