Mark Dayton: “I join my colleague from Nevada in complimenting the Senator from Connecticut on the passage of the election reform law.…”

“I join my colleague from Nevada in complimenting the Senator from Connecticut on the passage of the election reform law. I had the distinct pleasure and privilege to sit in the chair to preside when this matter was debated and discussed many months ago. As the Senator from Connecticut has observed, no one could have known then how long the ordeal remained before they could bring the conference report back this week. What the Senator from Connecticut, the Senator from Kentucky, and the Senator from Missouri accomplished on behalf of the Senate and, more importantly, on behalf of the citizens of America, is extraordinary. Given all that has not been brought to fruition in the final days, the accomplishment the Senator brought to the Senate is an extraordinary tribute to his endurance and his legislative skills. He was very gracious yesterday to commend all of the people who worked so hard on this legislation--his colleagues and the staff across the aisle. He was too modest to compliment himself. I join with the Senator from Nevada in saying that Senator Dodd has performed an extraordinary service to his Nation. We will--in Minnesota and Hawaii and Connecticut and across the country--conduct better elections, more reliable elections, elections where citizens can vote and know the votes will be counted and counted accurately. His daughter Grace and his grandchildren and my children and grandchildren will be the beneficiaries of those hours of hard work. I thank the Senator.”