Political Quotes

“There is a good reason for that. We both came to the House at the same time. We were sorry to lose the Senator to the Senate. I truly appreciate what the Senator has said. It reflects conversations we both have had to try to educate, to get to know or understand a little better what our colleagues across the aisle are doing and why this is taking place and describe what our frustrations are. But the Senator has summarized them very well. I urge my colleagues across the aisle to take the Senator's suggestions--and plea on behalf of us all--to heart and would encourage everybody who has nothing else to do around here to read the Congressional Record and the Senator's remarks and take them to heart. I remember so well, when I came to the Senate in 1996--and the Senator was here--I had an amendment I wanted to offer. Being a Member of the House for 16 years, what we had to do in the House was to check with the chairman. We served in the minority and then the revolution came in 1994 and things changed. But then, we had to go to the Rules Committee, which the Senator has pointed out was a very unique experience. I remember then what I had to do to get anything done in the House is I basically had to find a Democratic colleague--a friend who was serving in the majority--to cosponsor the bill which I had, put his name first, and then go to the Rules Committee to make it in order so that my bill and his bill could work. My partner in this effort was Congressman Charlie Stenholm.…”