Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., found a way to get something passed unanimously, despite what he rebukes as "romper-room behavior" of political polarization in the Senate.
asserted
he → find → Senate
In an interview Saturday with Fox News Digital, Justice detailed how he worked around the Senate’s bitter partisan divide to get a monument honoring late World War II Medal of Honor hero Hershel "Woody" Williams onto the National Mall.
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he → detail → Mall
"I've never seen anything like this, never in my life seen anything to where it is, it is so preposterous," Justice lamented.
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Justice → see → life
"You know, no one could make any sense out of what in the world is going on a lot of times.
uncertain
in → know → times
"I don't know why we don't talk to one another," he added.
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he → know → one
"I don't know why we're disrespectful to one other."
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we → know → one
Using good, old-fashioned dialogue, Justice's effort ultimately succeeded in getting his first Senate law passed for his late friend.
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law → use → friend
The Williams National Medal of Honor Monument Location Act directs the National Medal of Honor monument to a prominent location within the Reserve on the National Mall.
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Act → direct → Mall
It honors Williams, a West Virginia native who received the Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Iwo Jima and who was the last surviving World War II Medal of Honor recipient before his death in 2022 at age 98.
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who → honor → age
The monument will honor Williams by name while commemorating Medal of Honor recipients as a whole.
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monument → honor → whole
The House approved the measure on Aug. 31 after the Senate passed it unanimously in March.
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Senate → approve → March
The legislation is now awaiting Trump’s signature.
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legislation → await → signature
"We're really hopeful he's going to sign it this coming week," Justice said.
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Justice → go → it
"There's been a lot to make all that happen and everything, and I can't be more proud."
Justice, describing the partisan fight in the interview, said the path to unanimous approval was anything but smooth.
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path → be → approval
"I mean, we had it shot down," he said, adding, but "I just wouldn’t turn it loose."
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I → mean → it
"And the reason I wouldn’t turn loose is because it was just real simple: I mean Woody’s unbelievable, or was unbelievable, that’s for sure.
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that → turn → ?
But all these Medal of Honor recipients and everything, the ones we’ve lost and all those that are still living, they are so deserving."
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they → lose → Honor
Justice described how the measure initially had become caught up in the same divisiveness that has locked up the Senate on a much broader range of issues.
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that → describe → issues
"All we managed to do is keep a food fight going to where – because it was a Republican thing or Republican Jim Justice introducing – well, I’m telling you, if I’m a Democrat, by God, we’re not gonna let that happen and everything
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that → manage → God
," he lamented.
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he → lament → ?
"And then it’s just, it’s the same thing on both sides.
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it → ’ → sides
Way, way, way too much for a guy that’s got white hair and wants to try to get things done
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things → get → hair
Justice said the breakthrough came just before he was preparing to take the matter to the Senate floor with four Medal of Honor recipients present.
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recipients → say → Honor
"I was about three feet from going into the Senate chambers," Justice recalled.
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Justice → go → chambers
"And we sat down right there, you know, kind of on the steps and really just started talking."
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you → sit → steps
The two serve together on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Justice said he had developed a personal relationship with Heinrich over the years, including through Justice’s well-known bulldog, Babydog.
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he → serve → bulldog
"I said, Martin, I don’t understand.
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I → say → ?
I mean, how in the world can we do this?" Justice said.
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Justice → mean → this
"And I said, Martin, you know, I’m getting ready to go on the floor, and it’s not going to be good.
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it → say → floor
It’s not gonna be good for you.
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It → go → you
It’s not going to good for a lot of folks and everything.
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It → go → folks
A lot of people are going to be upset.
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lot → go → people
A lot of people are going to be really sad."
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lot → go → people
Justice said he appealed directly to Heinrich to find a way forward.
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he → say → way
"And I just said, Martin, I don’t know any way to tell it other than just to tell you the truth.
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I → say → truth
And you’re a good guy.
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you → ’re → ?
And I don’t know why in the world we just can’t talk with one another."
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we → know → one
Heinrich responded with a blunt explanation of the broader problem, Justice said.
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Justice → respond → problem
"And he looked right at me, and he said, you know, people here don’t talk to one another," Justice said.
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Justice → look → one
"And I really appreciate you doing that, and I’m not going to object."
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I → appreciate → that
…and 27 more, not listed.
The Aporia
