Press Releases

May 15 2014

By Stifling Debate and Amendments, Senate Democrats Have Put a Gag Order on the American People

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding Senate Democrats’ efforts to stifle debate and prohibit lawmakers from offering amendments:

“The American people need to know what’s happening to their Senate.  This body exists to ensure that the citizens of this country have a say in what their government does.

“It’s the citadel of our Democracy — the place where we guarantee that no one in this country is cut out of the legislative process. The whole purpose of this body is to make sure that nobody’s left out or left behind.

“Yet today, we have a Democratic Majority that’s turned this body right on its head. Instead of preserving the Senate’s prerogatives, they’ve systemically weakened or destroyed them. They’ve turned the Senate into a graveyard of good ideas, and open, Democratic debate.

“It’s a gag order on the people we were sent to represent. Instead of robust, free-wheeling debates about the important issues of the day, we get bizarre monologues about the Democrats’ latest villain.

“We get silly, shameful attacks on private citizens. So in one sense it’s fitting the Majority Leader announced today that he wants to rewrite the Constitution. I mean, you at least have to give them marks for consistency. They’re already muzzling our constituents by blocking amendments.  Now they want to muzzle them even more by changing the Bill of Rights. This is completely out of control.

“Even if the Democratic Majority doesn’t like our ideas or those of our constituents, the answer isn’t to take away their constitutionally guaranteed right to speak their minds. The answer isn’t to shut down their representatives’ ability to influence legislation through amendments. The answer is to come up with better amendments. The answer is to actually convince people in a free and open marketplace of ideas that you’re right.

“Why are Washington Democrats so afraid of a free and open exchange of ideas? Do they have that little faith in the judgment of the people we represent?

“Over the past few weeks we’ve seen just how scared Democrats are of an open debate. Big majorities want to repeal Obamacare’s medical device tax. They won’t allow a vote on it.

“The American people want to see the Keystone pipeline built. Most senators say they want it, too. Democrats here in the Senate won’t allow a vote on it.

“We’ve got a tax bill here that members on both sides want to improve. Democrats won’t allow it. We should have certainty in our tax code instead of these endless expirations that only make it harder for people to prepare and for businesses to plan and compete. Democrats don’t want to do that either. 

“They’re completely allergic to anything constructive. They’re muzzling the people of this country — a gag order on the people we were sent here to represent -- all to protect their power. And it’s a scandal.

“The American people need to know what’s happening here, because this is bigger than any one bill. It’s about protecting the right of the American people to have a say in what goes on in Washington. It’s about protecting the one institution that guarantees they’re heard. It’s about a party that’s become so afraid of losing its hold on power that they’re willing to do just about anything to hold onto it — even if it means rewriting the Bill of Rights, even if it means destroying this body, because that’s exactly what they’re doing.”