Despite election results, partisan debate rages on in Senate

Many lawmakers said the midterm election results showed voters were sick of partisan bickering, yet senators came to the Senate floor Wednesday to deliver the same partisan speeches. 

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) blasted Republican calls to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare. He said GOP senators are spending too much time at “country clubs” instead of listening to regular people, who are benefiting from the law.

{mosads}“Why do a bunch of politicians who have good insurance paid for by taxpayers want to take that away from other people?” Brown asked on the first day back for lawmakers.

Last week, Republicans flipped enough Senate seats on election night to take control of the upper chamber next year. They have vowed they’ll make repealing parts of ObamaCare and limiting environmental regulations top priorities, even though President Obama will veto those efforts.

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) also took to the floor to jab President Obama for his recent agreement with China to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The administration vowed to reduce emissions to 26 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. 

Inhofe, who will take over as chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said that wouldn’t happen under his watch.

“This is something that isn’t going to happen,” Inhofe said on the Senate floor. “The American people are not ready.”

The first round of floor speeches after the election shows there is still deep party divides on major issues.