Senator Sasse (R-NE) after reading the whistleblower complaint: "...Republicans ought not to be rushing to circle the wagons to say there’s no there there when there’s obviously lots that’s very troubling there..."
Chuck Schumer after reading whistleblower complaint: “Having read the documents in there, I'm even more worried about what happened than I was when I read the memorandum of the conversation. There are so many facts that have to be examined. It’s very troubling.”
MITT on Santos: “He shouldn't be in Congress. And they're gonna go through the process and hopefully get him out. But he shouldn't be there and if he had any shame at all, he wouldn't be there.”
ROMNEY: "We have 5% of the world's pop. but 25% of the world's deaths due to COVID19. And there's no way to spin that into positive light. Why is that? I think it's fair to say that from the outset, there was a tendency on the part of the admin to dismiss COVID19 as a threat..."
Bob Corker defending the fleeing migrants: "They're being tortured....I have a feeling that if you were living in one of these Central American countries and you had little girls and little boys you're raising you might be trying to figure out a way to come to the great US of A"
CASSIDY: "President Trump’s team was disorganized....if I'm an impartial juror, and one side is doing a great job, and the other side is doing a terrible job, on the issue at hand, as an impartial juror, I'm going to vote for the side that did the good job."
Mike Pence to Hugh Hewitt 7/29/16: "If it is found that Russia or China or any other foreign power compromised the private email, or capture classified information, and then released that information through the Wikileaks or otherwise, there’d be serious consequences for that."
VIDEO: Rep. John Lewis with a powerful defense of
@JoeBiden
: "I don't think the remarks are offensive. During the height of the civil rights movement we worked with people and got to know people that were members of the klan...We never gave up on our fellow human being..."
ROMNEY on the Johnson/Grassley investigation into Hunter Biden: “There's no question that the appearance of looking into Burisima and Hunter Biden appears political. I think people are tired of these kind of political investigations...”
Video: Sen. Blumenthal was delivering a floor speech on gun violence when an aide handed him a piece of paper about the Santa Clarita, HS shooting
"How can we turn the other way? How can we refuse to see that shooting in real-time demanding our attention, requiring our action?"
GRAHAM defends Dr. Fauci:
"We don't have a Dr. Fauci problem. We need to be focusing on doing things that get us to where we need to go. So I have all the respect in the world for Dr. Fauci. I think any effort to undermine him is not going to be productive, quite frankly."
MTG to
@mkraju
:
Democrats are clearly fine with shut downs. They shut down the whole country over COVID for far too long… People here in Washington need to understand how it feels to be shut down.”
Senator Kennedy (R-LA) on the military parade story: "Confidence is silent. Insecurities are loud. When you are the most powerful nation in all of human history you don’t have to show it off like Russia does, like North Korea, and China."
Mark Kelly asked by
@mkraju
if he wants the VP job:
“I’ve been a public servant since even before I was in the Navy. I drove an ambulance when I was in HS….This is not about me. But I've always, always when I've had the chance to serve I think that's very important to do.”
Senator Corker on the wild NYT Op-Ed: "This is what all of us have understood to be the situation from day one... I understand this is the case and that’s why I think all of us encourage the good people around the President to stay. I thank General Mattis whenever I see him..."
BOOKER: Any questions, anybody?
REPORTER: Regarding the controversy surrounding Congresswoman Omar
BOOKER:Can we do off topic questions when we finish? I will happily stand and talk with you about that...
(no one asks q's on topic and Booker jovially ends presser)
MANCHIN to
@laurakgarrison
re: Vance’s comments re: childless folks
“That truly is just a weird position to take. I never heard that before. It was very weird. I couldn't believe it.”
NEW: In 2021 Vance sent out fundraising emails that called Democrats “childless sociopaths” and in a podcast in 2020 said childless Americans, especially in leadership, are “more sociopathic” and make the country “less mentally stable.”
Senator Chris Coons tells the full story of what happened in the anteroom today with Jeff Flake to
@nancycordes
. Attempting my best
@SopanDeb
impression through
@EllenUchimiya
's legwork
MURKOWSKI asked by
@mkraju
about JD Vance’s childless cat lady comments
“I said that it was it was offensive to me as a woman. Women make their own determinations as to whether or not they're going to have children or cats or dogs or how many kids they're going to have.”
Senator Kennedy (R-LA) on the politics of the shutdown: "I think ardent Republicans think Republicans are winning and ardent Democrats think Democrats are winning. And everybody else in America is kind of wondering how folks up here made it through the birth canal." 🔥🔥🔥
Maxine Waters is not sorry. "First of all I am very, very upset and concerned. I’ve had sleepless nights. Because I believe in peaceful, very peaceful protest. I have not called for the harm of anybody this President has lied again...This Don the Con man will say anything."
How can the Speaker call COVID a “red alert” and an “emergency of the highest magnitude” in the morning and then host a dinner like this? Does anyone trust the ventilation system of a 200 year old building?
House Dem and GOP leaders are holding respective dinners for new members.
.
@SpeakerPelosi
told me it’s safe. “It’s very spaced,” she said and there is enhanced ventilation and the Capitol physician signed off.
Senator Collins to reporters: "First of all I view Roe v. Wade as being settled law. It’s clearly precedent. I always look for judges who respect precedent. "
Lankford on House Republicans trying to impeach Mayorkas again
“It’ll fail in the Senate. If I could use the House term, it’ll be dead on arrival when it comes over.…”
Harris departing the Capitol: “Whatever happens tonight from the outcome of this vote, the President and I are not going to give up on this issue. This is fundamental to our democracy and it is non negotiable."
Reporter: She’s on video.
GRAHAM: She’ll have to tell me is it accurate, I dunno, I haven’t seen the video, what’s accurate, what’s not. What position do you have today. And if your position is different today why?
Q: What is the plan
MANCHIN: We plan as soon as they get everything cleared... but we're going to go back and do our business
Q: In the capitol? Tonight
MANCHIN: We sure hope so we'll say whatever it takes these thugs are not running us off
Romney on the President's attacks on mail in voting: "When politicians attack a judicial system, attack a voting system...attack of free press, these things threaten the foundation upon which not only our own democracy rest but democracies around the world rest..."
ERNST: "IA caucuses are this next Monday evening. And I'm really interested to see how this discussion today informs and influences the Iowa caucus voters, those Demcaucus goers. Will they be supporting VP Biden at this point?"
H/T
@JaxAlemany
McConnell on the special counsel protection bill: "I'm the one who decides what we take to the floor. That's my responsibility as the Majority Leader and we will not be having this on the floor of the Senate."
Asked Sen. Warner & Kaine about Trump revealing Pelosi's CODEL to Afghanistan. Both were stunned.
KAINE: “I have been to Afghanistan on multiple occasions. It has never been announced that I’m going to Afghanistan. That never happens. Never… this guy is so unbelievably petty.”
Reminder that Lindsey Graham literally laughed out loud when Trey Gowdy asked him why Butch Bowers and Co departed the Trump legal team.
Graham: "You get what you pay for"
VIDEO: Senator Mitt Romney calls on
@SteveKingIA
to resign
"Steve King's comments are reprehensible. They have no place in polite society. And certainly no place in the R party. And they should have no place in the United States Congress. He ought to resign and move on..."
Senator Booker on the allegation against Lt. Gov Fairfax:
“I think we should be focusing on what’s right now happening with the Governor. I know you guys are going to try to focus on a lot of things right now, but right now my focus is on again calling for the Gov. to step down.
GRAHAM on MTG: I rode down with her going to GA. Had a very pleasant experience...I want to hear from her. Before I want to judge what to do about her I want to know what the facts are. If these are not accurate postings they've been manipulated, I'd like to know that...
CRUZ in a 2/15 radio intvw
"I was speaking this weekend with the meteorologist expert who was saying the combo of these 2 storms, we could see 100 people lose their lives this wks in Texas. So don't risk it. Keep your family safe and just stay home and hug your kids."
McConnell: Until we find a vaccine these are really important. This is not as complicated as a ventilator. This is a way to indicate that you want to protect others. We all need during this period until we find a vaccine to think of us as protecting not only ourselves but others
Senator Graham just now, full verbate below: "I’ve never been more disturbed than I am right now. If this did in fact happen, if this man was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul that would cross every line of normality in the international community."
Sen. Kennedy breaks down the FBI report: “There were ten witnesses, one declined to talk to the FBI. Five with respect to Dr. Ford’s allegations four with respect to Mrs. Ramirez’s allegations. No corroboration. I really wish you could see this”
Sen. Cruz to
@ShanicaJohnson
: "To see incredibly wealthy, privileged athletes who are driving Lamborghinis, who are living in mansions refusing to show respect for the flag...disrespecting our soldiers sailors airmen & marines... I think that’s unfortunate, I think it’s wrong."
Rand Paul on the Haspel nom: "To really appoint the head cheerleader for waterboarding to be head of the CIA? How can you trust somebody who did that to be in charge of the CIA? I think it’s galling to read of her glee during the waterboarding is just absolutely appalling."
KELLY to
@JulieNBCNews
on
@JDVance
calling VP Harris a childless cat lady:
“I think it’s a ridiculous thing to say about somebody. It’s obnoxious, it’s rude, and it's also not surprising…”
A visibly emotional Chris Murphy who was in the chamber during Romney’s speech:
“That's the hardest thing to do in the world to stand up to your party and to your friends...to just decide to do what's right. I think we all wonder whether we would make the same decision...”
Senator Lindsey Graham on 7/27/17: "If Jeff Sessions is fired there will be holy hell to pay. Any effort to go after Mueller could be the beginning of the end of the Trump presidency unless Mueller did something wrong"
ROMNEY: “ It was hard for me to see what Leader McConnell was suggesting. He seem to be of two minds in the conversation. But reading the reports this morning, and the fact that he hasn't corrected them suggests that he is inclined to listen to what former President Trump wants.”
☀️ MCCONNELL BOWS TO TRUMP ON BORDER
Last night, we scooped that MCCONNELL told Republican senators that time had essentially run out on trying to craft a Ukraine-border package.
"We dont want to do anything to undermine [Trump]," said McConnell, who can barely utter the former
.
@jmartNYT
: appropriate for the House to begin this inquiry on impeachment?
ROMNEY: "That’s not advice I’m going to be providing to the House Speaker, she is able to do what she believes is right...clearly what we’ve seen from the transcript itself is deeply troubling."
Dr. Fauci during a local press live stream with Senator Jones:
"It's a false narrative to take comfort in a lower rate of death. There's so many other things that are very dangerous and bad about this virus. Don't get yourself into false complacency."
Murkowski to
@AKNewsNow
on the impact of McConnell potentially voting to convict
"Well he has been somewhat obtuse about his intentions there...But I do think that that would make a big difference. I think it would make a significant difference."
"I’ve listened to a few interviews that he’s given recently. My personal opinion is there aren’t enough Pilates instructors in America for him to win. But this is America, I think competition makes us all better."
@SenJohnKennedy
on a Howard Schultz candidacy
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer: “If Senate Sergeant Arms Stenger hasn't vacated the position by then, I will fire him as soon as Democrats have a majority in the Senate."
Senator Flake (R-AZ) supports the idea of renaming the Russell Senate Office building after John McCain telling
@margbrennan
, "I want to be the first Republican cosponsor of that resolution."
Tuberville on the Marine Corp Commandant
“The Marine Corp Commandant probably got 2000 ppl working for him…Jack Reed blamed me for his heart attack. Come on, give me a break. This guy is going to work 18-20 hours a day no matter what. That's what we do. I did that for years.“
VIDEO: Senator Flake was confronted by protesters who held the elevator door open for 4 minutes right after he announced that he was a “Yes” on Kavanaugh.
INHOFE on how the nat guard ended up in garages:
"There was 1 uniformed police officer who issued who issued an order without auth or going through the chain of cmd. I'm glad the Cap Police are trying to figure who it was. We will identify who that person was and make it public"
Senator Sasse on the floor: We all know that the President cannot lead us through this time. We know that he's dispositionally unable to restrain his impulse to divide us. His mockery of Dr. Ford in Mississippi was wrong but it doesn't really surprise anyone. It’s who he is."
Senator Graham defending Trump’s tweet describing the impeachment inquiry as a lynching
“I think that’s pretty well accurate. This is a sham. This is a joke... So yeah, this is a lynching and in every sense this un-American...”
Manchin on VA / NJ results: “I just think that the message was really sent if we're going to do something, let's take time and do it right. Let's make sure that people know what's in it….”
ROMNEY: "I think it's increasingly likely that other Republicans will join those of us who think we should hear from John Bolton...I think John Bolton's relevance to our decision has become has become increasingly clear."
Sen. Markey: “We should have a fight on the 14th amendment. We should mint the coin if necessary. To avoid the crisis we should do whatever is necessary…” 🍦
MCCONNELL: These shots need to get into everybody's arms as rapidly as possible or else we're gonna be back in a situation in the fall that we don't yearn for that we went through last year.