C-Span2

Floor Speech

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Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, today we mark 40 years since C-SPAN began its coverage of the U.S. Senate, bringing the work of this body directly into people's living rooms. It doesn't seem very radical right now. We are all used to it. But back then, it was revolutionary.

C-SPAN's commitment to providing a crucial connection between the U.S. Senate and the people we serve has remained strong ever since that day 40 years ago. That commitment can be seen in the incredible volume of coverage since June 2, 1986, when C-SPAN2 was born. And the presiding officer on that late spring day? Senator Chuck Grassley.

Altogether, C-SPAN2 has recorded more than 43,000 hours of Senate sessions, capturing more than 169,000 Senate floor speeches--169,000. These recordings have preserved the voices of 359 different Senators, including 185 Republicans and 167 Democrats and 7 Independents.

These hours include memorable moments like that of Senator Bob Dole on that first day of televised coverage, saying, ``No longer will the great debates in this Chamber be lost forever''; of then-Senator Tom Harkin, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act, closing his farewell speech in American sign language; or of the Dalai Lama serving as the Senate guest Chaplain in 2014. All of those moments would have been lost to history, but they were captured by C-SPAN.

As we celebrate these last four decades of coverage in the Senate, think back to 1986. Prince, whom we sadly lost 10 years ago, had recently released his eighth album, ``Parade''; the film ``Top Gun'' was released; and, yes, the Bemidji State Beavers of Bemidji, MN, won the Division III men's ice hockey national championship. But back then, Senators were hesitant to embrace C-SPAN2--the lighting wasn't great in those first few years--but they eventually came around to see this great asset to our democracy for what it is: a way to shine the light on the work in the Senate and a way for Americans, whether they agree with us or not, to stay up to date on what is happening.

When there are big votes or big debates going on, people tune in or they see the clips and the coverage later. It is not just the people who are able to come to Washington--as exciting as that is--to sit in the Chamber, as some people are doing today, but what this does is extend it to everyone.

Last year, on its 39th birthday, Senator Grassley and I passed a resolution celebrating all that C-SPAN2 had accomplished. In our resolution, we urged all television providers, including streamers, to carry C-SPAN because we need to make sure that access to C-SPAN keeps up with changing technologies so that every household in America can see their elected Representatives--the work they do, the positions they take, the votes they make. Since our resolution passed, YouTube TV and Hulu have begun carrying C-SPAN on their platforms. Now we need to extend that beyond.

C-SPAN's live coverage across multiple platforms continues to keep the American people informed and keep them engaged with their democracy.

Thank you again to Senator Grassley for working with me to highlight C-SPAN's critical role, and thanks to him for presiding over the Senate on that first day of coverage 40 years ago. I am sure he doesn't look one bit different today. And thanks to everyone who has had a hand in C-SPAN's continuing, important role in our democracy over the last 40 years.

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