-9999

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. PAUL. In fact, I have been appalled that leftwing pro-abortion groups released the addresses of our Supreme Court Justices and that there have been people at their houses trying to intimidate them. It is appalling and shouldn't happen. Whoever it was that released the addresses of the Supreme Court Justices should be punished.

So I think there is bipartisan support in this. I was disappointed though that the White House has not condemned the release of the Supreme Court Justices. I think that ranting and raving and noise all night is disturbing the peace and isn't actually First Amendment protected speech.

But if recent years have taught us anything, it is that Members of the legislative branch also need protection. That was clear in 2011 when Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was tragically shot while doing the most important part of her job, meeting with constituents.

Words cannot express how happy and inspired I was to see Congresswoman Giffords was in the Chamber as her husband, Senator Kelly, was recently sworn in, but words also cannot express the pain felt by the families of the people who were killed and wounded that day.

That should have been a wakeup call to better protect Members of Congress and, in doing so, better protect the people around them. But just a few years ago, a shooter nearly killed Congressman Steve Scalise during practice for the annual charity baseball game. I know. I was there. One staffer was shot less than 10 feet from me.

The Capitol Hill police were there and saved our lives. Had they not been there, things might have been much worse. But the Capitol Police aren't everywhere, and our families live in many cities outside of Washington. Extending the provisions of this bill to Members of Congress would do nothing to change the content. In fact, I believe our legislative changes add four words ``and Members of Congress.''

So I think these protections actually are good protections. I agree with the spirit of the bill; I agree with the letter of the bill, but really it should be judicial folks protected as well as Congress.

My substitute amendment, which I will offer for unanimous consent, would make a simple change. My amendment would simply extend the protections that would be offered to the judicial branch to the legislative branch.

So I ask the committee-reported amendment be withdrawn and that the Senator modify his request to include my substitute amendment which is at the desk; that the substitute amendment be considered read a third time and passed and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source