Tim Kaine: “I had not intended to speak today. Yet, in my office, as I was alternately talking to Virginians and colleagues about…”

“I had not intended to speak today. Yet, in my office, as I was alternately talking to Virginians and colleagues about our goal to find an economic package that will backstop workers and the American economy, I had the TV on. I was watching what was happening on the floor, and I decided I would come and just speak for a few minutes. Frankly, I think that what has been happening on the floor today has sort of been artificial and hasn't really shown the American public what is truly going on. There were a lot of speeches that were taking place wherein it was sort of a blame game, and I don't think that is what Americans wanted to see today. Just as there was yesterday, there was another vote today that failed, a vote that was destined to fail. I don't think that is what Americans deserved to see today. What Americans didn't see yesterday and today is the intense dialogue and debate and discussion around the third coronavirus response bill--by far, the largest. It is important to get the details right. We spent time getting the details right, in a bipartisan way, to pass an $8 billion supplemental appropriation just 2 weeks ago. We spent time getting the details right to pass an extension of paid childcare and unemployment insurance that had a cost of about $100 billion. We are now talking about an economic stimulus package that could be as high as $2 trillion. The American public wants us to get the details right.…”