Political Quotes

“I am proud to talk about the National Defense Authorization Act, which has come to this body with a strong bipartisan vote from the Armed Services Committee where I serve. I am proud to have helped to craft this legislation, and I am proud to be voting for some of the amendments that have been permitted votes on the floor. One that has not been permitted relates to the Insurrection Act, a 213-year-old law that has been invoked at various points in our history to protect civil rights as it was during the era of desegregation, but President Trump has threatened to use this slavery-era law to silence calls for justice from Americans protesting centuries of racist oppression. In effect, he has threatened to invert the Insurrection Act to deprive Americans of their First Amendment right. So I introduced a bill called the CIVIL Act that would preserve Presidential accountability to Congress whenever the Insurrection Act is invoked. It would require the President to consult with Congress prior to invoking the act and provide certification to Congress to justify the use of this authority. It has other provisions. It was voted down in the markup of the Armed Services Committee, but I sought a vote on the floor. Apparently, it will not happen. If the President uses force against Americans at home, Congress should demand at least the same check that applied to his use of force against adversaries abroad.…”