John Thune, SD
Linked statement
“Democrats do not care about the priorities of regular Americans. They only listen to the far left. They support biological men playing in women's sports, gender treatments for children, and abortion. They also shut down the government, want to defund border enforcement, and voted against money for our military. Instead of working with us, Democrats are becoming more extreme.”
“Mr. President, at the beginning of last year, the New York Times took a poll of the American voters, and the headline captures their results. This is what it said: ``Many Americans Say the Democratic Party Does Not Share Their Priorities.’’ Let me repeat that, Mr. President. ``Many Americans Say the Democratic Party Does Not Share Their Priorities.’’ That is right. A New York Times poll taken weeks after voters rejected Democrats at the ballot box suggested that one of the reasons for Democrats’ loss was that Americans don’t think Democrats share their priorities. The story went on to say: But when the poll asked Americans to identify Democrats’ most important priorities, Americans identified issues like abortion and climate change, among others. Our Democrat colleagues have found themselves out of power for 18 months now. And we have given them plenty of opportunities to show some evolution--perhaps even moderation--to voters. But as the record shows, Democrats are still in thrall to the far left of their party. They still have the same priorities that turned voters off from Democrats in the last election. Mr. President, for starters, radical transgender ideology remains an article of faith among Democrats. Democrats have repeatedly opposed efforts to keep biological men out of women’s sports. And when the Supreme Court ruled unanimously last month that State laws protecting women’s sports are allowable under the plain language of title IX, one Democrat Senator called the ruling unjust. ``Unjust,’’ Mr. President. As if a young woman working hard all season, only to lose to a man with an inherent biological advantage, is somehow just. The overwhelming majority of Americans believe that biological men should not be playing women’s sports, but that doesn’t seem to matter to Senate Democrats. And their commitment to transgender ideology doesn’t end with supporting the presence of men in women’s sports. Democrats have also tacitly--or not so tacitly--endorsed radical gender transition procedures being performed on minors. Procedures, I might add, with no substantial medical evidence to support them and plenty of reason to believe they are extremely dangerous for children, but apparently Democrats are fine subjecting children to those risks. And of course, Mr. President, Democrats are still proudly pro- abortion. And when I say pro-abortion, I mean pro-abortion. How else do you describe a party that wouldn’t even support legislation to provide medical care to a baby born alive during a failed abortion? A party that can’t bring itself to support a bill to ensure that a pregnant college student knows that there are resources available to help her finish her degree and have her baby. The party that directed small business COVID relief funds to Planned Parenthood, even though they were legally ineligible. A party that is doing everything it can to eliminate pregnancy resource centers simply because they won’t recommend abortion. As I said, Democrats are in thrall to the far left of their party, and it is not just on those issues. Far-left activists seem to be the audience for almost everything Democrats do these days. Take, for example, Democrats’ two--that is right, two--record-long government shutdowns. Last fall, Democrats shut down the entire Federal Government for a record 43 days to show the far left that they were fighting President Trump. And while TSA lines snaked outside of airports and Americans were visiting food banks because they had to work without pay, the Democrat leader was quoted as saying: Better, that is, for Democrats seeking the approval of the far left. Then earlier this year, Democrats shut down the Department of Homeland Security because they didn’t want to fund law enforcement. That is right. Defunding law enforcement--once a fringe position in their party-- became the official position of the Democrat Party as they tried to completely--completely--defund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol. Once again, it didn’t matter to Democrats whether Americans would be less safe with open borders. Their audience, far-left activists, wanted them to defund border security and immigration enforcement officers, so they did. And Democrats weren’t done. Last week, Democrats here in the U.S. Senate blocked the National Defense Authorization Act, the bill that authorizes funding for our military. That is right. Democrats voted against authorizing funding for our military. It is a sad day when Democrats are playing politics with everything all the way up to our national security, but that is where we are. Democrats have had numerous opportunities in the last year and a half to work with us on things that matter to the American people. And, again and again, they have chosen to follow members of their far-left base, in some cases--see New York City’s mayor--follow them directly into socialism. That is right. Self-identified Democrat socialists have been winning elections across the country. So what is next? Will the Democrat Party adopt the platform of the Democratic Socialists of America? To quote the New York Times again, ``Many Americans say the [Democrat] Party does not share their priorities.’’ A year and a half later, it is obvious that that is still the case: men’s and women’s sports, abortion up until the moment of birth, open borders, defunding law enforcement. Instead of moving toward the middle, Democrats are just getting more extreme. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.”
Mr. President, at the beginning of last year, the New York Times took a poll of the American voters, and the headline captures their results. This is what it said: ``Many Americans Say the Democratic Party Does Not Share Their Priorities.’’ Let me repeat that, Mr. President. ``Many Americans Say the Democratic Party Does Not Share Their Priorities.’’ That is right. A New York Times poll taken weeks after voters rejected Democrats at the ballot box suggested that one of the reasons for Democrats’ loss was that Americans don’t think Democrats share their priorities. The story went on to say: But when the poll asked Americans to identify Democrats’ most important priorities, Americans identified issues like abortion and climate change, among others. Our Democrat colleagues have found themselves out of power for 18 months now. And we have given them plenty of opportunities to show some evolution--perhaps even moderation--to voters. But as the record shows, Democrats are still in thrall to the far left of their party. They still have the same priorities that turned voters off from Democrats in the last election. Mr. President, for starters, radical transgender ideology remains an article of faith among Democrats. Democrats have repeatedly opposed efforts to keep biological men out of women’s sports. And when the Supreme Court ruled unanimously last month that State laws protecting women’s sports are allowable under the plain language of title IX, one Democrat Senator called the ruling unjust. ``Unjust,’’ Mr. President. As if a young woman working hard all season, only to lose to a man with an inherent biological advantage, is somehow just. The overwhelming majority of Americans believe that biological men should not be playing women’s sports, but that doesn’t seem to matter to Senate Democrats. And their commitment to transgender ideology doesn’t end with supporting the presence of men in women’s sports. Democrats have also tacitly--or not so tacitly--endorsed radical gender transition procedures being performed on minors. Procedures, I might add, with no substantial medical evidence to support them and plenty of reason to believe they are extremely dangerous for children, but apparently Democrats are fine subjecting children to those risks. And of course, Mr. President, Democrats are still proudly pro- abortion. And when I say pro-abortion, I mean pro-abortion. How else do you describe a party that wouldn’t even support legislation to provide medical care to a baby born alive during a failed abortion? A party that can’t bring itself to support a bill to ensure that a pregnant college student knows that there are resources available to help her finish her degree and have her baby. The party that directed small business COVID relief funds to Planned Parenthood, even though they were legally ineligible. A party that is doing everything it can to eliminate pregnancy resource centers simply because they won’t recommend abortion. As I said, Democrats are in thrall to the far left of their party, and it is not just on those issues. Far-left activists seem to be the audience for almost everything Democrats do these days. Take, for example, Democrats’ two--that is right, two--record-long government shutdowns. Last fall, Democrats shut down the entire Federal Government for a record 43 days to show the far left that they were fighting President Trump. And while TSA lines snaked outside of airports and Americans were visiting food banks because they had to work without pay, the Democrat leader was quoted as saying: Better, that is, for Democrats seeking the approval of the far left. Then earlier this year, Democrats shut down the Department of Homeland Security because they didn’t want to fund law enforcement. That is right. Defunding law enforcement--once a fringe position in their party-- became the official position of the Democrat Party as they tried to completely--completely--defund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol. Once again, it didn’t matter to Democrats whether Americans would be less safe with open borders. Their audience, far-left activists, wanted them to defund border security and immigration enforcement officers, so they did. And Democrats weren’t done. Last week, Democrats here in the U.S. Senate blocked the National Defense Authorization Act, the bill that authorizes funding for our military. That is right. Democrats voted against authorizing funding for our military. It is a sad day when Democrats are playing politics with everything all the way up to our national security, but that is where we are. Democrats have had numerous opportunities in the last year and a half to work with us on things that matter to the American people. And, again and again, they have chosen to follow members of their far-left base, in some cases--see New York City’s mayor--follow them directly into socialism. That is right. Self-identified Democrat socialists have been winning elections across the country. So what is next? Will the Democrat Party adopt the platform of the Democratic Socialists of America? To quote the New York Times again, ``Many Americans say the [Democrat] Party does not share their priorities.’’ A year and a half later, it is obvious that that is still the case: men’s and women’s sports, abortion up until the moment of birth, open borders, defunding law enforcement. Instead of moving toward the middle, Democrats are just getting more extreme. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.