Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid on Wednesday mocked Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz by noting how rare it is to find the two Republican presidential candidates on the Senate floor these days.
“They’re going to actually be in the Senate to vote,” the Nevada Democrat said on the Senate floor Wednesday morning. “It’s a big day here!”
“So I know we have a tight schedule because they’re only going to be here for an hour or two,” he said.
Rubio has been criticized more widely than Cruz for missing votes, and has even been criticized by his GOP competitors for ignoring his Senate work. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in particular has dinged Rubio’s missed votes during GOP debates.
Reid’s remarks were in anticipation of a Senate vote on House legislation that would impose more stringent background checks on refugees from Syria. Republicans and many Democrats support the bill as a way to ensure Islamic State terrorists don’t pose as refugees to gain entry to the United States.
Senate Democrats are expected to block the bill today, but regardless, Reid’s remarks indicate he expects Rubio and Cruz to show up for the vote.
Reid also complained that while Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has said the GOP likes amendments, the bill won’t offer any chance for amendments this time around.
Reid said Democrats would like to offer language boosting funding for local police, and blocking access to guns for people who are suspected of being terrorists.
“We would offer an amendment to denounce Donald Trump’s reprehensible proposal to impose a religious test on admission to the United States,” he added.
