Patty Murray: “Thank you, Mr. President. I thank my colleague from Hawaii for her really important statement on this. I come to the…”

“Thank you, Mr. President. I thank my colleague from Hawaii for her really important statement on this. I come to the floor today to express my serious concerns, along with other women from the Senate, about the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court, particularly about what it would mean for women across the country today and for generations to come. Like the overwhelming majority of my Democratic colleagues, I have decided to vote against Judge Gorsuch's nomination, and I will be opposing a cloture motion ending debate. Now, I don't take this decision lightly, but with the future of women's health and rights and opportunity at risk, it is a decision I must make. The Trump administration has broken nearly every one of its promises, but one it has certainly kept is its promise to turn back the clock on women's progress. It is clear that Republicans in Congress are committed to doing the same. Last week, just a few days ago, Senate Republicans, with the help of Vice President Pence, overturned a rule that prevents discrimination against family planning providers based on the kinds of services they provide to women. It was shameful and unprecedented. Now, not missing a beat, Congressional Republicans are already gearing up to attach riders to our coming budget bills in order to cut off access to critical services at Planned Parenthood for millions of patients.…”