On the recordDecember 22, 2022
As majority leader, there has been no benefit of this job that I have appreciated, very frankly, more than my magic 1 minute. I intend to take it now. My friends on both sides of the aisle may be glad to know that this is the last time, perhaps, that I will be able to avail myself of that privilege. I intend to use this extended minute to reflect on what we have achieved together during recent years and on a principle that I am eager for us to continue to apply in the years ahead. As Democratic Caucus vice chairman and chairman, as cochair of the Democratic Steering Committee, as Democratic whip, and as majority leader, I approach my work in leadership with one principle in mind: the psychology of consensus. What is this psychology of consensus? It means having a greater sense of our being in this work together than apart. It means waking up and saying: I am on the team, the American team, privileged as citizens to serve in this body on behalf of all our fellow citizens. It means setting out with the intention to make progress, not to block it; and it means focusing on what unites us as Americans. Democrats have put this ethos into practice to hold the party line when we needed every vote or nearly every vote. Our Members remind one another: Consider how you can be with us before deciding whether to have to vote the other way. Let me share some examples of this success.…
