About time. The Republicans want to filibuster everything, then make them stay there until Christmas eve.
From the Senate floor moments ago ——-IN JUST A FEW MINUTES WE’RE GOING
TO PROCEED TO THE START TREATY. I’M TOLD THE REPUBLICANS ARE
GOING TO MAKE US READ THE ENTIRE TREATY IN AN EFFORT TO STALL
US FROM PASSING IT. ISN’T THAT WONDERFUL?
THAT PIECE OF — THAT TREATY HAS BEEN HERE SINCE APRIL OR MAY
OF THIS YEAR. PLENTY OF TIME TO READ IT. THESE ARE ADDITIONAL
DAYS OF WASTED TIME WE COULD BE USING TO PASS LEGISLATION TO
GET HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. YET SOME OF MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES
HAVE THE NERVE TO WHINE ABOUT HAVING TO STAY AND ACTUALLY DO
THE WORK OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. WE MAKE LARGE SALARIES, MADAM
PRESIDENT. WE COULD WORK AS MOST AMERICANS DO DURING THE
HOLIDAYS. PERHAPS SENATORS KYL AND DeMINT HAVE BEEN IN
WASHINGTON TOO LONG BECAUSE IN MY STATE, NEVADANS EMPLOYED IN
CASINOS AND HOTELS AND THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF NEVADA AND ON
RANCHES, BASICALLY EVERY PLACE HAVE TO WORK HARD ON HOLIDAYS,
INCLUDING CHRISTMAS, TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES. THE MINES DON’T
SHUT DOWN IN NEVADA ON CHRISTMAS. PEOPLE WORK. THEY GET PAID
DOUBLE TIME A LOT OF TIMES WHEN THEY HAVE GOOD CONTRACTS, BUT
THEY WORK ON CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS. MOST PEOPLE DON’T GET TWO
WEEKS OFF ON ANY TIME, LET ALONE CHRISTMAS WEEK. AND THESE
PEOPLE WHO ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE A JOB IN THESE TRYING TIMES
NEED TO WORK EXTRA HOURS TO MAKE ENDS MEET. SO IT’S OFFENSIVE
TO ME AND MILLIONS OF WORKING AMERICANS ACROSS THIS COUNTRY FOR
ANY SENATOR TO SUGGEST THAT WORKING THROUGH THE CHRISTMAS
HOLIDAYS IS SOMEHOW SACRILEGIOUS. THEY DECIDE TO WORK WITH US, WE CAN ALL HAVE A
HAPPY HOLIDAY. IF THEY DON’T, WE’RE GOING TO CONTINUE UNTIL WE
FINISH THE PEOPLE’S BUSINESS. MADAM PRESIDENT, I MOVE TO
PROCEED TO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO CALENDAR NUMBER 7, THE START
TREATY. I ASK FOR THE YEAS AND NAYS.
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