Rob Portman: “I can say with certainty that General Austin has no better friend or ally in this Chamber than Senator Dan Sullivan, who…”

“I can say with certainty that General Austin has no better friend or ally in this Chamber than Senator Dan Sullivan, who has seen him as a person and seen him as a commander. Those votes will occur later today. Madam President, I rise today on the floor to talk about what happened yesterday at the Capitol and what happened 2 weeks ago at the Capitol. Yesterday, we had the 59th Presidential inauguration right here. The citadel of democracy was once again the place where a President and Vice President were sworn in for 4 years. Starting in 1789, every 4 years, America and the world have witnessed this remarkable event that provides for the peaceful transfer of Executive power and the continuity of government--something we sometimes take for granted but is rare, even today. It has happened through wars. It has happened through economic recessions. We have had our inaugurations today and during this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. What is more, the inauguration took place 2 weeks to the day on the very west steps of the United States Capitol where a violent mob stormed this building, desecrating these halls, and tried to stop our constitutionally mandated deliberations in this body. It was the ninth inauguration ceremony I have attended. I was proud to be there as President Biden and Vice President Harris were sworn in.…”