Rough transcription — he is amazing, ad-libbing most of this, looking at notes only occasionally.
He is now talking about the Trump budget — first cutting funding to rural areas that are hurting. Now about the Coast Guard. This is the front line against drug importation, etc. You are going to take money away from this to fund a wall you said Mexico would pay for.
I asked people on the border how drugs come in. They said most in freight, secondly in tunnels — often long and expensive, they are not used for people, only for drugs. They said the wall will be useless to stop drugs, they don’t come in in backpacks.
I am sure that my colleagues will work on both sides of the sides to stop the President from savaging rural America.
Next, he will put the economy under the control of Wall Street. After attacking Clinton, he puts Goldman Sacks in charge.
And then there is the drain the swamp. Big powerful, rich people connected to those interests, big oil, big banks, and billionaires. That’s the cabinet. Don’t say that this nomination lets the people speak. They voted against this. This is a seat stolen from the Obama presidency. Trump lost the popular vote.
It is unacceptable that we are considering this nomination at this moment when the campaign is under investigation, when there is a cloud over the presidency. We know that Russia sought influence the election. We don’t know the full extent of the conversations between the campaign and the Russians who sought to get him elected. If there is conspiracy between them, that is treason. We should not have the sitting president’s nominee vetted until that is resolved.
The nominee is further right than Justice Scalia or Thomas. He has advocated not we the people but we the people with power over the people.
Now going over some of the cases that give most concern. I have to stop for now, but I am so proud of my Senator.