Rob Portman: “Look, this is ridiculous. We have a health and safety issue on the floor of the Senate that is ready to go. You just…”

“Look, this is ridiculous. We have a health and safety issue on the floor of the Senate that is ready to go. You just heard from me and Senator Brown. It is bipartisan, bicameral, and is ready to go to the President. I must say to my friend the Senator from Rhode Island, who talked about his legislation, that I have no problem with his legislation, but he hasn't had it cleared. The Senator said this has been going on for weeks and weeks, and that is not true. This came onto our radar screen on Thursday night of last week when, after over 40 days on the floor with our bill, we got it all cleared, and then we found out just prior to my going and asking to have a voice vote on it that now they want to pair it with another piece of legislation that has nothing to do with health and safety. It is a reauthorization of a program that has not been passed by the House. The Senator from Rhode Island said it has been passed by the House. It has not been passed by the House. It may have been passed by the House in a previous Congress, but that doesn't count. What counts is that our bill passed the House with a vote of 375 to 37, and it is now on the floor. The people I represent deserve to have our government work for them right now to help deal with this algal bloom problem, and they are blocking my bill with legislation they say is nonpartisan and noncontroversial? I am happy to support their bill.…”