Tim Kaine: “I am very proud to stand with my colleagues on the floor to talk about the Freedom to Vote Act. I was proud to work with…”

“I am very proud to stand with my colleagues on the floor to talk about the Freedom to Vote Act. I was proud to work with my colleagues over many months--really, my purpose beginning in May--to help negotiate the bill to a place where it could do what needs to be done to accomplish the objectives my colleagues have described so well. I want to offer just a few words from the heart about why I am so impassioned about getting this bill done. By my count, there have been 1,994 people who have served in the U.S. Senate--1,994. One hundred of us share a unique experience. One hundred of us were here on the only day in the history of this body when we were attacked by violent insurrectionists attempting to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power. So from whatever State we represent or whatever our background, we are unified in having shared an experience never to be imagined, never to be forgotten, and never to be repeated. I believe the fact that we shared this experience together with the Senate staff who were here with us, this puts a unique responsibility on our shoulders. First, let's understand what that day was about, that there are some who are trying to kind of downplay it--it was tourists visiting. We can laugh that off because we know that wasn't the case. There are others who are trying to downplay it in other ways--it was a riot, it was a protest, even that it was a violent protest. That is not what it was.…”