Re: Reid Remarks Calling On Senate GOP To Drop Abortion Language On Human Trafficking Legislation, Live Up To Commitment And Vote On Loretta Lynch Nomination

From:nmerrill@hrcoffice.com To: Jim.Margolis@gmmb.com, jennifer.m.palmieri@gmail.com CC: john.podesta@gmail.com, jbenenson@bsgco.com, john@algpolling.com, kristinakschake@gmail.com, robbymook2015@gmail.com, dschwerin@hrcoffice.com Date: 2015-03-16 21:48 Subject: Re: Reid Remarks Calling On Senate GOP To Drop Abortion Language On Human Trafficking Legislation, Live Up To Commitment And Vote On Loretta Lynch Nomination

We did, and I think the feeling was that at the moment we could get the point across without that, and especially on this issue a measured voice of authority made sense to convey. Did you all intentionally decide to go ‘congressional’ vs. ‘Republican’? I would have voted to take it to them, esp since our friends hate it when we don’t differentiate. But glad you got it out. 2 Tweets. [https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/575036586728906752/CHCgXmaN_normal.jpeg] Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton<https://twitter.com/hillaryclinton?refsrc=email&s=11>) 3/16/15, 3:59 PM<https://twitter.com/hillaryclinton/status/577559904774459392?refsrc=email&s=11> Congressional trifecta against women today: 1) Blocking great nominee, 1st African American woman AG, for longer than any AG in 30 years… [https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/575036586728906752/CHCgXmaN_normal.jpeg] Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton<https://twitter.com/hillaryclinton?refsrc=email&s=11>) 3/16/15, 4:01 PM<https://twitter.com/hillaryclinton/status/577560394987921408?refsrc=email&s=11> ...2) Playing politics with trafficking victims… 3) Threatening women's health & rights. we did - she did a tweet about Senate Republicans' trifecta against women. On Mon, Mar 16, 2015 at 6:37 PM, Margolis, Jim <Jim.Margolis@gmmb.com<mailto:Jim.Margolis@gmmb.com>> wrote: Still hot up there… Did we move anything today? Been on a plane. [cid:image001.jpg@01D055A6.97335440] For Immediate Release Date: Monday, March 16, 2015 CONTACT: Adam Jentleson, (202) 224-2939<tel:%28202%29%20224-2939> Reid Remarks Calling On Senate GOP To Drop Abortion Language On Human Trafficking Legislation, Live Up To Commitment And Vote On Loretta Lynch Nomination “The human trafficking and child pornography bill before the Senate has wide bipartisan support. Unfortunately, it also includes a previously unreported abortion provision that has stopped this bill in its tracks. But there is a quick and easy solution to this dilemma: take the abortion language out of the bill.” “The path forward is clear: take the abortion language out of the bill and we can pass it today. That’s it. It’s that easy.” “There is no reason my friend, Senator McConnell, cannot live up to his commitments. Loretta Lynch’s nomination is on the executive calendar – meaning the Senate can consider her nomination and then immediately move back to the trafficking bill. Any attempt to hold a confirmation vote hostage because of this abortion provision is a sham.” Washington, D.C. – Nevada Senator Harry Reid delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor today calling on Senate Republicans to remove abortion language from the human trafficking and child pornography bill and challenging Senator McConnell to live up to his commitments and bring Loretta Lynch’s nomination as Attorney General up for a vote this week. Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery: Confucius said, “Life is very simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” Right now, Senate Republican leadership is insisting on making a good piece of legislation far more complicated than it should be. The human trafficking and child pornography bill before the Senate has wide bipartisan support. Unfortunately, it also includes a previously unreported abortion provision that has stopped this bill in its tracks. But there is a quick and easy solution to this dilemma: take the abortion language out of the bill. Republican leaders do not seem to be interested in a solution, though. They are all too anxious to shut down debate without fixing the problem. We can stand here all week and question how the abortion language got into this legislation – many believe it was by sleight of hand. Whatever the case, it is a fact that Republicans included abortion language in this bill that is completely unrelated to human trafficking. And by doing so, Republicans turned a bipartisan bill into a political fight. Republican Congressman Erik Paulsen of Minnesota drafted the House version of this same human trafficking bill. Even he believes that the inclusion of the abortion provision in the Senate bill is inappropriate. He said: “There is no reason it should be included in these bills. This issue is far too important to tie it up with an unrelated fight with politics as usual.” The path forward is clear: take the abortion language out of the bill and we can pass it today. That’s it. It’s that easy. But if hijacking the human trafficking bill with an unrelated abortion provision wasn’t already bad enough, the Majority Leader is now holding Loretta Lynch’s nomination hostage, too. Just last Tuesday the Republican Leader gave his word that he would bring up a vote this week on President Obama’s Attorney General nominee. Now he’s saying the Senate will not confirm Loretta Lynch until we pass the trafficking bill – abortion language and all. Loretta Lynch was nominated by the President 128 days ago. Since that time, Senate Republicans have found reason after reason after reason to delay Loretta Lynch’s confirmation. First it was, ‘just wait until next Congress.’ In fact, the Republican Leader said last year: “Ms. Lynch will receive fair consideration by the Senate. And her nomination should be considered in the new Congress through regular order.” But when this Congress got underway, her nomination had to wait until after Keystone legislation – a bill to construct a massive pipeline to import foreign oil, only to then turn around and export it to other countries. Then Ms. Lynch’s nomination had to wait until after a new Defense Secretary was confirmed. Then Republicans on the Judiciary Committee needed more time – ‘just one more week,’ they said. Then she had to wait until after the February recess. And now here we are – the middle of March – and Loretta Lynch has yet to get a vote on the Senate floor. Why can’t we get this incredibly qualified woman confirmed? She has waited 128 days. That is the longest any Attorney General nominee has waited in four decades. Regardless of what the Majority Leader has said, a vote on the Lynch nomination has absolutely nothing to do with the trafficking bill. The Majority Leader can choose to keep the Senate stuck on this abortion provision. But he does so at the detriment of the many other important bills that require the Senate’s attention. The Majority Leader gave his word that we would consider the Lynch nomination this Congress through regular order – that has not happened. He gave his word that we would vote on confirmation this week, but he is now hedging on that, too. There is no reason my friend, Senator McConnell, cannot live up to his commitments. Loretta Lynch’s nomination is on the executive calendar – meaning the Senate can consider her nomination and then immediately move back to the trafficking bill. Any attempt to hold a confirmation vote hostage because of this abortion provision is a sham. Republicans are all out of excuses. This Congress is barely two months old, and yet this is just the latest on a growing list of examples proving Republicans simply cannot govern. The American people need an Attorney General. Let’s vote to confirm Loretta Lynch as soon as possible. ### [cid:image002.png@01D0266D.68F93E40] Link:http://www.reid.senate.gov/press_releases/2015-16-03-reid-remarks-calling-on-senate-gop-to-drop-abortion-language-on-human-trafficking-legislation-live-up-to-commitment-and-vote-on-loretta-lynch-nomination ________________________________ To unsubscribe from the DPCC-PRESS list, click the following link: &*TICKET_URL(DPCC-PRESS,SIGNOFF);<http://&*TICKET_URL(DPCC-PRESS,SIGNOFF);>