Political Quotes

“Mr. President, reserving the right to object, reasonable efforts to protect those working on the frontlines in the middle of a public health crisis should certainly be applied. There are many individuals across the country steadfastly fulfilling their occupational duties to care for and otherwise help those who have the coronavirus. It is important that those individuals take precautions for their safety and for the safety of other people who happen to be around them. However, the bill under consideration, the bill that is the subject of this unanimous consent request, poses several problems. First of all, it does not respect the fact that States, localities, and businesses are far better suited than the Federal Government to determine what safety standards might be needed. Instead, the legislation forces State governments to adjust their current plans to protect workers to meet standards determined by some administrative bureaucracy in Washington. This action is burdensome, and a one-size-fits-all approach to protecting healthcare workers on the frontlines will not work. The reason it will not work is that our frontlines differ across the Nation. States must be permitted the flexibility to enact their own standards based on the needs of each State. Further, the temporary protection standards for the bill are not truly temporary.…”