On the recordSeptember 7, 2023
reserving the right to object. Mr. President, I have major concerns about this unanimous consent request. But let me start first with the process, whether we should be legislating a policy in regard to the health of our pages. Despite what the Senator from Kentucky has said, the policies concerning our pages' health is not set on a partisan basis; it is set based upon the recommendations of our health professionals. They are not politicians. They are not making partisan decisions. They are making their recommendations based upon what they believe is in the best interests of the health of the people who work in this institution, including our Senate pages. So I am concerned about the unanimous consent request because it would legislate areas that should be left to the administration based upon the recommendations of our health professionals. Secondly, as I look at the legislation that the unanimous consent would adopt, it goes well beyond COVID-19 vaccines. It goes to wearing a mask, having a legislative prohibition about requiring a page to wear a mask. That is pretty broad. We don't know what is coming. We don't know what our requirements are going to be and needs to deal with public health in this institution. Again, that should be left to the health professionals. We shouldn't be micromanaging what the health professionals tell us is in the best interests of the people who work in this institution.…





