Political Quotes

“Madam President, throughout this Congress, I have been more than a little puzzled about the House's refusal to advance commonsense bills that pass the Senate with unanimous support. I know my Senate colleagues have shared their concerns as we have watched bipartisan bills sit in House purgatory with no explanation as to what the reasons for the holdup are. We are talking about bills that help prevent child sexual abuse, support disaster relief, cut redtape, and increase payments to the child support program. These are hardly controversial matters. All 100 Members of the Senate supported these bipartisan bills and countless others, but they are still collecting dust on the House calendar. With the end of the 117th Congress less than a month away, it looks like the logjam may finally begin to break. Last week, the House finally passed the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Reauthorization Act that I authored with Senator Klobuchar. This bill will continue critical grants for mental health courts, crisis intervention teams, and other programs to promote public safety, improve mental health outcomes, and reduce recidivism. The bill passed the Senate unanimously in June, and while I am disappointed that it took so long for the House to act, I am glad it finally did with overwhelming bipartisan support. Last week, the House also passed legislation to rename the post office in Arlington, TX, not exactly a monumental piece of legislation.…”