Political Quotes

“I rise in opposition to this amendment that makes it more difficult for Congress to respond to an emergency when one occurs. Let us be clear. There is no reason to hold up Federal dollars to help people recover from a natural disaster while Congress searches for revenue or spending cuts to pay for emergency assistance. This amendment would create a supermajority hurdle for the Senate to declare something an emergency. When people are suffering after a hurricane or a wildfire, we should not be creating additional barriers to them getting the help they need. Congress has provided exemptions for emergency spending ever since the budget process started a pay-as-you-go system. This helps Federal dollars respond to emergencies in a more timely manner. Importantly, the 60-vote threshold still exists for emergency legislation, meaning any bill that includes emergency spending will still face a 60-vote hurdle. There is simply no need to make getting urgently needed money out of the door one step harder. I urge my colleagues to vote no on this amendment. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Tennessee. Vote on Amendment No. 3062 The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the amendment.”