Patrick Leahy: “I am struck by the fact, as I call people around my State of Vermont, which, like your State and every State, has…”

“I am struck by the fact, as I call people around my State of Vermont, which, like your State and every State, has suffered from COVID--although I compliment our Republican Governor, who has kept the numbers down lower than practically any other State in the country. But we are facing winter, and even today, the outgoing President does not seem to be willing to acknowledge the huge mistake he made in not accepting the fact that we had a COVID pandemic coming to this country. We lost too much time preparing for it. We are still not adequately prepared for it. We could take some hope in the news of new vaccinations, but even that is going to take months before than can be fully implemented. The reason I mention this is that the Senate time and again is voting on judicial nominees who have been recommended predominantly by a special interest group or a couple of different special interest groups. We have to vote on these special interest judges for lifetime appointments, but we can't do a single thing to help the average people who are suffering because of COVID. It should not be a Republican or a Democratic issue. In my State, I hear from business people who have small B&Bs, may have a restaurant and a small business--they don't identify themselves as Republicans or Democrats; they just say: We can't open. What are we going to do? I hear from parents who say: What is being done so our kids can go back to school?…”