At Wednesday's Senate Health Committee hearing, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) put forward an amendment to restore funding to reinstate terminated staff at a key energy.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00We want to have another amendment they wish to bring up.
00:01Yeah, I got five amendments.
00:02Then please bring it up.
00:04I call up Sanders Amendment Number 11.
00:08Mr. Chairman, a few weeks ago, the Trump administration arbitrarily fired every federal worker
00:15who administers the bipartisan, low-income home energy assistance program.
00:21That's LIHEAP.
00:22Now, in cold-weather states like Vermont, LIHEAP is life and death for many people,
00:28especially senior citizens who need help keeping their homes warm in the wintertime.
00:36In hot-weather states, it is equally important when August comes
00:39and people need help maintaining air conditioning.
00:43What this amendment would do is immediately reinstate all of the LIHEAP staff that were terminated,
00:51reopen the Division of Energy Assistance that administers this program,
00:55and disperse all of the LIHEAP funds that Congress has appropriate.
01:00Being able to heat your home in the freezing cold and keep the air conditioner on in the extreme heat
01:04is not a luxury.
01:05It's a matter of life and death.
01:07I urge my colleagues to vote for this amendment.
01:09This is a partisan amendment.
01:12The Anti-Semitism Awareness Act is focused on standardizing the definition of anti-Semitism
01:17for the enforcement of federal anti-discrimination laws.
01:21The legislation is not the place to consider potential funding, staffing, or organizational changes to HHS.
01:28While I recognize this is important to Senator Sanders, it's not within the scope.
01:31So, I move to table, S-558 amendment, Sanders number 11.
01:37Is there a sufficient second?
01:39There is.
01:40For clarification, a vote, a yes vote, means the amendment will be placed on the table
01:44and no longer considered for passage.
01:46I shall be voting yes.
01:47The clerk shall call the roll.
01:48Senator Paul?
01:49Aye.
01:50Senator Collins?
01:51Aye.
01:53Senator Murkowski?
01:53Aye.
01:54Senator Mullin?
01:55Aye.
01:56Senator Marshall?
01:56By proxy, by proxy, by proxy.
01:57I'm sorry.
01:58Senator Marshall?
01:59Yes.
02:00Senator Scott?
02:02Yes.
02:03Senator Hawley?
02:03Aye.
02:03By proxy.
02:04Senator Hawley?
02:05Aye.
02:05By proxy.
02:08Oh, sorry.
02:09Senator Tuberville?
02:10Aye.
02:10By proxy.
02:11Senator Banks?
02:12Aye.
02:12By proxy.
02:14Senator Houston?
02:15Yes.
02:16Senator Moody?
02:17Aye.
02:18By proxy.
02:19Senator Sanders?
02:20No.
02:21Senator Murray?
02:22No.
02:22No.
02:22By proxy.
02:23Senator Baldwin?
02:24No.
02:24By proxy.
02:25Senator Murphy?
02:27Senator Kaine?
02:28Yes.
02:29Senator Hassan?
02:30No.
02:31Senator Hickenlooper?
02:32No.
02:33Senator Markey?
02:34No.
02:35Senator Kim?
02:36No.
02:36Senator Blunt Rochester?
02:37No.
02:38Senator Ulsterbrooks?
02:39No.
02:39By proxy.
02:40Does...
02:41Chairman Cassidy?
02:43Cassidy votes yes to table.
02:45I have 12 ayes, 11 nays.
02:46No.
02:48Let's see.
02:56No.
02:57Not.
02:57No.
02:58No.
02:59No.
03:00Me.
03:01No.
03:01No.
03:01Not.
03:02No.
03:02No.
03:02No.
03:04No.
03:05No.
03:05No.