The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“Infrastructure (Executive Session)” mentioning Mitch McConnell was published in the Senate section on pages S5060-S5061 on July 26.
Of the 100 senators in 117th Congress, 24 percent were women, and 76 percent were men, according to the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
Senators' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
Infrastructure
Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I want to back up what the majority leader said. The day was May 22, 2019. I remember it well. Two things happened that morning. First was the birth of my granddaughter, which was an exciting and happy event. The second was just the opposite. It was a meeting in the White House with President Donald Trump, and the purpose of the meeting was to discuss infrastructure.
You see, we had an earlier meeting. Democrats met with the leaders of the Trump administration to discuss an infrastructure bill. When we suggested $1.5 trillion be spent on infrastructure. President Trump said: No, make it $2 trillion.
Well, we were happy to hear that. Then when we suggested that President Trump's earlier suggestion of 80 percent of it being paid on a State and local basis rather than Federal, he reversed himself. He said it will be 80 percent Federal. More good news.
Then came the suggestion: Well, it shouldn't just be horizontal infrastructure. It ought to be vertical infrastructure--broadband, school buildings, things that we desperately need in America.
And he said: Include them; let's make that part of the package.
It was one of the best meetings.
Then came the subject of how we were going to pay for it, and President Donald Trump said: Stop. I am not going to get into that conversation.
Well, we said: Mr. President, we have agreed on what we are going to do, but we have to pay for it.
He said: No, you are not going to trap me with raising taxes or doing things that are politically unpopular.
So we postponed this follow-up meeting to this May 22 date--May 22, 2019. We were anxious to get it done because, during his Presidency, there had been no infrastructure programs--none, nothing--despite his promises to the contrary during the campaign.
We came back May 22. He walked in the room and he said to all of us assembled there: As long as you are investigating me for any reason, there will be no infrastructure bill.
He wheeled around and walked out. That was the end of the conversation about infrastructure in the Trump administration. It was never seriously considered or debated after that.
Now we are engaged in a new exercise. Some Republican Senators--and I thank them for their courage and initiative--want to sit down with Democrats and see if we can finally, after years and years, come up with an infrastructure bill to rebuild America.
They are under pressure. They are under pressure from Senator McConnell. He didn't want them to engage in this kind of bipartisan negotiation. And now, today, former President Trump has joined the chorus, saying they shouldn't bargain at all with Democrats. Put it off another year, 2 years, whatever it has to be, until the Republicans control the whole process. That is a recipe for achieving little or nothing. We know that.
So I sincerely hope that this week will be a breakthrough week. Senator Schumer, the Democratic majority leader, tried to get it started last week with a simple procedural vote that would move us to this conversation, but he was unlucky and was unable to get that done, but he has maintained the procedural option of reconsidering that vote. I certainly hope that will happen soon.
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