Murray and Smiley spar over abortion, crime in Senate debate
It looks like one of the Senate’s biggest headaches for Republicans will be getting a vote in the next 60 days on the nomination of Mike Pompeo as secretary of state.
At a time when Republicans are trying to make sure that every inch of the country is represented by their own party, the chamber’s top Democrat, Jon Tester, wants an answer from the Republican side.
Why are Republicans so often unwilling to put up a good candidate? No answer is coming.
This time, the subject is abortion. In last week’s Senate debate, Republican Sen. Mike Lee faced questions over his positions on the issue. Both he and Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., took the opportunity to ask their own questions.
Here are some excerpts from the exchanges.
The president
“If we are faced with the kind of violence that we see all around the world, if we are facing terrorists that wish to get inside our country, a Congress that is not representative of the American people, we need leadership that is able to stand up and say we will not stand by.
“That is why I would call for a vote on Mike Pompeo for secretary of state tomorrow. Now is the time of the presidency. Now is the time for leadership that is able to get the job done.
“If we remain divided and unable to stand together, then I think that we are going to continue to see violence in our streets and be faced with the kinds of terror that are threatening our country.
“I hope that Mike Pompeo has the courage to stand up with all of us and say ‘enough is enough, you cannot have a Congress where some of the Democrats are so far to the left that they are willing to take away your gun rights.’ It would be tragic if the Republicans were to go that far and end up destroying the entire party.