It has been completely abused.

There is nothing in the Constitution about a filibuster or the Rule 22 provision, things like that.

there are way too many filibusters. That is your quote. The filibuster is being used too many times.

It is time to reform our rules, and as I have said many times, I will hold this view whether I am a member of the majority or the minority.

I think that is really the key issue here, is how we bring accountability back to the institution.

I know Chairman Dorgan feels that ways, too.

I applaud his work to promote energy development on tribal lands.

In order to access on a commercial basis, we have to make sure when we do our transmission development we include Indian tribes.

One of the arguments that is made is that if we change the Senate rules, somehow the Senate will become identical to the House.

In order to put ourselves as a Country on a path to energy independence, it is very important to get the tribes to play a role in that.

It is more important than ever to remove the longstanding roadblocks to energy development on tribal lands.

If your premise is correct, that that Congress in 1974 had no right to bind the Congress of today, then the whole reconciliation process is gone.

I hope that by reforming our rules, we can restore some of the collegiality and bipartisanship that our Founders intended for the Senate.

What is truly wrong with our rules is that they have become entrenched against change, something our Founders never intended.

To me, today's hearing is not about examining the current use of the filibuster, but the abuse of the filibuster.

Over the past few months, during this series of hearings, we have discussed and debated example after example of how the filibuster in particular and the Senate's incapacitating rules in general too often stand in the way of achieving real…

I think it is important that you actually have debate and that there is a real chance for the minority to make its point.

If I could wave my magic wand and do one thing, it would be to move the Senate to a schedule which was five days a week, three weeks on and one week off, with no fund-raising during those 15 days a month.