Political Quotes

“I notice of the Presiding Officer and the junior Senator from Arkansas, who was the Presiding Officer right before, and far too often of the Presiding Officers that they are taking their masks off when they preside. I notice that right below the Presiding Officer are always three or four staff people who are fully masked. I also know that a number of our colleagues have been diagnosed with the coronavirus. I would hope that the Presiding Officers, starting today, would wear masks when they preside. As they speak and project, it puts people at risk who sit right below the Presiding Officer. I know it might offend the President of the United States that the Presiding Officer wears a mask when presiding because I know the President doesn't believe in it, but public health officials in Tennessee and Arkansas and Ohio and Oregon and Hawaii do. So I ask this of the Presiding Officer and would hope the Presiding Officer and others will consider public health when they preside over this body. Before I address my issue--and I will note when Senator Crapo has shown up on the floor to address--I want to point out a couple of things that I just heard from Senator Thune and Senator Wyden. Senator Wyden is exactly right. The only amendment to the $2.5 trillion package that the Republicans offered was to strip away the $600. I have always been puzzled by how much the Republicans as a party-- almost since Roosevelt--have hated unemployment insurance.…”