mr. mcconnell: mr.resident, i ask unanimous consent that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i also ask unanimous consent that i be permitted to speak for up to ten minutes prior to the scheduled roll call vote. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: today, as the senate prepares to leave town for the august state work period, the democratic leader has decided to squeeze in one more vote that isn't ready for prime time. to our colleagues on the finance committee, and to anyone paying attention in recent months, it's been clear that the tax relief for american families and workers act that chairman wyden wrote with the house needed some serious revisions in order to earn 60 votes here in the senate. we don't need a vote today to tell us that's still the case. colleagues on this side of the aisle have serious, unresolved concerns. they don't like how many -- more than 90% of the supposed benefits of the bil

mr. mcconnell handled merrick garland issue. >> let's get that question. >> well, the approach with a senate that's split from the president in the last year, of a presidency, and a seat bye bye byes open, then they've always weigh it had because the senate is a political body and let's say it's democrat.at let's say the republican is the president. then they weigh and let the election determine if the people, you know, have an opinion on that and if you have the same party in charge of the house and the presidency and tradition has always been of politics that they'd put the person through and they'd fill that seat and so that's what's happened. if youou look through the past d look through examples and a lot of that's been laid out with regard to the court and what they do in the process and it depends upon which and if there's a difference between the party of the president and the party of the senate because one points and one gives advice in the senate has to approve and if they're the same party, they typically fill the seat if they're split. >> caller from virginia. >> yes. i have alw

mcconnell chief of staff. i want to read the "wall street journal" editorial board and get your response. mr. walz's progressive will please senator bernie sanders and the teachers unions but his governing record will be fodder for mr. trump and picking him is a bad owe men about the willingness of ms. harris to defy her party's left. she went for it saying this is our liberal ticket. america, vote for it or not. how do you see it? >> yeah, i think that's entirely right, bill. honestly if you watched that rally last night they are trying to have it both ways. at one hand trying to get the furthest reaches of the left wing within the democratic to make up this administration's ticket. on the other hand if you listen to what they said not a single position they helped outline in that entire rally. they've kept it concealed from the american people. the long-term goal they think they can get by with vibes and intuition and magic and don't need to talk about the american people what you would do in 2025 and beyond as a new administration. they are trying to have it both ways. it will catch up wit