Trent Lott: “I have been watching the Congress pretty closely now for 35 years as a Member of the House and the Senate, and I have…”

“I have been watching the Congress pretty closely now for 35 years as a Member of the House and the Senate, and I have been involved in end of sessions 19 times in the Senate, but I must say, it is about as big a mess as I have ever seen. We are not going to have a single appropriations bill down to the President signed for the whole year, even by the end of this week. The bill that is on the way, the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill, which is $9.8 billion above what the President asked for and has lots of problems, is going to be vetoed, and will be back up here next week. Hopefully, we will find a way before this week is out to pass the Defense appropriations bill so our men and women will know they are going to get the assistance they need, the equipment they need, the protections they need. That would be the first appropriations bill to get to the President that he might actually sign. It is true right across the board. All year long, it has been about political positioning. It has all been about fighting over Iraq.”