Joe Donnelly sworn in as U.S. Senator for Indiana

Martin Heinrich sworn in as U.S. Senator for New Mexico

Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) sworn in as U.S. Senators

Angus King sworn in as U.S. Senator for Maine

Chris Murphy sworn in as U.S. Senator for Connecticut

Elizabeth Warren sworn in as U.S. Senator for Massachusetts

I’m pleased to see the Supreme Court put the rule of law ahead of partisanship, and ruled the Affordable Care Act constitutional.

Millions of Americans are already seeing the benefits of this law.

Seniors are saving money on their prescriptions and checkups.

Children can no longer be denied insurance because they have a preexisting condition, a protection that will soon extend to every American.

No longer will American families be a car accident or heart attack away from bankruptcy.

No longer will they live in fear of losing their health insurance because they lose their job.

No longer will tens of millions of Americans rely on emergency room care – or go without care entirely – because they have no insurance at all.

Soon, virtually every man, woman and child in America will have access to health insurance they can afford and the vital care they need.

Passing the Affordable Care Act was the greatest single step in generations toward ensuring access to affordable, quality healthcare for every American – regardless of where they live or how much money they make.

Unfortunately, Republicans in Congress continue to target the rights and benefits guaranteed under this law.

They would like to give the power of life and death back to insurance companies.

But the United States Supreme Court has spoken. This matter is settled.

No one thinks this law is perfect. But Democrats have proven we’re willing to work with Republicans to improve the Affordable Care Act.

Millions of Americans are still struggling to find work. Our first priority must be to improve the economy.

It’s time for Republicans to stop refighting yesterday’s battles.

Now that this matter is settled, I hope we can work together to create jobs and secure this country’s economic future.

Washington Times: With No Good Arguments To Make, ‘Republicans Have Been Mostly Silent’

FORMER GOP CHAIRMAN GETS TONGUE TIED, MOCKED OVER OPPOSITION TO PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT.

Mika Brzezinski, Co-Host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe: “Michael Steele, it’s about our wallets. I don’t understand. Help me understand why someone would vote against [the Paycheck Fairness Act], at this time especially.”

Michael Steele, former RNC Chairman: “Well… you know… again, you’re between a, a, a rock and a hard place politically. It’s one of those… those arguments that—you want to be on the right side of it, obviously. But the reality is… what is the politics? What is the, what is the get? … The reality of it is—right now—in this political cycle—as heated and as polarized as it is, a lot of folks will see this as nothing more than a way to back one party into the corner and there’s nothing that’s really going to change beyond the legislation…”

Mika Brzezinski: “Aw, come on. Come on! … There’s just nothin’. You got nothin’.”

WATCH THE VIDEO

OTHER KEY REPUBLICANS ‘HAVE BEEN MOSTLY SILENT’ ON BILL.

Washington Times: “Republicans … have been mostly silent.” [5/29/12]

SENATE GOP LEADER McCONNELL ‘NOT TALKING’ ABOUT EQUAL PAY MEASURE.

NBC News: “McConnell not talking Paycheck Fairness [today]” [6/5/12]

The Hill: “McConnell did not mention the paycheck act in his speech.” [6/5/12]

ROMNEY ‘MUM’ ON PROPOSAL, ‘DIDN’T RESPOND TO MESSAGES’ SEEKING HIS POSITION.

Huffington Post: ‘MITT ROMNEY MUM ON PAYCHECK FAIRNESS BILL’ [6/4/12]

Washington Times: “His campaign didn’t respond to five messages left over the past week seeking his stance on the Paycheck Fairness Act.” [5/29/12]

Democratic Senators Jack Reed, Tom Harkin and Sherrod Brown urge Republicans to join Democrats in supporting a bill to prevent student loan interest rates from doubling.

Key Excerpt:
Pond: “One of the things that we’re watching is the payroll tax extension and the signals that we’re getting from Washington as to whether we get that extension. Because if we don’t, our growth forecast frankly will probably be dropped down from about 2.5 percent in Q1 down to around 1 percent. It’s that big.”

The bill received bipartisan support, with twenty-six Republicans joining Democrats to approve funding through November 18th for the agency tasked with helping thousands of Americans recover from earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters.

The bill’s passage followed the Senate rejecting a bill from House Republicans that would have shortchanged FEMA, and killed jobs. As Senate Democrats have pointed out, Congress shouldn’t have to trade off jobs to help disaster victims.

Watch video of their discussion here:

As Senator Harry Reid put it: “When our fellow Americans are in crisis, we must make sure they get the aid they need without delay, not engage in a political debate. This vote upholds that principle.”

Since the 1990s, disaster relief has rarely been handled outside of the normal budget process. For the Senate’s bipartisan agreement to come to fruition, the House must return from recess and pass the bill.

We’re making sure victims of natural disasters can continue to rebuild their lives without interruption.

“Today the House of Representatives will vote on Speaker Boehner’s short-term plan to raise the debt ceiling. As soon as the House completes its vote, the Senate will move to take up that bill, and it will be defeated tonight. No Democrat will vote for a short-term Band-Aid that would put our economy at risk and put the nation back in this untenable situation a few short months from now.

“Economists have said a short-term deal holds many of the same risks as a technical default. Democrats are not willing to put our economy on the line like that. Our economy and the financial markets desperately need stability. Speaker Boehner’s bill does not provide it. It is time for Tea Party Republicans to stop resisting compromise. They must join Democrats and Republicans of good will in putting the good of our economy ahead of politics.”

VIEW THE VIDEO CLIP HERE:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Democrats today released a new video that makes it clear: the markets would be endangered by Speaker Boehner’s short-term debt plan.  In this one-minute clip, market experts sum up their concerns — a short-term plan would likely cause a dangerous credit rating downgrade and could lead to a default on our nation’s obligations.

The Senate’s plan to raise the debt ceiling through 2012 is the only proposal out there that can avoid such devastating effects on the economy.  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says the Senate plan “is a long-term strategy to safeguard the economy and give the markets the stability they need.”  It’s time for House Republicans to pull the plug on the reckless Boehner bill and work with Democrats to prevent a default.

A sample of market experts in the video:

• S&P’s David Beers: “We would be concerned if we thought that the debt ceiling debate would come back and be opened and we’d have to go through all this again and again and again.”
• Chairman and CEO of Alcoa Klaus Kleinfeld: “A short-term plan that doesn’t get us over the hump will not solve…”
• NASDAQ CEO Robert Greifeld: “The longer the deal that Congress makes… the better markets will feel about it”
• Former VP of The Federal Reserve Alan Blinder: “The Boehner plan is going to have us fighting this out again in a matter of months, and we don’t need that”

VIEW THE CLIP HERE:

Washington Post: House GOP Leadership Showed Violent Scene From “The Town” Tuesday To Entire Caucus for Inspiration

“House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), the party’s vote counter, began his talk by showing a clip from the movie, “The Town”, trying to forge a sense of unity among the independent-minded caucus. One character asks his friend: “I need your help. I can’t tell you what it is. You can never ask me about it later.’ ‘Whose car are we gonna take,’ the character says. [Washington Post, 7/26/11]

Controversial Congressman Allen West Responded Enthusiastically to the Video.

“I’m ready to drive the car,” West replied, surprising many Republicans by giving his full-throated support for the plan.  [Washington Post, 7/26/11]

Next Scene In Movie Shows Characters Committing Violent Assault.

“In the movie, the characters then put on hockey masks and bludgeon two men with sticks, then shoot one man in the leg.”  [Think Progress, 7/27/11]

Film’s Director/Star Responded to Video Being Shown, Said It Was Bizarre.

“On Wednesday, Affleck — who wrote and directed “The Town” — said that he too found the whole scenario a touch bizarre. And in a statement his spokesperson provided to The Huffington Post, he suggested that Republicans use a different one of his movies next time they need to whip votes. ‘I don’t know if this is a compliment or the ultimate repudiation,’ said the actor, who is currently in Turkey directing and starring in Argo, an adaptation of the Tehran hostage crisis. ‘But if they’re going to be watching movies, I think “The Company Men” is more appropriate.’ That latter Affleck flick focuses on the plight of middle age men who have been laid off during the recession. [Huffington Post, 7/27/11]

Schumer: This Is A Coded Message From Norquist To GOP Hardliners Who Are Opposing Any Deal That Includes Revenues That They Should Relent In Order To Avert Default

WASHINGTON, DC—U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) today called on House Republicans to heed conservative activist Grover Norquist, who today gave his permission for Republicans to let millionaire tax breaks expire without violating his anti-tax pledge.

In a major development, Norquist—the head of Americans for Tax Reform—told the Washington Post today that his group would not consider it a tax increase if the Bush tax cuts were allowed to lapse after 2012.

Schumer said this acknowledgment by Norquist is a coded message to House GOP hard-liners—who have rejected any debt reduction deal that includes revenues—that they should stand down. Schumer urged House Republicans to heed this message and relent in their deep opposition to all form of revenues.

A copy of Schumer’s remarks, as delivered, appear below. You can watch the remarks here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvogCjVaGFE

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer

Remarks on U.S. Senate Floor

July 21, 2011

Mr. President, as we spend the day debating the Republicans’ plan to “Cut, Cap and Kill Medicare,” a plan that is dead on arrival in the Senate, it has become obvious what the true question of the day is.

That question, Mr. President, is this: Will we, as a nation, allow ourselves to be driven into default and financial calamity by a small group of extreme right-wing ideologues in the House GOP?   It is becoming increasingly clear that this group of ideologues have grabbed the reins, and are refusing to let go, no matter who tries to pry their fingers off. It is clear this small group of narrow ideologically driven congressmen is the one thing standing in the way of raising the debt ceiling.

We are now 11 days away from defaulting on our debt, and for the last few months this small group, far outside the mainstream, has contributed nothing to efforts to reach a compromise.

The House GOP has rejected every form of compromise, from the Simpson-Bowles plan to the President’s $4 trillion grand bargain to the McConnell fallback plan to, as of yesterday, the Gang of Six framework. Instead, they have offered dangerous schemes, like the “Cut, Cap, and Kill Medicare” plan that passed the House yesterday.

Their quote-unquote plan would wreak havoc on our country’s seniors and the middle class. It’s not a serious proposal, it will never pass the Senate, and it is a waste of time.

So, while reasonable people are trying to come to a compromise, the House GOP is becoming increasingly isolated. Yesterday, for example, my colleague Senator John McCain warned the House GOP that Americans don’t want the government to shutdown, and urged them to learn the lessons of 1995. Also, close to a third of Senate Republicans have signed on to a plan that would combine major spending cuts with new revenues – a balanced approach the House GOP has sworn off.

And every day more voters are abandoning them.  As the LA Times reported this morning, “Republican resistance to compromise has turned a significant bloc of voters against them… frustrated members of their own leadership as well as establishment GOP figures.”

So the House GOP is being criticized from every corner.

And then, today, we have what must be the most significant departure to date from the House GOP’s Fantasy-land. In a major development, anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist told the Washington Post that letting the Bush tax cuts lapse would not constitute a tax hike.

This is a development the significance of which should not be underestimated.  It is a recognition from Norquist that the House Republicans are increasingly isolated, and have painted themselves into a corner. Norquist is trying to signal to the House GOP that their no-compromise position is untenable, deteriorating, and bad for their party and the country.

The House GOP is on an iceberg that is melting into the ocean, and even Grover Norquist is offering them a boat. The question is, for their own good and for the country’s good, will they take it?

I urge my colleagues in the House GOP to accept this life line – it’s time to leave default-denier island, and come back to reality.  The House GOP has painted itself into a corner even to the right of Grover Norquist.

Grover Norquist, the hall monitor when it comes to enforcing the Republican party’s anti-tax pledge, has given House Republicans a hall pass. They should use it.

This is a coded message from one of the truest believers in the Republican Party that it’s time for conservatives to step back from the brink.

Norquist has given us a potential path forward. If we decoupled the Bush tax cuts by only extending them for the middle class, and not for the millionaires and billionaires, we could have a deal that includes revenues but doesn’t violate the anti-tax pledge. Everyone wins.

This decoupling strategy is what the President and Speaker Boehner were entertaining earlier in the context of a grand bargain. But Leader Cantor and other right-wing hard-liners forced the Speaker to walk away because they feared violating the anti-tax pledge. But now a deal on decoupling has Norquist’s permission, if not his blessing. We should revisit it.

It’s time to recognize the quickest, most effective and economically sound way to reduce our deficit and debt is balanced approach that both cuts spending and raises revenue. A plan that mirrors every other successful deficit reduction deal in our nation’s history. A plan along the lines of the ones negotiated by presidents Reagan, Bush, and Clinton.

I hope my colleagues in the House GOP see the danger of the path they are going down and change course, before they take the entire country down with them.

Thank you, Mr. President.

“The main obstacle to finding common ground is Republicans’ stubborn insistence on protecting taxpayer-funded giveaways to corporations and individuals who don’t need the giveaways,” said Senator Reid. Watch the clip below for more details.