Press Release
“I am pleased that the School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act, which passed the House in July, has now been introduced in the Senate, and I thank Senators Durbin, Kirk, and their bipartisan group of cosponsors for taking this important step today. With the rise in diagnoses of food allergies in children, we ought to make certain that our schools are equipped to save students’ lives in the event of an emergency.
“Certainly I think [a diplomatic solution with Syria] is a very positive possibility. And if it bears fruit, it's going to be a very good resolution of this issue.
“With only six legislative days remaining before the end of the fiscal year, I am extremely disappointed that House Republicans continue to waste the Congress’s time on pointless attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act by undermining its implementation.
“Once again, House Republicans are in disarray, unable to govern as a result of division and dysfunction. Even when promising a continuation of their policy of sequester and another defunding of the Affordable Care Act – gifts to the extreme wing of their party – Republicans lacked sufficient support and were unable to bring their bill to the Floor.
“Though twelve years have now passed since that tragic day on which we were attacked, the pain and heartbreak of September 11, 2001, will never be forgotten. For the loved ones of victims and for those who survived, this anniversary marks a solemn moment to remember the lives lost and lives changed forever.
"I believe that the President tonight made a compelling case to respond militarily to the use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime. He also made clear that Assad must take immediate steps in order to demonstrate his sincerity about verifiable disarmament. I support the President’s efforts to achieve a diplomatic solution that provides confidence to the world that Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal will be swiftly moved to international safekeeping with a view toward its eventual destruction.
“Thank you very much, Leader. I join the Leader in supporting the President’s posture. I believe that the President is right to suggest the use of military force in order to prevent, constrain, prohibit the use of chemical weapons which for over 100 years has been perceived by the international community at large as unacceptable to be used in any form of warfare. I am for giving the President the authority and will vote to do so in an appropriate resolution.
“In presenting a Congressional Gold Medal today in memory of Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley, we mark a day long awaited. Thanks to the efforts of Congresswoman Terri Sewell, Congress is recognizing and honoring the lives of the four little girls brutally killed in the September 15, 1963, bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.
“I join in wishing Ben Jealous well as he prepares to step down at the end of the year as President of the NAACP, our nation’s oldest and most highly respected civil rights advocacy organization
"The jobs report for August continues to show the underlying strength of our economy and the progress of our recovery.