On the recordOctober 25, 2020
everything that has happened since the untimely passing of the legendary Justice Ginsburg is a clear reminder that much of what goes on in Washington, DC, is simply not on the level. Right now, our country is hurting--mass death, mass unemployment, mass hunger, and suffering among children. The two sides in Congress ought to be addressing those challenges together. Now more than ever, while so many are so fearful about tomorrow, the rules the Senate goes by and the agreements the Senate makes need to stand for something. That is how I felt when I negotiated for the $600- per-week unemployment insurance boost in March. The Treasury Secretary for the Republicans agreed to it, but then, at the last minute, Republican Senators pretended otherwise and tried to vote it out of the bill. Think about that. There was an agreement between both sides, and the one thing that Senate Republicans wanted to do was to break the agreement and keep workers from getting that extra money to pay the rent and the food bill at a time when they had been laid off through no fault of their own. Another example is unfolding right before our eyes. Until a few weeks ago, Leader McConnell and Chairman Graham would have told you it was essentially the 11th commandment, carved in stone: No election-year Supreme Court appointments. Again, Republicans went back on their word.…





