David Perdue: “I rise today to talk about why I am here, and really why all of us are here. We are here to represent the people of our…”

“I rise today to talk about why I am here, and really why all of us are here. We are here to represent the people of our great States. We are here to do the people's business and to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars. We just finished an ongoing debate about how Congress can direct and guide foreign policy in the United States. In doing so, we have seen the dangerous consequences of partisan politics right here on the Senate floor and how that can affect this process. Just last week, 42 of my Democratic colleagues supported President Obama's dangerous nuclear deal with Iran while still having serious concerns about its global ramifications. Now we must refocus our attention on solving our fiscal crisis and tackling our skyrocketing national debt. State governments across the country set both funding levels and clear priorities for their States each year based on the needs of their people and their local communities. Washington has been distracted from this for far too long. Balancing the budget and efficiently allocating resources is what Washington has not done well for the last several years. Too many people here are preoccupied by politics of the day when getting our fiscal house in order should always be the top priority. In other words, Washington has stopped listening to the American people. Well, I--and a few of us, including the Presiding Officer--am indeed listening.…”