{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/floor-statements?ContentRecord_id=ECE75406-5735-45D2-8456-CC146E4418C3", "McCAIN ON THE WORK AHEAD IN THE 115TH CONGRESS", "2016-11-16", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "AZ", "John McCain", "M000303", "www.mccain.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u00ad\u2013 U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) delivered the following remarks on the floor of the U.S. Senate on the work ahead in the 115th Congress:\r\n\u201cMr. President:\r\n\u201cIt has been the great honor and privilege of my life to represent the people of Arizona in the United States Senate. And I am humbled that in last Tuesday\u2019s election, they placed their trust in me for another term. Since I first came to this body, I have never taken that trust for granted. And I never will. I will get up every day for the next six years determined to work harder than the day before for the people of Arizona.\r\n\u201cOf course, mine was not the only election last Tuesday. The American people did their civic duty and chose a new president. I congratulate the President-elect. My prayers are with him and his family as he prepares to assume our nation\u2019s highest office. And I will do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges confronting our nation.\r\n\u201cThis was a long and difficult national election, and not always an uplifting one. And I know there are many Americans who were disappointed on Election Night. We\u2019ve seen some of that disappointment in the protests that have taken place in several cities across the nation. Some of those protestors have even taken to using the slogan, \u2018Not My President.\u2019 This is misguided.\r\n\u201cI have been on the losing side of elections before. It\u2019s no fun. But America has only one president at a time. We do not have to agree with the president on every issue. And when we do disagree, we should express ourselves in the spirit of mutual respect that is essential for a free and democratic people.\r\n\u201cTherefore, I urge all Americans to offer our next president good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together, to make the necessary compromises to grow our economy, defend our security, and leave future generations a stronger, better America.\r\n\u201cThat better America is one in which we never forget that whatever our differences, we are all Americans. And we must respect our common citizenship by treating each other with respect.\r\n\u201cThat is why I have been so disturbed by reports of increased acts of intimidation, harassment, and even violence directed at minority racial and religious groups in the aftermath of the election.\r\n\u201cPrejudice and hate have no place in America. Such behavior is a betrayal of who we are as a people, and all that we aspire to be. And to those who have committed these disgusting acts, I repeat the words of the President-elect: Stop it.\r\n\u201cWith the campaign over, it is time for all of us to go about the work the American people sent us here to do. And there is a lot of work to do. For too long, Washington has schemed, fought, and maneuvered to gain political advantage at the cost of delivering for the American people. And the predictable result is that we\u2019ve made little, if any, progress toward meeting the great challenges of our time, and too many Americans feel left out and left behind.\r\n\u201cThis election made clear that Americans are fed up with business as usual in Washington. And they want us to make progress now on solving national problems that threaten their ability to prosper and make a better life for their families. They want progress now on growing the economy and increasing their opportunities to live purposeful and satisfying lives. And they want progress now to secure their families and America\u2019s interests from the dangerous threats we face overseas.\r\n\u201cAs Chairman of the Senate Armed Services, America\u2019s national security, and the men and women in uniform who protect it, will be my top priorities.\r\n\u201cWe have to put an end to business as usual at the Pentagon, where the largest government agency cannot pass a financial audit, and where a broken acquisition system is too often plagued by cost overruns, schedule delays, and poor performance. We have to put an end to sequestration once and for all, and return to a strategy-based defense budget that gives our service members the resources, training, and equipment they need to meet current and future threats. We have to accelerate the defeat of ISIL in Iraq and Syria, and continue to take the fight to radical Islamist terrorists that seek to attack our homeland.\r\n\u201cAbove all, we must remain the free world\u2019s leader, and stand up always and everywhere for the values that make us exceptional and that all peoples are entitled to\u2014the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We have to reinvigorate America\u2019s alliances around the world, not discard them in favor of cynical deals with adversaries who want us to relinquish our global leadership. We have to enhance shared efforts to deter and, if necessary, defeat aggression, from whatever power threatens our interests and values.\r\n\u201cAchieving these goals will require a team at the Department of Defense composed of the best people our nation has to offer. The Senate Armed Services Committee stands ready to receive nominations from the new president. The stakes for our nation are high. So, too, must be our standards.\r\n\u201cAmerica has many challenges ahead. But none of us should despair of our present difficulties. Instead we must believe always in the promise and greatness of America. I still do. And in that spirit, my promise is this: to work as hard as I ever have\u2026to use all my knowledge, experience and relationships\u2026and to work with our new president and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to solve our problems together as fellow Americans.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/floor-statements?ContentRecord_id=ECE75406-5735-45D2-8456-CC146E4418C3"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.046127337962389, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}