The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION” mentioning John Thune was published in the Senate section on page S4024 on June 10.
Of the 100 senators in 117th Congress, 24 percent were women, and 76 percent were men, according to the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
Senators' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, on one final matter, I want my colleagues to be aware of the number ``29 percent.'' That is the percentage of Republican voters who believe that President Trump will be ``reinstated'' as President later this summer--29 percent. Almost a third of Republican voters believe he will be reinstated as President. According to that recent poll by Morning Consult, nearly a third--
nearly a third--of Republican voters believe Donald Trump will be reinstated.
Of course, the idea of ``reinstatement'' comes from the disgraced former President Trump himself and is nothing more than the deluded ramblings of a defeated politician. But it is a glaring warning that the Big Lie has created fertile ground for all sorts of insane conspiracy.
It is a depressing fact of our times that there is an audience out there who will literally believe anything the former President says, no matter how unrealistic or untrue. They believe him when he just abjectly lies.
The blame here, however, does not rest only with the former President. The blame falls heavily on Washington Republicans and the political right who have not done enough to stand up to the Big Lie.
After making a few brave noises in the wake of January 6, Republican leadership here in Washington now seems to have traded political courage and truth for appeasement.
The Republican minority leader in the House called Donald Trump
``morally responsible'' for the attack on January 6. He empowered his deputies to take part in painstaking negotiations to establish an independent commission to study those events and then promptly voted against it. He convened his entire conference to deliver a pink slip to the one Member of his leadership team who dared repeat the truth that President Biden is the President.
Here in the Senate, the Republican leader gave a strong speech on January 6 and was willing to hold Donald Trump responsible for what happened that day. Several months later, however, the Republican leader whipped his Members into a partisan filibuster of an independent commission, which he called a ``purely political exercise.''
The Republican Party is now wrapped around the axle of the Big Lie, and a big reason why is that Republican leaders are unwilling to move on from Trumpism.
We are watching the results play out in State after State, where Republican legislatures have swallowed the Big Lie whole and are rapidly constricting the right to vote and fumbling through old ballots for traces of bamboo.
The truth is, the Big Lie has consequences. It erodes our trust in elections, faith in our democracy, and it is gnawing away at the very right to vote in America.
After 4 long years during which the Republican Party foolishly tried to ride the tiger of Donald Trump, it seems as though many of them wound up inside.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Hickenlooper). Without objection, it is so ordered.
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