Heidi Alexander: “I congratulate the Republican leader for his remarks. Without being presumptuous, I think I could express the hope that…”

“I congratulate the Republican leader for his remarks. Without being presumptuous, I think I could express the hope that all of us feel that he will help us restore the Senate to the role the American people need it to play in this country. There is a new history of the Senate, ``The American Senate,'' written by Neil MacNeil, the late Neil MacNeil, who wrote the best book about the House of Representatives, and the former Historian of the Senate. I suspect this book is likely to become the best chronicle of this body. It speaks of the Senate as ``the one touch of authentic genius in the American political system.'' It needs to be restored to that position. The Republican leader is absolutely right. This does not require a change of rules. This requires a change of behavior--some behavior on our part on this side of the aisle, but a great deal of behavior on the part of whomever the majority leader of the Senate is, because that is the person who sets the agenda. The debate for this year really is: Will this year be the end of the Senate--which is what the distinguished majority leader said it would be if we ever changed the rules in a way that allowed the majority to cut off debate--or will it be the year in which the Senate is restored, restored to that role of authentic genius in the American system? I hope it would be that way.…”