Border security, interior enforcement, and other immigration issues. I promised i would clear the way to debate these matters this week, and i have. I promised i would ensure a fair amendment process in which both sides could offer legislation for discussion and votes, and i have. Just yesterday the Congressional Hispanic Caucus released a letter thanking me for keeping my commitment and urged the senate to resolve this issue quickly. But we havent even been able to get started yet. Havent even been able to get started. Yesterday i tried twice to open the debate and start the voting. Both times my democratic colleagues objected. Im a little perplexed, frankly, by the holdup. My democratic colleagues have spent months, months, as we all know, demanding the senate take up this issue. They even shut down the government, shut down the government unnecessarily, i might add in order to secure this very week for this discussion. But now that the time has come to make law instead of just makin
U. S. Senate here on cspan2. The presiding officer the senate will come to order. The chaplain will lead the senate in prayer. The chaplain let us pray. Almighty god, the fountain of wisdom, we thank you for this season of penance and personal reflection. Lord, as we remember that the last time Ash Wednesday and valentines day fell on the same day, it was 1945, we thank you for the many challenging seasons through which you have brought this nation and world. As we continue to depend upon the power of your prevailing providence, deliver us from majoring in minors. Bless our lawmakers. As they commit themselves to you, make them a voice for the voiceless and a help for the helpless. May we make it our First Priority to fulfill your purposes for our lives. We pray in your sacred name. Amen. The presiding officer please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to our flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nat
I promised i would clear the way to debate these matters this week and i have. I promised i would ensure a fair amendment process in which both sides could offer legislation for discussion and vote and i have. Yesterday the Congressional Hispanic Caucus released a letter thanking me for keeping my commitment and urge the senate to resolve this issue quickly. But we havent even been able to get started yet. Havent even been able to get started. Yesterday i tried twice to open debate and start the voting. Both times my democratic colleagues objected. Im a little for text frankly by the holdup. My democratic colleagues spent months months as we all know demanding the senate take up this issue and even shut down the government shut down the government unnecessarily i might add in order to secure this very week for this discussion but now the time has come to make law and instead of making points they are stalling. Why . Why after months and months spent demanding that the senate take up th
Now we know that china russia, venezuela voted to approve this. They will vote to lift the u. S. Sanctions. The only power we have left to override the president s veto, and groups like aipac who i have met with the past several days who have to appeal to democrats, this is a bad deal. That is the only way that this whole process can be stopped. Why does it need to be stopped . It allows them to continue their Nuclear Weapons program. That is not why we passed the sanctions over the last decade. We passed the sanctions to dismantle their nuclear capability. The idea that it is for peaceful, Energy Purposes is laughable. The icbm capability can continue to go forward. You develop that to deliver a nuclear warhead. It will start a middle east arms race. When i was in saudi, they said, why are you negotiating with iran . Our allies are confused and do not know if they are still allies. They are strongly opposed to this. Now we see a Nuclear Arms Race in the middle east, egypt will look at
Because, you know what . I can look around this table and some of you have come in with innovative ideas that i had not thought about. I dont know if it will work, but there is enough evidence and logic to indicate we should try it. Trying to create a space for that is what we are working to do. Governor mccrory, governor walker. Governor mccrory madam, thank you. I have enjoyed your visit and your cookies and your lemonade at the executive mansion, i hope you enjoyed it. A really good time. First of all, i want to congratulate you on your comments on your focus on Mental Health and i include that in addiction because i think that is one of the most serious issues we are facing, as i have found out in my 2. Ive years in my 2. 5 years. The addiction is ending up in our prisons, emergency rooms, and our state prisons and that is not the solution. We have got to come up with a longterm partnership with the federal government, local government, and everyone involved to deal with this very