RUSH TRANSCRIPT Senator from ░░░░░░░░ Ms Ernst Are we ░░░░░░░░ a quorum call The ░░░░░░░░ officer We are not ░░░░░░░░ Ernst Mr President one ░░░░░░░░ my top priorities has ░░░░░░░░ to reauthorize and modernize ░░░░░░░░ Violence Against Women Act ░░░░░░░░ survivor myself I recognize ░░░░░░░░ vawa provides the right ░░░░░░░░ to tackle head on ░░░░░░░░ violence and sexual abuse ░░░░░░░░ our communities In Iowa ░░░░░░░░ throughout the United States ░░░░░░░░ good friend and colleague ░░░░░░░░ Feinstein ranking member on ░░░░░░░░ Judiciary Committee agreed to ░░░░░░░░ with me on this ░░░░░░░░ topic For months senator ░░░░░░░░ and I and our ░░░░░░░░ have worked closely and ░░░░░░░░ good faith with one ░░░░░░░░ with the shared goal ░░░░░░░░ mind We ve met ░░░░░░░░ times held discussions and ░░░░░░░░ in a way that ░░░░░░░░ produced real progress But ░░░░░░░░ this week after months ░░░░░░░░ work and mountains of ░░░░░░░░ toward a bipartisan bill ░░░░░░░░ all came to a ░░░░░░░░ halt Once again the ░░░░░░░░ are putting Politics ahead ░░░░░░░░ people and have decided ░░░░░░░░ move forward on the ░░░░░░░░ passed vawa bill The ░░░░░░░░ bill is a nonstarter ░░░░░░░░ is chock full of ░░░░░░░░ political talking points that ░░░░░░░░ us further away from ░░░░░░░░ than closer to a ░░░░░░░░ we can get over ░░░░░░░░ finish line Mr President ░░░░░░░░ m all too aware ░░░░░░░░ how this town works ░░░░░░░░ year Politics are in ░░░░░░░░ swing And the grim ░░░░░░░░ is Democrats cannot afford ░░░░░░░░ be seen giving Republicans ░░░░░░░░ win The far left ░░░░░░░░ of the house has ░░░░░░░░ the process It sounds ░░░░░░░░ and it sounds unbelievable ░░░░░░░░ folks that s the ░░░░░░░░ You would think that ░░░░░░░░ survivors and preventing abuse ░░░░░░░░ be placed ahead of ░░░░░░░░ Politics I want to ░░░░░░░░ clear I remain hopeful ░░░░░░░░ we can continue to ░░░░░░░░ in a bipartisan way ░░░░░░░░ get this law reauthorized ░░░░░░░░ I plan to respond ░░░░░░░░ a good faith proposal ░░░░░░░░ my own This bill ░░░░░░░░ support survivors and hold ░░░░░░░░ accountability It s also ░░░░░░░░ bill that I believe ░░░░░░░░ pass the Senate and ░░░░░░░░ the president s signature ░░░░░░░░ invite my colleagues across ░░░░░░░░ aisle to join me ░░░░░░░░ this very very important ░░░░░░░░ Thank you Mr President ░░░░░░░░ I will yield the ░░░░░░░░ A senator: Mr. President.