Kerry: Congress Must Tone Down Rhetoric, Get Down To Business

Following this weekend’s tragic events in Arizona, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) told an audience at the left-leaning Center for American Progress (CAP) that Congress must work to eliminate the hyperpartisan atmosphere and rhetoric that has engulfed the process in which America’s government functions.

“In the weeks and months ahead, the real issue we need to confront isn’t just what role divisive political rhetoric may have played on Saturday, but it’s the violence, divisive, overly simplistic dialogue does to our democracy every day,” Kerry said.

The Senator supported House Speaker John Boehner’s decision to suspend the House’s usual business this week but called on Congress to “suspend and end business as usual in the United States Capitol” moving forward. The effects of hyperpartisanship are evidenced in the record number of cloture votes held in the 111th Congress, Kerry said. Additionally, he asserted that his call for bipartisanship should echo through Congress in a time when the nation is mourning and struggling to trust an entity Kerry said shies away from making tough but necessary decisions.

“The big question wasn’t whose rhetoric was right or wrong,” Kerry said. “But whether our political conversation was indeed worthy of the confidence and trust of the American people.”

Aside from toning down political rhetoric on the hill, the Senate Foreign Relations Chair made clear that extreme spending cuts alone would not yield the amount of recovery needed to sufficiently reduce the nation’s deficit. The former Democratic presidential candidate stressed that increasing infrastructure and alternative energy investments will create jobs for America and will keep the nation amid the world’s elite countries.

“In this time of crisis, in this time of mourning, in this time of challenge and opportunity, we all need to commit to reaching across the aisle as colleagues did before us to unite to do the exceptional things that, together, can keep America exceptional,” Kerry said. “That’s our mission and we need to get about the business of accomplishing it.”

START Vote Postponed

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has postponed its vote on the new START treaty and will instead take up the arms reduction agreement following the August recess.

“I chose to reschedule the vote to be responsive to the concerns of our members so that we can build bipartisan consensus around a treaty that our military leaders all agree will make America safer,” Sen. John Kerry, the Senate Foreign Relations Chair, said in a statement Tuesday.

While the treaty, which aims to reduce the amount of nuclear warheads held by both Russia and the U.S. to 1,500 each, has found support from the committee’s Ranking Member Sen. Richard Lugar (D-Ind.), no other Republican on Foreign Relations have joined him. 

The committee vote will now likely take place in September. Once it reaches the Senate floor, it will need 67 votes to be ratified.

Kerry Seeks To Exchange Teachers And Other Professionals With Muslim-Majority Countries

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), the Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, announced Tuesday that he will introduce legislation to set up a professional exchange program between the U.S. and countries with predominantly Muslim populations.

The exchange, set to work with 4-7 undetermined countries, will focus primarily on professionals who work within the public sector, including teachers, public help officials and city planners. Journalists and individuals working with non-profit organizations will also have preference within the exchange.

“This legislation is designed to help build professional capacity, strengthen civil society, and improve ties between the United States and Muslim-majority countries,” Kerry said in a statement. “By encouraging public-private partnerships, this program can help unite our institutions, governments, businesses, and charities around a common cause.”

Kerry Would Support A Constitutional Amendment To Counter Campaign Finance Ruling

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) suggested amending the constitution Tuesday as a possible response to the Supreme Court’s recent decision to permit corporations to fund election ads.

“Some of the sharpest minds in the country are working together right now to construct language for an amendment that would solve the problem,” Kerry said, speaking as a witness before the Senate Rules and Administration Committee. “I’m ready to work with them and with activists to get an amendment ratified.”

Kerry sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which would have jurisdiction in any steps taken to amend the constitution.

The 5-4 ruling, which was made in Citizens United V. Federal Election Commission, denies that the Federal Election Commission can restrict corporate spending on the grounds that it violates corporations’ rights to free speech.

Democrats have proposed a number of other possible ways to limit the ruling’s impact, including requiring shareholder consent before producing ads and asking corporations to identify themselves at the end of advertisements.

Senators Face-Off Over Kerry-Boxer Bill

By Leah Valencia, University of New Mexico- Talk Radio News Service

Senators faced off over the cost of the Kerry-Boxer climate change bill Tuesday when co-author Sen. John Kerry testified that he believed although the legislation would increase energy costs, a lack of action would cause worse problems for the environment and U.S. security.

"Are there some costs? Yes sir, there are some costs," said Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) in his testimony before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. "[But] none of them factor in the cost of doing nothing."

However, some Republican members were not so willing to brush aside the prospect of higher energy costs.

"Cap and trade is very expensive. This is something the American people can't tolerate and I don't think they will," said Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), the committee’s ranking member.

The Clean Energy Jobs And American Power act seeks to reduce greenhouse emissions by 20 percent within the next decade.

Kerry added that working to reduce dependency on fossil fuels would allow the U.S. to be a leader in developing new technologies, and thus creating new jobs.

"America's leadership is on the line here," Kerry said.

White House Officials agreed with Kerry's assertion during their testimonies before the committee.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu warned that if the U.S. does not act fast to be on the forefront of developing green technologies, other countries would.

Many committee members, including some Democrats like Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), questioned the feasibility of the ambitious bill.