Angus King

This is fragile, and we are in a very dangerous moment. This is the most dangerous moment I think since 1860 in terms of the future of the country.

We can’t let this wave of voter suppression, and the changing of the rules that you mentioned happen.

24 percent of the American people have an effective veto, over anything that 76 percent of the American people think is important public policy. I don’t think that squares the democratic theory.

I think that really, really makes a difference. And it was -- it was -- I guess you shouldn’t say shocking. It wasn’t really surprising. I didn’t expect to get those Republican votes. But to have them simply say, we just don’t want to have…

It’s important to remember that most failures of democracy as we look at history, started with legitimate elections.

When it comes to democracy itself, and that’s at what at risk, Rachel, I’ve never been worried about the future of my country, because we are headed for a place where people don’t trust elections.

The filibuster is not in the Constitution, we need to restore the Senate to what it was back when I worked there 40 years ago.

Democracy itself is more important than any Senate rule.

Not to prolong the discussion, but Article I, Section 4 of the Constitution makes it abundantly clear that the responsibility for election administration is a joint one between the States and the Congress, and that the Congress, at any…

Your position on this bill is that it is basically a good bill but there are modifications the Department would like to see made, is that correct?

Talking about mitigation and resiliency is a hell of a lot cheaper than talking about rebuilding after a disaster.

Well, I guess what I am trying to get at--is your problem with the percentages or the concept? Do you support the concept of revenue sharing from offshore wind revenues? Yes or no?

You have a statute over here that has been in place for years on oil and gas revenues. You have a new set of revenues and you are saying, well, we are just not going to talk about that.

It just seems to me it is cart before the horse to be talking about a vast expansion of offshore wind without talking about where the revenues are going to go.

I will look forward to working with you over the next several weeks to define the word 'eager.'

But everything you just said would lead me to believe that that money should flow through the coastal states where that kind of work would take place.

Aren't the states that are most directly impacted the ones that would logically be working on the mitigation?

But, these partisan efforts will change that.

If they cannot get everything they want, they would rather have nothing.

I say to my colleagues, let's set aside this disastrous budget.

We should not just pour money into schools that cannot get their students out with a degree or a certificate.

I’ve been very reluctant for nine years about modifying the filibuster rule with policy but this has nothing to do with policy. This is about keeping the United States on the world that could be a severe recession.

I think it was clear from the testimony today that the military, or at least the two Generals that were in front of us believe that maintaining some presence in Afghanistan would be a good idea. The President obviously rejected that advice.

It strikes me that the relationship Oak Ridge has with the University of Maine is a promising model.

I think we are leaving discoveries on the table if we do not empower these wonderful institutions.