Senator Cornyn: (10:20 AM)

• Spoke on the continuing resolution.
  • "So our Democratic colleagues have had a lot of participation and a lot of influence, as I know they would want, in the priorities of the federal government as reflected in the appropriations bill. But of course that wasn't good enough, and that didn't meet their underlying need, which is to try to gain any advantage they possibly could when it comes to spending levels or in the upcoming November 8 election, which very much appears to be on the Democratic leader's mind as he continues to come to the floor and talk about the presidential race rather than the pending business. But of course we know we're running out of time, so basically the majority leader, Senator McConnell, has now proposed to call their bluff. They said they wanted a clean continuing resolution. As a matter of fact, the Democratic leader said last week that if a clean continuing resolution were brought to a vote, we could - quote -- 'leave in ten minutes.' That's what the Democratic leader said last week. But as of yesterday, we know he changed his tune. He said a clean CR wasn't near enough. He said we want more."
• Spoke on the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act.
  • "President Obama made clear in his message that he doesn't understand how limited and narrow in scope this legislation is. As a matter of fact, he misrepresents what this legislation actually does, which is an extension of current law. And it's well within the bound of historical practice and modern court guidance under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. The victims of terrorism in this country need an ability to seek justice in a court of law. That is all this bill is about."

 

Senator Durbin: (10:41 AM)

• Spoke on the continuing resolution.
  • "Let's think about the Americans who are hurting in both places instead of playing political games. But, no, Senator McConnell said we will help Louisiana. We'll provide no help to Flint, Michigan. That is unfair and it complicates the situation. If that were all that he did, it would be bad enough. But Senator McConnell has a pet project that he needs to put into this bill. Listen to what it is. It is a prohibition at the Securities and Exchange Commission that would promulgate a rule to require America's corporations to publicly disclose the campaign contributions that they're making. Under Citizens United, in warped thinking at the Supreme Court, they said corporations are persons when it comes to contributing money. Look what's happened. A flood of millions of dollars, Republicans were boasting they raised $43 million in their super PAC in August and they got $20 million last week from Sheldon Adelson, a rich man who lives out in Nevada. They're rolling in millions, but Senator McConnell is determined - determined - to keep secret the source of these funds."

 

Senator Barrasso: (10:51 AM)

• Spoke on Obamacare.
  • "Those are the headlines people are seeing all across the country, so I'm not sure exactly what newspaper the minority leader is reading, but he's not reading the same papers that Americans all across the country are reading. All across the country, people are hearing about their rates going up -- in Georgia, 33%; Illinois, 45%; Tennessee, 59%. People are feeling the pinch from this rising cost of the Obama health care law. It's hurting the people who buy insurance through Obamacare exchanges and it's hurting the people who get their insurance through their jobs. A new report by the Kaiser Family Foundation says that for people who get their insurance at work, the deductibles have risen four times faster than the premiums did. So it's not just the premiums that are going up. The deductibles are going up. And all of those are new costs as a result of the health care law. The American people are feeling it in their wallets. Millions of Americans are rejecting Obamacare insurance because they know it's not a good value for them personally."