On the recordJuly 24, 2014
I want to thank the gentlewoman from Tennessee for her leadership on this important issue of this do-nothing Senate. The President likes to refer to us as the do-nothing Congress. Well, tonight, we are presenting 332 reasons why it is actually the do- nothing Senate, as seen by the stack of the bills here on the gentlewoman's desk. This has made it the least productive Congress in history. 332 bills have passed the House and are sitting on Harry Reid's desk. These are not just Republican bills. 178 of these bills passed the House with no opposition at all. In fact, nearly 70 percent of these bills passed with two-thirds support or more. Fifty-five of these House bills were introduced by Democrats--still, Harry Reid refuses to bring these bills up for a vote. While House Republicans are focused on building up America's middle class, the Senate Democrats are content to let dust gather on hundreds of bills that would grow the economy, reduce the size and scope of an overbearing Federal Government and, importantly, help create jobs in America. Take the Keystone XL pipeline, for example. This is truly one of those shovel-ready projects that would create more than 42,000 direct and indirect jobs nationwide. Across the political spectrum, there is overwhelmingly support for this project, yet Harry Reid refuses to bring it up for a vote. I have got that bill right here. It is H.R. 3.…
