Unanimous Consent Request

Floor Speech

This COVID crisis has created all kinds of issues that need to be thoroughly discussed and thoroughly debated. I think there are a number of us on this side of the aisle--I am just one standing up--who object to this unanimous consent request. The good news for the Senator from Minnesota is, in talking with those colleagues, they also agree there is a fair number of elements in this bill with which they could probably find agreement.

I rise to certainly extend my hand in cooperation with the Senator from Minnesota. Let's work on these things together, although this is not a bill that comes through my committee's jurisdiction. I can say, in my committee, we work across the aisle. Staff does an awful lot of work, and we come to a conclusion. If it is not ready for a particular markup, we go back and get the work done. We frequently pass a piece of legislation by voice vote and then bring it to the floor when it has all been ironed out. There is no disagreement, and there is no objection, and we pass those bills by unanimous consent.

I think the problem here is that this bill has never had any kind of committee markup or any committee work whatsoever. So I would just suggest that the Senator from Minnesota work with her committee and her committee chair. I see the committee chair is here in the Chamber. Work on this. Try to find those areas of agreement. Then maybe we could pass this and maybe potentially pass this by unanimous consent. This piece of legislation is not ready. It hasn't gone through that process.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source