I come to the Capitol every day to fight for what I believe in. I often have issues I feel very strongly about—whether it’s a woman’s right to choose, or immigration, or health care, or the issue of the day.
I use my voice to tell people what I believe to be right, and I listen to the other side. We hear each other out, we vote, and whoever has the votes wins. And I accept that.
Do I always like the outcome? No, but I accept it, because that is what our democracy requires. People having a voice, being able to use it, and all of us accepting that no one person or group should get their way all the time.
There can be no normalizing or looking away from what played out before our eyes this week. The violent mob that attacked the Capitol was made up of people who don’t accept democracy, and want to take this country by use of force.
This is not how we keep our people and our country free. As a Senator, I respect every member who disagrees with my ideas. I reserve my right to use my voice to fight for what I believe in.
At the end of the day, our job is to keep this country a democracy where voices win, not brute force. Any Senator who stands up and supports the power of force over the power of democracy has broken their oath of office. Senators Hawley and Cruz should resign.
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Tonight Senate Republicans forced a vote on a bill they claimed would protect patients with pre-existing conditions.
But the truth is, this bill wasn't about protecting patients, it was about protecting Republicans from their record of undermining health care.
Republicans have tried *repeatedly* to overturn protections for pre-ex conditions—& right now, they're rushing to confirm a SCOTUS justice who could rule in a case that will be argued just days after the election to end those protections & upend health care entirely.
Senate Republicans were hoping the bill they offered tonight would distract people from the facts. But let me be perfectly blunt about what happened: Republicans, who are steering the Titanic toward an iceberg, tried to offer passengers an umbrella to stay dry.
A NEW REPORT outlines how the American health care system has failed communities of color due to entrenched bias, discrimination, & racism—and how the Trump Administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened this crisis. help.senate.gov/ranking/newsro…
This report found that:
➡️Black people are 3.5x more likely to die from COVID-19 than white people.
➡️COVID-19 accounts for 1 in 5 deaths in the Latinx community.
➡️American Indian or Alaska Native patients are being hospitalized at more than 4x the rate of white people.
The impacts of COVID-19 have been particularly severe for people of color who have a disability, are older adults, have pre-ex conditions, are LGBTQIA+, or are workers who earn low incomes.
President Trump has told us repeatedly what he wants in a justice: a jurist who above anything else is committed to gutting health care through the courts and ending safe, legal abortion in the United States of America.
Make no mistake, a vote to confirm a Supreme Court nominee who meets President Trump’s tests is a vote to take away people’s health care and vital rights.
I oppose this President's Supreme Court nomination in the strongest terms, just like I've opposed his other nominees who want to overturn Roe v. Wade, dismantle affordable health care & eliminate pre-ex conditions protections, & roll back other hard-fought rights.
Speaking in a Senate committee hearing with members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force about how President Trump's political interference is sabotaging the work of our scientists and public health experts. twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
So much has changed since the early days of the COVID-19 crisis. But one thing hasn’t changed: President Trump is still putting politics ahead of public health.
The reality is that cases & deaths are still alarmingly high; testing & contact tracing are frustratingly inadequate; Black, Latino, & Tribal communities & other communities of color still face severe health disparities; & we need to prepare for the upcoming flu season.
Speaking at a Senate committee hearing with @CDCDirector, @HHS_ASH, and @PHEgov about President Trump's failed leadership and damaging political interference in the COVID-19 pandemic response. twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
Since the beginning of this crisis, President Trump has been spreading inaccuracies & outright lies, and recklessly interfering with the work of our public health agencies for political benefit—showing a dangerous disregard for truth, facts, science, & people's lives.
A reminder for my Republican colleagues: You cannot be for science if you aren’t against political interference.
Speaking at a Senate committee hearing about the importance of protecting the rights of college athletes—including getting fair compensation, establishing enforceable health and safety standards, and providing them with the quality education they deserve. twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
Compensating college athletes must be looked at from a perspective of racial and economic justice. For too long, the $15 billion college sports industry has been a rigged system that exploits young athletes, particularly young athletes of color—& that desperately needs to change.
Congress can start protecting college athletes by ensuring they all receive fair compensation, and that means allowing athletes to profit from the use of their name, image, and likeness.