Christmas is no reason to delay senate voting, at least according to Vice President Joe Biden.
When senators took up the debate on ratifying the new START nuclear arms treaty, Biden advised senators not to stall or stop the treaty just for the sake of Christmas.
Biden told NBC in an interview that aired Thursday, “Get out of the way. There’s too much at stake for national security. And don’t tell me about Christmas. I understand Christmas.”
Sen. Jon Kyl, an Arizona Republican, said that it would be disrespectful to senators, staffers, and their families to debate nuclear limits up until Christmas. Sen. Jim DeMint recently told Politico that it would be “sacrilegious” of senators to vote as late as Christmas.
“This is the most sacred holiday for Christians. They did the same thing last year – they kept everybody here until [Christmas Eve] to force something down everybody’s throat. I think Americans are sick of this,” DeMint told Politico.
Biden went on the say in the same NBC interview, “I have been a senator for a long time. I have been there many years where we go right up to Christmas.”
Biden also seemed to believe senators would want to hold off on voting on the new START treaty merely to catch up on their Christmas shopping.
“There’s ten days between now and Christmas. I hope I don’t get in the way of your Christmas shopping,” Biden said.