first, I thank Senator Van Hollen, my seatmate and friend representing the State of Maryland in the U.S. Senate. His comments reflect the views, I hope, of the overwhelmingly majority of Americans. It is critically important that we speak out as to what the President has said. I have lived my entire life in Baltimore. I love Baltimore. It is a great city. As Senator Van Hollen has said, it has an incredible history. It is a vibrant city. There are so many good things happening there. It has a great future, and it needs our help from the point of view of any major urban center in America. On weekends, my wife and I will frequently walk areas of Baltimore City in order to get some exercise, to clear our heads from the workweek, and to see what is happening in Baltimore. I must tell you that it is so energizing to see the building cranes in downtown Baltimore building new housing for our young people coming into our city because they know the economic future of Baltimore. They are there because they want to live in an exciting place in Baltimore City. We see the optimism on their faces as they are doing their exercise in the morning and walking the streets of Baltimore. We see a great city that is continuing to rebuild in a modern economy. So when the President of the United States insults the city of Baltimore and Congressman Cummings, it is incumbent on all of us to speak out and tell the President: This is unacceptable.…
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