mr. reid: there was a day when that's all we did, but not so anymore. madam president, history won't forget this misstep by grassley, it says. "history won't forget this "history won't forget this history won't forget this misstep by grassley, the hawkeye, burlington, iowa, oldest newspaper in iowa. that is what they said. that is the headline. the misstep referenced here is the unprecedented decision to deny the president the right to fill the current supreme court vacancy. but it ends with this declaration : a few weeks back the longest tenured

senator from iowa passed a vote, casting votes on mount before the senate was doing what i was elected him to do. we take it back. we take it back. that is a blistering statement, revealing statement, a substantive statement. we take it back. there is a lesson the sen. grassley and my republican colleagues should learn from this editorial. by refusing to give president obama supreme court nominee a meeting, hearing, or vote they abandon the oath of office this war when they became a united states senator. this will epitomize the work in the united states as a senator. whatever they may have accomplished will be secondary.

remember, our job is here to vote. that is what we saw to do. the constitution is clear on this issue. so the stakes should be higher for senator grassley than the other republican senators. why? because as judiciary chairman sen. grassley presides over on of theone of the most important and prestigious committees and the entire senate. this is been the case for 200 years. one of the original 11 standing committees, that is how long the committee has been in operation.

historically prizing independence and guarded it at all costs from being manhandled for partisan purposes. crucial times in american history that have looked to the judicial committee to do the right thing. the chairman and his committee off of the 13th amendment to abolish slavery during the civil war. we know there was great consternation as to what should be done, even the great president lincoln had trouble deciding during the early days of the civil war.

the chairman's committee drafted the act refusing to get in the carnegie, vanderbilt, and rockefeller monopolies. that was big-time independence. in 1937 chairman henry ashurst from arizona was born in nevada and let his committee is standing firm against president roosevelt attempted practice a democrat just like president roosevelt that he and his committee maintain their independence even against the wishes of senate majority leader often parker , alvin barkley longtime united states senator that became vice president later. imagine that. senate majority leader from kentucky. imagine that. judiciary committee chair. the accomplishments of these powerful chairs and many

others are the historical models against which the senior senator from iowa will be measured. if he keeps his current obstruction, history will not be kind to his tenure as chairman of the committee. as of today the chairman has for the sole purpose of weakening the presidency of the united states and obstructing senate work. the chairman has turned the impartial reputation and an extension of the trump campaign. just last month he spoke at aa rally for donald trump in iowa. at that rally the chairman said, we have had this trend going this way, way from the basic principles that established our government. sogovernment. so we have an opportunity once again to make america great again. before i close, let's remember what he said, we

have had this trend going this way. my friend from iowa would do well to look at his own committee as it turns away from the basic principles that established our government, that is what the senator from iowa said at the trump rally. even now he and his committee are wasting millions of taxpayer dollars developing partisan research where sec. clinton, this is been going on for many months, more than a year, including asking, including asking for maternity leave, records for staffers and timesheets interoffice. just basic staff people. and for months this in their block the confirmation of vital state department

officials, even career foreign service officers who are here so that we could give them a raise after their valiant service all around the world holding that up and people could not understand. had nothing to do with secretary clinton. he did it as a way to weaken the presidency. what presidency. what he has done has damaged united states policy worldwide. election day is more than eight months away but is affecting more than every action taken by the grassroots judiciary committee. there is much more stake here than senator grassley's reputation. the future of this institution hangs in the balance. when the senate is undermining, our democracy is undermined. future generations will suffer irreparable he if the sen. from my continues to do the bidding of the republican leader in the donald trumps of the new republican party. senator grassley and i have worked together for three decades. my maiden speech, serve the

couple terms in the house and came here. plessy was way back they're. i gave my 1st speech talking about the taxpayers bill of rights. i could not get past 1st base. presiding in the senate that day was david pryor from arkansas, chairman of the subcommittee on internal revenue service. senator grassley was also listening. they both contacted me. i received a note from senator pryor and the call from senator grassley saying i will work to help you, and they did, and we got that past. nothing personal. i like sen. grassley. i like senator grassley. he helped me pass landmark legislation as a freshman senator, but today as united states senator have the duty to speak, provide advice and

consent. as a senator, i have a duty to demand, especially to fill a vacancy in the supreme court.court. senate judiciary chair, senior senator from iowa has a job to do. my criticism is not personal the professional and substantive. the senior senator from iowa outlines that he assumed the chairmanship. promising republicans that i will restore the senate to the deliberative body the founders intended. that is what he said. to tosaid. to restore the senate to the deliberative body that founders intended. he said he took the responsibility of vetting the nominees for a lifetime appointments very seriously.

the senior senator from iowa is failing the commitment that he made himself, restoring the senate to deliver the body of the founders intended. the founders of people that wrote the constitution. first chair, this important committee to take the unprecedented step of refusing to meet,meet, conduct hearings, or hold a vote on supreme court nominations. following a republican leaders call to refuse the nominee, hearing or vote. of all people should no how important the voters. a lot of record of not missing roll call votes, 7,545 consecutive votes. what good is it if you

simply sweep the votes you don't like under the rug? don't run for our vote, hide what good is a chairmanship if it is a rubberstamp week in the senate and disrupt our constitutional system of trust and balance which is what it does. last week there was an open letter published. it was stunning. he worked in the senate. captures what is at stake, and i quote, the institution of the senate has managed for well over 200 years and continues every single nominee for the supreme court has not withdrawn from consideration. today i feel nothing but shame from the fact that my senator will bring that to

end. that was headlined last week i was largest newspaper. i hope the chairman judiciary committee does not continue down this path. it will not benefit him, his committee, the senate, the state of iowa, or this great country. should follow the example of his predecessors and give a meeting and the hearing and the vote, simply to do his job. if he does not come of the burlington hawkeye his right. history will never forget this unprecedented misstep. never forget this misstep by grassley. i yield the floor. >> well, madam president, it is another day and another tantrum from them in order leader. but it does not matter how much the minority leader jumps up and down