The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“INVEST IN AMERICA ACT” mentioning Patrick J. Leahy was published in the Senate section on pages S5993-S5994 on Aug. 7.
Of the 100 senators in 117th Congress, 24 percent were women, and 76 percent were men, according to the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
Senators' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
INVEST IN AMERICA ACT
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I applaud what the majority leader just said. We are here. A lot of Senators, both Republicans and Democrats, have rearranged schedules to be here. Let's go forth and do the country's business. If people have amendments they want, bring them up. Vote them up or vote them down. But let's just get on and do our work.
My Appropriations Committee staff worked very, very hard with both the Republican and Democratic side on the parts of this piece of legislation that required work from the Appropriations Committee. They have worked weekends, evenings--long, long days--drafting and redrafting and redrafting to make sure that people on both sides approved of what they wanted. Now, the American people expect us to vote. We are here. Let's vote.
I am happy to see Republican amendments or Democratic amendments come up. But it is one thing to talk about them on the news shows or on social media or trying to talk to the press in the halls and make sound bites; it is another thing to actually vote. Let's vote. Let's let people know where we stand. That is how the people in our State know where we stand.
Frankly, those who are afraid they may cast a vote that creates problems--but we are not here to cast only popular votes. I have cast more votes than all but one person in the history of this country. I have cast well over 16,000, almost 17,000 votes. I am sure I can go back over those votes and find some and say: Hmm, in retrospect, I might have voted the other way. But I voted.
What we are doing in not bringing this up and getting this done, we are trying to vote ``maybe.'' I don't know anybody in my State, Republican or Democrat, who elected Senators to say: We want you to vote ``maybe.'' No. We want you to vote.
It doesn't mean the people of my State will agree on every vote. I hope that they will agree on a lot of them. But I will represent my State. I will represent my conscience. But I will represent the Senate, and I will represent my oath of office. My oath of office is not to just sit here and do nothing but talk to the press and others; my oath of office is, I respect the Constitution, and I will vote. So let's hope they vote.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
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