Political Quotes

“Madam President, I rise to mention one piece of legislative business and then will pay tribute to the senior Senator from Mississippi, Senator Thad Cochran. Last night, the Appropriations Committee, which Senator Cochran chairs, released the 2018 Omnibus appropriations bill. It includes a proposal that I feel very strongly about, and I am grateful to him and all of our colleagues for their support. I particularly want to acknowledge the advocacy of the majority leader, Mitch McConnell, to make sure this provision is included in the omnibus bill. The House will soon vote on the omnibus, and then I hope we can quickly follow suit here in the Senate. The provision I am referring to is, in shorthand, called Fix NICS. NICS, of course, is the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. I think it is a reasoned and reasonable response to the shootings that have, appallingly, occurred in our schools, our churches, and in our public spaces. Just this last week, a gunman opened fire at a high school in Maryland, not far from here, and, of course, shootings have occurred in Florida, Texas, Nevada, Charleston, SC, and elsewhere. Our constituents are frustrated, frightened, and fed up. They want us to do something. More importantly than that, they want us to do something that will be effective and save lives. I am happy to say the Fix NICS bill fits that description. People who haven't been active on this issue now are raising their voices and demanding that they be heard.…”