Political Quotes

“I appreciate the Senator bringing up the statements by our revered Senator Byrd. I remember when I first came to the Senate, he had, for lack of a better word, a lecture or maybe a sermon to us all about the comity of the Senate and why the Senate is different from the House. The standard example is that the House is where we pour a hot cup of coffee, and then it cools off in the Senate when we put the coffee in the saucer. And that is what we are supposed to do to protect the minority. Here is what Senator Byrd said in one of his last speeches before the Rules Committee before we lost Bob. His knowledge and love for this body were unmatched. He actually wrote the history of the Senate. He said he opposed cloture by a simple majority because 'it would immediately destroy the uniqueness of this institution. The Senate is the only place in government where the rights of a numerical minority are so protected. A minority can be right and minority views can certainly improve legislation.'”