Political Quotes

“I want to say a very special thank-you to Senator Klobuchar for her thoughtful and passionate words about the harm that the Senator from Alabama is imposing on our military and on our Nation. As the Senator from Minnesota said, we are here fighting to try to protect our Nation while Senator Tuberville, in the view of the former Secretaries of Defense of both parties, is undermining our national security. I also want to thank Senator Reed for his leadership and his steady hand in trying to persuade the Senator from Alabama that it is time to end this blockade. This is the third time that I have come to the Senate floor to ask the Senator from Alabama to reconsider his unprecedented action of blocking hundreds of promotions earned by our men and women in uniform. The Senate votes on nominees appointed by the President to occupy top roles in government--Cabinet Secretaries, judges, and Ambassadors. The Senate's role in approving nominations also extends to thousands of military promotions every year. If a colonel does an exceptional job and their military services promotion board decides that they are ready to be a brigadier general, the Senate must hold a vote for that promotion to go through. In the vast majority of circumstances, this vote is a formality. Most of these promotions are considered in big batches rather than one at a time. Most of the time, there isn't even a recorded vote. We are confident in the process, and we pass these people through.…”