WH: Lawmakers who voted against bill failed to uphold oath to defend Constitution
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized his GOP colleagues and warned he reserves “the right to force the Senate to vote on the bill again at the appropriate time” in a “Dear Colleagues” letter sent after Republicans blocked the Jan. 6 commission bill.
“Senate Republicans, at the personal request of Leader McConnell, also continue their brazen attempts to whitewash the attack of January 6th by filibustering the House-passed bipartisan January 6th Commission, even though Speaker Pelosi and I agreed to changes proposed by Senator Collins,” he wrote.
Schumer outlined the work done by the Senate in this legislative session, including the bipartisan Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act and the advancement of a bipartisan bill to address competition with China.
“At the same time, we have also seen the limits of bipartisanship and the resurgence of Republican obstructionism,” he wrote, noting the delayed passage of the China bill.
Schumer said next month’s work period will be “extremely challenging.” In June, he said the Senate will work to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, confirm President Biden’s judicial nominees and potentially consider gun safety and LGBTQ equality legislation. In the final week of the month, he said the chamber will vote on S1, a sweeping election bill that has faced staunch Republican pushback.
He also said Senate Democrats will work to advance Biden’s infrastructure and jobs agenda. “As the President continues to discuss infrastructure legislation with Senate Republicans, the committees will hold hearings and continue their work on the Build Back Better agenda – with or without the support of Republican Senators. We must pass comprehensive jobs and infrastructure legislation this summer,” he wrote.
